Stuffed Mushrooms (12-15) Chicago Tribune 12/29; Lobster Thermidor – Lorraine Agerholm

The Lake house on Okauchee was winterized by my Great Grandmother, Lorraine Audrey, in 1958. (She’s my namesake.) Before that time, the house would be opened up on Memorial Day weekend and shuttered on Labor Day weekend. Lorraine’s husband, Paul Breen, had died tragically in 1956 when my mother was 8 months in the womb. He was a glazier by trade but also a pretty good mechanic. He was working on his car and the jack slipped. He was crushed to death. Lorraine was married in 1928 at the age of 17. As unfortunate as it was that her husband died, she really became single again quite young and with a grown married child. Apparently she really whooped it up on the lake. Lorraine had a lot of friends and a lot of fun- at that time there were over twenty bars on the lake, as well as a couple dance halls, a bowling alley, and a few gas stations. According to the story she told my mother, she’d stay out at the bars until 2, bring the party home, keep going until the fat lady sang, and pass out. When she woke up, she’d mop her kitchen floor and start the process all over again. I think that’s the definition of a “merry widow.” Her next and last husband, Kristian Agerholm, was 17 years younger than her. He was the corn delivery man- yup they used to deliver corn to your house back then. I guess she got one more cob than she expected that day. When they divorced, he tried to take the lake house from her. She was the first woman in Wisconsin to have to give up 5% of her estate to her ex husband, as community property was new. He had 11 jobs in their 17 years of marriage. He kicked my grandma’s chihuaha. He had an affair with the lady who lived two doors down and when he left my great grandma, he moved two doors down. Lorraine had to live with him living there until she died. He is persona non grata. That’s why it’s hard to use his last name even though it was her name from marriage until death.

Anyway, along with one of my grandma’s VG recipes I’m cooking one of Lorraine’s. We are having Nona’s stuffed mushrooms with Lorraine’s lobster thermidor. The only thing we are replacing in the thermidor is sautéed fresh mushrooms for the canned mushrooms. We’re also using baby bellas for the stuffed mushrooms, whereas my guess is that she used cremini or button. We found some buttermilk blue roth kase from Wisconsin which seemed only appropriate.

Tonight blew Mondays with Nona out of the water. Every single part of this meal was fabulous. It was so decadent! VFG for sure.

Stuffed Mushrooms (12-15) Chicago Tribune 12/29

INGREDIANTS

12-15 Mushrooms Large

Remove Stems and mince

3 thinly sliced green onions.

¼ cup butter

½ cup fine French bread crumbs

3 tbsp crumbled blue cheese

1 tbsp minced parsley

1 tbsp lemon juice

½ tsp salt

Directions

Sautee green onions in butter and ad the rest of the ingrediants. Place filling in caps. Place in shallow pan and sprinkle with paprika. Bake at 400° for 8 minutes.

Lobster Thermidor – Lorraine Agerholm

INGREDIANTS

Recipe for 3 cups of Cream sauce

6 tbsp butter

6 tbsp flour

¼ tsp pepper

1 4 oz. can sliced mushrooms drained

Paprika

1 tsp salt

3 cups milk

½ tsp mustard dry

1/3 cup dry sherry

3 egg yolks

Directions

Make cream sauce of butter, flour, pepper, salt, and milk. Add mustard and paprika. Add sherry. Mix egg yolks and a little hot sauce and add to main sauce. Add lobster and mushrooms. Bake in water lined pan 400° for 15-20 minutes.