Guest Author - Susan Stewart

Oaxaca-style Mushrooms
(for 8 people)

2 lbs. assorted mushrooms
1 onion
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium Roma tomatoes
8 cloves garlic
2 ancho chilies
4 cumin seeds
1 slice bread
1/2 cup chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste

Clean the mushrooms thoroughly and chop if desired. Roast the ancho chilies and remove the seeds. Roast and peel the tomatoes, then strain to remove seeds. Toast the bread slice, then soak in the chicken broth. Blend the chopped onion, tomatoes, four cloves of garlic, cumin, and bread to make a sauce.
Heat the oil in a sauté pan and add the mushrooms and four whole cloves of garlic. Saute gently and remove the garlic cloves.
In a separate pan, sauté the sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the mushrooms. Cover and cook over low heat for half an hour.

Chilied Mushrooms

(for 8 people)
2 lbs. assorted mushrooms
12 green onions or scallions
2 large heads of garlic
8 green Serrano chilies
1 cup olive oil

Clean the mushrooms thoroughly and cut lengthwise into quarters. Peel the garlic cloves and cut each clove in two. Cut the scallions or green onions into halves, including the green stalks. Slice the chilies into thin strips (use gloves, this can burn!) and remove the veins and seeds.
Pour the oil into a sauté pan and sauté the garlic until golden. Remove the garlic and fry the onion until translucent. Add the chili and mushrooms. Cover and simmer over low heat. When all the oil is absorbed, remove from the heat and serve immediately.

Charro Mushrooms

(for 10 people)
1 lb. assorted mushrooms
1 lb. pork spare ribs
1 lb. Roma tomatoes
½ cup lard
3 medium onions
8 cloves garlic
10 poblano chilies
1 sprig epazote (if available)
1 cup chicken stock

Clean mushrooms thoroughly and cut lengthwise into quarters. Roast the tomatoes, peel, puree, and strain to remove seeds. Chop the onions finely and peel the garlic cloves. Roast the chilies and place in a plastic bag to sweat, then peel, de-vein and remove the seeds. Cut the chilies into thin strips.

In a large pan, heat the lard and fry the whole garlic cloves, onions, and mushrooms over medium heat. Cover and let cook over low heat for about 10 minutes. Add the spare ribs, chili, tomato puree, epazote, and stock. Simmer slowly until the meat is tender. Serve very hot.