to die for mushrooms

Actually, it's a recipe. And it's marked 4 deaths confirmed. It's an approximation of a yummy dish from Philander's Restaurant in Oak Park, Illinois. These are unbelievably delicious, but the preparation requires attention. Serve these on toast points or plain crackers.

1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup chopped onions
1/4 cup chopped pepper
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
2 Tbs. fresh minced garlic
4 cups mushrooms, your choice or perhaps a blend of 1 cup each: shiitake, portabello, grashe and tree-frog mushrooms, sliced as necessary
1 cup white wine (last night's leftover champagne is preferred, though unlikely in this house)
1/4 tsp. each marjoram, ground bay leaf, oregano, rosemary
2/3 cup coursely chopped sun-dried tomatoes, drained
1/2 cup of heavy creme
2/3 cup crumbled bleu cheese

Slowly sauté onions and green pepper in olive oil. Add pepper, dash of salt, and garlic. When onions begin to caramelize, add mushrooms and continue to stir. Mushrooms will absorb some of the oil - pour off about half of the oil that remains in pan after mushrooms have softened.

Add 1 cup white wine and stir continuously for about 5 minutes of low heat. Add spices gradually during this time.

Add sun-dried tomatoes and blend until bits of tomato are well incorporated. At this point you may cool the result and refrigerate for up to 48 hours. When restarting the recipe, gradually bring this mixture to the boil and then turn heat down.

Add cream and stir continuously for three to five minutes. Just before serving, add bleu cheese and stir, but do not blend, leaving small melting chunks.

Serve in a small chafing dish to keep warm, and serve with toast points or crackers.

I got this recipe from an old boss who served them at all his parties and they are well worth the effort. He attempted to get the actual recipe from the chef at Philanders but was unsuccessful, probably because the chef understood that B. was a power-hungry megalomaniac and consummate manipulator of his adoring minions. Powerful and dangerous. I had the privilege of working for him for about three years, after which I quit the work force entirely, such was his benificent effect on me. But I digress. The mushrooms are wonderful indeed. I post this recipe now because in an effort to get my office packed up, I'm jettisoning paper, and this page, with that man's "just a small gift, ever, B." signature makes my skin crawl.