My friend Emma recently broke up with her boyfriend and was feeling sad, mostly because her ex keeps harassing her with late night phone calls, begging her to give him another chance. She won’t. When I asked why, she listed several of his undesirable qualities but for me only one stood out: he hates mushrooms.

 

“They add nothing to a dish” he’d say, and refused to debate the subject. Emma found this infuriating. For her, mushrooms add a lot. Flavour. Texture. And there are so many different types of mushrooms. How can you just rule them all out?

 

I agreed, immediately recalling a guy I dated who also hated mushrooms. Every time it came up, I felt annoyed. Did this mean I could never again savour my Risotto Aphrodisio or my Gino Boy Linguini,  two of my favourite dishes, both mushroom-packed? Even when I did try and convert him, sneaking a few mushrooms into a dish, I’d watch, fuming, as he’d pick each one out in disgust.  I realized that I love mushrooms. I need mushrooms in my life and if this culinary ape couldn’t learn to appreciate them, well, it’s just not going to work!

 

All this to say: The things we love, the foods we love, matter. Yet another reason to cook for cock: it’s a way of seeing if you’re compatible, able to share pleasures, not just in the bedroom, but in the kitchen too.

 

Fortunately the F.C. loves mushrooms as much as I do.  He hates olives,  but I don’t mind because I don’t need olives in my life, just in my martinis.

 

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Alex G and I won't let any man get between us and our love of the mighty champignon.

 

Mushroom Lovers Appetizer

 

When I asked my friend and amazing cook Alexandra G. for a mushroom-starring recipe, she proposed this yummy appie. It’s perfect for a small party, which ended up happening last night, when two of my jazz musician friends dropped by to jam. (Good thing too, otherwise Alex and I would have eaten the whole batch!) As usual, Brent, this blog’s biggest fan and contributor, was on hand to take some photos. (He says he’s just in it for the food.)

 

Ingredients

1 cup mozarella grated (mozarella is mild, letting the parsley shine, but grated parmesan and Asiago would also be very good and improve presentation, since mozarella tends to melt out, as you can see in the photo.)

20 button mushrooms

5 tablespoons of parsley (reserving one for garnish)

3-4 gloves garlic, finely chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

 

Alexandra taste tests yummy mushroom filling.

Alexandra taste tests yummy mushroom filling.

 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400.

2. Clean mushrooms and remove stem from mushrooms twisting off, gently. Finely chop stems.

3.. Sautee garlic in olive oil, butter. Brown. Add the 4 tablespoons of parsely and chopped mushroom. Cook for another 3 minutes.

4. Line baking sheet with foil. Place mushrooms head down, then fill each one with a teaspoon of filing. Top with mozarella, pinching the shredded cheese to fit, then gently placing on the mushroom.

5. Place rack in oven and cook for 6 minutes or until cheese melts mushroom hot.

6. Let cool a two minutes, garnish each shroom with reserved parsely and serve.

 

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Okay, presentation could be more dazzling with better cheese control. I'm sure I will be making them again soon, and nail the look. But my doesn't Alexandra look appetizing? That's what really matters.

This sexy Jazz Pianist Cock (JPC)  likes mushrooms just fine.

My friend Gaetano likes mushrooms just fine, no wonder all my girlfriends, and some boyfriends, think he's a babe.

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