Joe, your mailbox is full. But I'll just post my message here...

I remember so well when she posted about that amazing haul! I tried

to find the link to it here but the search on this site hates me.

 
I have been hoarding those porcini...

and using them like they were gold.
I've never had such clean mushrooms. The aroma and flavor are so far above the commercial ones, I hate to use them up.

I know I will never find such good ones again.

 
I made these because Randi was so nuts about them- they are very tasty. Do try them if you haven't

 
From Randi: KISS Potato Salad aka Long Island Deli Potato Salad

Date: Tue, 17 Mar 1998 16:57:14 GMT
From: Randi/OR (randi@198.107.210.125 ())

REC: KISS Potato Salad aka Long Island Deli Potato Salad
Long Island deli recipe - one of the best I've ever had..

My Dad begged for this recipe when the deli
owner was retiring. An example of just how noble
begging can be smileys/smile.gif It's a basic "German hot potato
salad, cooled and mayo added. very simple and
very easy and It always gets raves.


2 lbs potatoes boiled in their skin and
cooled.

Brine:
1 cup white vinegar
1 1/3 cup water
3/4 cup sugar
1 onion chopped
salt & pepper to taste

combine brine ingredients and boil for 5 min.
slice potatoes thin and pour hot brine over them.
Let them marinate for 24 hours. Drain in a collander
but do not drain dry. Do this over a pot so if they are
too dry you have extra marinade to add back into the salad.
Add Helman's mayo, enough to make it as creamy as you like.
The trick here is to use only Helman's, also
sold
under the "best foods" label in other parts
of the
country.

KISS = keep it simple stupid! something I wish
I did more often smileys/wink.gif
Alert us of bad posts.
Responses
1. VERY STUPID QUESTION.... (Gab (NY))
1. Hi Gab, boil til a sharp knife slides in easily to the center. try not to
"poke" too many, they get soggy. (NT) (Randi/Or)
1. Thanks! I'll try it! (Gab (NY))

 
From Randi: REC: Limoncello

Date: Tue, 24 Feb 1998 01:12:43 GMT
From: Randi/Or

REC: Limoncello, if you like anything Italian, lemons, vodka or all of them...
My friends in Italy used to talk about this and I just found
a recipe so I could make it myself. It's basically
a liquor served, well chilled, in the summer months.

15 lemons, well scrubbed
2 750ml 100 proof vodka or eau de vie
4 cups sugar
5 cups water

you will need two rather large glass jars or simply
split the recipe as I did.
carefully zest the lemons so there is no white pith on
the peel. place one bottle of vodka in a jar and
add the peel as it is zested.

Let sit for at least ten days and up to 40 days in a cool
dark place. the longer rest is recommended.

combine the sugar and water and bring to a boil
and cook for about 5 minutes until thickened and allow to cool.
add to the limoncello mixture along with the other bottle
of vodka and allow to rest for another 10 to 40 days.
Strain and bottle, keeping one in the freezer for use.

Now, after 10 days of just peel and vodka, we decided
to taste it and laddled some over ice. It was simply
amazing. The taste is rich and refreshing and that
batch never made it to stage two! If you are looking
for a "better than any commercial lemon vodka"
I highly recommend this but don't use the 100 proof,
it will get you! This is now a freezer staple in our
house. It's wonderful as a palate cleanser or after dinner.
If you go the whole nine yards you don't have to add
all the syrup if you prefer something less sweet.
whatever you choose, it is certainly worth the effort.
You can use the lemon juice for cooking or sorbet's.

enjoy.

viva Italia cucina!
Alert us of bad posts.
Responses
1. Have you tried this as a sorbet? I was wondering if all that alcohol
interfered with freezing. nt. (Harimad)
1. Hi Harimad, this was my first batch and without the sugar syrup. I have
another one going (Randi/Or)
1. an afterthought. I'm going to try this method with orange peel and then
serve it in hollowed out oranges that are (Randi/Or)
2. My husband and I made this last year using a recipe from FINE COOKING. It
was a little different..(more) (marsha/sunny south)
1. Hi Marsha, you said your recipe was a little different, how so? I was
thinking of adding some almond extract (Randi/Or)
3. I lied...I thought it was a bit different but I just looked it up and the
only difference is my recipe .. (marsha/sunny south)

 
From Randi: REC: Biscotti Alle Mandorle...

Biscotti Alle Mandorle

Recipe By :Il Fornaio Baking Book

3 eggs
10 oz almond paste
1 1/4 cups blanched almond -- halved, about
Pasta Frolla:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 3/4 sticks unsalted butter -- room temperature
1 whole egg
1 egg yolk
3/4 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. lemon extract

Preheat oven to 350.

Lightly beat 2 of the eggs and add almond paste, using a sturdy wooden spoon, break it up into small pieces. using a hand held mixer, on medium beat together only until the eggs are incorporated-avoid beating too much air into the mixture or the cookies will rise too much during baking.

To Make the Pasta Frolla:
Combine the flour, sugar, salt and butter in a large mixing bowl. with a hand-held mixer set on low, beat until the mixture resembles coarse meal. in a separate bowl combine the whole egg, egg yolk, vanilla and lemon extract and lightly beat together with a fork. add the mixture to the flour mixture and beat on low until a rough, shaggy mass forms. turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until the dough is smooth and the ingredients are thoroughly incorporated. wrap and chill for at least 1 hour before using or store for up to 4 days.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or grease them with unsalted butter. on a lightly floured surface, roll out half the dough 1/4 inch thick. using a plain round 3" cookie cutter, cut as many rounds as possible from half of the pastry sheet. use a 3" round fluted cookie cutter and cut the same amount from the rest of the sheet. place a heaping spoonful of the almond mix on each plain round and flatten slightly. top with a fluted round and gently pinch the edges together. arrange the cookies on a prepared sheet, spacing them about 1 1/2 inches apart. gather the scraps and reroll and repeat process. do not reroll the dough again since it will be tough.

Beat the remaining egg, brush the tops of cookies with beaten egg and arrange 4 almond halves in a star pattern on top of each. bake until golden brown - 10 -12 min. remove to wire racks to cool completely. store in a covered container at room temp for up to 1 week.

 
From Randi: REC: Hard Boiled Eggs with Piquant Sauce...

Hard boiled eggs with piquant sauce

Recipe By :Marcella Haza/The Classic Italian Cook Book

Serving Size : 6

6 large eggs -- hard boiled
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 tablespoon chopped capers
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 teaspoon anchovy paste
1/4 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon dijon mustard -- or other strong mustard
1 pinch salt
12 small strips pimiento

Cut eggs in half lengthwise. carefully remove the yolks without damaging the whites.

Combine the yolks and the remaining ingredients except the pimento and reserved whites. using a fork, mash to a creamy, uniform consistency. spoon mixture into reserved egg whites. garnish each with a strip of pimento.

NOTES : These can be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated, but serve at room temperature.

 
I had totally forgotten that this was Randi's. It is a family favorite, we've made it dozens

of times since she posted it!

 
Another great recipe I made from Randi's porcini. Polish Mushroom Dill Soup

Polish Mushroom Soup
Serves 4-6

2T unsalted butter, melted
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, diced
1 lg. Stalk of celery, diced
1 lg. Carrot, diced
1 lb. Sliced wild mushrooms (I used a 3-4oz. of the porcini from Randi)
½ tsp. dried thyme
1 bay leaf
2 T flour
6 cups chicken stock (I used smileys/bigeyes.gif
¼ tsp. sea salt (I used a bit more- my stock was low salt)
1/8 tsp. pepper
Dash of Tabasco (I used Texas Champagne- my fav)
About ¼ cup barley
½ cup heavy cream
3-4 T fresh chopped dill

If using dried mushrooms, pour boiling water over, cover and let steep for 15 min. Drain, reserving liquid. Filter liquid and save.

Heat butter in a large pot (I used my 8 qt) over medium heat. Add garlic, onion, celery and carrot and cook, stirring, until slightly softened, about 2 min. Do not brown. Raise heat to med. high. Add thyme and bay leaf, mushrooms and mushroom liquor. Cook until liquor is reduced to syrup. Add flour and cook 1 min. Add remainder of ingredients, except cream and dill. Bring to a boil and simmer 45 min. Add cream and dill, check seasoning, and simmer 5 minutes more.

 
Too funny, you mention the quality of Randi's porcini. I went down last October, the year after the

massive harvest in the photos here. planned to visit and visit some more, eat and drink some wine; but, shrooms were on the list! I had my car with me and all the baggies, etc to take my stash home.
Well, we spent two afternoons hiking through the woods, carefully walking grids to make sure we didn't miss any. Would you believe, all we found were 2 or 3 tiny ones--made a nice garnish on our dinner. Funny thing was, there were no signs that there had been any harvested, just not there.
I had planned to go this year, but have some changes in my schedule and was not going to make it in time for shrooms.

But, back to quality-- she sat me down before we went out and schooled me on all the steps from the woods to the dehydrator, and there are lots!!
And it was clear, we weren't going to miss any!!!

But all in all we had a really nice visit and although it would have been nice to gather some, not a big deal. And, I still have a baggie from the big year. Risotto sounds like the plan.
(((((All)))))
Nan

 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top