Taming the Taste for Wild Mushrooms

By Katie Barreira

Among foodies, foraging has become fashionable and wild mushrooms, from the enokis of Brooklyn to the candy caps of Mendocino, are being hunted across America and beyond.

Restaurant chefs have their wild mushroom dealers, who deliver the forest’s most prized fungi; any Boston area insider will know Ben, “the mushroom man.” And in Manhattan, chefs trust “truffle king” John Magazino to supply them with the white gold of mushrooms.

I was lucky enough to tag along with Magazino on one of his drops and had a chance to sample the merchandise. The buyer, an excellent New York City chef, whipped up a pan of creamy scrambled eggs and then, from his breast pocket, John produced a pungent, golf-ball-sized nugget. We shaved the white truffle over our eggs at will. It was a ridiculously decadent experience that I’m not sure I’ll ever get to recreate. But I loved the combination of eggs and truffles, so at least had to try and mimic the flavors at home.

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Nana’s Softly Scrambled

By Katie Barreira

My Nana could have eaten eggs and bacon for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Mind you, she didn’t, as that would not have constituted a proper diet, but it was decidedly her favorite meal and aroused in her the same genuine joy and finger-licking enthusiasm morning after morning for 90 years. Any style of egg would do, but the best was scrambled and when done right, moist and soft, well that was what she called ambrosia.

No eggs were better than those served at the hotel’s daily breakfast buffet on our family trip to Prachatice, the small Czech town where my great grandfather (Nana’s father) was born. Of all the experiences on this pilgrimage, it was the tale of these eggs, (along with that of an eccentric tour guide at the Budweiser plant) which became the stuff of lore; quite fitting, given Nana’s innate love of a well-cooked egg (and a cold beer).

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A Mexican Breakfast

By Andrew Hunter

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, especially for growing children. In our house, it’s also the primary meal that Marilyn and I prepare together. Our morning routine starts with switching on the coffee pot, then slicing fruit, scrambling eggs and making toast. Breakfast is on the table by the time the first cup of coffee is poured.

We were just in Mexico and were pleased to discover a Mexican breakfast is just like ours, but the fruit was spectacular. It was a tropical combination of papaya, mango, pineapple, watermelon, bananas and grapes served family-style. Because it was locally picked and had never been refrigerated, the perfectly ripe fruit was literally dripping with sweet flavor

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