I love "seasonal" cooking; fixing dishes that seem just made for a certain time of year! My previous posting of a recipe for Honey Apple Cake is a perfect example. The side dish I made for Girls Night last night is another, at least I think so.

      I've been following The Pioneer Woman's blog off and on, and recently checked out her cookbook from the library. Take a look at her website sometime; www.thepioneerwoman.com, she seems like a really cool chick. I like a lot of her recipes too, especially the Burgundy Mushrooms, which I am sharing with you today! They were a hit at Girls Night, even with my husband (who was supposed to stay downstairs and watch sports)! One note: I reduced the quantities to accommodate my group's size, but I'm posting the recipe as it appeared originally, in The Pioneer Woman Cooks.

Burgundy Mushrooms

4 pounds white button mushrooms

1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter

1 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 litre Burgundy wine (other dry reds will work)

1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

2 cups boiling water

4 chicken bouillon cubes

4 beef bouillon cubes

1 tsp. dill seed (which I omitted)

1 tsp. garlic powder

salt to taste

Thoroughly wash the mushrooms and throw them into a large stockpot.  Add all the remaining ingredients, except the salt. Stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 6 hours.  Remove the lid, then continue cooking, uncovered, for 3 hours. Add salt to taste at the end if desired. The mushrooms will be dark in color. They can sit in the pan until ready to serve. Serve straight from the pot or spoon the mushrooms and cooking liquid into a serving bowl. Have crusty bread nearby to soak up all the deliciousness! 

  

 Yes, they do become slightly purple! They do not taste as strongly as you would think, but the wine DOES NOT cook out all the way, so I would not recommend serving this to children...serve it to your girlfriends! I served them along with Mediterranean chicken with sundried tomatoes over angel hair pasta, and of course, some crusty bread and chilled white wine! Girls Night is always a culinary experience! And of course, we had Honey Apple cake for dessert...