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Mushrooms in the Big Easy

Wednesday, December 22nd, 2010

This past November we had the chance to get away for a few days from the early onset of winter in Chicago, to the sunny, fall weather in the Big Easy. The Council attended the annual International Foodservice Editorial Council conference in New Orleans, where we met with other foodies in the writing world.

At the event, we partnered with Chef Tenney Flynn of renowned New Orleans seafood restaurant, GW Finn’s, to meld New Orleans charm with the savory flavor of mushrooms. For anyone who has ever doubted their love for mushrooms and seafood, doubt no more. Chef Flynn will make you fall in love with both, time and time again.

Chef Flynn prepared two tasty mushroom dishes that included a mushroom risotto with grilled sea scallops and mushroom butter sauce, as well as a mushroom and oyster tart. Both dishes were a hit! In fact, we’re still dreaming about his mushroom risotto…

For those of you planning to visit the Crescent City, take a trip to the French Quarter and experience for yourself Chef Flynn’s delectable mushroom dishes. And for anyone who’s ever been, let us know!

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“Mushrooms On The Menu” Photo Contest – Cast Your Vote!

Monday, December 13th, 2010

In November, the Council sent out a call for the most eye-catching and delicious mushroom dishes at restaurants across the country. A number of you rose to the chow challenge and sent us images of the mushroom dishes you’ve ordered out that look good enough to eat (and presumably, you all cleaned your plates). Now it’s time to choose a winner and the competition is tight- we really need your help!

Just take a look at all of the photos below and then vote for the corresponding letter and description at in the poll at the bottom of this post.

The entry with the most votes will receive a $100 gift card, 2nd prize is a $75 gift card and 3rd prize is a $50 gift card.

Voting ends December 17 at 5:00 p.m. CST, so vote now!

A)  Stuffed Pork with Spinach Salad, Tomatoes and Mushrooms at Capri Restaurant in Raleigh, North Carolina. Submitted by Paula Jones.

B)  Turkey Meatloaf with Mushroom Gravy at Rockit Bar & Grill in Chicago, Illinois. Submitted by Amanda Downing.

C)  Rack of Lamb at La Famiglia Italian Restaurant in Destin, Florida. Submitted by Tom Garner.

D) Chicken Mushroom Platter at Cholla Prime Steakhouse in Scottsdale, Arizona. Submitted by Joseph Assaf.

E)  Mushroom Burger with Truffle Aoili at Rockit Bar & Grill, Chicago. Submitted by Amanda Downing.

F)  Mushroom Deep Dish Pizza at Gino’s East in Chicago, Illinois. Submitted by Sydney Williams.

G)  Mushroom Torta at Oxco in Chicago, Illinois. Submitted by Elizabeth Karmel.

H)     Mushroom Lasagna from Shroom Shack. Submitted by Krsna April Rosner.

Vote for your favorite Mushrooms on the Menu entry!

  • E) Mushroom Burger with Truffle Aoili at Rockit Bar & Grill, Chicago. Submitted by Amanda Downing. (40%, 24 Votes)
  • C) Rack of Lamb at La Famiglia Italian Restaurant in Destin, Florida. Submitted by Tom Garner. (28%, 17 Votes)
  • H) Mushroom Lasagna from Shroom Shack. Submitted by Krsna April Rosner. (10%, 6 Votes)
  • A) Stuffed Pork with Spinach Salad, Tomatoes and Mushrooms at Capri Restaurant in Raleigh, North Carolina. Submitted by Paula Jones. (7%, 4 Votes)
  • G) Mushroom Torta at Oxco in Chicago, Illinois. Submitted by Elizabeth Karmel. (7%, 4 Votes)
  • B) Turkey Meatloaf with Mushroom Gravy at Rockit Bar & Grill in Chicago, Illinois. Submitted by Amanda Downing. (5%, 3 Votes)
  • D) Chicken Mushroom Platter at Cholla Prime Steakhouse in Scottsdale, Arizona. Submitted by Joseph Assaf. (2%, 1 Votes)
  • F) Mushroom Deep Dish Pizza at Gino’s East in Chicago, Illinois. Submitted by Sydney Williams. (1%, 1 Votes)

Total Voters: 60

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“Mushrooms on the Menu” Restaurant Photo Contest

Wednesday, October 27th, 2010

The old saying goes, “there’s no such thing as a free lunch,” but we beg to differ. The Council is hosting a “Mushrooms on the Menu” contest to recognize the most eye-catching and delicious mushroom dishes at restaurants across the country. Send us a photo of a mushroom dish you’ve ordered in a restaurant for the chance to win a gift card of up to $100 to use the next time you dine out.

From today until Wednesday, November 17, share your photos via Twitter or email and you’ll automatically be in the running! Include a brief description of the dish and name the restaurant and location. All approved photos will be uploaded to the Mushroom Channel the week of November 15 and readers can vote on their favorite entries.

Check out some examples of our great mushroom finds, and then get started on your own pics! Want to increase your chances of winning? Get tweeting! Every person who re-tweets your entry using the #shroompic hashtag will count as a vote toward your submission!

To Enter:

Don’t forget to include a description of the dish, the restaurant and location it’s from

Key Dates:

  • Submit photos from Wednesday, 10/27 – Wednesday, 11/17 on Twitter @mushroomchannel or via email info@mushroominfo.com
  • Look for your photo on the Mushroom Channel blog and VOTE from Thursday, 11/18 – Sunday, 11/29
  • First, second and third place winners will be announced Monday, 11/29

Rules:

  • Participants may enter more than one entry provided a different mushroom menu item is photographed and submitted
  • Photos that show mushrooms at restaurants will be selected and posted to the Channel for voting (no illegal or inappropriate content, please)
  • All entries can be used by the Mushroom Council in future marketing communications
  • 1st prize is a $100 gift card, 2nd prize is a $75 gift card and 3rd prize is a $50 gift card
  • Winners of previous Mushroom Council Grocery Store Challenge contest are not eligible to win again

For extended contest rules, click here.


“Hongos:” a row of delicious mushroom tacos (shared as an appetizer) from Mexican fave, Mercadito (Chicago, IL)

Sautéed mushrooms top a savory “Ratatouille” vegetarian crepe at Le Creperie (Chicago, IL)

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Lights! Camera! Mushrooms!

Thursday, August 5th, 2010

We recently worked with Dan Coha to take some amazing pictures of delicious mushroom dishes from chefs and their restaurants across the country.

To find these delectable mushroom recipes, we first tapped our network of champion mushroom chefs.  We received an overwhelming amount of recipe submissions from chefs in high-end, trend-setting restaurants, university dining halls and even fast food chains- the variety and breadth of mushroom love knows no bounds.

It was a tricky task to narrow down all 50+ recipes to only eight for the final shoot. We chose recipes that embodied new culinary trends, demonstrated creative mushroom applications and of course…tasted absolutely delicious!

Shooting eight mushroom dishes took more than you might think. A chef helped recreate each of the recipes while a special food stylist – armed with a pair of tweezers – painstakingly made each dish look picture-perfect (no pun intended).

But, the picture wouldn’t be complete without the help of a prop stylist. What’s a prop stylist you may ask? Check out the image below; lots of time and energy goes into each photo’s environment, so to speak, to create the perfect ambiance that accentuates the dish being photographed. This Thai Stroganoff was especially tricky. We went for the warm feeling of the brown setting.

Below are just some of the mouth-watering pictures we got to take home, but stay tuned; we’ll be featuring these new photos and their accompanying recipes regularly as we interview the chefs who created them.

Queso Fundido con Champinones Adobados – Chef Richard Sandoval, Zengo, Washington, DC

Sugarcane Portabella with Arugula Salad – Chef José Luis Ugalde, Gibraltar, El Granada, CA

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Kitchen Swap: The Fabulous Flavors of Fusion Fungi at China Grill

Monday, March 22nd, 2010

Mushroom Profusion Pasta

China Grill is a fusion restaurant chain not afraid to think outside the wok. Eating at China Grill takes you on a globetrotting journey through its Italian, Japanese, French, Chinese and American influences. Mushrooms, being the versatile cross cultural ingredient that they are, pop up all over the menu.

Executive Chef Philippe Pinon shared his recipe for Mushroom Profusion Pasta with Sake Madeira Cream Sauce with us.  A blend of Portuguese Madeira, Japanese sake and exotic mushrooms make this pasta sauce deliciously international.

Mushroom Profusion Pasta with Sake Madeira Cream Sauce

Ingredients

Sake-Madeira Sauce
3          pounds mushroom stems, washed
3/4        cup sliced shallots
6          tablespoons minced garlic
2          cups sake
1          quart Madeira wine
3          quarts heavy whipping cream
Kosher salt, to taste
Togarashi pepper spices, to taste

Mushroom Pasta
6          Portabella mushrooms, gills removed
3          pounds dried linguini
3          ounces unsalted butter
1          pound 3 ounces sliced white mushrooms
1          pound 3 ounces sliced oyster mushrooms
1          pound 3 ounces sliced shiitake mushrooms
3          cups sliced scallions
1 1/2     cups sliced oil-packed, drained sun-dried tomatoes
6          tablespoons minced garlic
1 1/2     cups mushroom or vegetable stock
1 1/2     cups Madeira wine
1 1/2     cups sake
12         ounces grated parmesan cheese
3/4        cup chopped fresh thyme

Directions

  • To make the sauce: Sweat the mushroom stems, shallots, and garlic. Deglaze the pan with the sake and Madeira. Simmer to reduce by half. Add the cream and reduce until slightly thicker, or desired consistency.
  • Puree the contents of the pan. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer, pressing on the mixture lightly, and discard the solids. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cool the sauce in an ice bath.
  • To make the pasta: Toss the Portabella mushrooms with olive oil, salt, and pepper to taste. Roast in a 350-degree oven until tender. Set aside to cool.
  • Parcook the linguini.
  • Melt the butter and sauté the sliced mushrooms, scallions, sun-dried tomatoes, and garlic until lightly browned and soft. Season with salt. Deglaze the pan with the broth, sake, and Madeira. Add in the Sake-Madeira cream sauce, 6 ounces of the parmesan, and the thyme. Simmer until slightly thickened and flavorful. Set aside to cool.
  • For each serving, to order: Reheat 1 cup of linguini. Reheat about 1 cup of the sauce and vegetables over low. Thinly slice a Portabella and reheat 3 to 4 slices under the broiler. Plate the linguini, top with the sauce, Portabella slices, and a sprinkling of parmesan.

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