Portobello Mushroom Salad

I really liked Jason Epstein's casual handling of crustaceans in his book Eating. I really like condiments to sea food on a checkered table: ketchup, hot sauce, cracked pepper, lemon juice, Rettich, whatever. As if I were eating oysters, here is a Portobello Mushroom Salad. Courtesy of The Swiss Guy (see other posts under this Label), who says: rinse mushrooms, then eat them raw. The hot sauce is my idea. I'm no mushroom lover, but this is really great.


Portobello Mushroom Salad

Two Portobello Mushroom heads
1-2 spring onions, chopped
cracked pepper
lemon juice
hot chilli sauce
dash of olive oil
some chopped chervil or parsley for garnish

Everything has to be done quickly. I know one doesn't rinse mushrooms, but being no Italian from Piemonte I do. Rinse them quickly under running water. Cut the mushroom heads in long medium thick slices.

Sprinkle with lemon juice, olive oil, season, liberally coat with the hot chilli sauce, twist the pepper mill, be careful with salt, add the chervil. Serve and eat at once. Prep shouldn't take more than 5 minutes in all.

Now chase your mushroom bias.

A few quick sandwiches

For lunch time in between two meetings with contractors, I had foreseen a few sandwiches for my architect who drinks English tea. I had the sandwiches ready in the fridge in plastic wrap. But he forgot to jot it down in his agenda, and didn't show. So I ate some myself, and have some to spare. And then led the meetings myself.

A few quick sandwiches

Buy Belgian soft sandwiches ("sandwich"/"sandwichen")
Butter them

Sandwich #1: Cooked ham-Mustard-Tomato

Add ham, spread with mustard, add a peeled and deseeded tomato piece.

Sandwich #2: Fenugreek and cheese (cheese with fenugreek seeds)

Either cheese with fenugreek seeds in them or cheese with ground fenugreek seeds on top.

Sandwich #3: Paprika cottage cheese and chervil (see instruction)

Mix 1 tablespoon of linseed oil with 2 tablespoons of cottage cheese and 1 teaspoon of paprika powder (or any spice of choice). Taste, salt a little if needed. Whisk well. Spread on sandwich. Finish with chopped chervil.