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The Mushroom Council Discovers Motivating Energy at PHA Summit

Friday, March 29th, 2013

The Mushroom Council was proud to announce earlier this month their commitment to the Partnership for Healthier America. Kathleen Preis, Marketing Coordinator for the Mushroom Council and this month’s Council Representative, was honored to attend the Partnership for Healthier America Summit in Washington DC, and share her experience while at the event.

Have you ever walked into a room filled with a diverse group of people, yet you all have one goal in mind? It creates a unique kind of motivating energy and buzz. I had the opportunity to witness this firsthand while attending the Partnership for Healthier America Summit in Washington DC. The Summit invited health and wellness leaders, child nutrition advocates, policy makers, members of the press, and industry suppliers to attend.

The summit kicked off with a rousing opening presentation calling all present to work together to find an end to childhood obesity. The inspiring speech motivated our table of school districts and fitness leaders to brainstorm out-of-the-box ideas to promote healthy lifestyles. Throughout the summit, the collaborative spirit continued as we had the opportunity to attend educational panels dedicated to initiating progress in providing healthier meals for children both in and out of school. We were able to share the mushroom message with all attendees, and link our goals with virtually every other attendee’s goals, through the potential of pilot programs, culinary demos or as a nutrition resource for existing programs.

The Great American School Lunch Challenge featured all-star chefs Ann Burrell and Jose Garces. The challenge prompted each team to create the most creative, appetizing, and visually appealing school lunch, while also meeting nutritional guidelines. Each team cooked live while all PHA attendees enjoyed samples of their creations in a family-style lunch. The contest highlighted our message that healthy AND delicious school meals are possible with a little creativity… and lots of mushrooms!

After panels, sessions, and ‘get fit’ activities, the closing assembly gave attendees the final spark needed to send everyone home with a feeling of renewed energy in the fight for a healthier America. The keynote presentation featured moving speeches by Mayor Corey Booker (Newark, NJ), Eli Manning of the New York Giants, First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama, and our very own Mushroom Council chairwoman Fletcher Street.

Fletcher had the whole auditorium talking about the blendability concept, and our unique mushroom humor. I was even lucky enough to shake the first lady’s hand at the conclusion of the presentation. Next time I will make sure to bring a mushroom burger for her to try!

Our experience at PHA further invigorated our mission to educate Americans on mushrooms as a healthy meal alternative.

What event have you recently attended that reaffirmed your mission to promote better health?

Tags: Mushroom Commitment, mushroom council, PHA Summit
Posted in Commitment, Conferences, Council Representative | No Comments »

Signature Mushroom Recipe Competition

Friday, October 26th, 2012

Swapability is not just for use at home, chefs enjoy swapping mushrooms into their restaurant dishes as well. Council Representative, Bart Minor, shares his experience going behind the scenes at the first Signature Mushroom Recipe Competition.

The Mushroom Council was proud to sponsor the first “Signature Mushroom Recipe Competition” in Orlando, Florida on September 24^th. Similar to challenges from hit shows like Iron Chef and Top Chef, competitors were faced with the task of preparing a dish that showcased mushroom swapability, the process of using mushrooms to extend the protein and enhance the flavor of a dish.

Nineteen chefs were invited to compete onsite at the Restaurant and Lodging Show. Competitors were given two hours to create a mushroom swapability dish, after which, the dishes were presented to three judges – Chef Louis Perrotte CEC, AAC, Chef Roland Schaeffer CEC, AAC, and Chef David St. John-Grubb Ph.D. CEC, CCE, CHE, AAC, while Chef Hiroshi Noguchi CEC, AAC covered the floor judging. The first place winner received $1000 in cash, while second place received $750, and third place received $500.

Competitors were very receptive to the idea of swapability, and a few chefs noted they even use it on a regular basis in their restaurants. While others like the idea of swapability, they would not use it in a ground meat application (they prefer to use less protein while increasing the perceived portion size with mushrooms – sautéed, roasted, or grilled). Here are some of the comments the chefs had regarding swapability.

Chef Deborah Buza | Salvation Army – Grant, FL
Recipe: Portabella Roulade with Mushroom Sauce, served with Almond Crusted Potato Gratin Cake, Mushroom Timbale with Tomato Compote and Garnished with Sautéed Mushroom Cap
“What I like most about cooking with mushrooms is all the flavors and the versatility – you can use them as a main dish, a garnish, and a component. I prefer to use portabella as they offer so many cooking options – you can grill, roast, bake, sauté. Mushroom swapability enhances the flavor of the protein – it adds that extra flavor.”

Chef Jenelle Buza | Ritz Carlton Naples – Naples, FL
Recipe: Shiitake, Oyster & Maitake Mushroom Agnolottis on Tomato Compote with Mushroom Sauce
“I enjoy cooking with mushrooms because of the depth of flavor they add to any dish. You want to be able to hit every spot on the flavor spectrum – sweet, salty, sour – to create that umami effect. I like the idea of swapability as long as you cook the mushrooms properly. You have to know the technique to execute it properly; there is nothing worse than a recipe that is soggy because the water was not sweated out before combining.”

Chef Erick Rodriguez | Universidad de Guayaquil – Ecuador
Recipe: Mushroom Puree with Stuffed Ravioli and Sautéed Asparagus
“I like the flavors and versatility of preparation in the kitchen – you can sauté, roast, grill. I like white button mushrooms and often use them in my entrees.”

Chef Sally Wilson | Johnson County Community College – Overland Park, KS
Recipe: Sautéed Mushroom Strudel, Pheasant Breast with Mushroom Sausage, Butternut Squash Puree with Goat Cheese, Glazed Broccoli Rabe with Batonnet of Carrots, Pheasant Ragout with Figs and Olives

“What I enjoy most about cooking with mushrooms is the many ways you can use them. You can do anything with them and incorporate them into any dish. I really enjoy cooking with crimini mushrooms and lobster mushrooms – they add such a nice flavor and are really colorful.

Despite all of the delicious and creative preparations, in the end, there could only be three winners. Congratulations to our top three competitors:

1^st Place Winner: Chef Deborah Buza
2^nd Place Winner: Chef Jenelle Buza
3^rd Place Winner: Chef Erick Rodriquez

Thanks to all of the chefs who participated in this fun and landmark event for The Mushroom Council.

Would you order a mushroom swapability dish on a restaurant menu?

Posted in Conferences, Contests, Cooking Tips, Council Representative, Dining Out, Editor Post, swapability | No Comments »

The Mushroom Council Travels to FNCE

Wednesday, October 24th, 2012

Earlier this month, the Mushroom Council journeyed to Philadelphia, PA, to attend the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo (FNCE) to connect with registered dietitians and celebrate ways to incorporate nutritious mushrooms into more meals.

From expo booths to educational sessions we could go on and on, but we’ll defer to registered dietitian Dawn Jackson Blatner’s roundup of 5 Top Food Trends from FNCE and this great recap of the event from Food and Health Communications that shares 50 interesting findings from the conference. And guess what? Mushrooms made the list not once, but twice. First, with our beautiful display of mushroom varieties from nearby Kennett Square (the Mushroom Capital of the World) and again for the delicious Swedish Meatballs we sampled at our booth. With mushrooms earning rave reviews in Philly, we wanted to share the recipe with you so you can enjoy a taste of FNCE in your own kitchen.

Considering Kennett Square was only a hop, skip and jump away from Philly, we worked in a little day trip with 40 registered dietitians. First we toured a nearby mushroom farm for a first-hand look at how mushrooms are grown. Then, we ventured to the Farmhouse restaurant for a three-course mushroom meal, complete with a mushroom dessert! Check out photos from our entire trip on Facebook.

Posted in Conferences, Cooking Tips, Editor Post | No Comments »

The 27th Annual Mushroom Festival

Friday, September 28th, 2012

Ever wonder what it’s like to be surrounded by 100,000 mushroom lovers? Council Representative, Bart Minor, shares his fun-gi filled experience at the 27th Annual Mushroom Festival in Kennett Square, PA.

With more than 100,000 visitors in two days, the Mushroom Festival is the world’s largest fun-gi filled event. This annual gathering is held in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, and rightly so as the region grows more than 60% of the United States’ mushrooms! Every year the Mushroom Festival celebrates and promotes the importance of mushrooms, through entertainment, competition, and education.

Top Chef Contestant, Antonia Lafaso, taught passionate mushroom fans how to prepare a simple mushroom salad topped with a poached egg. Next Great Baker, Dana Herbert, also graced the culinary tent stage, to prepare a savory mushroom & seafood flatbread.

The First Annual Fried Mushroom Eating Contest, sponsored by Buona Foods, drew a large and excited crowd. Twelve contestants were challenged to eat as many fried mushrooms as they could in eight minutes. In the end, fungi lover Jamie McDonald ended up taking home the $1000 prize after downing an astonishing 5.5 pounds of mushrooms.

As expected, there was no lack of food to fulfill a mushroom craving. From Mushroom Pumpkin Ice Cream, to creamy Mushroom Mac n’ Cheese, and even a Seafood Stuffed Portabella Burger, the Mushroom Festival did not disappoint in the culinary area. Vendors also showcased their passion for mushrooms through art, crafts and home goods.

Putting Kennett Square, Pennsylvania on the map, the Mushroom Festival is an event that a true mushroom lover should not miss. Make sure to check out our full event photo album on Facebook.

What is your favorite festival to attend?

Posted in Conferences, Contests, Council Representative, Editor Post, Mushroom Festival, mushroom month | No Comments »

Mushroom Swapability Hits a Home Run with Kids and Parents

Friday, July 27th, 2012

Do you ever wonder how kids react to veggies, especially mushrooms on their lunch tray? Bart Minor, our Mushroom Council Representative, shares how the mushroom swapability method went over at two recent food conferences.

The Mushroom Council recently attended the School Nutrition Association Annual National Conference in Denver, Colorado from July 15 – July 18 and immediately followed that up with a visit to the Produce Marketing Association’s Foodservice Chef Competition in California. One of our goals at each event was to talk about ways to get kids to eat their veggies. Nothing makes the case like testing a food method yourself, so we sampled mushroom swapability meatballs and tacos. The swapability method refers to replacing a portion of ground meat in a recipe with minced mushrooms to add a serving of veggies. This approach was a runaway success for its ease and tasty flavor – factors that are a hit with both parents and kids. In fact, the samples were so popular that the swapability tacos won “Best Kid’s Dish: Adults’ Choice,” and “Best Kid’s Dish: Kids’ Choice” at the PMA’s Chef Competition.

If you’re still not convinced on swapability, here are two reasons to believe:

1) It tastes great – even hard-to-please kids say so!

2) It adds a serving of nutritious vegetables – something parents and school lunch directors love!

Try the award-winning taco recipe yourself and become a swapability believer!

Mushroom Tacos with Salsa Verde

(yields 8 servings)

Ingredients:

Tacos

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 lb. 85% lean ground beef
3/4 lb. white button mushrooms
3/4 lb. crimini mushrooms
2 cups julienne of sweet onions
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
4 Tbsp. ground chili pepper
Salt and pepper, if necessary
Lime juice to taste
8 corn tortillas
1 cup shredded green cabbage
2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
4 Tbsp. Cotija Cheese, grated

Avocado Salsa Verde

1 large, ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and cut in 1/2-inch dice
1/3 cup diced tomato
1 tsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. finely chopped onion
1/2 tsp. seeded and minced Serrano chile
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1 Tbsp. lemon or lime jice
2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
1/4 tsp. sugar

Directions:

Heat a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Place ground beef in pan and cook; season with salt and pepper. Sauté for 3 to 5 minutes until golden brown. Chop mushrooms to approximately the size and texture of ground beef and sauté in a separate pan with 2 tablespoons olive oil for 3 to 5 minutes.
Combine mushrooms and meat and set aside.
Heat sauté pan used for ground beef over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté until golden brown.
Add garlic and cook until fragrant. Add the mushroom/beef mixture and ground chili pepper. Sauté 2 to 3 minutes, stirring. Adjust seasoning with salt, pepper and lime juice.

Posted in Conferences, Contests, Cooking Tips, Council Representative, Dinner Tonight, Editor Post, Health, Kids in the Kitchen, Nutrition, swapability | No Comments »