Saturday's Spice: Rosemary

I use this easy recipe as an hors d'oeuvre. It often brings raves because Rosemary is not a spice that we use very often in standard American cooking. And Yes, I had to look up the spelling of hors d' oeuvre. I also looked up all those other words that kind of mean the same thing: appetizer, mezze, tapas, pinchos, and canape. I don't know if the Chinese dim sum quite embraces the same appetizer idea, but I find Chinese concepts to be very pleasing and poetic--who can argue with something that touches the heart. In many instances having a tatooed dot over one's heart means that you have had life saving radiation for breast cancer.

I find it fascinating that the word tapas translates to a food cover or lid for a drink, while a canape translates as a couch or sofa for some food bit. I've always thought of sofa as such an old-fashion genteel type of word. I actually grew up with a davenport--but that's another story. I also wonder about the plain and simple straight forward appetizer. No poetry here for the brusque American appetite, but it too has roots in desire.

Roasted Rosemary Mushrooms

• 8 ounces of White Button Shrooms, DeStemmed.
• Juice of at least 1/2 Lemon.
• 1-2 TBS of Olive Oil.
• 1-ish TBS of Butter
• Mix Juice, Oil, and Butter.
• Microwave Mix Till Butter is Melted.
• Dress Mushrooms, Use Spatula/Hands to Distribute Oil Mix.
• Sprinkle with Powdered Rosemary.
• I Pulverize 2 TBS of Rosemary in a Mortar and Pestle.
• Roast at 425º for 35-40 Minute Till Nicely Browned. Give 'Em a Turn Halfway Through.
• Serve Immediately.

I've never grilled these. Perhaps SpicyBBQ would research this and also reprise us of his marinated Portabellas...first served to me on a rooftop overlooking one of the many cities know as the Queen City.