I can be a bit of a sneaky Chicken. Not in a terrible way. But if someone professes an aversion to meat stock, I have been known to cook with it and lie. I come by this honestly. My mother has been an absolute goddess while visiting, but she also has a tendency to creep off to do the forbidden.
Rooster and I are trying to listen to the wisdom of our nursing-class teacher who told us not to let the baby suck on anything but boob for the first two weeks. My mom listens gravely when we tell her this. Then she humbly disagrees and slips her the finger. When we last caught her at it, she swore she would stop but I just discovered her huddled in a darkened corner of the kitchen sneaking Baby Bird a digit. An hour later, she crept to her room and re-swaddled the kid with a massive expanse of cloth. This after I had assured her that the blanket we were using was not too small. "Well, I had to try," she said.
Her trickster nature makes me laugh now in a way it never did before. Like mother, like daughter. And now I get to pass all that along. Oh, Baby Bird, you come from a strong, proud line.
The Rules: Create a recipe which features mushrooms: appetizer, soup, salad/vegetable, main dish, miscellaneous (perhaps even a dessert!). All recipes must include wild or cultivated mushrooms as an ingredient. E-mail povertybay_portorford@yahoo.com your original, unpublished submission using "Recipe Contest" as part of the subject line.
Judging Criteria: Local mushroomers will prepare and evaluate the recipes, choosing the winners. Prize winning recipe(s) will be determined based on overall flavor and visual appeal.
The Prize: The grand prize winner will receive a gift package of Curry County products.
The Entry: Porcini Accented Meatballs (for my new little meatball) with Sherry Tomato Sauce
