Recently I attended a Holiday Meal event at an upscale restaurant that started with a Forest Mushroom Soup. Or so they claimed. It was a tan-colored insipid broth with a few bits vaguely recognizable as “mushroom” floating in it. I put away my business cards so no one would ask me for an opinion. Here’s what [...]

Categories: mushroom, soup, vegan, vegetarian
Tagged: mushroom, soup, vegan, vegetarian

Earlier this week I attended a mushroom-growing workshop in Knoxville, led by Bob Hess, owner of Everything Mushrooms. I’ve thought about growing mushrooms, but it always seemed to require significant investment in science lab equipment. Mushroom spawn plugs looked to be easier, but because of what I’d read I thought it might be difficult as [...]

Categories: gardening, mushroom, permaculture
Tagged: gardening, mushroom, permaculture

When it comes to comfort food it’s hard to top meatloaf with mashed potatoes and gravy. But I did my best. Turned out rather well, and it only took two weeks to make! What? Two weeks? Well, yes. I had to cure the bacon. While the bacon was curing I had to make the ketchup. [...]

Categories: entrée, mother recipe, mushroom, supper
Tagged: entrée, mother recipe, mushroom, supper

A good pâté is one my favorite things–humble ingredients transformed into a culinary delight. I particularly enjoy a nice mushroom pâté with fresh bread and sweet pickles for breakfast. Another thing I particularly like about pâté when cooked en terrine is that it isn’t particularly fussy–a few more minutes in the oven won’t make a [...]

Categories: baking, charcuterie, entertaining, gluten-free, mushroom, side dish, technique, vegetarian
Tagged: baking, charcuterie, entertaining, gluten-free, mushroom, side dish, technique, vegetarian

A couple months ago I had the privilege of hosting Chef Gabriel Rucker of Le Pigeon for a cooking demonstration at Williams-Sonoma. He prepared a wonderful truffled spinach that inspired this variation. You’ll need one bunch of spinach for every two portions; no need for expensive baby spinach in this dish. Begin by gently sautéing [...]

Categories: entertaining, gluten-free, mushroom, side dish, Thanksgiving, vegetarian
Tagged: creme fraiche, entertaining, gluten-free, mushroom, side dish, Thanksgiving, vegetarian

I love mushrooms of all sorts, and I enjoy using them in all sorts of ways, even in dessert. But I’d never thought about making a savoury strudel until I decided I needed a new side dish for Fall. It’s much easier than it sounds: make duxelles, wrap in phyllo, then bake until done. To [...]

Categories: baking, entertaining, mushroom, pastry, side dish, vegetarian
Tagged: baking, entertaining, mushroom, side dish, vegetarian

I had just finished breaking down a chicken for a photo session when I realized that it was time to eat. Fortunately, I had some chicken on the cutting board. A quick trip to the pantry for inspiration yielded sweet Marsala wine and veal demiglace.

Categories: chicken, entrée, lunch, mother recipe, mushroom, pantry, skillet, supper
Tagged: chicken, lunch, main course, mother recipe, mushroom, pantry, supper

Gelato is the truly ethereal version of ice cream that originates in Italy. Most important to a gelato is to start with a good base and to finish with low-speed churning that incorporates as little air as possible. There are two standard gelato bases, white and yellow. The white base is made without eggs, the [...]

Categories: dessert, gelato, gluten-free, home creamery, mother recipe, mushroom, vegetarian
Tagged: dessert, gelato, gluten-free, home creamery, mother recipe, mushroom, vegetarian

Candy cap mushrooms, when dried, are very strongly fragrant, hinting of maple syrup, butterscotch, and butter pecan ice cream. I used them in one of my favorite vegetable dishes, carrot purée.

Categories: dairy-free, gluten-free, mushroom, side dish, vegan, vegetarian
Tagged: dairy-free, gluten-free, mushroom, side dish, vegan, vegetarian

When mushrooms have been sitting around a day or two longer than they really should, or you find a sale on dried mushrooms, make some mushroom stock. Then, when you need an umami-filled light lunch or quick soup, you’ll have a great base to build upon.

Categories: dairy-free, gluten-free, lunch, mushroom, soup, stock, vegan, vegetarian
Tagged: dairy-free, gluten-free, lunch, mushroom, soup, stock, vegan, vegetarian