Creamy Crimini Mushroom Phyllo Cups

Easy Elegance from Fabulous Fairholme: Breakfast, Brunch, Lunch by Sylvia Main

(Whitecap Books, 2012, $29.95)

Serve with bacon, sausages or smoked salmon, or alone with a crisp green salad. Note: Using phyllo can be tricky so work quickly! Keep pastry covered with a damp tea towel while you are working with it.

• 1 tbsp. butter
• 1 -1/2 cups crimini or small mushrooms, finely sliced
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tbsp. fresh thyme or Italian parsley
• 1/2 cup goat cheese or cream cheese
• 1 egg
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup crème fraîche
• 2 tbsp. butter, melted
• 3 phyllo pastry sheets

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Heat the oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and sauté for about 3 minutes. Add garlic and thyme, then sauté quickly. Be careful not to burn the garlic. Set aside. In a bowl, mix together half the cheese and the sautéed mushrooms. Set aside. In a separate bowl, mix together the rest of the cheese, the egg, egg yolks and crème fraîche. Combine the two mixtures. Set aside. Melt the 2 tablespoons of butter in a small pot. Brush one sheet of phyllo with melted butter. Top with another sheet and brush with butter. Repeat with the remaining sheet. Cut stack into six 4-inch squares. Press into buttered muffin tins. Spoon the mushroom mixture into each phyllo-lined muffin tin. Bake about 20 minutes until golden and set. Garnish with a dollop of crème fraîche (optional). Serves 6.

2010 JORDAN CHARDONNAY

Tom and Sally Jordan loved French wine and food – a passion that laid the groundwork for the winery and wines they created more than 35 years ago. The Jordans were determined to make elegant, fruit-forward wines, and in 1974 they hired winemaker Rob Davis – who has been at their Russian River winery ever since – and started with a Cabernet Sauvignon. Today they produce top-notch, award-winning Cabernets, as well as a beautiful Chardonnay, such as this impressive 2010 vintage.

“Be careful what you wish for because you just might get it,” Davis once said about the growing season in 2010. It was an unbelievable season weather-wise, which made it possible to produce this fantastic Russian River Chardonnay. This is not your typical big fat California Chardonnay with tons of oak that is so popular at the moment; instead, it’s an unbelievable wine to drink with food, with its wonderful backbone of acidity and hint of oak. It’s a foodie’s dream, as it can accompany a large range of cuisine – from seafood and poultry to salads and pastas – and will remind you of some of the best Burgundian-style Chardonnays you’ve tried. Mix up your drinking habits for a while and try this Chardonnay with a mouthwatering meal…you’ll love it!

This wine retails for about $30 a bottle and is well worth the money. I recently visited Jordan Winery, set on acres of rolling hills and modeled after châteaus in France – the property is as beautiful as this wine. If you’re ever in Alexander Valley, stop by. You won’t regret it.

— Richard Righton
Owner, Bidwell Street Bistro in Folsom