A recipe – Wild Mushroom Quesadilla (Bier International)

Friday in Israel is a special day. You can't find that atmosphere anywhere else on the planet.

The smell is different, the people are different, the time moves differently, slower, relaxing, prepares you for the afternoon nap, which is a must, and then you can actually start your weekend.

My Friday routine didn’t change, week after week. I used to wake up (no alarm clock!) have my first coffee, and at 12 o'clock I went to eat Hummus at the same place and the same plate, probably the same table….

Then beer, and one more, it could end in 2 beers or much more, depends on the group of friends around. Drunk on Friday afternoon, it is such a good feeling. Only then, I was ready for my nap…

My first visit at Bier International reminded me of that feeling. Beer. Friday noon, good music and good food, what more can you ask for?

Bier International is a bar / restaurant, located in west Harlem; and as it called, it is all about international – the beer, the food and even the music. The idea of the place is matching beer to food and food to beer.
The menu includes dishes like Berliner Currywurst, Moroccan Chicken Salad, Pan-Seared Catfish Tacos, Grilled New York Steak and Eggs, Sausages from 6 different countries (!!!) and more.
On the drinks section you can find dozens of beers, tap and bottles, international and domestic, lager ale or stout...

The lovely Chef Adriano Flor Santos made for us Wild Mushroom Quesadilla; a dish as I like – healthy, easy and fast!

Ingredients (for one person)

¼ cup of Shiitake mushroom - diced

¼ cup of Oyster mushroom - diced

¼ cup of Portobello mushroom - diced

4 table spoon olive oil

2 cups of cheese blend: Mozzarella, Asiago, Parmesan

4 tablespoon chopped cilantro

One 10 inch flour tortilla (you can use corn tortilla or whole-wheat tortilla)

1 teaspoon paprika

Directions

1.   Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add assorted mushrooms. Sautee till tender 

2.   Let it cool off, then drain the liquid 

3.   Place the tortilla on a cutting board 

4.   On half of the tortilla, spread evenly the cheese blend, add the mushrooms and cilantro. Fold the other half of the tortilla to cover the ingredients 

5.   Heat the oven too 350 - 400 degree 

6.   Take a brush deep it in olive oil and brush topside of the quesadilla, and lightly sprinkle some paprika on the top 

7.   Place the quesadilla on a quesadilla platter and put it in the oven for about 3 - 5 minutes until it is nicely crispy!

 

  

Bier International: 2099 Frederick Douglass Blvd (at 113th St.), Harlem, New York,  212-280-0944.

A recipe – Creamy mushroom soup in less than 20 min.

Every time I have been asked how to make a dish, my answer started with “oh, it is so easy…” I am afraid my friends no longer believe me.

Nophar, my friend, is the same – if you ask her for a recipe it will be something like: chop, heat, mix and it is ready. Nophar is not only an amazingly talented designer, but also a great cook. Here is Nophar’s Creamy mushroom soup, and it really is that easy to make!

Ingredients

1/2 cup of dried mushrooms

1/2 cup of boiling water

1 large onion - finely chopped

1.75 Oz (50 grams) butter

2 boxes of fresh mushrooms (2 kinds) - wash, take of stem and slice

1/4 cup of mushroom Bullion (not necessary)

4-5 cups of milk

1 cup of heavy cream

Salt & pepper

Sour cream

Directions

1.     Put the dried mushrooms and the boiling water in a bowl and cover for 20 min. Strain and finely cut the mushrooms. (You can use the water to replace some of the other fluids in the soup, it'll give it an extra mushroom flavor)

2.     In a big pot, sauté the onions in the butter until the onion is soft and translucent, then add the mushrooms. Stir for 5-7 min.

3.     In a separate small bowl, mix the Bullion with 1/2 of the milk, and Pour this into the pot.

4.     Pour the rest of the milk, heavy cream, salt and pepper (Do not add the sour cream).

5.     Heat through over low - medium heat, while steering, for about 10 min, until soup is thicker. If the soup comes to a boil, lower the heat.

6.     Soup is ready. Put a dollop of sour cream in your serving bowls, pour the soup over it and enjoy!