The first mushroom I knew about was the red one with white spots that killed the king of the elephants in The Story of Babar.

Then, there were those stories that included frogs, toads, toadstools, kissing and princes, yuck! When my father’s friends gave us wild mushrooms, their promises that none were poisonous did not encourage me to try the black, slimy concoction they became. Mushrooms, no thank you!

The turning point in my relationship with mushrooms came when I saw Julia Child cook them. Her method was simple and the lightly browned mushrooms could be served at any meal. After all the ricotta pastries I had enjoyed in Sicily, I wanted to make a low fat, high flavor, savory breakfast in my Vermont kitchen. Sautéed mushrooms served with whole-wheat toast and a pot of tea would be perfect. Here’s how I did it: … read more

As a vendor at the farmers’ market I arrive before the market opens and that means that I don’t miss wonders like wild mushrooms even if there is a very limited quantity for sale. As I was setting up my paintings my neighbor was arranging punnets of foraged chanterelles.

I had heard about chanterelles, about the amazing flavor, the ideal recipes – it always seems to include butter, the joy of foraging and the determination to never reveal the location of the hidden chanterelle patch; this was my opportunity to eat chanterelles.

I decided to celebrate these beauties in a simple soufflé. Yes, you can use the adjective ‘simple’ to modify the noun ‘soufflé’. This soufflé has two components – an egg yolk enriched, chanterelle flavored sauce and stiffly beaten egg whites, not any more complicated than an angel food cake. Here’s how I did it:

… read more

At the moment, the grill pan that came with my new range is the irresistible object in my kitchen and so grilled pizza is on the menu.

I began a couple of hours before dinner because the dough needs a few hours to rise and rest. Here’s how I did it: … read more