Wild Mushroom Bisque with Cheesy Garlic French Bread

One of the great joys of cooking wonderful meals is going out to the local purveyors of great vegetables, meats and cheeses. The next couple of posts feature places that we love to frequent to buy our food…

Spiceman’s F.M. 1410

1410 N. Fitzhugh Avenue

Dallas, TX 75204

214.828.0322

Just behind Jimmy’s and next door to Urbano Café is Tom Spicer’s Spiceman’s F.M. 1410, a paradise for those seeking the freshest in produce. Spicer grows much of the produce behind his little storefront and on a farm he owns in East Texas. He also buys fresh produce from farmers that bring their goods to him early in the morning which are on the plates of some of Dallas’ finest restaurants that same evening. Spicer sells mixtures of his various herbs to local chefs, which helps them create their signature styles. His mushroom selection is incredible, with shrooms from Texas, the Pacific Northwest and as far away as Italy.

Spicer was kind enough to show us around his garden yesterday and we learned that coriander comes from cilantro. Cilantro describes the first or vegetative stage of the plant's life cycle. After the plant flowers and develops seeds, coriander is the dried seed of the cilantro. The seeds are round like tiny balls. They are used whole or ground as a flavoring for food and as a seasoning. The seeds are used in curries, curry powder, pickles, sausages, soups, stews, and ratatouille. The essential seed oil is used in various herbal remedies and dietary supplements, and to flavor gin, vermouth, liqueurs, tobacco and perfumery.

Drop in on a late Saturday or Sunday morning, and Spicer is likely to have folks in the garden out back, where he's cooking up gumbo and paella or something of the sort. At night, it’s not uncommon to find Spicer playing guitar next door at Urbano, a tasty, quaint, little bistro between his place and Jimmy’s. Become a fan of Spiceman's on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Spicemans-FM-1410/266458088349

It's definitely worthy of checking out!

6 TBSP unsalted butter

1 cup of chopped yellow onion

1/2 cup of chopped celery

1/2 cup of shredded carrots

1 chopped red bell pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne

1 - 1/2 tsp minced garlic

6 oz shitake mushrooms

6 oz oyster mushrooms

8 oz cremini or button mushrooms

2 tsp fresh thyme leaves

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/3 cup brandy

6 cups chicken stock

1 - 1/2 cups heavy cream

1 8-inch long thin baguette French bread

3 cloves peeled, crushed garlic

2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons finely grated fresh Parmesan

In a large pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add onions, celery, bell pepper and cayenne and cook, stirring until soft, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add mushrooms, thyme, salt and pepper and cook while stirring. The mushrooms will begin to give off their liquid and start to brown, about 7 minutes. Add the brandy, bring to a boil and cook until glazed, about 2 minutes. Add stock and return to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Then, add the cream, return to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Rub both sides of the french bread slices with the crushed garlic and place on a baking sheet. With a pastry brush, brush 1 side with olive oil. Top with a fine sprinkling of cheese and bake until cheese is bubbly, about 5 minutes.

To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and top each serving with 2 croutons.


*This recipe is courtesy of Emeril Lagasse.