Happy Thanksgiving

I am home from my adventure with my brand new knee. And ever so glad to be here. When I finally got home it took a couple of days before I could get to the garden. The garden isn't a place to be wondering about, unaccompanied, while using a walker. This is the pickings for that day. There was the last of the tomatoes, a few beans, some chard and some bok choy. They fit nicely on the seat of my ambulatory aid. It was so nice to have food from my garden and from my kitchen again!

While I certainly missed my own vegetables and my normal diet I really can not complain about what I was served in the two institutions in which I found myself dining. I was in the hospital only a few days. Because of some emergencies that were brought to the hospital that morning, my surgery was postponed a couple of times. The most serious complication of that was I had fasted quite a long time and was starving when I woke up. Some kind nurse found a stray sandwich half about 2 am and brought it to me. I don't even remember what kind. I do remember it was a tad stale, but I was very grateful and enjoyed it just the same.

As to the regular meals at the hospital I remember being very surprised that this institution had finally figured out how to cook zucchini in the great quantities needed. They were still al dente which was a marvelous surprise. The rest of the meals were quite palatable, if not gourmet.

From there I transferred to a senior living establishment where they had a "skilled nursing center and excellent physical therapists who tortured me every day. Not to worry. We, the tortured, say that about those who help us get back to the real world with working limbs. It is very painful to move these new joints, making muscles that have been reattached and reconnected behave as before. The therapists were excellent; they pushed when necessary to achieve the next goal and soothed when that was appropriate. And for all of this I am very thankful.

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In the fall one gets ready for winter. One of the things on my to-do list is to add mushrooms to my menus. Since interferon is an aid to the immune system and there are studies that show mushrooms could play a part in this it seems only logical to add the mushrooms to boost immunity. So, I get a flu shot and I try to eat mushrooms. Does it help? As someone said, "too much, it can't hurt".

Up to now the problem has been I don't really like mushrooms, at least not the cooked mushrooms. I like the mushroom flavor but not the texture. My mother loved cooked mushrooms and my daughter, El, loves mushrooms anyway they might come. I guess it skips a generation. I use mushrooms raw; there is a salad of raw sliced mushrooms that I love and I make it often in the summer. However I have recently found a way to cook mushroom that changes them for the better and eliminates all the properties that I disliked.

It was Michael Chiarello, doing mushrooms on one of his TV shows one day, who opened my eyes to a new way of cooking the fungi. Actually I find him one of the few really informative cooks who reside on the tube these days. Some others seem to have a lot of recipes and not too much factual information. Chiarello has a lot of both. Anyway, his tip that got me on the way was quite simple. Heat the oil or butter in a heavy pan, put the mushrooms in the hot oil and most importantly leave them alone. Do not stir, do not shake, do nothing to the mushrooms at all until they have browned. That makes all the difference. Simple isn't it?

Done this way the flavor of the mushroom is enhanced. They never exude their juices, therefore you never get that semi-boiled consistency. Of course, it isn't easy to keep hands off when cooking; set anyone in front of a pot on the stove, give them a spoon and immediately they start stirring. It is some sort of reflex. With a little restraint one can do it. It is such a small change and it makes such a big difference. It is no wonder his restaurants have been huge successes. Can't wait for a chance to get over to his new one.

Recipe

So, with this newly acquired knowledge I dug out the recipe for the dish my mother would produce at every holiday, every special occasion and (I am sure she would have forgiven me) tweaked it. I am not sure Mom ever heard of tarragon; I know she never used it. She might not have forgiven me for that addition. I also added a shallot and moved from the white to the Crimini mushroom. Either would work but I think the Crimini have a bit more flavor.

Mom's Creamed Mushrooms Revisited

1 tablespoon unflavored oil

1 tablespoon butter

4 cups small Crimini mushrooms, halved

2 shallots, sliced very thin

1 sprig tarragon, leaves stripped from the stem

1 cup heavy cream

Salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil and butter until it shimmers slightly. Place the mushrooms in the pan cut side down. You will probably have to do them in two batches. No matter what the temptation, do not move the mushroom. Do not shake the pan, do not stir the mushrooms. When the first batch has browned, remove and replace with the second batch. Again, no touching after it gets in the pan! It probably isn't necessary but if you think you need it, add a little more oil for the second batch. This is a searing technique, not a frying technique, so don't add too much oil. Sprinkle the sliced shallots over. When the second batch has achieved a golden brown on the cut side, return the first batch to the pan along with any juices that may have accumulated. Sprinkle about 1 teaspoon of the tarragon leaves over the mushrooms. Now you can stir. Mix well.

Add the heavy cream and all but a few of the tarragon leaves. Simmer until the cream reduces slightly. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Put into a serving dish and garnish with a few tarragon leaves.

Tip

If you have any leftovers this can make a very nice soup. Measure the leftover mushrooms with their sauce and put in the appropriate size pan. Add an equal amount of chicken broth. Heat together. With a hand blender (or in a stand blender) puree. Put back into the pan and check. If it is too thick, add more broth until it is to you liking. Taste for seasoning before serving.

Do have a lovely Thanksgiving, and remember, no matter what, we have a lot for which to be thankful.

P.S. This is not as late as you think. Blogspot seems to be having some dificulty in getting this on the web.