I know what you're thinking, Dungeon Meshi Maniacs. You read the title and thought, "Old Nih has finally lost it! Walking Mushroom is one of the first monsters we saw and they're just NOW roasting it? Arf, arf." Well Arf all you want DMMs but believe it or don't we've not cooked a walking mushroom by itself yet! True, the Walking Mushroom has been in hot pots and other meals but not as the star attraction. Which is a real shame. The Walking Mushroom may as well be the mascot monster for Dungeon Meshi! High time for that fungi to shine. So get those forks and knives ready because we are cooking up some Walking Mushroom this week!
Wow...that doesn't...doesn't look great. The chef literally just stabbed a wooden stick through a Walking Mushroom and threw it over some fire. I'm not one to cast aspersions at someone else's cooking techniques but this is pretty lazy. You'd think Senshi has really fallen ill if you saw this on a random page. Rest easy, DMMs! Senshi is fine. No, this week's meal is prepared by this guy!
Kabru! You remember him, right? He's...that guy from that one plot! Okay, so he hasn't been that memorable so far but the poor guy is in a tight spot. He fell down a hole that Chicken Falin tore open when she rescued the Lunatic Magician. Good thing he's not alone! Nope. He managed to fall down with one of my other Dungeon Meshi crushes!
Captain Mithrun the elf! Before we move forward I'm going to warn you that I have the bad habit of giving my crushes nicknames. You'd be amazed how many nicknames I have for Editor! And Mithrun is no different. So from here on out I will be referring to him as Cap'n. I mean, just look at the guy!
Yum, yum, yum. The fact that Cap'n would have zero interest in me makes him even more awesome, DMMs! We'll get to what I mean by that later on but for now just know that he is stuck with Kabru while they both wait for the other elves to find them. The Canaries do manage to get a messager fairy to Cap'n and Kabru which comes with some instructions.
Kabru basically has to look after Cap'n until the others arrive. They've got about a week to fend for themselves. That's pretty hard seeing how one can only seem to fight and look smoking hot and the other is a young adventurer. It's up to Kabru to cook for their party and he is not up to the task.
I mean...at least he can make a fire. So this is how we come to eating Walking Mushroom this week. A newbie chef cooking the only thing he has access to. I have to admit, DMMs, I almost skipped this dish. It's just roasting a mushroom! What could I add to "Mushroom+Fire=Cooking"? So I'm calling an audible. We will be cooking mushrooms but we'll be doing more than roast them. We will be making Mushroom Pasta! And not just one mushroom. How about 5 different mushrooms!
I LOVE mushrooms, DMMs. They are one of my favorite ingredients. There are few dishes they can't improve. They are also great to eat alone. And there are so many different varieties! However, I also fear and respect mushrooms. Before we get to the dish why don't we go over a big DON'T DO when it comes to mushrooms. Do NOT forage for your own mushrooms unless you are 100% sure of what you are picking. Listen to Senshi.
Good old Hericium Erinaceus! This mushroom looks like it has fur but it feels more like you are holding a hedgehog, DMMs. It's just not all that fast. Gotta admit I prefer the Korean name for this mushroom that translate to the Deer Butt Mushroom! I mentioned it was a super mushroom, that's because this is THE medicinal mushroom. Most mushrooms have some health claims but Lion's Mane seems to treat everything! Inflammation, dementia, stress, and stomach issues just to name a few. I can't speak to any of that but I can say it is delicious! Next up, the Chestnut Mushroom.
You can probably guess the origins of that name, DMMs. Pholiota Adiposa has a golden-brown color that looks very chestnutty. It also has a nutty taste! Healthwise they are high in the B vitamins. That helps you use the energy you get from the food that you eat. So add Chestnut Mushrooms to any dish to increase your absorption. If you want to add some color how about the next mushroom, the Blue Oyster Mushroom!
Pleurotus Ostreatus Columbinus! Okay, the Latin names are getting harder to type. These are the mushrooms you can grow in your home from kits, DMMs! They are super versatile and are fantastic meat substitutes. These are also great sources of Vitamin D and Calcium. Spongy mushrooms can make strong bones, DMMs! The next one up I'm not too sure about. I believe it is a King Trumpet Mushroom but my mushroom guy didn't label what was in the pack!
You have to trust your mushroom guy, DMMs! I'm going on faith that this won't make me sick or make me see colors beyond the rainbow. The King Trumpet or Pleurotus Eryngii is another meat substitute mushroom. Vegans love this fungi. Healthwise these guys are loaded with fiber. Gotta love any food that helps the gut rather than hinder it! Last, but not least, we have the Coral Mushroom!
Ramaria...I think? There are actually several types of Coral Mushrooms, DMMs. At least we know where they got their name. I know I'm not going to break my teeth biting into this unlike real coral. These are also one type of mushroom you have to be sure careful with. There are some seriously toxic lookalike coral mushrooms out there! The health benefits of the edible versions are they are high in fiber, and Vitamins B and D. Definitely a good fungi! So, we've met the line-up What do we do next for the Mushroom Pasta? Knife them.
Whatever mushrooms you choose to use, DMMs, just give them a good chop. Not too thin. You want nice bitesize chunks. Also, use a lot of mushrooms. You want more mushrooms than pasta. Speaking of, while you are chopping the mushrooms you may as well boil up the pasta. This is a dish that calls for more of a toothy pasta so avoid noodle types and go for shells. I personally use Radiators!
Whatever pasta you use cook them as directed, drain but reserve about half a cup of the pasta water. You'll need it for the eventual sauce. Put the pasta in a bowl and let them rest. Getting boiled is hard work, DMMs! Since this is a pasta dish you'll next chop up the Amazing Pasta Duo!
Onions and garlic! What pasta dish doesn't use both? I went with a half of an onion and five..count them...FIVE cloves of garlic. This dish has a deep flavor, DMMs, so don't worry about over using the garlic. Pour a 1/4th cup of olive oil and add two tablespoons of butter to a pan. Heat those over Medium heat and add the Duo.
Best smell in the World, DMMs. You may think this is a lot of oil but you'll be amazed how quickly it vanishes once we add the mushrooms. Cook the onions and garlic for about three minutes and then add the fungi!
Give the mushrooms a good stir and add some salt & pepper. These are going to cook for about six to seven minutes over Medium heat. Be sure to stir them occasionally. The mushrooms are going to brown up and absorb most of that oil. While the mushrooms cook it's time to gather the sauce fix'ns.
That is a little over a 1/4th cup of beef broth, 3 tablespoons of tomato paste and while that is clearly a cup of the pasta water you'll only need half of it. Once the six to seven minutes of mushroom cooking is up add all of these to the pan.
Give it a good stir, DMMs. You're going to cook this over Medium heat again until the liquids are reduced. That'll take about four minutes. Remember to keep stirring! This dish doesn't like being left alone. The liquids could reduce faster than four minutes in your home so judge yourself if it's done quicker. It really only took three minutes for mine thanks to the recent weather. Once the liquids are reduced stir in the pasta.
Pretty simple, right? Trust me, DMMs, Italian dishes are usually pretty simple but always look super fancy. I mean, take a look at this plating.
Even I couldn't mess this photo up, DMMs! This is a great date night recipe. Or for any meal you want to feel super fancy. You don't even have to use a weird mix of unusual mushrooms. Any will do! They'll give you a deep flavor that goes well with the tomato and pasta. Trust me, give this one a go. That's it for this week, DMMs. Do you have a favorite mushroom? Or are you more of a King Koopa type and hate all things fungi? Either way we'll talk a little more about the little pop-ups next time!
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