Recipe and Photo
by Linda Altoonian
| Ingredients
1/2 lb. mushrooms
2 T. butter 1/8 tsp. salt 1/8 tsp. pepper 1/8 tsp. garlic salt 2 T. red wine (optional) | Directions 1. Wash and slice mushrooms. 2. Brown butter and add mushrooms. Stir so they are coated. 3. Add seasonings and wine if using. 4. Cover and cook on low for 15 minutes. |
Mushrooms: Mystery Murder and Joy
by Lael Morgan
No, please don’t think that cooking is dull. It’s time to recognize the power of your kitchen maven, although it can be hard to detect danger, here. Especially if you know and love your cook.
Years ago I was surprised to get a sign-for registered letter from Alaska Northwest Publishing for whom I’d been working for years. It turned out, owner Bob Henning had produced a much-needed guide to Alaska mushrooms and sent employees advance copies, only to discover some idiot editor had switched captions under the most poison mushroom we had illustrated and one that was delightfully edible.
I dutifully destroyed my book but I’ve always wondered how many of that edition are still out there. Be very careful with any antique mushroom recipes you collect from Alaska Northwest Publishing.
Which brings to mind my favorite rumor about the last Russian royal family which may or may not be true. I’ll furnish no footnotes, but most history buffs know the last tsar before the Russian Revolution, Nicholas II and his Romanov clan, were hemophiliacs and had other medical conditions unique to their family tree.
Most unusual was the supposed fact that they could all eat poison mushrooms without feeling the slightest bit ill, and that they made good advantage of that gift. Because they were wealthy and in total control of one of the most fabulous countries in the world, strangers often contacted them claiming to be close relatives. And if those strangers persisted, the Romanovs would invite them to dine, with poison mushrooms as the menu centerpiece.
No problem, of course, if the new-comers really were close kin. Otherwise, claims of being a long-lost relative were usually nullified before dessert was served.
Best to gauge your mushrooms even more carefully than your relatives before attempting Linda’s delicious recipe of the month.
