Rigatoni with Wild Mushrooms, Garlic Truffle Cream, Poached Egg

Rigatoni with Wild Mushrooms, Garlic Truffle Cream, Poached Egg

Rigatoni with Wild Mushrooms
Garlic Truffle Cream, Poached Egg

This Rigatoni with Wild Mushrooms recipe was inspired by a recent trip to Death Valley National Park and two delightful dinners at the Dining Room at The Inn where we ordered their excellent “Pasta de Hongos” both nights.

Dining Room at The Inn
Dining Room at The Inn

The drive into Death Valley from Las Vegas feels like entering another world. The landscape shifts slowly to bare rock, wide salt flats, and mountains that look carved out of ash. When we arrived at The Inn at Death Valley, it truly felt like an oasis. Lush palms, green lawns, a spring-fed pool, and a long, low stone building nestled into the hillside.

The Inn at Death Valley
The Inn at Death Valley

Originally built in the 1920s, The Inn has been beautifully restored. It still has that classic, almost retro desert-resort feel, but with updated rooms and modern touches that make it really comfortable.

It is located at Furnace Creek, which is one of the most central and accessible points in Death Valley National Park. From there, it’s easy to drive to the major sights.

Watching the sunrise from the terrace outside the dining room with a view of the Panamint Mountains catching the first light was unreal—warm pinks and soft gold sliding slowly down the slopes as the sky turned pale blue. With a cup of coffee and that kind of view, there’s really no better start to the day.

Sunrise on the Panamint Mountains
Sunrise on the Panamint Mountains

Rigatoni with Wild Mushrooms Recipe
and
Death Valley National Park

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Wild Mushrooms

Wild Mushrooms

Wild Mushroom Still Life

There was absolutely no way I could resist the fantastic selection of exotic mushrooms for sale at the Torrance Farmers Market. Chanterelles, Black Trumpets, Cordycep Militaris, Chestnut Royale, Wood Ear, Persimmon Enoki and Blue Foots to name a few… I paired them with Pink Peppercorns from my neighborhood trees to create a mysterious and colorful Wild Mushroom Still Life. Due to their psychedelic deep lilac colored stems, the Blue Foots just had to take center stage.

The Mushrooms

blue

  • blue foot (pied bleu) – highly perfumed aroma and flavor, cook before eating

gold

  • chanterelles – nutty with a fruity aroma
  • cordeycep militaris – savory earthy-nutty flavor
  • persimmon enoki  – impossibly fruity!

black

  • black trumpet – buttery woodsy smoky flavor
  • chestnut royale – porous texture absorbs other flavors (like butter) well
  • wood ear – crunchy gelatinous texture

After the photoshoot, what did I do with all those various wild mushrooms?

Sautéed Branzino with Cordycep Mushrooms

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