Green Bean Casserole with Caramelized Onions

Green Bean Casserole is the kind of dish you see most often around the holidays.  Sadly, a lot of people associate the name with pitiful, mushy green beans in a gravy of canned mushroom soup with some sort of chemically-founded fried onion thing on top.  Sound like something you’ve seen before?  Well that’s not what we’re making here today

Wild Mushroom Risotto

Ladies and gentlemen, last night’s dinner was so good that in our haste to eat it, we forgot to document it!

Fortunately you have a good imagination, and know without even seeing it just how good this is going to be…and trust me, it was good!

This is an all season recipe that can be used with new varieties of mushrooms as they become available throughout the season.  Ingredients like onions, garlic, and fresh herbs are often available straight through the end of the summer season, and are available dry after that. Butter can be purchased from your local dairy farmer year round (co-ops and heath food stores are good sources too.)

The mushroom guy at my local farmer’s market here in Culver City (Dirk, from LA Funghi) had some great looking hen of the woods mushrooms on Tuesday, as well as my personal all-time favorite, morels.  Morels are expensive, and have a flavor that is best not interfered with.  I like to saute them in butter with a pinch of sea salt and a touch of freshly cracked black pepper.  Put a few on top of the portioned risotto for a gorgeous, mouthwatering finish.  Really any wild mushrooms will do for this dish, though some will be better than others.  If you’re not a seasoned wild mushroom eater, ask the person you buy your mushrooms from to recommend the best ones for this dish.  Trust me, he or she will know.