Subject: The Best Roasted Mushrooms
From: Unicorn (unicorn@indenial.com)
Date: Wed Aug 01 2001 - 17:59:59 EDT
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F O O D F U N N Y
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Judging from this food funny, it sounds like reader Cathy Baker was
eavesdropping on my last dinner date.
A man and his girlfriend were out to dinner one night. The waiter
tells them the night's special is almond chicken and fresh fish. "The
chicken sounds good; I'll have that," the woman says.
The waiter nods. "And the vegetable?" he asks.
"Oh, he'll have the fish," she replies.
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T O D A Y ' S R E C I P E
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I have always washed mushrooms before cooking them for two reasons:
I prefer them clean rather than dirty (wiping them just takes too much
time); and I have always been skeptical about the notion that they
soak up too much water. Fortunately, the cooks at Cook's Illustrated
magazine shared my skepticism, so they put the matter to a scientific
test. They weighed mushrooms before and after washing, and found that
the only difference in weight was due to the small amount of water
clinging to the outside of the mushrooms. In fact, the difference in
weight was identical when they did the same with broccoli, and no one
has ever accused broccoli of absorbing water. They do point out that
the skin of mushrooms tends to get slimy if the moisture is allowed to
remain for any length of time, and so recommend washing them
immediately prior to cooking.
In the following recipe these same people were trying to improve on
the flavor of the common white (or button) mushroom, and once you have
tried this recipe you will agree that they succeeded wonderfully.
All recipes this week are adapted from "The Best Recipe" by the
editors of Cook's Illustrated Magazine (Boston Common Press, 1999)
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0936184388/worldwiderecipes
The Best Roasted Mushrooms
1 - 1 1/2 lbs (450 - 675 g) white mushrooms, washed
2 - 3 Tbs (30 45 ml) olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Cut the smaller mushrooms in half, and cut the larger mushrooms into
quarters or sixths, depending on size, to make all the pieces
approximately the same size. Toss them with the olive oil, salt, and
pepper, and place on a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake in a
preheated 450F (230C) oven until the bottoms are lightly browned, 12
to 15 minutes. Turn the mushrooms and continue roasting until all the
released liquid has evaporated and the mushrooms are lightly browned
all over, an additional 5 to 10 minutes. Serve immediately. Serves 4
to 6.
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