Lorraine asked me to get fish from Costco this morning. When I arrived, the seafood bar was there — it’s typically open only for special occasions. Apparently the Superbowl is special enough. Instead of fish, I purchased shrimp and scallops (which is another post).

I also purchased Baby Bella mushrooms and decided to do something with them tonight. Stuffed mushrooms fit the bill, but I didn’t want to do the same ‘ole recipes.

Since Lorraine loves bleu cheese and we had a chunk that needed using, I invented this recipe. Note: I normally offer measurements that make it easier for someone to duplicate my recipes. In this case I totally shot from the hip, so measurements are approximate.

Note: Since it was just Lorraine and me, I made a small batch. This recipe can be scaled up for larger batches.

Bleu Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms

• 6x 1-1/2″ to 2″ Baby Bella mushrooms (can use white button mushrooms)
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Tbs white wine
• minced garlic
• 1 Tbsp Mirin (sweet cooking sake)
• bleu cheese, cut in 1/8″ dice
• bread crumbs
• grated Parmesan cheese
• salt & ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Remove the stems from the mushrooms, dicing in 1/8″ dice. Use a sharp knife to remove some of the then flesh in the cap, around where the stem was. Add the removed flesh to the diced stem. This widens the mushroom and will resemble this:

Heat olive oil and white wine in a small saute pan; add mushrooms and garlic. Simmer until nearly dry. Add Mirin and cook until dry. Let cool.

In a bowl, mix equal parts cooked mushroom stems, bleu cheese, bread crumbs, and Parmesan cheese. Season with salt & pepper; mix well. If it’s dry, add a splash of white wine. The filling will look something like this:

Using a spoon, divide the filling among the mushrooms and press into the cap. Place in a baking dish and bake for 25 minutes, or until the filling is lightly browned.

The mirin adds sweetness to the filling that goes well with the bleu cheese.

Update 07/2020: I posted this recipe 5 years ago, and recently when I made it I captured photos of the process.

Tzatziki

• 1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, & grated
• 1 quart unflavored yogurt
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed or pressed
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp dried dillweed
• salt & ground black pepper
• Garnish: additional olive oil

Gently pour the yogurt on top. [Dumping the yogurt in will cause some of it to go through the strainer.] I started lining the strainer with shredded cucumber to keep the yogurt from going through, which it will regardless of how gently the yogurt is put into the strainer.

When I have time, I start this the day before and refrigerate it. When don’t have time (or more correctly, didn’t plan far enough in advance), I let it rest on the counter for 2 to 4 hours.

Juice from the cucumber and whey from the yogurt will remain in the bowl. This can be used in soups and other recipes. Note: The cheaper the yogurt, the more whey drains from it.

Mix all remaining ingredients and chill. To serve, place in serving dishes and drizzle additional olive oil over it. Serve as a spread for bread or as a dip for vegetables or meats. This is generally served as a first course.

Notes: This is best made a day ahead and allowed to set so the flavors blend. Store covered in refrigerator and it will keep for 2 or 3 days.

Important: DO NOT use cheap yogurt. I have found that most store brands truly stink for this purpose. When possible I use the Bulgarian yogurt we get from Neomonde. That one doesn’t drain off much whey, although the cucumber still requires draining.

Dannon is “ok”, Chobani is better if you don’t have access to a Mediterranean market.

The original recipe called for 2 Tbsp tahini, but after trying Neomonde’s, I jacked up the amount. The sesame flavor ads a lot.

Note: I tried jacking up the garlic, but found it to be over-powering. I recommend against it … although the *1* clove I add tends to be large!

Hummus

16 oz can chick peas, drained
3 Tbsp plain yogurt
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp lemon juice
4 to 5 Tbsp tahini
1 clove garlic, crushed or pressed
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cumin
ground white pepper
2 Tbsp water (optional)

Put all ingredients in a food processor; puree. To serve, spread some on a plate (1/2″ thick or so) and drizzle with additional extra virgin olive oil, and sprinkle with cayenne pepper or paprika.

Notes: Make a day ahead if possible, refrigerating over night to let the flavor meld. Keeps for a week in the fridge. I do not use the water as I like the thicker consistency.

Grilled Antipasto

Greg never remembered exactly what he did for this one, as it was kind of invented on the fly. The only thing we remember (collectively) is that Greg managed to make lots of flames when grilling. He also managed to use up most of a 2 liter bottle of extra virgin olive oil. That probably contributed heavily to the flames!

Baked Garlic is a nice touch as the cloves can be squeezed out on fresh bread.

Baked Garlic

• 3 heads garlic
• olive oil

Peel off all the outer paper-like layers of the garlic heads — but do NOT peel the individual cloves, and leave the head together. Cut the top off each head, exposing the end of most of the cloves.

Place each head of garlic, top side down, in oven-proof custard cups or similar containers. Add enough olive oil to half-fill each container and cover loosely with aluminum foil. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes, or until the garlic is soft.

Remove from oven and let cool 15 minutes, without removing garlic from oil. To server, pop a few cloves out of their skins onto Italian bread and drizzle with a bit of the olive oil.