Many moons ago my uncle made a mushroom extravaganza for Christmas dinner. There was mushroom soup, mushroom loaf, and a mushroom risotto. At the time, mushrooms were something I couldn’t stand to eat, yet I didn’t want to hurt his feelings since he had made such a wonderful meal. So I ate the soup. I ate some of the loaf. And I ate the risotto. I’m not certain if by the time I got to the risotto I was just so inundated by the mushrooms that I didn’t notice them as much, but I really liked the risotto. I remember somewhat picking at the mushrooms, looking at them in wonderment by this portion of the meal, thinking, “Well, this isn’t too bad!”

Shiitakes ended up being my gateway mushroom. Fast forward many years later, and I enjoy most types of mushrooms (still not a fan of the white button, however). This past week my CSA had quite a few varieties of mushrooms available, so I decided I would try my hand at recreating the risotto that was the first way I ever enjoyed mushrooms. (more…)

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Dinner, Gluten free, Italian, Lunch by Courtney

Once upon a time I ran across this idea on YumSugar to bake an egg in a ramekin lined with ham. It looked delicious, sounded yummy, and seemed so easy. So this week when I decided I wanted something hearty for breakfast, but really didn’t have the time, I quickly pulled out a few things from the freezer and refrigerator to make a similar breakfast.

A while back I had bought a pound of proscuitto because it was all the store had, so I’ve been keeping it in the freezer (which is really handy — it’s sliced so thin, it defrosts in a minute). I had some pesto from the grilled cheese paninos I made earlier in the week, so I decided a dollop of that would give me some flavor and some veggies in my breakfast (hey – basil and parsley are leaves!!). And of course, there was the egg. (more…)

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Breakfast, Brunch, Gluten free, Quick and Easy by Courtney

Looking for something to cook on the grill this weekend? This recipe from La Cucina Italiana for Shrimp and Proscuitto spiedini is quick, easy, and very tasty. And it looks pretty impressive too! I would suggest spritzing a little olive oil on these before putting them on the grill.

I served this recipe with grilled tomatoes and onions and a garlic-studded loaf of bread. (more…)

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Cooking outdoors, Dinner, Lunch by Courtney