Wizard Recipes

While there are great differences among mushroom varietals, most will sauté in the same way for a side dish. Look for closed caps with few gills showing.The caps should be evenly colored without gashes or bruises; the stems should not be shriveled. None should be soft. Portobello mushrooms do have visible gills and should be cooked differently .

To store: Refrigerate in a paper bag (not plastic) for up to 3 days.

To prepare: If they are to be cooked at once, you can wash mushrooms; either rinse them or submerge them in water to remove dirt. Trim about 1?4 inch off each stem. For shiitakes, remove and discard the fibrous stems.

To sauté and serve all mushrooms except Portobello caps: Heat unsalted butter or olive oil in a skillet over medium heat; add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until they give off their liquid, about 3 minutes.

Add any chopped herb or red pepper flakes; continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the mushroom liquid has been reduced to a glaze, 2 to 5 minutes, depending on the varietal. Season with salt and serve; or add a big splash of white wine, red wine, dry vermouth, port, or brandy and continue cooking until the sauce is again a glaze, about 1 minute.

To grill and serve portobello caps: Prepare a grill for high-heat cooking. Brush the caps lightly with olive oil and set directly over the heat; grill, turning once, until softened and juicy, about 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper before serving.

To broil portobello caps: Preheat the broiler; line a broiler pan with aluminum foil and spray it with nonstick spray or brush with olive oil. Brush the caps with olive oil and broil 4 to 6 inches from the heat, turning once, until softened and juicy, about 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Parsnips

Look for firm, straight, fairly smooth roots without blemishes or soft spots. The skin should not be leathery. A serving is about 5 ounces.

To store: Seal in a plastic bag in the coldest part of the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

To prepare: Trim off both ends and peel with a vegetable peeler.

To : Cut into 2-inch sections; halve the thick ends lengthwise to promote even cooking. Place in a vegetable steamer over about 1 inch of simmering water in a large pot set over high heat. Cover, reduce the heat to medium, and steam until tender when pierced with a fork, about 6 minutes.

If desired, steam a couple of small, white-fleshed potatoes with them, then mash with an electric mixer in a medium bowl with additional unsalted butter and some milk, cream, or buttermilk.

To sauté: Cut into 1?2-inch-thick rounds. Melt a couple pats of unsalted butter in a large skillet set over medium-low heat. Add the parsnips and cook, stirring often, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in some chopped parsley leaves, stemmed thyme, poppy seeds, or fennel seeds; cook for 1 additional minute.

To roast: Cut into 2-inch chunks. Toss with olive or canola oil on a lipped baking sheet and bake in a preheated 400°F oven until lightly browned, tossing occasionally, about 30 minutes.

To serve: Season with salt and pepper, preferably white pepper, and toss with unsalted butter, olive oil, or chili powder.

Mushrooms are not a vegetable, but they are used like one. In reality, they are a fungus growth containing no chlorophyl, or green coloring matter, consisting of an erect stalk that supports a cap-like expansion. They occur in many varieties, both poisonous and non-poisonous.

The nonpoisonous, or edible, mushrooms are found on rich, moist pastures all over the world and they are also very frequently cultivated. They may be collected in almost any locality, but no person who is not perfectly familiar with their characteristics and therefore able to judge the non-poisonous kinds from the poisonous should attempt to gather them.

Fresh mushrooms can usually be found in the markets, but as they are expensive, they should be considered a luxury and used only occasionally. Instead, some of the small canned varieties, which are usually satisfactory for most purposes, should be used when mushrooms are desired and the wild ones cannot be secured.

In food value, mushrooms are not very high, being about equal to beets or carrots in this respect; but they have a higher percentage of protein than these vegetables and they contain extractives similar to those found in meat.

To increase their food value, mushrooms are often combined with other foods, such as peas, chestnuts, diced meats, and fowl, and made into dishes of various sorts. Then, again, they are served as a garnish with steaks and other meat dishes. In short, if they can be secured from the surrounding neighborhood or the price is not prohibitive, they should be used in the many excellent ways that are devised for their preparation.

PREPARATION FOR COOKING

To prepare mushrooms for cooking, clean them by brushing them carefully with a soft brush, by scraping the surface, and, in some cases, by removing the stems. Do not, however,

throw the stems away, for they may be used as well as the caps. If the mushrooms are found to be tough, the skin should be peeled off. After being thus prepared, mushrooms may be cooked in various ways, as is explained in the accompanying recipes

BROILED MUSHROOMS

One of the simplest methods of cooking mushrooms is to broil them. This may be done either by exposing them directly to the heat or by pan-broiling them. In this recipe, only the caps are used.

Clean the mushrooms that are to be broiled and remove the stems. Place the caps in a broiler that has been greased or in a slightly greased frying pan. Brown them on one side, then turn them and brown them on the other side. Remove to a platter, dot with butter, season with salt and pepper, and serve.

STEWED MUSHROOMS

Another very simple way in which to cook mushrooms is to stew them and then serve them on toast. When prepared by this method, both the stems and the caps are utilized.

Clean the mushrooms and cut both the caps and the stems into small pieces. Cook until tender in sufficient water, stock, or milk to cover them well, and then season with salt and pepper.

To the liquid that remains, add enough flour to thicken it slightly. Serve on toast.

SAUTED MUSHROOMS

When mushrooms are sauted, they are often used with other dishes, particularly broiled steak, to improve the flavor and give variety. In fact, steak smothered with mushrooms is considered a luxury.

However, sauted mushrooms are very frequently served alone or, together with a sauce made from the fat in which they are cooked, they are served on toast.

Clean the mushrooms, remove the stems, and dredge both stems and caps with flour. Melt fat in the frying pan and place the dredged mushrooms in it. Saute until brown on both sides and season with salt, pepper, and chopped parsley. Serve in any desired manner.

If sauce is desired, add water or stock to the flour and fat that remain in the frying pan, and allow this to cook for a few minutes.

CREAMED MUSHROOMS AND CHESTNUTS

No more delightful combination can be imagined than mushrooms and chestnuts. When combined with a cream sauce and served in patty shells or timbale cases, a dish suitable for the daintiest meal is the result.

Another very attractive way in which to serve this combination is to place it in a baking dish, cover it with a layer of biscuit or pastry crust, bake, and serve it as a pie.

Our heart functions 24/7, because all cells of the body are in permanent need of oxygen and nourishments, provided by the well functioning of the heart. Some nutritionists appreciate that the main method for preventing heart diseases is adopting a ‘neutral food’ diet.

Summers, we should consume all the berries we can find:  raspberry, blueberry, blackberry, because they have a high level of antioxidants that protect the organism.

Regarding the barbecue, leave the meat to rest for some time, because now, it is vegetables` time! The most healthy type of barbecue is the vegetables one. Start grilling mushrooms, carrots, eggplants, green peppers, tomatoes and so on. Sprinkle some seasoning on top of your grilled vegetables, some salt and pepper, thyme, basil, dill and lemon juice.

This type of snack offers your system the level of fibers rich in a substance known as lignine, which helps with keeping the cholesterol level at normal, which contributes also to reducing high blood pressure.

Also healthy for cardiac problems are goat cheese, tomatoes and quail eggs.

Nutritionists also consider that the fruit salad is the healthiest dessert for the summertime. Try it with apples, pears, melons etc. Peel all fruits and chop them into medium sized chunks, and, as a topping, mix a juice from a lemon with some honey, cinnamon and mint leaves, and enjoy healthy!!!

Here are some tips and tricks for successful cooking!

• when making a BBq, grease the grill a little bit so that it doesn’t stick to it. In order to remain juicy,

don`t poach the meat, and add salt when you serve it (or prepare the marinate  and leave it to soak

up for 24 hours for best results).

• Leave the steaks to rest for 4,5 minutes before cutting!
• Cut the steaks before you put them on the plate!

• The water for cooking spaghetti must be boiling before you add them. Also, you can add a little bit of butter or oil to prevent sticking to the pot.

• Rice gets cooked faster if kept in cold water before.

• Potatoes for mashed potatoes remain white during cooking with you add a little bit of vinegar in the water.

• Use warm milk for preparing the mashed potatoes, to give it a plus of flavor.

• Cook the soup at a small flame, to keep it clear.

• Mushrooms don`t go dark when cooked, if soaked for 5 minutes with water and vinegar.

• Grated apples remain white if sprinkled with a little bit of lemon juice.

Mushrooms are not a particularly nutritious food, but few people are thinking of nutrition when they bite into a perfectly prepared specimen. They are high in protein compared to other vegetables, but in an absolute sense, they are still a low-protein food. They contain lots of vitamins B2 and B3, a significant amount potassium and a moderate amount of phosphorous.

The mushroom’s job is to add flavor, texture, eye appeal and richness to a dish or plate of food, not nutrition. Western cuisines tend to use mushrooms mainly for flavor, although the subtle mushroom texture is an important part of many dishes that don’t require long cooking.

In Oriental cooking, their texture and ability to absorb other flavors from the liquid are more crucial. Japanese cuisine in particular adore mushrooms for both flavor and texture. That is why the cultivation of so many flavorful mushrooms originated in Japan.

Mushrooms add a chewiness that is pleasing even if the flavoring effect is modest using milder mushrooms. In fact, some of the dried Chinese mushrooms match tofu in blandness, but cooks use them extensively for texture, color and to absorb the flavor of the sauces.

The mushroom’s very pretty, appealing shape in food presentation has made it even more trendy among contemporary cooks and chefs, particularly in white tablecloth restaurants

So what type of mushrooms should you use in your cooking? If you have an unlimited kitchen budget, use fresh black truffles ($1300 a pound or $3000 a kilo) and morels from France. They will be a sure hit among your guests, particularly if you can weave their cost into the dinner conversation.

But most of us work with a more limited kitchen budget in which the other end of the spectrum is the more likely scenario, even considering to rescue the mushrooms on the “reducedfor- quick-sale” shelf of the supermarket.

For most everyday cooking, fresh button mushrooms are perfectly adequate. When you want to splurge a little, one of the more common exotic types is a nice addition to your menu.

Remember, a little mushroom goes a long way. Two ounces (55 g) of an exotic mushroom per person is plenty to get the full benefit of mushrooms when you mix it with other ingredients in a side dish. So 1 pound (half a kilo) serves 8 guests-not an outrageous expenditure for an elegant meal.

To make the price even more reasonable, mix the exotic mushrooms with button mushrooms half and half. You will still get the flavor and visual impact of the exotic mushrooms. You can also blend fresh button mushrooms with dried reconstituted exotic mushrooms for their added flavor. Use 1 or 2 ounces (30 or 55 g) of dried mushroom for every pound (half kilo) of fresh mushrooms.

Mature mushrooms are always more flavorful than younger ones. Both the umbrella shape and the deepening color of the “ripe” spores indicate a mature mushroom. Don’t use quite as much of a mature specimen as you do the same mushroom in the button stage.

A flavorful exotic species like the chanterelle goes with any robust, full-flavored dish, while the milder exotics, like the oyster mushroom, are better with mild-flavored food, particularly seafood.

Some mushrooms are perfect for garnishing to add visual impact, such as the enoki. Their size and blandness are hopelessly lost among the other ingredients, but they look great as a garnish.

You may also use mushrooms raw in salads. They add visual impact to the dish with their pretty-shaped cross-section when thinly-sliced. But uncooked mushrooms are almost flavorless. Marinated or pickled, they readily absorb the flavor of the liquid in which they are soaked, thanks to their spongy flesh. A marinated mushroom retains its crunchiness, too, making it great hors d’oeuvres to serve with toothpicks.

How much mushroom should you count on for each serving? Mushrooms are 92 percent water so with cooking they shrink considerably as heat evaporates much of that moisture. Generally, a 4-ounce (110-g) serving is an adequate size when mushroom is a side dish, but for a more generous serving increase that to 5 ounces (140 g).

When it is the main ingredient of a mushroom dish, such as a mushroom stroganoff and mushroom stew, increase it to 6 or 6 1/ 2  ounces (170 or 185 g). For hors d’oeuvres as marinated mushrooms, count on everyone taking anywhere from 2 to 5 buttons, depending on their size and what else you are offering