Birba’s Chef Courtney is Crazy for 'Shrooms!
CIAO!
Join us on Wednesday 4/20 at Birba for a special 5-course family-style mushroom and wine dinner focused on a variety of our favorite local Funghi from Canyon Creek Mushrooms in Palm Desert.
Birba’s Chef Courtney has curated an incredible mushroom-focused menu complete with wine pairings and an extra special goodie bag from High Life Farms for guests to enjoy. We will even have a ‘shroom expert from Canyon Creek on hand to discuss the types of mushrooms in each dish and why they pair so well.
Read on below to get a sneak peek into what to expect from this specially curated dinner!
F10 - What inspires you to use mushrooms in your dishes?
CC - The versatility of mushrooms is what inspires me most - they take on the flavors they’re cooked with! They also have great health benefits.
F10 - What is your favorite way to use mushrooms in a dish?
CC - My favorite way to utilize Funghi in a dish is to be sauteed with thyme, salt/pepper, and finished with butter!
F10 - What are your favorite types of mushrooms?
CC - My go-to type of mushroom would be a King Trumpet. It can be sliced or torn and cooked in a variety of ways. They develop a tender, meat-like consistency
F10 - Why mushrooms?
CC - I chose mushrooms to be the theme of the dinner after meeting Jim, from Canyon Creek Mushrooms. I was inspired to create and share something special with the community.
F10 - What is one thing about mushrooms that most people wouldn't know?
CC - Funghi are genetically closer to humans than plants as well as being the largest life forms on Earth.
F10 - Are there any challenges to using CBD in cooking?
CC - There aren’t many challenges when cooking with CBD other than pairing with flavor and properly dosing each plate!
F10 - Tell us about the desert you are making for the Mangione! Mushroom & Wine Dinner?
CC - The dessert I will be making is a Honey Semi-Fredo, meaning "semi-frozen" in Italian. Unlike ice cream, a semi-fredo is not churned or scooped, it's molded and sliced then will be finished with an optional CBD oil.
Over 250 people gathered at the Ritz Carlton to recognize our very own Tara Lazar for the Women Who Lead Business award from Palm Springs Life. Our innovative and risk-taking leader, Tara, shared the stage with two other inspiring leaders from the non-profit and education sectors, Leticia De Lara, and Martha Garcia while Suzanne Somers took to the stage as the keynote speaker for the evening.