My First Italian Cooking Class

I have a love of Italian cuisine that cannot compare to any other. The pizza, pastas, salads, meats... all of them hit the spot. It was reasonable that the next step would be to take a cooking class in order to recreate some of those dishes in my little kitchen. The class of choice is through Risingholme Community Centre. The first class was held last week. The authentic Italian teacher, Brunella, taught us how to make 'Crostini ai Funghi' and 'Pasta alla Puttanesca'. According to Brunella the pasta dish means an easy dish for a women to cook, but I was later told by my learned mother that it means something quite different.... So in dedication to my love of Italian food, I present Crostini ai Funghi- recreated! A really delicious spread, which is so easy to make!

Crostini ai Funghi

20g butter
1/2 onion
1 garlic clove, crushed
250g mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 teaspoon vegetable stock
Freshly ground salt and pepper
75g cream cheese, or according to taste
(the recipe actually says 100ml cream but you can use cream cheese as an alternative)
1/4 cup parmesan, grated
1 baguette, sliced
Edam cheese, grated (recipe says Mozzarella but didn't have any)

Melt the butter in a pan. Add onion and garlic and cook over medium heat until tender.
Add mushrooms, parsley and stock, and cook on high until mushrooms are soft.
Reduce heat to low, add salt, pepper and cream cheese. Cook for another two minutes.
Put all into a food processor with parmesan and blend.
Toast baguette pieces in oven until crunchy. Spread mushroom dip on toasted bread and top with grated cheese. Top in oven until cheese is melted.

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Ginger.Love.Care. (New Zealand Food Blog)