Categories
GLOSSARY / METHODS

MUSHOOM STOCK

1 tablespoon/15 ml olive oil
1 large yellow onion, sliced
1 leek top, chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped
4 garlic cloves, crushed
500 g/1 lb white mushrooms, sliced
30 g/1 oz dried shiitake mushrooms, whole
4 liters/17 cups cold water
6 sprigs parsley
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon/5 ml black peppercorns

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat, then add the onion, leek, and carrot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions and leeks have softened, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add the white mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes.
Add the water and bring to a boil, then add the shiitake mushrooms, parsley, thyme, bay leaf and peppercorns and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to simmer for about an hour, skimming the surface constantly. Remove from the heat and let stand until cool (to infuse furthermore). Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a large enough container or several smaller ones. Discard the solids. Let cool furthermore then refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 1 month.

By STELLA

I have had no formal chef’s training. Classical piano was my parents’ choice, and that took care of the first 20 years of my life. Journalism and radio followed (my own choices, this time), and these opened many doors for me into different countries, people, cultures — and, of course, foods. In a six week series on radio I used it as a platform for my love of food and shared lots of interesting recipes and food news with listeners.
My earliest memories of food come from the family kitchen at home; I can still remember the wonderful smells of the dishes my mother prepared. I became aware of the flavors of her creations at an early age. Some I enjoyed and preferred, while others depressed me with their lack of interesting flavors. My mother was a good cook, but not a gourmet, and sadly this often showed. What I did appreciate was that she always involved me in the preparation, sharing her knowledge of nutrition, flavor, color, and the harmonies of each plate she dished up. She was also a genius with leftovers and quick meals when unexpected guests arrived. This is one of the things that stands out in my mind, and it inspired me to create wonderful dishes from leftover foods myself.

I carried on with the tradition of carefully planning meals to combine nutrition, color and flavor, while at the same time offering variety and elegant presentation. In the process, I developed a passion for seeking out the best available products, adhering to each season’s offerings, and treating it with the respect it deserves, which eventually became part of my daily culinary life and travels. I did these things not because I wanted to become a chef, but to satisfy myself, family and friends with creations of gorgeous food and exciting flavors. All of which, I hope, is reflected in this blog.

Leave a comment