Sausage-stuffed mushrooms

Like Zach, I am a reformed mushroom-hater.  Along with shrimp and butternut squash, mushrooms were one of the foods I most assiduously avoided as a child, only to fall in love with as an adult.  They're substantial enough to substitute for meat in many cases, and strong-flavored enough to lend depth to a variety of cool-weather dishes.  And certain types of mushrooms--cremini and portobello, in particular--have hefty, inverted-cup caps that are perfect for stuffing.

Problem is, it's not always easy to get the flavor balance right.  Unlike milder vegetables like bell peppers (which merit a whole separate stuffing discussion), mushrooms are assertive enough that they sometimes overwhelm delicately-flavored grain-based stuffings.  And too often, recipes overcompensate by piling on breadcrumbs and cheese until the whole affair is leaden and soggy.

My favorite solution, ironically, was inspired by the prepared meals in the meat case at my local Safeway.  One weekend, while my boyfriend and I were looking for a quick and easy dinner, we noticed a display of portobello caps stuffed with sausage meat.  No fancy business, no breadcrumbs, no fillers.  We bought a couple, just to try--and I've been making stuffed mushrooms the same way ever since.

Wild Mushroom Bisque

I used to hate mushrooms as a kid. I think it was mostly a textural thing, though the taste was never very appealing either.

I don't know when or where it happened, but somewhere along the transition to adulthood I started to really appreciate the culinary value of fungi. Maybe I grew out of my mother's genetics (hates mushrooms) and into my father's (loves mushrooms). Maybe I was influenced by the insights of Emily's Uncle Tom, whose experience as a chef made him keenly aware of the mushroom's capacity as a "flavor sponge" (while simultaneously infusing any dish with a earthy quality, kind of like parsley). Maybe I just got less picky and forced myself to like it. Who knows.

Now that I eat mushrooms and actually enjoy them, I figured it was about time that I cooked something centered around them. Fortunately for me, the Creative Loafing Food Blog had a mushroom bisque recipe up a few weeks ago, which the poster assured was "life-changing" -- particularly for ex-fungophobes. Perfect, right?

Of course, it's hard NOT to be "life-changingly" delicious when you use half a stick of butter and half a cup of cream. Diet eating this ain't. Delicious it is, though.

N.B.: this particular concoction comes courtesy of my sister, who I put to work in the kitchen while she was visiting Tampa on vacation. But hey, I did all her prep work for her AND was busy preparing the night's entree, Grilled Eggplant and Smoked Gouda Bruschetta. Hooray for sous chefs!

Someday soon I'll prepare this all by myself though.... as it is quite tasty.