How did those mushrooms go?

Quite well, thank you. Although I wouldn't blame the nice folks at Cook's Illustrated if they filed my responses in a folder titled "Unable or unwilling to follow directions."



Have you ever eaten or prepared a dish or recipe similar to this before?

Yes, I have! I've used a recipe at Epicurious.com for shrimp-stuffed portobello mushrooms. Very tasty, and admittedly a little easier than this: things get sauteed and then mixed up together rather than separately.

Prior to making this recipe, what were your expectations for this dish?

Well, like the recipe said "An intense mushroom flavor."

If recipe calls for a grill, what type of grill did you use?

No grill needed.

Did you use all the equipment (including the correct pan size and type - if applicable) called for in this recipe?

More or less.

Please list the equipment you did not have and the substitutions you made.

None. I had everything.

If recipe offers ingredient options (such as cuts of meat or type of milk), which did you use?

No substitutions offered.

Did you make any adjustments to the ingredient (omissions, additions, or substitutions)?

I thought you'd never ask. Of course I did.

Please list the adjustments that you made, particularly noting which ingredients you did not have and the substitutions that you made.

Instead of large mushrooms, I used small ones. I this sounded like a better appetizer than side dish.

No sherry in the house; I used brandy. Seemed to work fine.

I used half and half instead of cream.

Did you find any of the techniques used in the recipe to be difficult, unclear, or awkward?

There seemed to be a lot of different bowls going on. A little confusing.

Please explain which techniques were difficult, unclear or awkward in the recipe.

It would help to specify that the bread crumbs should be put aside. Get them out of the way.

And really, couldn't you just saute the mushrooms, onion, garlic, and pancetta al together?

How long did it take you to make this recipe? Please do not include the time taken to gather your ingredients, cooling, or resting time. We would like to know how long it took to prepare and cook the recipe. If a grill is involved we may ask you to include the time it took to set up the grill. Marinades and brines would not be included in these times, but we may ask the length of time of the brine or marinade to be given separately.

Dunno. I'm a multitasker in the kitchen and had a lot of balls in the air at this point. Maybe 20 minutes?.

Did the recipe yield the stated quantity?

I guess, even though I made them into appetizers rather than side dishes.

How many portions did the recipe yield?

Four?

How would you rate this recipe (1-10, 10 being the best)?

6.

Was this recipe worth the time, effort, and expense?
If not, why?

Dunno. They were ok, not great.

Did we achieve our goal? If not, why?

They did a mushroomy taste, but there wasn't anything about it that I would call intense. Maybe a little Worchestershire sauce would have given them a little more zip.

Would you make this recipe again?

Maybe. Husband really like them. I would perhaps change the cheese though (chevre maybe?)

Thanks for letting me play along, Cook's!