Almost Italian

What do stone quarries, carnations, and stuffed mushrooms have in common? On the surface, nothing. But as I dig into the history of Italian-American food, I find some very surprising connections…

In the early 20^th century, J.B. Swayne was a commercial grower of carnations in Chester County, Pennsylvania. Seeking a greater return from his hothouses, he experimented with a new crop, the mushroom agaricus bisporus, beneath his raised carnation beds.

Acknowledged as the father of modern commercial mushroom cultivation, Mr. Swayne provided employment to numerous Italian immigrants, who then went on to start their own mushroom farms and ultimately take control of the industry. (Even now, three-quarters of commercial mushroom growers in Chester County, PA, are of Italian descent.)

Stone masonry and quarry work had brought many Italians to Chester County as they built lavish homes for clients like the DuPonts in nearby Wilmington, Delaware. Leaving behind the coal mines of western Pennsylvania, other Italians had been drawn to the arduous, but far safer, occupation of floriculture. Most of these Italians had come to America from rural areas and were inveterate foragers. When introduced to mushroom cultivation, they were immediately taken with the idea of growing a foodstuff that had previously been available only as a whim of nature.

Chester County—close to Philadelphia, Wilmington, and the rail-lines that led to other major American cities—became the center of this new agribusiness. But how did the mushrooms wind up, stuffed, on the menus of the neighborhood Italian restaurants in Boston, New York, and Chicago? I have some theories, but first here are two things I do know:

1) While southern Italians wouldn’t have known much about the noble porcini (boletus edulis) from the north of Italy, they had surely foraged some variety of fungus on their own turf.

2) Later in the 20^th century, as white linen began to replace checked tablecloths, Italian restaurateurs in New York were attentive to the French menus at places like Delmonico’s and Maxim’s, which listed a particular appetizer: champignons farcis.

Southern Italians certainly knew how to stuff vegetables like peppers and tomatoes. But one garden delight abundant in Italy was not so readily available to them in America: zucchini flowers. Even poor contadini and giornaliere back in Italy had been able to enjoy stuffed zucchini blooms. Since many Italian immigrants and the first generation lived in America’s cities, they had fewer places to grow their own produce.

Frugality often inspires gastronomic ingenuity. Presented with an ample supply of white button mushrooms, I think Italian-Americans simply exercised the license and imagination of good translators. Lacking zucchini blossoms, they put their time-honored stuffing—breadcrumbs, garlic, parsley, olive oil and Parmesan—into mushroom caps.

Sausage very likely found its way into the stuffing following World War II, when meat rationing was lifted. Many Italians made their own sausages anyway, and substituting sausage for the breadcrumbs was a statement of affluence.

By the 1950′s, antipasti were firmly entrenched on Italian-American menus, and creative chefs reveled in the ebullience of the post-War economy. They began stuffing mushrooms with ever-more expensive ingredients, such as crab meat. Large social gatherings like wedding receptions were made all the more festive by the presentation of a lavish antipasto buffet before a sit-down, multi-course dinner. Appetizer courses often included mushrooms with two or three different stuffings. Once again, in the spirit of Italian-American hospitality and celebration, excess was seen as a virtue.

Stuffed Mushrooms

Ingredients:

24 large (2 inch-diameter) white mushrooms, stems removed and finely chopped
1/2 Cup Italian-style dried bread crumbs (see Note)
1/2 Cup freshly grated Parmesan
2 Garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
4 Tbs. Flat-leaf Italian parsley, finely chopped
Extra-virgin olive oil

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 400° F.

Mix the chopped mushroom stems, bread crumbs, Parmesan, garlic, parsley, and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium bowl to blend.

Coat a sheet pan with approximately 1 Tbs. of olive oil. Spoon the filling into the mushroom cavities and arrange on the baking sheet, stem side up. (Recipe can be completed to this point earlier in the day. Refrigerate, loosely covered.)

Drizzle remaining oil over the filling in each mushroom. Bake in the center of the oven until the mushrooms are tender and the filling is heated through and golden on top, about 25 minutes. Serve immediately.

Serves 6.

Mushrooms Stuffed with Sausage

Ingredients:

24 large (2 inch-diameter) white mushrooms, stems removed and finely chopped
1 Lb. sweet Italian sausage, removed from casing
1/2 Cup Flat-leaf Italian parsley, finely chopped
2 Cloves garlic, peeled and minced
3/4 Cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/2 tsp. Crushed red pepper flakes (peperoncino)
Extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Cup unseasoned bread crumbs (see Note)

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 400° F.

Mix the chopped mushroom stems, sausage, parsley, garlic, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan, and the peperoncino together in a mixing bowl. Use your hands to break up the sausage, and to combine the ingredients. Add approximately 2 Tbs. of Olive oil and mix one last time to combine.

Put the bread crumbs in another bowl, drizzle with a bit of olive oil and add 1/4 cup of the Parmesan.

Oil the bottom of a sheet pan, or a shallow baking dish large enough to hold all the mushrooms in a single layer. Arrange the mushrooms in the pan, with the stem side facing upward. Season the insides with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil.

Stuff each mushroom with a rounded spoonful of the sausage stuffing and sprinkle the bread crumbs on top. (Recipe can be completed to this point earlier in the day. Refrigerate, loosely covered.)

Bake in the center of the oven for 20 minutes until the stuffing is browned and the mushrooms are soft. Serve immediately.

Serves 6.

Mushrooms Stuffed With Crab Meat

Ingredients:

18 large (2 inch-diameter) white mushrooms, stems removed and finely chopped
7 Oz. crab meat
2 – 4 Scallions, including green tops, finely chopped
2 Tbs. Fresh oregano, chopped
1 Tbs. Anisette liqueur (optional)
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
1/4 Cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/3 Cup high-quality mayonnaise
3 Tbs. additional Parmesan

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350° F.

In a medium bowl, combine chopped mushroom stems, crab meat, scallions, oregano, and optional anisette. Taste for seasoning, and add salt and pepper as necessary. Fold in the Parmesan, and mayonnaise until well combined. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or until ready to use.

Fill the mushroom caps with rounded teaspoonfuls of filling, and place them in a shallow baking dish or a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle tops with the remaining Parmesan, then bake in the center of the oven for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and serve immediately

Serves six.