Unwittingly I have become a maven of mushrooms. In less than 18 months I have raised my own oyster and shiitake mushrooms, hosted a “feast of fungus” dinner party, penned four articles and signed up for a foraging club. All this from the person who grew up eating button mushrooms from a jar. Hardly the origins of a connoisseur.
Although my mavenhood has been a recent development, I first learned of “better” cultivated mushrooms from my father. While home on Christmas break in the early ’90s, I joined him and my uncle for a pre-holiday dinner at Boardman, Ohio’s Springfield Grille. Always an experimental eater, my father ordered an appetizer of Portobello mushrooms. My initial reaction to his daring was “Yuck! I’m not touching that weird stuff.”
A persuasive man, he eventually convinced me to take a small bite. I still recall my astonishment over how rich and delicious edible fungus could be. Sliced then sauteed in olive oil, salt and pepper, they possessed an earthy, meaty yet wholesome taste.
Years passed. My food choices changed. Almost overnight mushrooms switched their role as a pre-dinner snack to a fundamental part of my menus. Wild mushrooms stood in for beef in an otherwise traditional stroganoff. Farmed Portobellos replaced T-bones when grilling steaks. Sweet, woodsy, wild chanterelles usurped chicken in garlic and olive oil sautes. Shiitakes formed the sauce for tender filets of sole. Versatile, flavorful and easy to procur and prepare, mushrooms became the star of the dinner table.
Perhaps it really is no wonder that I have become a fungus aficianado.
Mushroom Sauté
Serves 8
Ingredients:
5 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
14 ounces cremini mushrooms, cleaned, stalks removed and cut in half
12 ounces shitake mushrooms, cleaned, stalks removed and cut in half
12 ounces portobello mushrooms, cleaned and cut into small pieces
6 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons sea salt
¾ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
¾ cup tomato puree
¼ cup water
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan then add the garlic. Cook for two to three minutes, until softened but not browned.
Add the butter to the pan. After the butter melts, add the mushrooms and toss the ingredients together so that they are well mixed. Cook, stirring periodically, until the mushrooms are soft and slightly browned, approximately 15-20 minutes.
Add the salt, black and cayenne peppers, tomato puree and water. Stir well. Continue to heat on medium, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until sauce has thickened.
Transfer to a serving bowl. Sprinkle the top with Parmesan cheese and serve.
Mushroom Stroganoff
Serves 8
Ingredients:
2 large white onions, skinned and cut into quarters
5 cloves of garlic, skins removed
¼ cup olive oil
14 ounces cremini mushrooms
12 ounces shitake mushrooms
12 ounces portobello mushrooms
2 ounces dried porcini
6 tablespoons butter
1 ½ teaspoons curry powder
1 ½ tablespoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons sea salt
¾ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
5 tablespoons dry sherry
16 ounces light sour cream
Peel and quarter the onion and garlic then place in a food processor. Process the two until they have attained a smooth, soupy consistency.
Clean and remove the stalks from the mushrooms. Slice and halve the cremini and button mushrooms. Slice and quarter the shitake. Slice and cut the portobello into small pieces.
Heat ¼ cup oil in a large sauté pan then spoon in the onion-garlic mixture. Cook over medium heat until softened but not browned.
Add the butter to the pan. After the butter melts, add the mushrooms and toss the ingredients together so that they are well mixed. Place a lid on the pan and cook, stirring periodically, until the mushrooms are soft and slightly browned, approximately 15-20 minutes.
Remove the lid and add the curry, paprika, nutmeg, salt, pepper, sherry and sour cream. Stir well. Heat on medium-low for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until stroganoff is hot and well combined. Serve over linguine, egg noodles, or rice.