Mushrooms Berkeley from 'The Vegetarian Epicure'

Submitted by Allie Jones

This one actually holds a special place in my heart – someone gave me the great cookbook – “the Vegetarian Epicure” in college (this is also where that  great tomato-eggplant casserole recipe I made for RED came from), and sophomore year my room-mate Kathy decided to make the mushrooms Berkeley (b/c she is from Berkeley), and also Sophomore year we started the community cooking thing, where each of the 4 girls we lived with cooked for the rest one night a week.  Though the other room-mates changed over time, I lived with Kathy for 3 years, and at least once a month – sometimes twice, she would make the mushrooms Berkeley with brown rice, broccoli with Hollandaise and garlic bread – a standard ritual all the way through senior year…so whenever I make it I think of her! 

Anyhow, here it is – 

Mushrooms Berkeley (from “the Vegetarian Epicure”)

1 lb fresh mushrooms (any kind but the standard, white “button” shrooms work great)

2 sm-med bell peppers

1 very large white onion

1/2 cup butter

(sauce) :

2 Tbs Dijon mustard

2 Tbs Worcestershire sauce

½ cup brown sugar

Fresh-ground black pepper and salt

¾ cup mellow red table wine (when I don’t have red wine around  but do have some sort of dark, hearty beer - like a Porter – this substitution works great.  Also for people who prefer to cook alcohol free – non-alcoholic beer also works well.  But remember the alcohol all cooks off in the process, so really the end result is alcohol free for those that are curious about that)

Wash the shrooms and, unless, they are super small, cut them in either halves or quarters, depending on size.  Stem and seed the bell peppers and cut them into 1-inch squares.  Also chop onion into about 1-inch pieces.  Melt the butter in large sauce pan or skillet over med-high heat and sauté onion until transparent.  Then add peppers and shrooms and let it all simmer in the butter.

Then  make sauce – mix the mustard, sugar, and W. sauce into a paste.  Then add wine, lots of pepper, and maybe just a little salt.  Add sauce to sauté, and simmer over medium heat for at least 45 minutes, until sauce is reduced and thickened, and the mushrooms begin to look very dark and evil looking.  This dish works well alone or over brown rice, and is a nice compliment to turkey for Thanksgiving dinner.