[b]"Enjoy every sandwich."
~Warren Zevon[/b]
It's true that one's taste can change over time. Even when we're absolutely sure it won't. For example, when I met my husband he ate take out pizza, pancakes or a bland, meat-like substance from the freezer aisle called, Steak-Ums. I had to revise my way of cooking for a good while, as he couldn't eat anything remotely spiced. However, just the other day we were scarfing down a scrumptious appetizer of bacon wrapped chicken, rolled in brown sugar and cayenne. They were hot, but oh so good! As he popped another one in his mouth he laughed and said, "13 years ago I wouldn't have been able to eat this!"
Yep, you've come a long way, Baby!
On the flip side, I've refused to eat mushrooms for as long as I can remember. My parents used to tell me that as a tot I would cry over and over, "More rooms! More rooms!" at the dinner table. No doubt they were mistaking my plans for the Barbie Townhouse with wanting another squishy glob on my fork. But my mushroom haunting doesn't stop there. Just before Christmas my toddler daughter found an old video game we bought before she was born, called Luigi's Mansion. She then began renaming her older brother, dad and me with character names in the game. She's Luigi, daddy is Mario, big brother is Bowser and mom is..... Mushroom Dude. What?! Why can't I be Princess Peach?! Luckily, as we are now heading deep into her Scooby Doo phase, she's renamed us all again. Daddy is Shaggy, she's Freddy, my mom is Velma and I get to be Daphne.
The most recent round of Pick A Chef, on Recipezaar.com in the Contest and Events Forum, has been especially interesting due to my self-imposed Green Eggs and Ham Rule. Each round I challenge myself to try a new ingredient or a new technique. This round I seemed to be drawn to mushroom recipes. One in particular, posted to the site by Two Socks had to be tried, simply because of the name, Werewolves of Lundon. And now just like the 70's hit song by Warren Zevon, I can't get this dish out of my head! The mushrooms aren't over cooked and mushy, just a wildly flavorful glaze that presents a jazzy burst of flavor in every bite. I'm still in disbelief, but I think I may actually like mushrooms! I'd like to go so far as to say that I've widened my horizons just a little bit.
How have your tastes changed? Are there foods you thought you'd never eat that you tried again and found you liked or even loved? I'd like to share these mushrooms in disguise with you. They have great savory flavor with just the right amount of kick from the cayenne and hot sauce. The whole family loved them and I've now made them for an omelet filler as well as a simple side dish at dinner. Below is my slightly altered version of the posted recipe. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!
Werewolves of Lundon
20 ounces fresh mushrooms, rinsed (I used half white and half baby bellos)
3/4 cup butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon Texas Pete hot sauce (or your favorite brand)
1/4 teaspoon sweet paprika
salt, to taste
Cut the mushrooms in half and set aside. Combine the Worcestershire, cayenne, hot sauce, paprika, and salt in a small bowl. Mix well and set aside. Melt the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and gently toss to coat with butter. Add the garlic and sauté mushrooms and garlic for 1 minute. Add the Worcestershire mixture and gently stir to coat mushrooms. Raise heat to medium-high, cover, and stir every few minutes until the butter separates from the sauce and the mushrooms are coated with a heavy caramel-like glaze. Using a slotted spoon, remove mushrooms to a serving dish. Discard remaining sauce and serve immediately.
Serves 4