WILD MUSHROOM SOUP WITH WHITE PORT and BRAISED LAMB SHANKS WITH TOMATO AND FENNEL and SPICED PUMPKIN, FIG, PINE NUT AND GINGER TART

We were fortunate to be invited to spend the night in the middle of the woods - although close to home, it felt like a world away. We were "warned" it was very basic, no electricity or hot water - and the guys were planning to go coon hunting once the sun went down.

I packed my book, left out the high heel shoes, and was very excited to cook and provide dinner for the group. I planned for the menu to be rustic, to equal our accommodations, and our friends offered the refined fun of wine pairings for each course.

The fire burning in the hearth, the gently lamp light and the company and conversation was warm and cozy. It was a peaceful, beautiful evening, and my husband and I took full advantage of the hiking trails around the property the next morning.

The beautiful Cabin

Treasures inside the Cabin

WILD MUSHROOM SOUP WITH WHITE PORT
PAIRED WITH A 2012 SCHUG SONOMA COAST PINOT NOIR

8 tablespoons butter, room temperature
4 shallots, chopped
3 1/2 to 4 cups of dried wild mushrooms (I used porcini, lobster, wood ear and oyster)
4 cups fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 cups white port wine
3 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups cream
salt and pepper to taste
fresh chopped parsley

Soak dried wild mushrooms in hot chicken stock for an hour. Strain, save liquid and chop mushrooms.
Saute shallots in butter until translucent. Add all the mushrooms, both fresh and wild. Cook until very little liquid remains.
Add port wine and reduce liquid again until most of it is gone. Add in flour (I mix it with a little water or broth first). Stir well. Add saved mushroom liquid, cook for half and hour at a low simmer.
Add in cream and bring just to a boil then to turn to low and simmer for half and hour.
Blend using an immersion blender to the consistency of your choice.
Add salt and pepper to taste, divide among bowls and top with parsley.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from The Dining Guide. February 2014
www.nwaonline.com/dining/‎

BRAISED LAMB SHANKS WITH TOMATO AND FENNEL
PAIRED WITH A 2008 BELL SIERRA FOOTHILLS SYRAH

4 lamb shanks
1/2 cup flour
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 onions, peeled and cut in half, then sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 leek, sliced into 1/4 inch half moons
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup red wine
2 cups chicken stock
1 (28 ounce) can peeled whole tomatoes, drained
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
2 dried bay leaves
2 fennel bulbs, cut into half and sliced 1/4 inch thick

Heat oven to 375F.
Season lamb all over with salt and pepper. Place flour in a shallow bowl. Dredge lamb in flour, turning to coat evenly, shake off excess. Heat oil and butter in an 8 quart dutch oven, over medium heat. Working in 2 batches, cook until shanks are well browned, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer shanks to a large plate, drain off all but 2 tablespoons of fat.
Place dutch oven over medium heat, add onions and leek, and sauté until they are lightly browned, about 6 minutes. Add garlic, cook 4 minutes more. Add red wine, scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon. Return shanks to the dutch oven, and add chicken stock, tomatoes, tomato paste, thyme and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, cover and place in oven. Braise for 2 hours, add fennel and cook for 30 minutes longer.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer shanks and vegetables to a large bowl. Using a ladle, skim fat from surface of cooking liquid, cook over medium heat until liquid is thickened, 5 to 7 minutes. Return shanks and vegetables to pan, cook until heated through. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper.
Enjoy!

SPICED PUMPKIN, FIG, PINE NUT AND GINGER TART
PAIRED WITH A NON-VINTAGE BELL NORTH COAST BRUT

300 grams of pumpkin, peeled and cut into 1.5 cm dice
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons chopped crystallized ginger
110 grams unsalted butter, melted
200 grams of ginger cookies
6 dried figs, stems removed, sliced
1/4 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
LEMON VANILLA CREAM
2 lemons, zest and juice
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
100 grams of mascarpone
150 mills of chilled cream

Heat oven to 170C.
Combine pumpkin, spice, sugar, ginger and 30 grams of the butter, place on a lined cookie sheet and bake until pumpkin is tender.
Crumb ginger cookies in a food processor, and remaining butter and mix again briefly. Press into a tart tin and refrigerate.
Tip pumpkin into a bowl with figs and pine nuts and stir until combined. Spoon mixture into tart case and bake until golden, about 20 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before removing from tin.
Serve with lemon vanilla cream.

LEMON VANILLA CREAM
Place lemon juice and zest in a small pan with sugar and vanilla. Bring to the boil then simmer to a thickish syrup. Cool before mixing with mascarpone. Whisk cream to soft peaks and gently stir into mascarpone mixture.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from New Zealand House and Garden
nzhouseandgarden.co.nz/‎

MUSHROOM AND RED PEPPER CROSTINI

I love to discover foods I haven't tried or heard of before. Just one of the many reasons I revel in travel, and appreciate eating at some of the more adventurous local restaurants - there may be ingredients in a dish I haven't heard of before and I am always curious, and ask about them, and taste them.
We took a family trip to Eureka Springs over a recent weekend, and after a day of eating, Flea Marketing and sock shopping (my daughters request), my husband stopped at the local supermarket so I could run in and pick up a couple of things I needed to cook dinner back at our lake cottage. While in the produce section, I noticed a mushroom I hadn't ever seen before -  Bunapi, also known as White Beech - an adorable cluster of small, delicate white caps. I bought a package to experiment with, and found this crostini recipe, where they are paired with rich roasted red peppers, and creamy Brie cheese, to be especially enjoyable.

MUSHROOM AND RED PEPPER CROSTINI

1/2 loaf of French bread, cut into 1/2 inch slices
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 package of White Beech (Bunapi) mushrooms, ends trimmed and mushrooms pulled apart
4 ounces of jarred roasted red bell peppers, sliced into thin strips
1 Brie cheese round, cut into wedges

Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat. When hot, swirl in the olive oil. Add the mushrooms and the red bell peppers and saute for 4 to 5 minutes, until the mushrooms are tender. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Turn the broiler on. Arrange the bread slices on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Toast the bread for 3 to 4 minutes, until the tops are golden brown.
Place a wedge of Brie on top of each toast and return to the oven for 1 to 2 minutes to let the cheese melt just slightly. Remove from the oven, top each toast slice with the mushroom and bell pepper mixture.
Enjoy!


Recipe adapted from the Hokto Kinoko Website
http://www.hokto-kinoko.com/?p=345#more-345

GARAM MASALA DEVILED EGGS and MUSHROOM STRATA and BAKED HAM WITH HONEY APRICOT GLAZE

Happy Easter!!

GARAM MASALA DEVILED EGGS

6 eggs
4 tablespoons mayonnaise or to taste
1 to 2 teaspoons garam masala
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
smoked paprika
chives

Place eggs in a saucepan with enough cold water to cover by 1 inch.
Bring to a boil and immediately remove from heat. Let stand 10 minutes. Transfer eggs to a bowl filled with cold water, to cool completely.
Once cool, remove shells. Cut each egg in half lengthwise and remove the yolks to a bowl.
Mash yolks with mayonnaise, garam masala, red pepper, salt and pepper.
Spoon or pipe mixture into egg whites, dividing mixture evenly. Sprinkle with paprika and top with chopped chives.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from the Arkansas Democrat Gazette, April 2012
www.arkansasonline.com/news/features/food/

MUSHROOM STRATA

2 pounds of fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 cup chopped celery
salt and pepper to taste
12 slices of white bread, crusts removed, buttered, and cut into cubes
4 eggs
1 cup milk
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
2 cans cream of mushroom soup

Saute vegetables in about 2 tablespoons of olive oil, season with salt and pepper and put into the bottom of a 9 by 13 casserole dish.
Add 10 slices of the cubed bread and mix.
Combine eggs, milk and mayonnaise, season to taste with salt and pepper, and pour over the casserole.
Sprinkle one cup of cheese over the top.
Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.
Pour the cream of mushroom soup over the top, sprinkle with remaining bread cubes and grated cheese.
Bake at 350F for about 1 hour.
Enjoy!

BAKED HAM WITH HONEY APRICOT GLAZE

1 (5 to 7) spiral sliced, fully cooked smoked ham
1/2 cup honey
3 ounces orange juice concentrate, thawed
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons apricot jam
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Heat oven to 325F.
Place ham on rack in a shallow roasting pan. In a medium bowl, make a glaze by mixing together the honey, orange juice concentrate, soy sauce, apricot jam, nutmeg and cloves. Set aside.
Bake ham for 30 minutes, then pour the glaze over the ham. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 140 degrees.
Remove from oven, let stand 5 minutes and serve.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from the Arkansas Democrat Gazette, March 2008
www.arkansasonline.com/news/features/food/

CREAMY ROASTED MUSHROOM SOUP and CARAMEL CREAM PIE

My husband and I were inspired to gather a group of wonderful people together for dinner.
Two of our guests were local chefs and restaurant owners and I must admit that I felt a little nervous. However, I was excited to see our friends and to give the culinary artists a night out of the kitchen - although I did solicit their advice a time or two while cooking.
I kept the menu simple, and tried to do as much in advance as possible, knowing that a gathering is about spending time together.

CREAMY ROASTED MUSHROOM SOUP

1 pound portobello mushrooms, stemmed, cut into 3/4 inch pieces
1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, cut into 3/4 inch pieces
6 tablespoons olive oil
32 ounces chicken broth
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup marsala
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 to 1 cup cream
3/4 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

Heat oven to 400F.
Line two baking sheets with foil. Spread mushrooms out on prepared baking sheets, drizzle with oil. Season with salt and pepper, toss to coat.
Cover with foil, bake for 30 minutes, uncover and continue baking until mushrooms are tender and still moist, about 15 minutes longer. Cool slightly.
Melt butter in a large pot, add onion and garlic and sauté until onion is tender, about 8 minutes. Add marsala and simmer until almost all of the liquid evaporates, about 2 minutes. Add flour, stir 2 minutes. Add broth, cream and thyme. Stir in mushrooms, puree using an immersion blender. Simmer until heated through and slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit, November 2002
www.epicurious.com › recipes & menus

CARAMEL CREAM PIE

CRUST
3/4 cup almond flour
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons sugar
8 tablespoons butter, melted
CARAMEL PUDDING
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
4 cups whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon gelatin
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon salt
4 egg yolks
CRISPY RICE
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups puffed rice cereal
whipped cream for serving

MAKE THE CRUST
Mix together the almond flour, graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter, until evenly moistened.
Press the crumbs over the bottom of 8 to 10 individual serving dishes.
MAKE THE CARAMEL PUDDING
In a large, heavy saucepan, combine the sugar and water and bring to a boil over moderately high heat, gently swirling the pan until the sugar dissolves. Cook over moderate heat, undisturbed, until a deep amber caramel forms, about 8 minutes. Remove from the heat. Carefully add 1 cup of the milk, then cook over moderately low heat, whisking gently, until smooth, about 5 minutes.
In a small glass bowl, combine 1/4 cup of the milk with the vanilla, sprinkle the gelatin on top and let stand until softened. In a large glass measuring cup, whisk the remaining 2 3/4 cups of milk with the cornstarch and salt. Pour the milk mixture into the caramel and bring to a boil over moderately high heat, whisking constantly until thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the egg yolks, one at a time. Return the mixture to a boil and cook until thickened once again, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the gelatin mixture.
Gently divide the caramel pudding evenly over the crust. Press plastic on top of the puddings and refrigerate overnight.
MAKE THE RICE TOPPING
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and coat with cooking spray. In a small, heavy saucepan, bring the sugar, water and corn syrup to a boil over moderately high heat. Lower the heat to moderate and simmer undisturbed until a deep amber caramel forms, about 5 minutes. Remove the caramel from the heat and stir in the salt and rice cereal. Scrape the caramelized cereal onto the prepared baking sheet and let cool for 30 minutes, until it is hardened.
Break the crispy rice into pieces, spread whipped cream on top of individual pies, and top with crispy rice.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Food and Wine, November 2008
www.foodandwine.com/.../caramel-cream-pie-with-crispy-rice-toppi...