Chef Hugo Ortega of Hugo’s Restaurant in Houston, TX

When did you first become interested in cooking and becoming a chef?

I’ve been cooking all of my life so becoming a chef seemed natural. In my hometown of Puebla in Mexico, I learned the principles of Mexican cuisine by cooking with my mother every day. I’m the oldest of four brothers and four sisters, so I was always helping my mom in the kitchen feeding our family of 10!

Do you have an all-time favorite mushroom dish?

My favorite and most memorable mushroom dish is a quesadilla made with huitlacoche and quesillo in a blue corn tortilla. Another favorite is a soup with corn fungus or huitlacoche. Huitlacoche is white when it’s young but then eventually turns black as it gets older.

You have tried to keep Hugo’s as authentic as possible. How have your guests received some of the more unusual dishes?

We have grasshoppers from Oaxaca on the menu, which are actually very popular. The grasshoppers grow up in sesame seed fields so have a delicious nutty flavor. We sauté with olive oil, parsley, garlic, and served them with a wedge of lime and corn tortillas. Guests are excited to try it! We also make our own chocolate. We get cocoa beans from Oaxaca and we toast and grind them ourselves.

What role do mushrooms play in Mexican cuisine?

Mushrooms play a very important role in traditional Mexican cuisine, especially in Vera Cruz, parts of Oaxaca, Puebla and Tlaxcala. The people in these regions have been cooking with mushrooms forever, so there are lots of very old and traditional delicious mushroom dishes, like mushroom soup, mushroom quesadillas and mushroom tamales.

Can you tell us a little about the mushroom tamales you serve at Hugo’s?

The Mushroom Tamales are a very popular item at the restaurant. We sometimes serve mushroom tamales with lamb. We also make a different kind of mushroom tamal from Vera Cruz called a Zacahuitl. We layer banana leaves in a clay pot then bake the mushroom tamal inside.

Mushroom Tamales

Recipe courtesy of Chef Hugo Ortega, Hugo’s, Houston

Yield: 24 servings

Masa

• 2          pounds fresh masa for tamales
• 1/2        cup lard, softened
• 1/2        cup chicken stock
• Salt

Filling

• Oil
• 2          cloves garlic, minced
• 2          ounces white onion, diced
• 6          ounces button mushrooms, sliced
• 6          ounces shiitake mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2        ounce fresh parsley, chopped
• Salt and pepper, as needed
• 24         corn leaves, soaked in hot water

Directions

To make Masa: Combine fresh masa with lard and stock in mixer using paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed for about 20 minutes. Season with salt to taste.

To make Filling: Heat oil in large sauté pan. Sauté garlic, onion, and mushrooms until just tender. Mix in parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Drain corn leaves. Working one at a time, lay out a leaf with pointed end facing you. Scoop 1 1/2 ounces Masa onto leaf and spread, forming a rectangle lengthwise 3/4 inch from top and 1 inch from each side. Masa should only extend halfway down leaf. Spoon 1 tablespoon Filling on top. Roll one side of leaf over Filling, roll over the other side to enclose it. Fold up bottom and tie tamale closed with a strip torn from another corn leaf.

To cook: Place tamales vertically in steamer, with open ends facing up. Steam, covered, for 30 minutes, until they fluff up and become somewhat firm. Serve immediately, or cool and refrigerate. Resteam briefly to reheat.

Mushrooms tasty, nutritious Extra! Extra! Read all about it! In case you didn’t already know, sizzling mushrooms are delicious, affordable and packed with antioxidants and nutrients. The Free Lance-Star reports that in China and Japan, mushrooms are used both as food and as medicine to stimulate the immune system and reduce infections and cancer.

Portabella skins For a spin on the traditional Potato Skins, the Lexington-Herald shares a recipe for these tasty-looking Portabella Skins.

Mushrooms: The next best thing Karen Solomon of Yoga Journal is beginning to think mushrooms are some kind of wonder food. Rich in B vitamins, antioxidants and an excellent source of ergothioneine, who wouldn’t think so!

Eating mushrooms slashes risk of breast cancer by two-thirds Natural News reports on a new study from University of Western Australia in Perth that suggests regular mushroom consumption can decrease a woman’s risk of breast cancer by two thirds.

Tofu and shiitake bit salad Love vegetarian food? The Seattle Post Intelligencer has the perfect dinner recipe for you! With less than 10 ingredients this salad is simple and satisfying.

Vitamin D – Could D stand for diet? Stay slim this summer. According to the Examiner, a new study suggests vitamin D could be a key factor in weight loss. Find about more about the study in the full article above.

I make an effort to include a wide range of opinions and lifestyles in my circle of friends.  Nowhere is that more apparent than in their food choices.  Seriously, I have a friend I love dearly who has a hard time ordering something other than chicken fingers  when we go out to dinner.  I once dated a guy who had never eaten fruit- and had no interest in doing so.  While neither of these eating personalities reflect my own (the produce aisle being, predictably, my natural habitat), I love them for who they are and covertly broaden their horizons (barring allergies) every time they’re over.

Ok, point one made.

Point two is that no matter how much I love my picky palated friends, I save a special place in my heart for kindred eaters.  They love vegetables and new flavors and fresh ingredients as much as I do.  Maybe a fried green tomato here and there, but generally?  We love to taste the food.

No doubt I’ve found one such kindred eater in Linda from One Scoop At A Time.  A mushroom maven to her very core, Linda has never met a maitake she didn’t like.  Her entire blog is full of wonderfully spiced but thoroughly approachable dishes, reported with joy from a northern California kitchen.  This week’s recipe of the week is oyster mushrooms in a spicy sauce with Chinese garlic chives but I assure you, ma amie de mushroom will not disappoint you should you explore her blog further.

Gretchen knows her way around a grill and with some orange zest and fresh herbs?  She makes these veggies sing! Definitely something we want to try over the weekend- the first day of summer is officially Sunday!

Tell me what you know about cravings.  Specifically (nay, obviously) food cravings. Do you get them often?  Do you see any patterns?  Are you getting a hankering right now that I mention it?

Given the level of food-centricity I allow my life, you could probably guess that I fall victim to them often and they do not let go until I find a way to satiate it.  Sometimes I’m craving healthy things like cucumber soup or avocado with lemon and salt.  Sometimes not so much (lobster rolls, creme brulee, french fries).

This week I was ready to walk the seven miles to Chinatown on my 1/2 hour lunch just to get past my green pepper beef craving. Salty and saucy and sweet, for a long time it’s been my go-to takeout.  But then I remember that it’s summer and if anything is more crave-worthy than the ubiquitous white and red take-out boxes, it’s lean legs in sundresses and shorts. In the midst of this internal battle, I fell Once Upon a Plate.  Who happened to be featuring a perfect portobello take on the object of my appetite affections.

With gorgeous photos, an approachable recipe and a slimmed down version of my longtime favorite, Once Upon a Plate saved the day and my cravings are, for once, coexisting peacefully.   Now Mari, what are your thoughts on mushroom fries?

Hello friends- it’s Jenna again from Eat Live Run with the perfect addition to your next family Mexican night! Spicy cooked mushrooms make up for the lack of meat in these spicy tacos,

making these perfect for those vegetarian

Mexican lovers.

The combination of spicy sauteed mushrooms, Mexican cheese and sour cream all meld together to create a mouth watering main event that goes from kitchen to table in ten minutes flat.

• 8 ounces baby bella mushrooms, quartered
• 1 cup reduced fat Mexican cheese
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• ¼ teaspoon (or to taste) cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• pinch of sea salt
• 4 tortillas, preferably spinach
• Reduced fat sour cream

Spray a nonstick pan with cooking spray and turn up the heat to medium. When hot, add the mushrooms and cook for about six to seven minutes, or until the mushrooms start to become tender and dark. Sprinkle the sea salt over the mushrooms while they cook.

Once the mushrooms are fork tender, add the spices and toss well to coat the mushrooms evenly. Cook for another three to five minutes.

Meanwhile, wrap the tortillas in aluminum foil and heat in a warm oven. When hot, distribute spicy mushrooms evenly among them and top each one with ¼ cup cheese and a spoonful of sour cream. Wrap up and serve immediately.

To be fair, it started as a lunchbreak foray into my Google Reader.  It was a break, ten minutes to step out of my task list and into the 400-odd food blogs I keep on hand like a virtual recipe box.

As the recent recipient of a rather stunning new stand mixer (it’s Tangerine, in case you were curious), I’ve been on the lookout for recipes my kitchen comrades have made with their favorite attachments.  Sorbets, sausages, ice cream, breads and, of course, pasta in every shape and size.   I’ll admit I stumbled upon this particular recipe as part of Design Crush’s Mushroom Week (the fact that this week exists made my week).   At first it was just another pretty face, another piece of beautiful food photography that we are so lucky to have in our sights on a daily basis.

But then…the click-through.  Homemade ravioli and photos of the process that are so perfectly textured that I want to reach through the screen and thump the treasures (packed with criminis, herbes de provence, parmesan etc) with my forefinger. These Days, you’re my new favorite reader subscription.  And I’m ever so thankful to Design Crush to introducing me to food blog 401 with such mindfulness!

Every once and awhile, we superfans a` la mushroom just can’t help ourselves.  We pick a city, find a chef and we sit down to eat together.  And while last week’s luncheon at Dallas’ famed forno Abacus was filled with restaurant industry hot shots, they let a few unadulterated fans in as well.  We’re so glad they did.

Two of our favorite Texans, Kelly from Evil Shenanigans and Temperance from High on the Hog, were able to join us for a mushroom-centric lunch from Abacus Executive Chef Kent Rathbun .  It was a delicious way to bring what’s typically an conversation for us into gorgeous restaurant for delicious demonstrations and a new perspective.

Chef Rathbun wowed the guests with four courses of is trademark, inventive fare but Kelly made no secret of her personal favorite.  We have all of the recipes prepared that day and will be sharing them gradually but in honor of our special guests, we’ll start with Chef Rathbun’s…

Crimini and Matake Mushroom Ragu served over Grilled Romano Cheese Polenta

Serves 8

For the Polenta:

• 2 ounces olive oil
• 1 cup white onion, diced
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 4 ounces whole butter
• 2 cups corn polenta
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

For the Ragu

• 2 ounces extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Tablespoons garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons shallots, minced
• 1 pound crimini mushrooms, sliced 1/8 inch thick
• 1 pound matake mushrooms, sliced 1/8 inch thick
• 4 ounces Marsala wine
• 1 cup veal demi
• 4 ounces heavy cream
• 4 ounces whole butter
• 1 Tablespoon oregano leaves, picked and chopped
• 1 Tablespoon basil leaves, chiffonade
• 1 Tablespoon cracked black pepper
• 1 Tablespoon kosher salt

Directions

For the Polenta:

1. In a sauce pan, add olive oil and saute white onions until translucent. Cover with chicken stock, add whole butter and bring to a boil.
2. Once chicken stock mixture comes to a boil slowly whisk polenta until it starts to thicken, Lower to medium heat and continue to cook for 5-7 minutes, continuing to stir ensuring it does not burn on the bottom.
3. Add Parmesan cheese and stir until cheese is melted and incorporated.
4. Transfer hot polenta to a baking pan that has been greased and lined with parchment paper. Make sure that the pan is small enough to ensure the polenta is one inch thick. Transfer polenta to a cooler or fridge and set up.
5. Once polenta is set, remove from pan, remove the paper and using a 3 inch round cookie cutter, cut into 3 inch diameter disks.
6. Brush polenta round with 0live oil and grill over wood grill until grill marks develop.
7. Remove from the grill and transfer to a cookie sheet.
8. Bake grilled polenta rounds in a 350 degree oven until crispy and warm in the center.

For the Ragu:

1. In a large saute pan, add extra virgin olive oil and saute garlic and shallots until translucent. Add sliced crimini and mataki mushrooms and saute until they start to brown.
2. Deglaze pan with Marsala wine and reduce by half.
3. Add veal demi and heavy cream, continue to cook until sauce starts to thicken.
4. Once sauce starts to thicken, whisk in whole butter and finish with oregano, basil, ground pepper and kosher salt.
5. Place a polenta round in 8 separate bowls and spoon mushroom ragu and sauce evenly over the top.
6. Garnish with shaved Parmesan cheese.

This week’s Featured Contributor hails from a beautiful site with a fresh focus. Healthy. Delicious. offers straightforward fare that packs in rich flavors without a cumbersome amount extra work. The result? Beautiful food, manageable ingredients and meals that live up to the header as both healthy and delicious.

A few years ago I ate a restaurant, Laurie Raphael in Quebec City,  with an interesting concept: In addition to the standard menu, the chef developed a three course menu that changed every day. The catch was that if you ordered the special menu, you didn’t get to know what you would be eating until it was set on the table in front of you. It was a great meal, and there were definitely are some things that I never would have ordered otherwise. Like mushroom cheesecake.

Yes, you read that right.

Sorry though, I didn’t make a mushroom dessert. Although I was inspired by the cheesecake, I wanted to make a savory dish. Like the cheesecake, my dish includes mushrooms and cheese in a phyllo “crust” but that’s where the similarity ends. I thought about the flavors that I enjoy combining with mushrooms and I came up with this exotic mushroom, spinach and sun dried tomato strudel with goat cheese. I served this as a side with some filet mignon for a delicious and impressive dinner that comes together quickly on a weeknight. It would also make a great appetizer at a cocktail party and could be pared down into mini phyllo shells for bite-size serving.

Wild Mushroom and Goat Cheese Strudel

• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes
• 8 oz exotic mushrooms, sliced (I used a mix of baby bella, shiitaki, and oyster)
• 1/4 cup pinot noir
• 1/2 cup baby spinach
• 8 oz log chevre, crumbled
• 8 sheets phyllo
• 1 tsp butter, melted

Heat vinegar in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Allow to reduce into a thick syrup – this should take about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Meanwhile, place sun dried tomatoes in a medium bowl. Cover with boiling water and allow to soak for 15 minutes or until they plump up and soften. Drain and chop.

Heat a sautee pan over medium heat. Add mushrooms and wine. All mushrooms to simmer until they soften – about 7 minutes. Drain.

Lay one sheet of phyllo on a cookie sheet. Spritz with cooking spray. Lay a second sheet of phyllo on top. Repeat until you have a stack of 4 sheets. Arrange half of the mushrooms, spinach, tomatoes, and cheese along the long edge of the phyllo. Carefully roll the phyllo into a log. Use a serrated knife to make six scores spread evenly across the top of the log. Brush with half of the butter. Make a second log with remaining ingredients.

Bake at 350 for 15 minutes, or until phyllo crisps and turns golden. Serve either in a pool of the balsamic reduction or with the reductions drizzled over the top.

Serves 6.

If university dining service food conjures up visions of mystery meat, think again! These days, many colleges and universities employ top notch chefs to make culinary cultivation part of students’ educations.

Martin Breslin has served as Director of Culinary Operations and Executive Chef at Harvard University Dining Services since 2002. A native of Dublin, Ireland, in his teens, Martin worked as a cook at the Bayview Hotel in Wexford, Ireland during the summers, where he developed his passion for food. Martin graduated from the Dublin College of Catering and then worked at various restaurants and catering companies throughout the UK, New York, and Boston. A well decorated chef, Martin has won numerous culinary awards including Restaurant Associates’ Chef of the Year in 2001 and two American Culinary Federation gold medals in 2003 and 2004.

Martin’s Barley and Mushroom Salad with Honey Vinaigrette is a healthy, simple and delicious vegetarian dish. At Harvard, approximately 7 percent of students are vegetarian with 1 percent vegan. While small in number, this group is very vocal, and an increasing number of non-vegetarians are opting for meat-free dining options.  “Mushrooms are an important part of giving vegetarians a meaty and satisfying meal and they are a perfect meat replacer. Adding mushrooms makes a meal complete,” says Martin.

Vinaigrette

• 1 1/2     ounces white wine vinegar
• 1              tablespoon honey
• 1              tablespoon brown mustard
• 4 1/2     ounces olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Barley

• 2          quarts water
• 3          ounces vegetable base
• 1          pound pearl barley
• 13         ounces shiitake mushrooms, raw, sliced
• 7 1/2     ounces red onion, roasted, chopped
• 1 1/2     ounces chopped fresh parsley
• 1              tablespoon salt

Directions

For Vinaigrette: Whisk together vinegar, honey and mustard. Slowly add oil while whisking, until emulsified. Add salt and pepper to taste. (Makes about 7 ounces)

In a pot, mix together water with enough vegetable base to make a broth (follow manufacturer’s directions on quantity). Bring to a boil and add barley. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until barley is tender (35 to 40 minutes). Drain any excess liquid, spread barley on a sheet pan to cool.

Sauté mushrooms in oil until tender. Mix sautéed mushrooms into cooled barley, along with onion, parsley, salt and Vinaigrette. Adjust seasoning as desired.