Mad about Mushrooms . . .

Our 2012 Winner: Savory Forest Mushroom & Sausage Bread Pudding

Congratulations to Catherine Wilkinson, the winner of our 2012 Recipe Contest!

Why this recipe?  When we first reviewed the submissions, we were immediately intrigued by Catherine's twist on one of our traditional favorites, bread pudding.  And, when we prepared her recipe, we were delighted by the burst of flavors that awaited us with every bite.  It was a rhapsody to our taste buds:  earthy mushrooms, folded into a rich base of cream cheese and Italian sausage, chopped onions, cream, hearty bread cubes and seasonings! 

Congratulations, Catherine! 

Our 2011 Winner: Maple Mushroom Creme Brulee with Crispy Bacon

"A mushroom creme broulee? Really? How daring!"  That was our immediate reaction when we received Cheryl Perry's winning recipe a few weeks ago.  Dessert items are rare indeed for our contest, and we'd be less than candid if we didn't admit to some doubts.  But of course, we had to try it, and the sooner, the better.

It turned out to be delicious.  It was sweet but not too sweet, had precisely the right consistency, and definitely had a distinct, mushroomy flavor along with a lovely light chocolate color.  It was one of the most original mushroom recipes we've seen, and we are very proud that it is our 2011 winner!

Congraulations to Cheryl who created our winning recipe! 

Our 2010 Winner: Smoky Caramelized Mushroom Pear Galette

Spectacular is the first word that comes to mind when we try to describe our winning recipe this year.  Not only is Merry Graham's entry spectacularly delicious and innovative, it's also spectacular visually, with a golden flaky puff pastry enclosing a plump and tasty filling of onions, mushrooms, pears, bacon and cheese.

When we contacted Merry to let her know that she'd won the contest, her reply was simple:  "Ahhh, you just made my day! "  She spends part of almost every day concocting new recipes in her Santa Clarita, CA kitchen.  Her passion for developing tasty dishes was ignited in 2009 when she discovered the world of recipe contests.  "I love recipe contests that have required ingredients.  It sparks my creativity!"

 

The galette is layered with tasty ingredients!

 

Our 2009 Winner: Papardelle with Balsamic Mushrooms

We Have a Winner and a Runner-Up!

Response to our Recipe Contest was unbelievable!  Well over 200 mushroom fanciers took part, and there were no ringers (“start with a can of Campbell’s ‘Cream of Mushroom’ soup and add…”) among them.  Most were sophisticated recipes with ingredients and exotic spices to match, and they came from as far away as India. We prepared many of them, and were mightily impressed.  Recipes ran the gamut, from desserts to appetizers to main courses; they used a wide variety of mushrooms, with only a few choosing the standard white grocery store agaricus.  One of these, however, turned out to be a close runner-up to the eventual winner; while not often our choice, these ubiquitous super market mushrooms do have their legitimate place.

Something we did not expect, but which truly gratified us, was the very personal aspect of many of them.  Most were accompanied by a notation, such as, “This is my husband’s favorite recipe,” or, “We fix this dish for gatherings at our place for football games.”  In this way, we found ourselves connecting with our entrants as we read their notes.  We try to make this a very personal website, and that connection with our readers is a “big deal” for us.

This was a very tough decision, and we agonized over it for days.  Still, there can be only one winner, and for us, that winner had to be Becky Reams of Los Angeles.  Her Papardelle with Balsamic Mushrooms recipe (which follows) included portabellos and morels, with an option to add scallops and was, exactly as she wrote, easier to prepare than it looked, hearty and with a rich depth of flavor like its been cooking all day, but it really comes together very quickly.  A nice prize package of goodies from our part of the world will soon be on its way to LA, along with our congratulations and thanks for entering.  The package includes, along with other items, Patrick Masterson's A History of Port Orford and Heck Timeus' Rogue River County as well as a bag of One Horse Coffee Company's House Blend, 'Tis Tasty's pickled vegetables and jam, ol' Hippie Gourmet BBQ Sauce, Siskiyou Mountain potpourri, and Gold Coast handmade soaps and Gardener's Healing Hand Lotion.  Enjoy!

Our 2008 Winner: Chicken ala Ron

Congratulations to Ron Peters, the winner of our 2008 recipe contest!  We loved the ease of preparation as well as the blend of textures and colors.  The dish simply bursts with flavors!   Chicken ala Ron has already become a favorite in our household!  And, we are sure that you'll find it a tasty treat as well!

Ron describes himself as a "home chef" with roots in Rhode Island.  His favorite cuisines are Italian and Portuguese.  Yes, Ron's entered recipe contests before, maybe 3-4 times, but this was the first time that he's won a prize.  How did he develop this recipe?  He admits that it came little by little.  He first served it to his wife, then he made refinements in the preparation and finally he shared it with friends.  Lucky friends indeed, we say!

We were extremely pleased with the variety of recipes that were submitted.  They came from near and far, from down the road in Curry County, from states such as Rhode Island and New York, and internationally from India.  Some recipes were complex in preparation, others were more easy entertaining.  We're so delighted with them that we have published a select few on various pages of this website.  Take at look at them and give them a try - you will not be disappointed. 

While the entries were quite diverse, what the recipes and their authors all had in common was a very obvious love of cooking and the joy that comes from sharing food with others.   We are touched and humbled by the contributions to our recipe contest. 

Boletes would be a great choice for this recipe.