Although Christmas seems to be starting earlier each year, I am resolved in the fact that it is because I am getting older, and time is just moving that much faster these days, or maybe I am just a bit more aware of time as a consultant, with billable hours. OK, maybe I’ve not come to terms with this after all, you decide.

Regardless of the reason of the season, this year, we were fortunate enough to be invited to a foodies gourmet tasting and wine party, hosted by Therese Tetzel, an incredible marketing and sales professional that is a principal at BusinessMODERN to start the holiday season off with a bang, as well and a number of calories, that I have already started paying for in gallons of sweat at the gym.

Therese is one of those rare talents that has earned five awards in the professional sales and marketing industry, while leading a sales team through deregulation at TXU. Her team was twice awarded the EEI National Account Award voted by the top 600 US commercial and retail companies. You may have expected that we would have met through our mutual business interest, as we have traveled in similar circle, but oddly enough, it was food that sealed the introduction, one that I am grateful for.

This year’s theme was Italian. Those of you, who know me, would have thought that I would have an easy in with the group, by making my lasagna, using my mother’s béchamel recipe, and my adaptation of my nonna’s spaghetti sauce, but that just isn’t the case.

The catch was that Therese devised an incredible menu that had all the recipes and their photos as well as a suggested Italian wine to complement the food. Trust me, these recipes were not your traditional rustic Italian fare, that I’ve grown up with. We were asked to pick a recipe from a menu and wine pairing, that Therese had created.

Others in attendance created some fantastic dishes from the list to compliment the pairings. My favorite was the “Fish Baked in Salt Crust”. I have seen it prepared on a past TV food show, and have always wanted to try it, what came from this creation was sheer delight, and to everyone’s joy, one of the many hits of the evening.

The Crostini with Beans and Bitter Greens was heaven, the beans in the crostini were the Italian cannelloni and the bitter greens used were Swiss chard mixed with spices, onion, red pepper and garlic, layered on toasted baguette, kissed with garlic, topped with a paste from the cannelloni and finally the bitter greens to top the appetizer.

You can never go wrong with dessert, and the Amaretti Cookies were a great compliment with all of the wines that we had to choose from, as well as an incredible apperitivo, made with cranberry juice, lime aide and Prosecco. Traditionally Prosecco was a somewhat sweet wine with just a little fizz, but today’s Proseccos are dry and very bubbly. Needless to say, I am not a fan of sweet drinks. Give me a fine cigar and a single malt and I am in my element, but the apperitivo had just the right mix of tart, sweet, and refreshing taste to whet the appetite.

Since I knew that the main course, appetizers, one of the pasta dishes, and desserts were in the hands of great cooks, I chose the Lasagna with Mushrooms, Leeks and Gorgonzola as a pasta dish. The problem is that I am not a huge fan of Gorgonzola as a singular cheese, and leeks can vary in taste and texture depending on season. Many varieties of leek available are inconsistent in their quality, because some are meant to be harvested early and others are meant to remain in the ground for well over a full year. Trying the wrong kind of leek or preparing the right kind of leek the wrong way is a great way to be disappointed.

So with creative license, and a number of cook books in hand from my library, I started developing my adaptation of wild mushroom lasagna, with the addition of 5 cheeses. What follows is my idea of the type of lasagna a signora del campagna, or lady from the countryside may make in Italy after having tromped through the woods searching for porcini, or other seasonal mushrooms, and heading to the root cellar for onions and garlic cloves.

Of course you would have to call the lasagna something Italian with its origins in the woods, of say Puglia facing the coast line, imparting the sea salt from the air on the local cuisine, so I’ve come up with “Lasagna dal bosco” or lasagna from the woods. To compliment the dish, I brought a bottle of Layer Cake Primitivo, as a tribute to Puglia, this wine; a zinfandel style, originates from Puglia, pairs wells with the smoky mushroom flavors, and rich contrasting cheese flavors of the Gorgonzola and Fontana Béchamel.

Buon appetito!

Lasagna dal bosco

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

I do not suggest it, because I am a purist, but if you want to use the no-boil noodles boil them for 2 minutes, otherwise they will be tough. If you are using boxed noodles, bring a large pot of water to a boil with 1 tablespoon salt and a splash of olive oil. Add the lasagna noodles and cook 8 – 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until al dente. Fresh homemade noodles are always better when you have the time, and not difficult, and require less cooking time to reach al dente.

While pasta is cooking fill a large bowl with cold water. When pasta is done, drain and place pasta in the bowl of cold water to cool. After 5 minutes, drain the pasta and place in a single layer on baking sheets. Cover with plastic, and set aside. Do not stack lasagna noodles (they will stick to each other and you cannot separate them). Paper towels tend to stick to the noodles as well. More so with fresh pasta.

In a small bowl mix together the Ricotta and a ½ cup of the Parmigiano – Reggiano, sea salt and pepper to taste and set aside. In this step, I tend to add more ricotta and parmigiano, but you decide.

A word about Mushrooms: Domestic baby Portobello or varietal mushrooms can be substituted for wild mushrooms. Porcini are also called Cep in France, and may also be available at your green grocer, under that name. I’ve not found fresh porcini or chanterelles, now that I have moved to Dallas, so I used dried, as well as the grocers selection of fresh wild mushrooms, that came in a 1 pound package consisting of baby Portobello, and golden mushrooms, of some other variety.

Dried mushrooms are very concentrated in flavor. Place the mushrooms in a cup or bowl, large enough to fill the container about halfway. Cover the mushrooms with boiling water. Cover the container with plastic wrap or a dish to prevent steam from escaping. Steep mushrooms for 5 to 10 minutes or until the mushrooms are tender. Strain the mushroom broth, but don’t discard it; it’s very flavorful and I used it while cooking down the mushrooms in the next step of the recipe. Chop the mushrooms into small pieces and use them in the recipe as directed.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, steep the mushroom broth for a few minutes to concentrate the flavors and reduce the volume. Strain the liquid or pour it off carefully if the mushrooms contained grit.

Using the same skillet, heat olive oil; add 4 garlic cloves sliced each clove paper thin, and thinly slice the onions lengthwise and sauté 6 to 7 minutes. Add mushrooms, concentrated mushroom broth, parsley, and thyme; sauté 5 – 10 additional minutes. Stir in Marsala and simmer for another 5 minutes. I prefer to use sweet Marsala; remove from heat and set aside.

To make the cheesy béchamel sauce, in a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and stir in remaining clove of whole pressed garlic, I added a whole garlic that I had crushed with the back of a knife blade only to season the butter sauce, and not have a strong competing flavor with the cheese sauce, as the mushroom mixture had ample garlic. Next, continue making a roux with butter, flour, and nutmeg. Add milk in a slow steady stream, whisking constantly. Cook until sauce starts to thicken; remove garlic clove. Continue cooking until the sauce is thicker. Stir in Fontina and Gorgonzola cheese, whisking until melted. Add sea salt and pepper. Remove from heat, and set aside until ready for use.

Layer 1/3 of the cooked lasagna noodles over the bottom of a 13×9-inch baking dish. Cover the pasta with 1/3 of the Ricotta mixture. Spread 1/3 of the mushroom mixture on top of the noodles. Spread 1/3 of the béchamel sauce over the mushroom mixture. Repeat layering two more times, ending with the sauce. Sprinkle with mozzarella and the remaining Parmigiano – Reggiano.

Bake on the top rack of the oven until surface is golden and bubbling around the edges, 40 – 50 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand for 15 minutes before cutting and serving. To serve – Slice into squares.

Of course failing to take a photo of the final product, much less anyone trying the dish, I had to borrow the last picture from the an old file copy – don’t tell anybody.