My Grandpa Tony was a larger-than-life character. After retiring from the Army, he bought a big boat and spent the twilight of his life trolling around Long Island Sound in the Cara Mia II and cooking the richest, most incredible meals for his family and friends.
I was fortunate enough to fall into the family category. Today I present my favorite among a wealth of favorites that he would make — stuffed mushrooms. And while the pork roast with sauteed garlic and spinach that followed would inevitably be great, it was the mushrooms I remember best.
His secret was fresh crab — and I don’t mean crab he picked up at the store. He’d catch them himself in a trap hanging right off the Cara Mia II.
Okay, it’s time for full disclosure. These are not exactly the same mushrooms he would make. In fact, no one has ever been able to replicate his mushrooms. The recipe existed in one place only, his head. Ultimately, he took it with him when he passed away eight years ago. But I don’t resent it. For someone else to make his mushrooms would be to cheapen those long summer nights rocking on the water, watching the sunset, and listening to his war stories.
But trust me, these are darned good, too.
