Mushroom Gravy

The combination of ingredients, beef broth, wine and cream, makes this the best mushroom gravy with great depths of flavour, and especially the addition of the ground mushrooms.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsps butter, bacon grease, lard or beef drippings
• 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• 16 oz fresh mushrooms
• 1 tbsp finely ground dried Porcini or Shiitake mushrooms
• 3 tbsps unsalted butter
• 3 tbsps all-purpose flour
• 2 cups strong beef broth
• ½ cup white wine
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  
• ½ tsp salt plus more to taste
• ½ tsp sugar
• ¼ tsp dried thyme
• 1 small bunch parsley, chopped
  
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2-4 tbps heavy cream

Instructions

1. Put the dried mushrooms in a food processor and reduce to a powder.
2. Melt the butter (or bacon grease, lard or beef drippings) in a pan over medium-high heat and fry the mushrooms and cook 7-8 minutes or until golden and the liquid from the mushrooms has evaporated.
3. Add the onions and cook until translucent. Add the garlic and cook another minute. Add the ground mushrooms and cook for another minute.
4. Add the butter and melt. Add the flour, stir to combine and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring continually. This will cook off the flour flavor and brown the flour to create more depth of flavour in the gravy.
5. Add the beef broth, wine, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, sugar, parsley, salt and pepper. Whisk continually until the gravy is thickened. Cover and simmer on low, stirring occasionally, for 5-10 minutes. Add cream, and salt and pepper to taste. If you prefer the gravy thinner add a little more cream, beef broth or water; if it is too thin, let it simmer on medium-low until it reaches the desired thickness.

Download PDF

Spicy Tuna Fish Cakes - Gordon Ramsay

An easy to make delicious snack or appetizer that takes canned tuna up to another level.

Ingredients

• 2 cans (~400g) tinned tuna
• 6 tinned water chestnuts, drained and finely sliced
• 3 green onions, trimmed and sliced
• 1 inch piece of fresh root ginger, peeled and grated
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 3 tbsp chopped cilantro
• 1 small red chilli, deseeded and finely minced
• 3 kaffir lime leaves, finely chopped (or zest from 1 lime - used below)
• 2 tsp Thai fish sauce
• 2 eggs, beaten
• Vegetable or light olive oil, for frying
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Dipping Sauce

• ½ tsp sugar
• 1 green onion, trimmed and sliced
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp Thai fish sauce
• 2 tsp rice vinegar
• Juice of ½ a lime
• 2 tbsp chopped cilantro

Directions

1. Drain the tuna in a sieve. Slice the water chestnuts very thin. Slice the green onion thin. Finely grate the peeled ginger root. Chop up the cilantro leaves. Finely mince the garlic. Open the red chili, discard seeds, and finely mince. Roll up the lime leaves and chiffonade.
2. Combine all of the above ingredients adding the fish sauce, salt and pepper, and then mix.
3. Beat the two eggs thoroughly and add to mixture. Use hands to thoroughly mix all the ingredients together.
4. Take a small handful of the mixture and form into a ball and then flatten until about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick.
5. Heat the pan on medium and add the cooking oil. Place cakes in pan and fry until browned then turn to cook the other side. Set on a rack to drain and cool.
6. Make the dipping sauce by combining all of the ingredients and pouring into a small bowl.

Gluten and Glyphosate

Celiac disease is becoming more common and is thought, primarily, to be caused by the gluten found in wheat, spelt, barley, rye, and a few other less common grains. However, glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, is common in wheat production in North America and elsewhere, yet people with cileac disease report having breads or pastas in Italy and not having digestive issues.

Italian wheat is typically made from "soft" wheat as opposed to the "hard" wheat grown in North America.

See this article which addresses the isssue of "Gluten Intolerant or Glyphosate Intolerant?"