Background: Today is Christmas Eve for some observant Orthodox
Christians. A meat and dairy fast. A special Christmas Eve meal, 12
meatless dishes. One of the "staples" of that meal is a wild mushroom
sauce, flavored with sauerkraut juice. While it sounds gross, it's THE
dish my guests always want more of.

SO, because I'm fixing the macanka (say ma-CHONK-uh) for guests tomorrow
night, I needed a consult with Sister Julie (the only remaining Orthodox
faithful in our tribe) about the prep. I asked if she uses only dried
mushrooms and she said she also includes canned mushrooms. Hmmmm, says
I. "Commercial?" "No. I went to Mark's last fall and picked some ‹ he
has them in his yard." (I knew about Mark's local supply of wild
mushrooms.). Me: "I didn't know you had a pressure canner." She: "I
don't." Me: "How'd you can them?" She: I boiled them for a few
hours." Silly ME! My tongue was bloody because I bit it so hard, but
there's no way in hell she's going to change her method because of
anything I might say. "I've always done it. . . ." and you know the
rest of THAT.

Now, to be fair about it, the mushrooms will cook on top of the stove
for enough time to disarm anything nasty, but still. . . . it's a bad
example. I gotta say this is the first time I've ever been glad I
WASN'T invited to her house for dinner on Christmas Eve.

BTW, I'll be using dried mushrooms from my cousins in Slovakia and some
dried porcinis I bought in Italy three years ago. They're rehydrating
now. :-) Mama would be proud.

--
Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
Holy Order of the Sacred Sisters of St. Pectina of Jella
"Always in a jam, never in a stew; sometimes in a pickle."
Pepparkakor particulars posted 11-29-2010;
http://web.me.com/barbschaller

On 1/6/2011 10:40 AM, Melba's Jammin' wrote:
> Background: Today is Christmas Eve for some observant Orthodox
> Christians. A meat and dairy fast. A special Christmas Eve meal, 12
> meatless dishes. One of the "staples" of that meal is a wild mushroom
> sauce, flavored with sauerkraut juice. While it sounds gross, it's THE
> dish my guests always want more of.

Picture me yakking at the taste.
>
> SO, because I'm fixing the macanka (say ma-CHONK-uh) for guests tomorrow
> night, I needed a consult with Sister Julie (the only remaining Orthodox
> faithful in our tribe) about the prep. I asked if she uses only dried
> mushrooms and she said she also includes canned mushrooms. Hmmmm, says
> I. "Commercial?" "No. I went to Mark's last fall and picked some ‹ he
> has them in his yard." (I knew about Mark's local supply of wild
> mushrooms.). Me: "I didn't know you had a pressure canner." She: "I
> don't." Me: "How'd you can them?" She: I boiled them for a few
> hours." Silly ME! My tongue was bloody because I bit it so hard, but
> there's no way in hell she's going to change her method because of
> anything I might say. "I've always done it. . . ." and you know the
> rest of THAT.

So much for advances in home preserving science.
>
> Now, to be fair about it, the mushrooms will cook on top of the stove
> for enough time to disarm anything nasty, but still. . . . it's a bad
> example. I gotta say this is the first time I've ever been glad I
> WASN'T invited to her house for dinner on Christmas Eve.

I'm glad you weren't either, friends are hard to come by when you get
old and I hate funerals.
>
> BTW, I'll be using dried mushrooms from my cousins in Slovakia and some
> dried porcinis I bought in Italy three years ago. They're rehydrating
> now. :-) Mama would be proud.
>

Your Mama was always proud of you and you know it.

It's 65F outside right now with bright sunshine, how are things in
Southern Canuckistan?

Melba's Jammin' wrote:

> Now, to be fair about it, the mushrooms will cook on top of the stove
> for enough time to disarm anything nasty, but still. . . . it's a bad
> example. I gotta say this is the first time I've ever been glad I
> WASN'T invited to her house for dinner on Christmas Eve.


Yeow. Heating will disarm bacterial stuff, but some stuff produces
chemical toxins that aren't "cured" by heating.

>
> BTW, I'll be using dried mushrooms from my cousins in Slovakia and some
> dried porcinis I bought in Italy three years ago. They're rehydrating
> now. :-) Mama would be proud.
>

Yes, she would, but then I suspect she'd be proud of you 24/7/365.

Next time you go to Costco look for their dried mushrooms (near the
produce.) They come in quite a large jar. If you use dried mushrooms
often, they are a good buy.

gloria p

In article >,
"gloria.p" > wrote:

> Melba's Jammin' wrote:
>
> > Now, to be fair about it, the mushrooms will cook on top of the stove
> > for enough time to disarm anything nasty, but still. . . . it's a bad
> > example. I gotta say this is the first time I've ever been glad I
> > WASN'T invited to her house for dinner on Christmas Eve.
>
>
> Yeow. Heating will disarm bacterial stuff, but some stuff produces
> chemical toxins that aren't "cured" by heating.
>
> >
> > BTW, I'll be using dried mushrooms from my cousins in Slovakia and some
> > dried porcinis I bought in Italy three years ago. They're rehydrating
> > now. :-) Mama would be proud.
> >
>
> Yes, she would, but then I suspect she'd be proud of you 24/7/365.

Dunno. Never seemed to be while she was alive. :-)
>
> Next time you go to Costco look for their dried mushrooms (near the
> produce.) They come in quite a large jar. If you use dried mushrooms
> often, they are a good buy.
>
> gloria p

I have noticed them. Thanks for the recommendation. I'm straining the
mushroom soaking liquid through a coffee filter right now. I'm on my
fourth or fifth filter ‹ it slows down pretty quickly.
--
Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
Holy Order of the Sacred Sisters of St. Pectina of Jella
"Always in a jam, never in a stew; sometimes in a pickle."
Pepparkakor particulars posted 11-29-2010;
http://web.me.com/barbschaller