Mushrooms | Gourmandistan

Take-out lo mein taken in to Gourmandistan, transformed by duck

March 21, 2016 by Steve

Over the years, there has been much debate in Gourmandistan over which Chinese food travels best. While it was never one of Michelle’s favorites because sameness, Steve usually asserted that lo mein was a reliable take-out choice. He felt the combination of noodles, sauce and assorted other things (mainly pork, in Steve’s preference) was always about the same quality at home as it was in the restaurant. However, this homemade version with duck may very well end the argument, as Steve agrees it […]

Categories: China, Cooking, Duck, Food, Mushrooms, Pasta

Almond boneless chicken, exhibit ABC of Chinese-American idiosyncrasy

June 10, 2015 by Steve

Gourmandistan’s love of soy, stir-frying and other Asian ideas has led us to explore many Chinese dishes, as well as Chinese restaurants around the globe. Like many Americans of a certain age and geography, both Michelle’s and Steve’s first exposures to “Chinese food” came from menus full of chop suey, crab wontons, General Tso’s chicken and other items never dreamed of in China. We grew older and discovered dishes from Szechuan, Hunan and other regions of China, along with restaurants that (sometimes with […]

Categories: Chicken, China, Cooking, Food, Lettuce, Mushrooms, Peas, Recipes, Restaurants

Overdo your Easter Eggs with Oeufs aux Champignons

April 8, 2012 by Steve

You may, given the season, happen to have several hard-boiled eggs literally lying around your house. Or, should you not be bunny-inclined, you may simply be in the mood for a very rich, creamy, mushroomy and bacony egg dish. This one from the Junior League of New Orleans’ 1972 Plantation Cookbook has been on holiday tables in Michelle’s family for decades. We modernized it a bit this time, using less bacon and cheese and more interesting mushrooms. Still, Oeufs aux […]

Categories: Cooking, Easter, Eggs, Food, Mushrooms, Recipes

We just can’t quitaly: butternut squash & mushroom ravioli en brodo

November 13, 2011 by Michelle

Yeah, we wrote earlier about avoiding Italian. But Steve never meant for ravioli to be included in that resolution. He still looks for just about any excuse to make pasta, especially now he knows 00 flour is available locally in 5-kilo bags. And while we still have a pile of butternut and other winter squash on our counter, this batch actually came about as we prepared to greet our new upright freezer. (Hail, god of chilly overabundance! Thank you for […]

Categories: Cooking, Food, Italy, Mushrooms, Pasta, Recipes, Vegetarian, Winter squash