Braised Short Ribs with Mushroom Broth Recipe
(serves 2)

20 grams mixed dried mushrooms, such as porcini or chanterelle
3 tablespoons vegetables oil
2 large bone-in short ribs (or multiple if cut small)
salt and pepper
1/4 onion, diced (about 1/2 cup)
1/2 carrot, diced (about 1/4 cup)
1/2 stalk celery, diced (about 1/4 cup)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 cup red wine
1 handful fresh thyme

Rinse the mushrooms under warm water trying to remove any grit. Place in a small bowl and cover in at least 2 cups of warm water. This water will be the basis of our braise later. Allow the mushrooms to sit in the water for 20 minutes. Gently lift out the mushrooms and pat any remaining grit off with paper towels. Strain the mushroom liquid through cheesecloth or paper towels and reserve both mushrooms and liquid.

Meanwhile while the mushrooms are soaking you can start on the meat. First heat the oven to 300F. Pat the meat dry and sprinkle liberally with salt and freshly ground pepper. In a heavy dutch oven or casserole heat oil over medium high heat until just smoking. Add meat and turn the heat down slightly, brown on all sides without burning the meat or what is in the pan. Remove meat to a plate and pour off all but a tablespoon of oil. Add onions and saute until just staring to brown and sot, about 5 minutes. Add carrots and cook for another 2 minutes, and again with the celery. Add tomato paste and cook for 3 minutes. Add flour and cook for another few minutes stirring regularly. Add wine and cook unti reduced by half. Add mushroom liquid and thyme, bring to a gentle simmer and add meat back. Transfer to the oven and cook for about 2-3 hours or until the meat is fork tender.

Remove from the oven. If eating right away, remove the meat and strain the sauce. Put the sauce back in the pot and spoon off any excess fat. Add mushrooms and meat back to the pot and bring to a simmer until the sauce is the desired thickness. Season to taste and serve.

If you want to serve it later it reheats very well. Cool the meat in the liquid and refrigerate together. Spoon off excess fat and then reheat together with the mushrooms.

Risotto with Mushrooms and Red Wine
(serves 4)

2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cups mixed fresh mushrooms, sliced. (I used shitake and cremini)
2 teaspoons dried thyme (substitute 1 tablespoon fresh if you have it)
salt and pepper
1 medium shallot, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup arborio rice
1/2 cup red wine
~ 1 litre chicken or vegetable stock, warm
1/4 cup Parmagianno Reggiano, grated

First you want to brown the mushrooms. You can use the same pot to cook the risotto if you want but you will need the mushrooms to all fit in one layer so they can brown. They won’t brown if they are crowded. Heat a heavy wide pot to medium and add butter. When it stops foaming add mushrooms (or half of the mushrooms if you are doing it in batches) and stir. Add a pinch of salt and pepper as well as the thyme and saute until the mushrooms start to brown. Remove from heat and repeat with the second batch.

When all the mushrooms are nice and brown remove to a bowl and get out your risotto pot. You want a heavy pot, I usually use a dutch oven. Add olive oil and put on medium low heat. Add shallots and cook for 3 minutes, stirring regularly. You want it to sweat not brown so if the heat is too high reduce it a bit. Add garlic and cook for another minute. Add rice and cook, stirring constantly for 2 minutes then add wine. Continue to stir the rice regularly until the wine is mostly evaporated. Start adding your warm stock about 1/2 cup at a time. Add the mushrooms and stir them into the rice. Stir the rice regularly to help it cook evenly. Continue adding stock as it evaporates.

You want to slow down the addition of liquid when the rice starts to soften, so test it often. When it is just al dente remove from heat and stir in cheese. Test it for seasoning and adjust if necessary.

Ham and Mushroom Lasagne Recipe
(makes 8×8 lasagna, about 6 servings)
(Adapted from Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking)

1/2oz dried porcini or boleto mushrooms
4 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 small onion, chopped fine
1/2 cup whole Italian tomatoes, drained and chopped
1-2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley
1/2 dozen large white or cremini mushrooms, washed and thinly sliced
1 portobello, washed and thinly sliced
1 package italian Lasagna noodles
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk (I used 2%)
salt and pepper
1/2 cup ham, thinly sliced into strips
1 2/2 cups freshly grated Parmiggiano Reggiano

Add dried mushrooms to 2/3 cup warm water. Allow to soak for at least 30 minutes. Carefully remove mushrooms without disturbing water too much. Pour soaking water through a cheesecloth or paper towel lined wire strainer and set aside. Rinse mushrooms under water and carefully remove any grit, squeeze dry, roughly chop and set aside.

In a large saute pan with a lid, melt butter and oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook until translucent, stirring regularly. Add chopped reconstituted mushrooms, tomatoes, parsley and mushroom soaking water. Turn heat down to medium low and partially cover. Simmer gently until liquid is gone. Add fresh mushrooms turn up the heat to medium high and stir regularly. The mushrooms will release liquid. Cook until liquid is absorbed again and mixture is generally dry. Taste and correct for seasoning. Remove from heat and set aside.

Cook lasagna noodles to package directions, leaving slightly al dente. Drain and set aside. (You can keep them from sticking in several ways, separated on damp dish towels or oiled parchment paper.)

Preheat oven to 400F. Make the bechamel. In a sauce pan melt the 4 tablespoons of butter, bring heat to medium and whisk in flour. Slowly whisk in milk and bring to a gently simmer, whisking until nice and thick. Add 1/4 teaspoon of salt to start. Than correct and taste for seasoning. Reduce heat to low and stir occasionally while assembling lasagna.

Now it is time to assemble the lasagna. First gently butter an 8×8 dish. Put down a layer of noodles then scatter with a layer of mushrooms, using about 1/4 of the mushrooms. Top with a quarter of the ham, then 1/5 of the bechamel and 1/5 of the cheese. Top with another layer of noodles. Do 3 more layers like this. The last layer should end with noodles, then the last of the bechamel topped with some cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes covered with aluminum foil, remove foil and bake for another 10 minutes. Let rest for 5-10 minutes before cutting and serving.

Shiitake Mushroom and Rapini Spaghetti “Carbonara” Recipe
(serves 2)

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 small onion, diced
1 clove garlic
2 dried thai red chilies, crushed. Or 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
a dozen young shitake mushrooms, sliced
salt and pepper
3 cups roughly chopped rapini or broccoli rabe, wet (wash it and don’t spin dry
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon butter
2 servings spaghetti

Boil some salted water for your spaghetti. In the meantime heat a skillet to medium and add oil onion, chiles and garlic and saute. Add spaghetti. In the meantime cook onions for 2 minutes, stirring regularly. Add mushrooms and a good grinding of pepper and saute for another 3 minutes. Add rapini with a big punch of salt. Stir and turn regularly to wilt the rapini. Meanwhile whisk together egg yolk and Parmesan. Reserve a cup of water from the pasta and drain. Whisk 1.4 cup of the pasta water into egg yolk mixture and combine, pasta, butter, egg mixture and vegetables and toss. Toss well to melt and fuse adding water if necessary. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Chicken Thighs with Mushrooms and Parsley
(serves 2)

2T butter
1T olive oil
4 skinless boneless chicken thighs
1 shallot, minced
1C mushrooms, sliced (about 4)
1C white wine
3T chicken stock
3T fresh parsley, minced
salt and pepper

1. Put a large skillet onto medium. Add olive oil and then half the butter and give it a swirl. Add chicken thighs to the pan and fry for about 3 minutes or until browned. Flip and fry another 1-2 minutes or until browned. Remove to a plate and set aside.
2. Add remaining butter and shallots. Stir for a minute then add mushrooms and saute for 5 minutes. Add wine and simmer until halfway reduced. Add stock and 1/2 the parsley then return the chicken to the pan. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes or until cooked.
3. Put chicken on a plate, spoon mushroom and sauce over top and garnish with parsley.

Tortellini with Mushrooms, Ham, Red Peppers and Cream
(serves 2)

2 tablespoons butter
4 cups mushrooms, roughly chopped or thickly sliced
1 cup cooked ham, cut into a large dice
1 red pepper, thinly sliced
1 cup cream
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 package tortellini, (about 350g)

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium low heat and add mushrooms with a healthy dose of pepper. Cook turning occasionally for about 10-15 minutes. Add ham and saute then add peppers and cook for 5 minutes. Add pasta to cook and pour cream over mushroom mixture. Bring to a simmer and simmer until the pasta is cook. Taste and correct if necessary.