My dad and I got caught in a rainstorm on the Buda side of the city and found ourselves in front of a welcoming restaurant. One recipe immediately beguiled me: egg-noodle and wild-mushroom gratin. My mouth watered; what could be more welcoming on a cold, rainy day? Well. That "gratin" was among the most disappointing restaurant experiences of my life. Unadorned egg noodles, blanketed in a sheet of bland, hardly-melted, rubbery cheese; a few bits of slimy bolete...and did I mention the scattering of raw red pepper chunks? When I got home I resolved to perfect it, and spurred by the dish's success, branched out into more variations. This soubise-like rice casserole, rich with mushrooms, has become a new rainy-day comfort-food favorite. It's a lovely vegetarian main, with a green salad on the side. (And I once added some sauteed chestnuts to good effect.)

Share: