Holiday Party Appetizer: 'Caviar' Mushrooms

This is a tightwad take on a wonderful recipe from Smitten Kitchen. Confession time: I’ve never had a crumb of caviar in my life. But this recipe isexactly what I love to do in the kitchen– jazz up something simple tomake it taste like much more than a few simple ingredients. It looks very elegant on toast points. I'm planning to bring it to my family Christmas party.

Serves: 12 or more as an appetizer

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

• 1/2 pound fresh button mushrooms
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 small white onion
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 cup evaporated milk
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 4-6 pieces of sliced bread
• Additional butter, for buttering bread

Mince onion. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large sauce panover medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, untilonion is soft and beginning to get some browned bits, 3-5 minutes.

Whileonion cooks, wash and mince mushrooms. When onion has browned just abit, add dried thyme, 2 more tablespoons of butter, and the mincedmushrooms.

Sautee over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Add evaporatedmilk, and cook for a couple more minutes, until it liquid reduces abit. Salt and pepper to taste.

Toast and butter several slices ofbread. A crusty good quality breadwould be best, but I used what I had: the tail ends of two differentloaves of whole grain store-bought sandwich bread, and it was stillwonderful. Cut buttered toast into quarters. Spoon a tablespoon or soof mushroom mixture onto each toast point. Serve and enjoy!