Thursdays Are For Cooking….
Yes, that is the Honorable Morel. Almost looks like a duckbilled dinosaur. The head was about 6 inches long, sticking up out of the forest floor. At that size, it’s probably too woody to be very good, but they are delicious when used properly.
There are other fungi in the woodlands. The truffle, for instances, is exclusive to France, is sold at auctions by weight, can grow to any size, and is found by pigs whose capacity for finding fungi is legendary. The white truffle is less flavorful than the black truffle, but still worth something to truffle connoisseurs.
Me, I just like mushrooms, period. They contain, among other things, potassium, and are used medicinally to fight cancer and enhance and modulate immune responses.
To the fungus among us: Salute!
Category: Health Care debate
A mushroom is sitting at a bar and asks the bartender for a turkey on rye. So the bartender says to the mushroom, we don’t serve mushrooms of your ilk, so the mushroom says to the barkeep; But I’m a “Fun Guy”
Groan, Damn Jeff, I never “sau teed” that coming. Ok TAHellcats, need more recipes. Loves me some ‘shrooms, they too, have their place; on the plate next to/on top of the meat and taters. And like the potato, so many ways to be enjoyed. Bring it! Saw a piece on the TV last week, Washington State?, new building cottage industry, truffle like fungi, very similar to Frenchies, being found in similar soil/weather condition being found by trained dogs.
Great comeback on the pun 5th/77th.
Several years ago, someone said “not everything is better with bacon”. Challenge accepted. I’ve done many versions of this basic recipe since, and this is the hands down favorite. Melt in your mouth. Not greasy. Hints of bacon and maple throughout, with bits of crunchy bacon. My personal favorite is with a candied pecan halve on top, and no pecans in the dough but most others like the pecans in and on the cookies. Man Cookies aka Bacon Maple Pecan cookies 12 oz butter 6-8 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped (cooked makes about 1 cup chopped bacon) 4 oz bacon grease 1 cup powdered sugar 2 tsp maple extract 3 ¾ cups flour 1 cup chopped bacon 1 cup chopped pecans (optional) 350 degree oven Optional candied pecan halves 1 ½ – 2 cups pecan halves 8 oz butter 1 cup brown sugar Chop bacon into small pieces and fry over medium-low heat until very well done. Be careful not to allow to singe bacon fat; may be helpful to periodically pour off excess fat while cooking into a heat-proof container. Reserve this! When bacon is well crisped, pour remaining fat into heatproof jar, put bacon on paper to completely blot dry, place reserved bacon fat in refrigerator to cool -Note – any good cook will always have lots of bacon fat on hand anyway, and this can be used. Do NOT substitute lard, it will not taste the same. Preheat oven to 350. Make candied pecans first melt 8 oz butter on low heat add and completely dissolve brown sugar toss in pecan halves raise the heat while making sure the pecans are coated thoroughly, mix constantly when sugar is caramelized and pecans are beginning to stick, remove pecans to wax paper-lined pan. Make sure pecans are not touching each other or they will stick together. For cookies Add chilled bacon fat and slightly softened butter to a large bowl. Blend thoroughly. Add powdered sugar and maple extract, a little at a time until well mixed with butter and bacon fat. Add flour, a little at a time, making sure… Read more »
My people come from the south. I don’t think the last five generations ever ate anything not fried in bacon grease. My mama had a mason jar on the counter that she kept fully stocked with the beautiful nectar. If you could eat it raw it was better when fried in the universal flavor enhancer. Ah,southern cooking.
These sounds incredibly good. Have you ever tried making this into a bar cookie? (Folks around Casa OWB lack much interest in hanging around a kitchen long enough to make actual cookies.) We have a great chocolate chip cookie recipe that needs no alteration at all.
Also, plenty of maple syrup but no tincture of maple here, how would you substitute? Maybe you really can’t. Maybe just pour maple syrup on the cookie…
I would try 4 tsps maple syrup, perhaps cooked down to concentrate the flavor. If you try that, I’d add the concentrated maple syrup to a nearly liquified bacon grease/butter. I’d start with 1/4 cup or so maple syrup and cook that down over a low heat to concentrate. Let me know if that works.
Or –
once baked, try mixing maple syrup and powdered sugar into a very thin frosting, almost like a glaze?
As for other than balls/cookies, I’d try rolling the dough into logs and slicing them about 1/2″ thick. This basic recipe is actually a butter cookie recipe and it is common to make logs and refrigerate before slicing/baking those.
I’ve not tried bars or a pan, and wouldn’t know how to adjust the cooking time. I would probably flatten the dough into a pan, then separate into squares not bars so they bake evenly.
My wife is a good southern girl, and yes, most everything she cooks starts with good old bacon grease! She also makes the best gravy in the world! She can make gravy out of anything!! Love me a good southern girl~!
Denise,
Did not see EGGS in your receipt; very important since my son is allergic to eggs and I am always looking for egg-free cookies for him. He is also allergic to nuts; but they can be left out.
Thanks
USAF –
Nope! No eggs! Which also makes this a particularly yummy raw cookie dough to add to a dish of ice cream.
As I said, I really like them without the pecans in, and sometimes no pecan on top either. I promise, still yummy.
Denise, don’t toy with me. I loves me some cookies also. I am the original cookie monster. My main purpose for existing is to control the cookie population. Well that…. and to serve as a bad example. And Bacon… Hmmm.. on the 8th day God Created bacon. Bacon drippings = the Nectar of the Gods. It’s not grease till it hits the floor or spatters on the stove top. You did not get into Mama’s bacon drippings jar under threat of sure, swift, and severe punishment. Will be trying these cookies with and without Georgia Pecans. They’d probably be quite tasty with walnuts too.
I love mushrooms. I came up with this recipe after going to a mushroom festival in northern Italy.
Polenta and Mushroom Ragu
3 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
1 lb mixed wild mushrooms, chopped
1 shallot, minced
2 Tbs garlic, minced
Salt and fresh ground pepper
2 Tbs butter
1/2 cup Marsala
3 sprigs fresh thyme
2 cups chicken broth
1/3 cup heavy cream
5 fresh basil leaves, chopped (optional)
1/4 cup Italian parsley, chopped (optional)
Polenta (firm, homemade or store-bought)
olive oil for frying, about 1/4 cup
Parmesan cheese for garnish
Heat oil in a large skillet. Add mushrooms, shallot, garlic and salt and pepper to taste. Cook until mushrooms have released their moisture and it has evaporated. Add butter and toss.
Add Marsala and thyme, and stir until incorporated. Add chicken broth and simmer until the sauce has been reduced by half, about 30 minutes. Add cream and mix well. Remove from heat and stir in basil and parsley (if desired).
Slice polenta into 1 /2″ rounds and fry in olive oil until lightly browned. Serve topped with mushrooms and grated or shaved Parmesan.
The Italians taught the French fine cuisine; this recipe shows that.
^word^
If you live in the Northwest it’s getting on to chantrel season, beautiful orange/yellow mushrooms that taste a lot like mild pepper and are very good in beef/venison dishes.
As many of you will know the BEST meal available is the Irish seven-course dinner: six boiled potatoes and a nice cold beer.
I’m currently working on the last part of that incredibly fine meal as I write!
Otherwise…pug mahon. (huge smile!)
NO no no, it’s 6 boiled beers and a nice cold potato.
/I went potato
Your ratios are off: 6 beers and 1 potatoe
(I lied) Yes, I’ve had my six – going on seven!!
There is no “e” in potato and I passed six two hours ago
But there is an “e” in “potatoes!”
This simple side goes great with chicken or seafood.
Lemon Rice
1 cup water
1 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
2 teaspoons butter or olive oil
1 cup uncooked rice, long grain
1⁄4 teaspoon dried basil
1⁄8-1⁄4 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/4 teaspoons lemon pepper seasoning
Combine all ingredients EXCEPT lemon pepper in pot.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat.
Cover pot and allow to simmer slowly for 20 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed.
Sprinkle with lemonpepper before serving.
I have a rice cooker, which takes all the guesswork out. Learned this trick from Ming Tsai. Add rice to the cooker. Add chicken broth. Gently touch the rice’s surface, and add enough water so the level comes up to the first knuckle on your finger. This works with 1 cup of rice, or 100. The ratio is always the same.
Ming would add some fresh ginger, too. Careful, too much will overpower the dish.
Morels are wonderful, and once you know how to distinguish real morels, from false morels, you can harvest a treasure. They improve after being dried, but can be enjoyed fresh. I have several morel harvesting places I never reveal.
Improved after being dried? Sacrilege I say.
Mushrooms belong ONLY on a pepperoni pizza…with olives…and extra sauce…on a thin crust…and a Coors.
You know this to be true, do not deceive yourself with cultural culinary creations committing cake-like cravings. Those will still be a lie.
I missed the morel hunting season this year due to my work schedule so now I’m gathering and eating shaggy manes.