Vote!

My tortilla soup recipe has been selected as one of the finalists in the MarxFoods Comfort Food Recipe Contest, and they're deciding the winner by popular vote. Head on over there and vote (for me presumably) and I assure you the gift certificate will go to good use!

Comfort never paid so well...

Heads up on yet another rewarding recipe contest over at Marx Foods. Nothing fancy here, just your favorite/best comfort food recipes. I've submitted my tortilla soup recipe (see below), and I recommend you head on over there and submit your own. A $250 gift certificate can get a lot of goodies!

Chanterelle Mushroom Recipe Contest

Heads up, another recipe contest with a great and edible prize is underway at Marx Foods. Simply submit a recipe featuring Chanterelle Mushrooms and you could win 2 pounds of fresh Chanterelles delivered to your door. The contest runs through Friday September 19th so don't delay.

Morel Season, oh boy!

Emily from Marx Foods (a nice internet-based distributor of fresh, in-season food items) recently pointed me towards an interesting and rewarding contest they are currently hosting on their website. All it requires is your favorite mushroom-based recipe and you could win two whole glorious pounds of fresh Morel mushrooms. Here's my entry, a delicious Asian-themed risotto utilizing my personal favorite mushroom, Maitake (or Hen of the Woods.)

Maitake Mushroom Risotto:

1 lb. Maitake Mushrooms (trimmed of stems, stems reserved, broken apart gently)
Butter (as needed)

Rinse the mushrooms and dry gently. Saute gently in melted butter. Season with salt, pepper, touch of lemon juice. Set aside.

Mushroom Broth:
1 T. canola oil
1 cup leeks, sliced
1/2 cup celery, diced
1/2 cup carrot, diced
trimmed Maitake stems, rough chopped

Sweat veggies in the oil until translucent, add stems and 4 cups water. Simmer gently for about 30 minutes. Strain.

Risotto:

1 T. Olive Oil
1/4 cup minced shallots
1 cup Sushi Rice (or any other short-grain rice)
3 cups mushroom broth with 1/2 cup white wine, kept hot
1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano
Sauteed Maitake mushrooms

Sweat shallots in oil, add rice and stir until outside coating of rice is translucent.
Add broth/wine just to cover, stirring occasionally, until rice, when stirred, pulls away from the bottom of pan, then repeating until rice is al dente and creamy. Stir in sauteed mushrooms, cheese. Serve drizzled with a nice olive oil and shaved Pecorino.