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.
