The Secret of the Stuffed Mushroom

How do you know if someone truly enjoyed your cooking?

Sure, they may compliment you or rave about it to other guests and friends. That's always an ego booster but, how would you know undoubtedly that the food you prepared was something delicious? If they ask for it again and again. If your recipe becomes a staple menu item on holiday tables, birthday party lists as well as small family gatherings, you know that you've got it right.

It's amazing to me that I have an item like this - my stuffed mushroom recipe, which has been affectionately known as my "Famous Stuffed Mushrooms." One day, I was playing around with ingredients in the kitchen and literally whipped together a few things. That's when I stumbled across this mushroom recipe. I tried it first on my husband (my boyfriend at that time) and after getting two thumbs up, brought it to Thanksgiving Dinner at my grandmother's house. The rest is history.

I will finally share the simple recipe with all of you.

• First, in a medium-sized bowl, mix together one 8 oz. container of crumbled bleu cheese (Treasure Cove or a similar brand)
• Add in 3 heaping tablespoons of whipped cream cheese and blend together
  
• Pour in 1 cup of Italian bread crumbs and season with fresh cracked pepper and a pinch of garlic powder
• Set aside to let cream cheese mix soften and prepare mushrooms
• Take two containers of small whole white mushrooms and carefully remove the stems.
• Clean out the center as gently and thoroughly as possible to prep for the cheese mixture.
  
• Fill each mushroom over the top with cheese filling.
  
• Spray the bottom of a glass baking dish with olive oil spray. Place filled mushrooms tightly together on the dish. Then spray a bit of the olive oil spray on top of the mushrooms lightly. (Do not drench in oil!)
  
• Sprinkle some shredded mozzarella cheese on the top of the mushrooms.
  
• Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes or broil until they are slightly brown and bubbling on top.
  

So, what's the secret ingredient that makes these mushrooms so appealing? There is no secret. They are made with care and with confidence as all of my meals are. That is the most important thing in any recipe.

I've been asked before if I will try to add different ingredients to these such as crab meat, or change the cheese mixture to make it spicy. I've also been reprimanded by others to, "never change this recipe and always bring these to everything." My response is always, "If the people love it- give them what they want." I wasn't always a confident cook but I feel that I did improve 100 percent when I found that feeling.

One of my favorite new Disney animated films is Ratatouille. To quote Remy, but not to avoid being corny for a moment, "Anyone can cook." You just have to believe that you can and you have to want to create. Enjoy what you're making and others will too.

I personally hope that all of you make my stuffed mushrooms and enjoy eating them just as much. You should be creative with them as well. Maybe you will come up with a "famous" idea for your family and friends.

Cellar Experience

There is a place within a winery where the story continues from the vines. Where the wine awaits its time for bottling. This place is the barrel cellar. Each winery has a different feel and is unique in characteristics. Today, my parents and I will experience Raphael's old-world styled cellar for their barrel tasting with winemaker, Richard Olsen-Harbich.

Raphael's cellar is dimly lit with candelabra on the arched stone walls. The air is thick with aromas of oak and fermenting juice. It is extraordinary! Richard will take guests (and in this case, club members) on a winemaker's tour and then use his Wine Thief gadget to have us sample the future wines of Raphael such as the 2008 First Label Merlot, Cabernet Franc Reserve and Malbec.

It's a remarkable spring day outside for a walk through the vines but I look forward to the castle-like cellar at this special winery.

April is Barrel Tasting Month throughout Long Island Wine Country. An event opportunity like this should not be missed. I recommend taking the time to visit one of your favorites on the list and spend some time with the winemaker.

Preparing the earth for our future food

There is nothing more basic, more real than planting a garden. You start with a seed. A seed in which you sink into a small cup of soil, water and place in a sunny spot. You care for it and watch its green bud appear. Now, after growing in the protection of your house, you must prepare your piece of earth outside for this beautiful living thing that will soon produce vegetables for harvesting. It is a timeline of progress that is worth noting whether you have ever tended a garden or not. Especially for this blog because our vegetable and herb gardens will be a part of our future meals.

Today was a brisk and windy day. The sun was shining so there was work to be done. My husband and I made sure that we raked compost through our raised beds where our vegetables will be soon planted. I spread mulch throughout the area surrounding the gardens and my husband prepared the fence posts. It was really great to see progress coming along in preparing to move our garden to the great outdoors. The plants in their starter squares are rapidly outgrowing them. Now to just get more steady temperatures!

It will be interesting also to feel the pride and satisfaction of serving a meal that includes items from our own garden. There will be a lot of inspiration and less waste.

I'm already a stickler about wasting food. I simply won't allow it. The last two recipes that we made were perfect examples. My husband cooked up a huge pot of split pea soup with the ham we had left from Easter. I whipped together a chicken salad using our rotisserie chicken from last night's dinner. I used red grapes that I had in the fridge, celery, honey and mayo with a generous amount of course ground salt and toasted potato bread. It was perfect with the split pea soup plus it thrilled me to know that we used up everything we could from other meals to make a delicious one tonight.

The rule for our vegetables will have to follow the same standard: Use as much as we can incorporate into our cooking and share what we cannot possibly eat by ourselves.

A Festival of Flavors

On this rain-soaked, chilly Friday evening, I can't help but take a long, deep breath while sitting on my love seat and writing. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is playing in the background and the overall feeling in the house is cozy and warm.

I just finished reading a feature in the April issue of Food and Wine Magazine titled 20 Wine Pairings to Try Before You Die. I truly enjoyed reading this and particularly liked the idea of pairing the California Pinot Noir and Doritos, as well as the Amarone with Parmesan and honey. (Making a mental note to try these soon.) It really got my thought process working and I said to myself: "What interesting and surprising match can I try this weekend?"

It just so happens that we're going to a birthday party tomorrow. The gathering is at lunchtime and a variety of gourmet pizzas will be served along with delicious finger foods. I quickly check my wine rack and find Paumanok's Festival Red 2007. Perfect!

This fun red is a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. It truly is a festival of flavors with notes of black cherry, plum and spice. Paumanok Vineyards actually suggests pairing it with pasta dishes, meatloaf or pizza. I love that. Plus, it costs $17.99 a bottle so it can be an everyday red. I heard a colleague describe it as, "a wine you can drink on Tuesday".

I first tasted the Festival Red 2007 at Paumanok's tasting room back in March. I thought it demanded more attention and was a bigger wine than it's price tag. I'm looking forward to the opportunity to pair this with different kinds of gourmet pizzas and finding out what works best. I never bring a brand and varietal of wine that I haven't tasted before. I'm confident that this one will be well-received but will be an experience nonetheless.

I will write a follow-up comment to inform you all of the results. For now, happy Friday.

Signing off from North Fork, New York.

To Grill or Not to Grill

Today is a glorious day in the land of North Fork New York. The digital thermometer is telling me that the external temperature is 84 degrees. It's sunny and clear with blue skies reaching over the water as far as the eye can see...and it's only April 7th.

I've been dealing with a constant sense of urgency the last few days with this unexpected summer-like weather. We have been cleaning up the yard, painting the fences and borders to the garden beds and, just last night, I transplanted my pansies and daffodils to the great outdoors. It's hard to remind myself that it's only April, which brings me to my dinner dilemma. All of a sudden I feel that I need to grill everything!

We ate our leftovers for two days until we couldn't look at ham or pasta any longer. This morning, as I stood in front of the open freezer, I battled with myself over what to cook on the barbecue when I realized that it is not a horrible thing to cook inside on a beautiful evening. (We can absolutely dine at the picnic table.) Especially after eating all of the rich meats that we did over the weekend. It's just not necessary to eat a hamburger or grilled sausage just because it's t-shirt weather. So, here is the menu for this exceptional Wednesday:

• Turkey meatballs seasoned with salt, pepper and cumin. Using a pinch of red pepper flakes and a garlic clove in olive oil, I'll brown them in a pan as I do my Italian meatballs.
• Sliced yellow squash and zucchini tossed with mushrooms in a white wine and lemon juice saute.
  
• Potatoes, diced and seasoned with butter and rosemary. Baked until crispy.
  

I'll be pairing a white blend with bold citrus notes of lemon and apple that will complement the vegetables and the spiciness of the turkey meatballs. I believe that it will be a relaxing evening. We'll take it while we can as tomorrow's forecast is for rain and the gym will be on my agenda.

Cheers to this weather and a perfect start to spring!

Leftovers

The day after. Exhausted but thrilled with the holiday in our home, we have the host's advantage of filling up on the delicious leftover dishes that we couldn't possibly eat enough of yesterday.

I write today, the day after Easter, as a follow up to my previous post. Not only was the holiday fusion a perfect success but I learned so much more in the process. Enough to want to share the joys and the nuances of family with you.

Each dish that you create and serve to your special guests has meaning. My first note: Something new at the table becomes a conversation that will lead to laughter and inspiration. My pasta recipe from Naples paired with the "Sounds of Italy" CD from Bed, Bath & Beyond I had playing throughout brunch both sparked interesting conversations. We spoke about my brother-in-law who currently lives in Naples; how Italian music always makes us want to eat and drink wine; and how we all imagined that we were sitting in a small village in Tuscany at that very moment! It was wonderful to see everyone enjoy things that way.

Secondly: The classics will add a comfort that family members count on. The Easter meat pie was a hit and compelled us all to want to call my grandmother to thank her. (A conversation including Mema is always a positive addition to a meal!) Also, my ham recipe was complimented by everyone. Ham is an important staple but the flare of the fig balsamic glaze along with the care and attention it took to get it just right, was truly appreciated. It had to be my favorite item for that reason.

Finally (and most importantly): The loved ones that come together at the table are a far more important ingredient than any glaze, meat, music, candlelight hue or linens. The opportunity to talk, relax and be silly is the best holiday...any day of the year.

So, for the next 48 hours, we will feast on leftovers at our house but the satisfaction and joy of the mealtime will last forever.

Holiday Fusion: Easter Brunch

Holidays. Each family has traditions and the most important is being together. So, when we make the commitment to host a holiday, how do we combine different families, their time honored traditions, beloved dishes and keep the true meaning of the celebration? This is my welcomed challenge.

My experience on the subject thus far includes a Halloween Harvest party, Christmas Day 2009 and now, Easter 2010. My parents and immediate family will join my husbands' for a wonderful Easter brunch celebration at our home. We decided about a month ago to host and I began planning my menu then. For me, that's the most important part. There are vital elements to consider. First, the classic dishes, then the traditional cuisine that means something very important to each family and finally, a new and exciting addition to the holiday table. This is the "holiday fusion" that creates a memorable day.

For the past few years, our family has gone out for a delightful brunch. That's always great, but the relaxation feeling and the time factor are always the downfalls. How can I be sure those same delicious foods are included that usually cost us over $50 per person but give the comfort of home? Welcome to Adventure Girl's Easter Brunch!

The table is beautiful and inviting. I'm using an eclectic look with dishes and set three different plate styles with linen napkins; fresh flowers that show off pastels as well as bold colors in pottery vases; ivory tapers in crystal candlesticks complement the ivory table cloth; and place settings are marked with plastic eggs labeled with each guests name and an inspirational message on them. An Italian instrumental CD will be playing in the background because it's my favorite music for dining and I know that both sides of the family will appreciate it.

Most importantly, here's the menu that I fused together with descriptions where necessary:

• Stuffed french toast
• Easter meat pie especially made by my grandmother as a family tradition
• Spring mix greens with blue cheese, cranberries, mushrooms and organic green beans
• Chicken Franchaise
• Ham with fig balsamic glaze as a new twist on a classic from the Williams- Sonoma Bride & Groom Entertaining Guide (Thanks, Nicole!)
• Roasted asparagus with almonds (again as a new twist instead of a Hollandaise) from Food & Wine Magazine
• Pasteria, which is a new baked pasta recipe for me but a traditional Naples dish that I know all family members will appreciate. (Special thanks to my colleagues, Rosalie and Don!)
• Kielbasa and Saurkraut- my husband's family tradition
• Beets with hard boiled eggs (also a great recipe from my mother-in-law)
• Fresh fruit with yogurt dip
• Spice cake with creamed cheese
• Cheesecake

Beverages will include:

• Mimosas
• White wine
• Manhattans
• Earl Grey Iced Tea
• Keurig Coffees

I look forward to this hosting experience and to again enjoy a special holiday in our home!