On the request of a

On the request of a fellow blogger, I republished the archives. I hope this works. I really don't understand it all, I just do as I'm told. Last night I was going to reproduce the rather long post that I wrote at lunch yesterday that Blogger ate, but I fell asleep shortly after the baby went to bed, so that did not happen. Today's Friday Afternoon Sermon will be of particular interest to Bay Area residents, although there will be some reflections about Public Radio in general, so it will not be completely useless to those of you in the outside world. I will also be ranting about a feature of children's records that drives me crazy.

In the meanwhile, I realize that I promised a recipe for mushroom pasta, so...

The important thing to have for mushroom pasta is flavorful mushrooms. Without going into a lengthy digression on the characteristics of the various mushroom species, I will suggest a few, and offer the advice that one should use their own sense and judgement.

NOTE: If you are going to pick your own, please know what you are doing. In Northern California we have had problems of Taiwanese and Eastern European immigrants mistaking a deadly type of mushroom (called, appropriately enough the Deathcap) for an edible one from the old country. The treatment for this error: a liver transplant. So, be careful!

I think that three types of mushrooms are the minimum, although I can think of a way to work with one or two. The one I made last week I used fresh shitake, fresh oyster mushrooms, fresh crimini mushrooms, and rehydrated porcini. Ideally I would have probably picked this combo: fresh porcini, fresh oyster mushrooms, fresh matsutake, golden chantrelle, and rehydrated mousselin (I think that is the name of these dried mushrooms from France - I get them at G. B. Ratto's in Oakland, they will tell you what they are). Basically I am going for a blend of strong flavors, delicate flavors, and a variety of textures. Crimini are a good choice for those on a budget, but they must be supplemented with dried porcini or they simply come accross as filler.

Rule number one: do not wash mushrooms in water. It does terrible things to them. Plumps them up. Reduces the flavor. The only time you want to use water is to rehydrate dried mushrooms. Washing mushrooms is a sad way to abuse one of the great gifts that God has given us. Brush them, tenderly and delicately. All you need to do is remove grit, as the mushrooms are grown in sterilized medium.

Certain types of mushrooms, and I am thinking of shitake, have rather woody stems that many cooks tell you to discard. I disagree. Chop them finely, into 1/4" to 1/8" dice. They provide a lot of flavor, even though you don't want to chew on big pieces of them. I generally do the same to matsutake, as I want the truffle-like flavor to be maximized. Reserve and strain the liquid from rehydrating mushrooms.

All of the mushrooms should be cut into bite sized pieces. I don't care how you do it. Some like slices, some like chunks, some like a blend. I tend to cut depending on the type of mushroom. Experience and experiment will tell you what to do. In a skillet, heat up 1/2 butter and 1/2 extra virgin olive oil (heat up the amount you think you will need and then 50% more. The mushrooms soak it up). When the oil is hot but not smoking, add the mushrooms and two cloves of garlic, pressed (there is controversy over pressing garlic. Some chefs think it is blasphemy, others think that it is the only way to add garlic. We can discuss this later). After they have been sautéed for a bit, add a good pinch or two of fresh chopped calamint (you will need to raise this yourself, and if you are a fan of mushrooms, you should), a good pinch or two of fresh chopped thyme leaves, a generous amount of fresh cracked pepper, and sauté some more. When they are approaching done, deglaze the pan with a good splash of grappa (preferred, but you can substitute dry sherry, white vermouth, cognac), let the alcohol cook off and add the liquid from the dried mushrooms. Add cream (creme fraiche is best) once the other liquids have been cooked together and cook until the cream is slightly thickened. Add freshly grated reggiano parmeggiana, freshly grated nutmeg, and a good blast of cracked pepper.

You can add this sauce to your fully cooked penne (al dente, please), or can finish cooking your pasta in the sauce (preferred). Finish with fresh chopped Italian parsley and a few drops of white truffle oil. Serve with a good red wine and a tossed green salad.