tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1304437690959603870.post4853440201509724677..comments2024-03-29T14:52:22.904+08:00Comments on A Daily Obsession: SailorsTerri @ A Daily Obsessionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00220600890256142215noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1304437690959603870.post-19247009171258544052011-06-22T18:24:48.527+08:002011-06-22T18:24:48.527+08:00when i worked the restaurants in the US 2 of the b...when i worked the restaurants in the US 2 of the busiest days of the year were mother's day and father's day. i understand why, especially mother's day.<br /><br />it is very hard for any venue to prepare for such an onslaught, and its best to simply seek the enjoyment of your family and friends, and relish in the fact that you have no cooking or cleaning to do. any other expectations are simply that, expectations.<br /><br />seems the menu at Sailors is populated with a selection of traditional international dishes. there are so many menus offering these dishes around the globe, in so many incarnations, that it becomes difficult for anyone to know what is the correct or authentic preparation, and which ones (authentic or not) are worth eating.<br /><br />the only dish that you were served that sounds like it even came close to the mark was the soup. i myself am a big fan of mushroom soup, either creamed or clear. i have to admit that even to this day one of my favorite comfort foods is a tin of Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup made with milk, not water. <br /><br />accompanied by either a simple ham and cheese or peanut butter and jelly sandwich, i am immediately transported back to my mother's kitchen on a rainy afternoon, and i think she went back even further to my grandmother's stove side.<br /><br />but when it comes to a cream of mushroom soup that is fit for restaurant service the one i make now includes shiitake mushrooms like the one you have pictured above.<br /><br />regardless of what veggies i may use, or what other kinds of fresh mushrooms i may add, i have found that the best way to boost the flavor is to soak dry mushrooms in a good quantity of water the day before. then i use this infusion in place of, or along with the stock i may use. <br /><br />the european varieties are great, as well as the asian ones, but i find mixing them does not work out so well.<br /><br />another popular mushroom soup i developed is a clear one that is similar to french onion. i make the soup exactly as i make french onion using a hearty and robust beef stock, lots of mushrooms (instead of the onions), leeks, too much sherry and brandy and marjoram and sage instead of thyme.<br /><br />note: marjoram and sage pack a lot of flavor so go easy with them<br /><br />the trick is LOTS of shrooms thinly sliced and incorporating the soaking water from some euro-style shrooms - cepes, chanterelle and porcinis are all great for this.<br /><br />if you want, do not add the dry mushrooms, but save them for a sauce to serve with another dish. dried mushrooms can be pricy, this is a way to "amortize" that cost and the flavors.<br /><br />(ps - looooooots of sherry and brandy.)the lunch guyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10192794413494510496noreply@blogger.com