Feverish for Fungus

My husband returns from work late one evening, his eyes lit up with excitement. “Look what I found on the way home!” he laughs, holding up his prize for the world to admire. I examine it dubiously; it is a lumpy, dirty, oversized hunk of fungus picked off a tree and now being caressed with love and pride. Yes, folks, this is the season when my husband contracts a bad case of Wild Mushroom Fever.
Throughout the seasons, I see Big P. recall that bit of Italian DNA coding that innately tells him what to harvest and when. These gathering lessons come from my father in law, who learned it from his dad, and so on. In the previous generations case, foraging was a survival skill; times were lean in Southern Italy, meat was a luxury and people turned often to the land and what it naturally provided. Learning which mushrooms were safe to eat, where and when to find them, and the best ways to prepare them was as basic for them as knowing how to open the refrigerator is for us.
Sustainability is what this is really all about; using what is offered to us in a humane and mindful manner. It intrigues me that this ancient lesson is suddenly so trendy. We obviously had to forget this lesson for it now to be resurrected. Why did we let this one go? It is so important to respect our resources, not abuse them, and I want to be sure my child understands this, so the message is not forgotten again in his future.
In Calabria as a child, my father-in-law learned to take only what you are going to eat and leave the rest for later; the bounty must not become depleted. He was taught ways to use all the possible parts of a food source: stems from the wine grapes became grappa for toasting special occasions, tripe carefully cleaned after butchering was a delicacy appreciated, and picked over remnants of a mushroom were boiled into stock for future soups. Respect for Mother Earth was taught to his generation earlier than walking. Ask any Italian born immigrant about planting, growing, and harvesting and absorb some of this respect yourself.
Teach your kids where their food comes from, and I don’t mean the supermarket. Preach caution when using our earth’s resources. Sustainability is the only sure way to pass on these gifts to our children. View the world through Italiano eyes to appreciate and value all it offers. And when you are walking in the woods this autumn and look up, don’t be surprised to find my husband high up in that tree, happily under the spell of fungus fever!

The mushroom pictured above is Hen of the Woods, a.k.a. Maitake. Italian's call it Nassa.
To learn more visit: The Forager Press.
Big P.’s Favorite Mushroom Recipe:
*Use white button mushrooms or morels as a substitute*
Clean and cut the Nassa into approx. 3” pieces.
Place in a frying pan over medium-low heat and cook until the water is removed: about 10 – 15 minutes.
Drain the water out of the pan, add 1T. olive oil and return the mushrooms to the pan.
Sauté the Nassa over medium heat for 5 minutes until they begin to brown.
Add salt and pepper to taste and a generous helping of red pepper flakes.
Stir and sauté 2 – 3 additional minutes until flavors are blended.
Serve as a side dish for any of your favorite meals.

Variety is the Name of the Game

Well another year has come and gone. Little P. turned 4 this month and even though I am constantly warned how quickly it all goes, I am amazed at the whirl of activity that is another year in my child’s life.
As he has gotten older he has become more fascinated with the concept of the birthday. We have gone to many parties this year and now my son is able to equate these festivities with his own impending special day. The interesting challenge is making him understand that we are not incorporating all aspects of every bash attended into one big Mega-Party for him!
We have gone to some spectacular parties this year. The circus with carnival games, bumper cars, funhouse and a complete array of carnie food springs to mind- what a crazy blast! His favorite cousin, Miss Bella Baby as I call her, had her 5th birthday a week before his own. She always has a tremendous party by virtue of the in-ground swimming pool in her back yard… something I am not investing in!
But there have been some other, less expected touches that I am pleased to see at these sugar fueled festivals of fun. Forget hot dogs and chips, we are talking fresh new ideas that make kids’ party foods edible for all of us.
The party circuit this year has found us noshing on Puerto Rican rice and beans, sushi, and a beachside buffet to boot. Miss Bella Baby’s party had a popcorn machine for snacking, a luscious tomato salad fresh from the garden and a beautiful bowl of edamame beans alongside the pasta and pizza buffet. Little P. had a ball treasure hunting at his twin cousins’s pirate party, while I enjoyed the jackpot of sliced watermelon, fresh baby crudités, and hummus dip.
There is so much fabulous cuisine out there it can be boggling, so start with your little one’s favorite food, and then find a twist on how to serve it. Many of the kid-favored veggies are available in multiple colors and sizes. For example, heirloom carrots grow in a rainbow of maroon, white, gold, and orange. Serve the baby size with a tzatziki-style yogurt and cucumber dip, and watch them dissapear!
If rice or pasta is a favorite, why not try a new preparation? Arborio rice balls can hide tiny bites of flavor in their middles, like peas or prosciutto. Pasta cooked with herbs and veggies makes a tasty addition to a frittata. Sushi rice with your child’s choice of fillings roll up into fun logs. Raviolis, fat with gourmet stuffings, can be speared with raw pepper toothpicks, and Latin inspired rice and beans are wonderful folded into a quesadilla. With unlimited taste options out there, we just need to get our creative juices flowing past the usual to explore new territory.
Kids like to be involved, so turn on those little idea-factory heads; you may be surprised where their food thoughts can lead you. After a birthday dinner of sushi, Little P. and I decide his party the following day will have a “Make Your Own Pizza” theme. The choices for our toppings-- a mélange of yellow, red and orange peppers, crushed pineapple, sliced mushrooms, chopped sausage, and slices of pepperoni. I grilled the crusts that morning, and then dished up a giant bowl of sauce, a mound of shredded mozzarella cheese, and spread it all on the table.
Each kid got a labeled paper plate (so pizzas don’t get confused) built their pizza, and gave it to the chef (me!) to cook. A quick heat in the oven and I cut and served them a custom creation. They were a big hit! Even the pickiest eaters found something to nibble on. After all they made it, so therefore they eat it—the smartest reason to get kids into the kitchen!
Forget the boring, forget the routine, and forget the cardboard cutout birthday party. Remember that a “variety show” is an event where unexpected surprises occur…and isn’t that what can make a kids party so memorable?!?