Mushroom 'Truffles'

4 Tbsp butter

1 clove elephant garlic

2 packed cups clean black trumpet mushrooms

2 packed cups chopped portobello stems

3/4 tsp salt

1 Tbsp tawny port

3 cups juice from roasting mushrooms (you don't have this at home. sorry.)

1 tsp agar agar powder (equals 2 Tbsp flakes)

- secure bonbon molds with rubber bands and set in salt so that they are level

- in large saucepan sweat garlic in butter over low heat until very fragrant

- add portobello stems and 1/2 tsp salt; cover and sweat until portobellos are soft - about 8 minutes

- add black trumpet mushrooms and 1/2 tsp salt and continue to cook 8 more minutes

- add port and cook 1 minute

- add mushroom juice and simmer 5 minutes

- strain mushrooms and reserve liquid (2 1/2 cups)

- in a small saucepan bring reserved liquid and agar agar to a simmer, whisking often

- continue to simmer until reduced by 1/4 cup

- while still hot, puree this liquid with mushroom mixture in blender completely

- transfer to sauce funnel and fill bonbon molds; reserve extra liquid - it can be reheated to make a second batch

- chill completely and remove from molds

Chanterelles al Greco

5 lbs chanterelles

2 cups olive oil

1 large onion, sliced

5 tsp coriander seeds

1 bouquet garni

salt & pepper to taste

2 cups white wine

juice of 4 lemons

water as needed

- clean and trim the chanterelles as necessary; set aside

- in a large saucepan sweat the onion and coriander seeds in the olive oil over medium low heat until onions have softened

- add chanterelles and season with salt and pepper

- add remaining ingredients, adding water, if necessary, just enough to cover

- bring to a full boil, cover and remove from heat

- allow to cool at room temperature, stirring occasionally

- refrigerate overnight before serving

Crazy Good August in New England Pancakes

Despite the fact that my wife made and froze pancakes yesterday (I didn't know, I swear) and despite the fact that my kids had already eaten breakfast, I was determined to bang out a pancake recipe this morning, which was a challenge to do between loads of laundry, picking up the house and heading over to Karl's Sausage Kitchen in Saugus for obscene amounts of meat. I got smoked bratwursts, beef and tomato sausages, pork sausages, boiled ham, pepper salami, andouille, veal loaf, some other stuff, gummy letters, and German potato salad which I gave to the babysitter. But I digress. Like I said I was determined to come up with the ultimate pancake, to win the title of Ultimate Pancake Cooking Guy or Gal, a position previously held by my father, and probably by yours, too, but I did, and now I am He (I don't mean to say that I am my father - that would be weird). We had these peaches and blueberries from our farm share, and they were begging to be eaten, so who was I to deny them, right?

I love yogurt in pancakes, don't you? I have to apologize in advance to Stonyfield Farm: I only know how to make the trademark logo thingy on my Mac.

Peach & Blueberry Pancakes

(makes 8)

2 eggs

1 cup Stonyfield Farm peach yogurt smoothie

2 Tbsp melted butter

2/3 cup blueberries

2 peaches, peeled and diced

2/3 cup flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp cinnamon (yay to cinnamon and peaches together)

2 pinches salt

pan spray as necessary

- whisk together eggs, peach yogurt smoothie and butter and set aside

- combine fruit with dry ingredients in a separate bowl

- gently fold fruit/dry ingredient mixture into egg mixture

- heat a nonstick skillet (or 2) over medium heat and coat with pan spray

- using a 2 ounce ladle, pour pancake batter into pan

- cook about 3 minutes per side, then eat them

Not Secret Butter for Steak Applications

1/4 lb unsalted butter at room temperature

1 Tbsp ultra-reduced beef stock

1 Tbsp Heinz chili sauce

1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce

dash Tabasco

1 tsp minced shallot

1 tsp minced parsley

1/4 tsp black pepper

- combine all thoroughly by preferred method

Dang!

Scrambled Kirkland Fake Eggs with Yancey's Fancy Buffalo Wing Flavored Cheddar & Applegate Farms Hot Soppressata - Simply Ridiculous

seriously - the best I could come up with for lunch yesterday: sauteed hot dogs, celery and mushrooms

Soyrizo™ for that Pesky Pescatarian or Postmodern NeoHippie

Once upon a time I moved with head held high amongst its ranks, that subset of omnivore that for some inexplicable reason insists on referring to itself as vegetarian, but when confronted, admits that fish would be just fine, thanks. Even preferable. But in the absence of seafood, we'll take just about anything your R&D people can drum up, just as long as it bears a striking resemblance to the meat we've cast aside. Yes, I was a pescatarian for a spell. I am cured, now, but alas, my wife is not, so we have some dinner rules on Otis Street. Anyway my friend, Robert, dropped off some cod he caught yesterday, and I immediately and correctly thought spicy sausage. I mean, who wouldn't, right? Of course, in this house there will be no andouille or chorizo - at least not shared, so what's a guy to do? Then I remembered Soyrizo™ and I thought I'd give it a go. I also learned how to make the little trademark thingy on Blogger™ today, so I needed a branded product to showcase my progress.

For those of you familiar with the not-so-nuanced differences between Spanish and Mexican chorizo, Soyrizo™ is Mexican-style. For those of you unfamiliar with said differences, Soyrizo™ is still Mexican-style. At the market I set out thinking Basque and shopping accordingly, but after trying the Soyrizo™ I went with more of a Franco-New World fusion and something like a Mexican "chili con carne sin carne." (™pending) This I served with Robert's really great cod and a simple avocado sauce, but really tripped out actual vegetarians/vegans could simply leave out those last two flourishes and enjoy the Soyrizo™ stew on its own.

Cod, Chili con Carne sin Carne & Avocado

CcCsC

Soyrizo™

1 tube Soyrizo™

- prepare the Soyrizo™ as per directions on the package, which means cook it as you would ground beef in a non-stick skillet, chopping it up as it browns with some sort of utensil; set aside

Fennel

1/4 cup olive oil

1 bulb fennel, sliced into short matchsticks

4 leeks, white and light green only, cut into 1/4" rings

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 tsp sea salt

2 Tbsp brine from kalamata olives

1 cup water

- heat a heavy saucepan over high heat and add olive oil, fennel, leeks, garlic and salt

- while stirring often, brown slightly; add brine

- reduce until brine has disappeared, stirring often, then add water

- cook until fennel has softened - about 12 minutes; strain and set aside

Tomatoes

3 very large tomatoes

3 cloves garlic, sliced thin

1/2 cup olive oil

1 tsp sweet smoked paprika

1/2 tsp sea salt

fresh ground pepper as desired

reserved fennel/leek mixture

reserved Soyrizo™

2 Tbsp minced cilantro

- blanch, peel and seed tomatoes by the shoemaker method (slice in half across the equator and squeeze out and reserve the seeds and guts)

- cut tomatoes into large dice; strain seeds and guts and add resulting pulp and juice to tomatoes

- in a large, heavy saucepan, lightly brown garlic in olive oil, then immediately add tomatoes to halt browning process

- add remaining ingredients, turn heat to as low as possible and cover

- cook, stirring occasionally, for 45 minutes; stir in cilantro and serve

Avocado Sauce

1 avocado, skinned and rough chopped

3/4 cup water

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp cream cheese

1 Tbsp minced cilantro

- puree in blender

1/2 tsp salt

Cod

4 portions skinless cod fillets

- cook cod, serve over CcCsS and nappe with avocado sauce