European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 26, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                With a Damp paper Towel. You can also us Especial very soft bristle mushroom Brush or cleaning them. If the mushrooms Are Sandy or Mucky Wash them briefly but Well under cold running water then blot them dry with a Towel or spin dry them in a salad spinner do not soak the mushrooms in water because they absorb liquids easily and you Don t want soggy mushrooms. The exception is morels which must be thoroughly cleaned by soaking several times in water. A Quick Way to make Nice uniform mushroom slices is to use one of those hinged egg slicers with parallel wire cutters merely place a cleaned whole mushroom in the lower portion where the egg is supposed to sit lower the wire Cutler and the entire mushroom is transformed into equal size slices. Using this tool you can slice a Pound of mushrooms in Only a couple of minutes. To keep washed and Cut mushrooms Light in color while you Are preparing the other ingredients of the dish Sprinkle them with a Little Lemon juice White vinegar or White wine. Avoid cooking Light color mushrooms in aluminium pans because the aluminium will cause the mushrooms to Darken. When cooking mushrooms remember that their flavor is enhanced by the addition of a Little fresh garlic. Dried mushrooms must usually be reconstituted before being used in cooking. Rehydrate them by soaking them in water or Stock or even White wine Marsala or vermouth for 30 minutes to four hours depending on the size and Type of dried mushroom. Save the liquid they were soaked in it will have a wonderful mushroom flavor for use in soups stocks or sauces if you Are not using it in the same dish that contains the reconstituted mushrooms. Dried mushrooms not reconstituted can be pulverized in the blender to make a Fine powder that is excellent to add in Small amounts to soups and sauces to give depth to their flavor. Whenever my husband is making seasoned Rice he shakes the porcini dust out of our bag of dried porcini and adds it to the Stock to greatly enhance the flavor of the Rice if during mushroom season you re fortunate enough to find yourself with an oversupply of fresh fungi there Are several easy ways to preserve them for future use 1 freezing for each Pound of fresh mushrooms bring to a boil 1 quart of water combined with i Teaspoon Salt and i Teaspoon Lemon juice. Drop the mushrooms into the boiling water bring to the boil again and Cook for 3 minutes. Rinse the mushrooms under cold water Drain thoroughly and Pat dry with a Towel. Freeze in plastic bags. The mushrooms will keep for several months in the Freezer. 2 drying clean the mushrooms thoroughly using As Little water As possible and blot them dry with towels. Leave the Small ones whole Cut larger ones into v Inch slices. Arrange the mushrooms in a single layer on sheets of screening and let them sit in a warm airy place for several Days until they Are completely dry. Alternatively you can string them loosely on lengths of thread each mushroom piece not touching the ones next to stand hang them up to dry in a warm airy place. To avoid any possibility of Mold store the mushrooms in a paper bag for several weeks after drying. You can eventually store them in an airtight Container. 3 Dux Lles this is my favorite Way of preserving mushrooms. Dux Elles is a thick mushroom paste that is used As a seasoning to intensify the flavor of soups sauces gravies and stuffings. Heat 2 Tablespoons of vegetable Oil and 3 Tablespoons of butter in a Skillet. Saute i of a Small onion very finely chopped or 2 finely chopped shallots until the pieces Are soft. Add i Pound of fresh mushrooms cleaned and very finely chopped and Cook Over medium Low heat stirring constantly until there is no moisture left and the mixture has formed a paste. Season to taste with Salt Pepper and freshly grated Nutmeg. Let the mixture Cool to room temperature then spoon it into ice cube tray compartments and freeze solid. Remove the Frozen Dux Elles cubes and store them in a plastic bag in the Freezer. For use in cooking add 1 Frozen Dux Elles cube to each 1 or 2 of Stock or Sauco. Mushrooms t an be eaten in Many ways raw cooked or preserved some varieties can t be eaten raw whole sliced chopped or pureed hot or cold baked broiled creamed battered and Fried stuffed in soups sauces salads casseroles quiches and souffles or As a vegetable on their own. There is even a commercially made mushroom Ketchup not a Tomato Ketchup used As condiment. One of the simplest and Best ways to prepare fresh mushrooms is to saute them in Olive Oil or butter with a Little garlic and serve them very hot Plain or with a Cream sauce. The following recipes All use cultivated Champignon those Light color supermarket variety mushrooms that Are available in the stores year around. Blue cheese stuffed mushrooms is a dish that you la often find on italian Antipasti platters mushrooms a la Grecque despite its name is a classic French Mediterranean dish. Champi tones Al Perez and garlic mushrooms Are both recipes from Spain where you la encounter these delicious dishes served at fascias Tapa bars. Blue cheese stuffed mushrooms 16 Large mushrooms about 1 Pound 1 shallot 1 Large Clove of garlic 1 Tablespoon finely chopped Parsley 6 Tablespoons Olive Oil or melted butter 1 Teaspoon freshly ground Black Pepper i cup dry bread crumbs cup finely crumbled Blue cheese Gorgonzola or roquefort pre heat the oven to 350 degrees f. Lightly Oil or butter a 9-Inch Square non aluminium baking pan or a 9x12-Inch Oval a Gratin pan. Clean the mushrooms with a Damp Towel and Pat them dry with another Towel. Twist off the stems but leave each mushroom Cap whole. Finely chop the mushroom stems shallot garlic and Parsley. In a Dideum size Skillet heat 3 Tablespoons of Olive Oil or butt Rover medium High heat. Add the chopped mushroom stems garlic and shallot and saute for about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the Parsley Black Pepper and bread crumbs. Add the crumbled Blue cheese and mix Well. Lightly Brush the outside of each mushroom Cap with some of the remaining Olive Oil or melted butter. Stuff each mushroom Cap with a heaping Tablespoon approximately of the filling shaping the filling by hand into a Small dome. Use All of the filling to stuff the 16 mushroom Caps arrange the mushrooms filling Side up in the baking dish. Bake at Ore heated 350 degrees f. For 15 to 20 minutes. Serve hot As a first course or As an accompaniment to broiled steaks or chops. Serves 4 people As an hours d oeuvre or 6 to 8 people As a Side dish to steaks. Champignon a la Grecque marinated mushrooms / cup while wine a cup Olive Oil Luice of 1 Lemon 1 Tablespoon Tomato paste 2 Bay leaves 3 Large cloves of garlic minced 1 Teaspoon Salt 1 Teaspoon dried herbs de Provence or Teaspoon each dried thyme Rosemary oregano and Sage i Teaspoon whole coriander seeds it Teaspoon dried red Pepper flakes or a Small Pinch of Cayenne Pepper 8 whole Black Peppercorns Ivi pounds fresh Champignon in a medium size Saucepan mix All the ingredients except the mushrooms. Bring the mixture to a boil reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes stirring occasionally. Meanwhile clean the mushrooms and trim off the Bottom of each Stem. If the mushrooms Are Small leave them whole if they Are Large Cut them into quarters. Add the mushrooms to the Saucepan and let them simmer in the marinade for an additional 5 to 10 minutes or until the mushrooms Are tender. Pour the contents of the Saucepan into a Glass Jar or bowl and let the mixture Cool uncovered to room temperature. Cover the Container and refrigerate for 1 to 2 Days. Serve the mushrooms chilled or at room temperature with French bread As an accompaniment. Spoon some of the marinade Over each serving. Serves 4 people As a first course. Cha Pinones Al Erez mushrooms with Sherry t/4 pounds Champignon 3 Large shallots 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil 1 scant Tablespoon flour /4 cup Chicken Stock /4 cup Sweet Sherry 2 Teaspoons Lemon juice Sharon Hudolin 1985 september 26,1985 stripes Magazine