Once fussy, now a foodie

To call Maureen Stoskopf a picky eater as a child would be generous.

A former New Jersey girl, Maureen lived on peanut butter, American cheese, applesauce, jarred baby food apricots and dry baby oatmeal.

For protein she insisted on pork chops or meatloaf burned "like a big briquette." Until her late 20s fresh fruit, green vegetables and salad never touched her lips.

"My parents tried bribery, threats, doctors, none of it worked," she says. "It was a texture thing."

Not until her late 20s did Maureen, a Mount Prospect resident, transform from fussy to foodie. She was on her own, cooking occasionally for friends and socializing with people who ate more exotic foods, like lettuce.

"I got some compliments, and I paid attention to what others were making," she says. "Green salad was a revelation, and how to roast a red pepper." She discovered fresh-cooked pasta and gave up Chef Boy R Dee.

"I started adding to my repertoire."

Ingredients like truffle oil, dried wild mushrooms, pomegranate seeds, balsamic vinegar and fresh herbs slipped into her kitchen.

Italian cooking became her specialty, inspired by the Italian neighborhood where she grew up, and where "everybody had an affair with food."

One of those Italian neighbors introduced her to fresh Italian bread dunked in fragrant olive oil, a revelation, and a far cry from the Wonder bread and butter of her childhood.

"At my house, food was something you endured," she says. "For these generations of Italians, it is a celebration."

Eventually she signed up for a cooking class at the Culinary and Hospitality Institute of Chicago, "the best thing I ever did."

Since then she has taken dozens of cooking classes, including a recent four-day session with her husband, Roger, at Academia Barilla in Parma, Italy.

Maureen's recent trip to Italy, with side trips to see prosciutto and balsamic vinegar being made, only confirmed what she learned from her neighbors.

"Italians have a huge sense of pride in their food," she says. "The markets are fabulous; the food is displayed with respect. They wouldn't think of putting wilted lettuce out."

Along the way she has experimented with numerous food phases: homemade bread, clay cooking, homemade pasta and wok cooking.

"I'm not in any stage right now," she says, "other than mushrooms. I'm a big fungus fiend. I could eat mushrooms five days a week."

Look for them in today's Wild Mushroom Risotto with white truffle oil. For an interesting side dish to just about any meat or poultry, try Zucchini Patties with Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese or Wild Rice Salad with jalapeno, balsamic vinegar and perhaps pomegranate seeds.

Clearly, Maureen is open to all kinds of flavors and textures these days. Not even her cooking style is fussy.

"Chop a little, sip a little Chardonnay," she says.

That sounds like a fine idea.

Zucchini Patties

2 medium zucchini

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

1½-2 tablespoons minced shallots

½ cup grated carrot (optional)

1 large egg

½ cup flour

3 tablespoons imported parmesan or other hard Italian cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Olive oil

Grate zucchini into a large bowl. Add red pepper flakes and toss. Lightly salt and let sit for about 20 minutes. Drain the squash by pressing against a strainer with a wooden spoon or squeezing in a tea towel.

Add shallots, carrot, egg, flour, cheese and salt to taste and mix until well combined.

Heat thin layer of oil in a sauté pan. Drop full tablespoons of mixture into pan. Flatten mounds into pancakes and sauté until golden brown and crispy, turning once. Drain on paper towels. Serve immediately or hold in a 350-degree oven.

Serves four.

Cook's notes: Mixture should not be made more than 20 minutes before sautéing. For variety add cooked corn, minced sun-dried tomatoes or fresh basil. Add additional egg and flour if needed to achieve proper consistency.

Nutrition values per serving: 180 calories, 10 g fat (2.5 g saturated), 15 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber, 7 g protein, 60 mg cholesterol, 130 mg sodium.

Wild Rice Salad

4 ounces wild rice

2¾ cups water

2 tablespoons green onions, chopped

1 tablespoon jalapeno, minced

Salt and pepper

1½-2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

¼-½ cup dried cranberries or fresh pomegranate seeds

1½ tablespoons nuts or seeds (sunflower kernels, pumpkin seeds) optional

Combine rice, water and ½ teaspoon salt in saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and continue cooking for 55-60 minutes or until rice is tender and fully open. Drain and cool to room temperature.

Transfer cooled rice to a large bowl. Add green onions, jalapeno, salt and pepper to taste; mix to combine.

Stir in balsamic vinegar, then olive oil; add more oil and/or vinegar to taste. Stir in dried fruit and nuts, if using. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Serves six.

Cook's note: Avoid overcooking rice; grains should be slightly firm.

Nutrition values per serving (without added salt): 180 calories, 10 g fat (1.5 g saturated), 19 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 3 g protein, 0 cholesterol, 0 sodium.

Wild Mushroom Risotto

2 cans (14 ounces each) chicken stock (or 1 can each chicken stock and mushroom broth)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

¼ cup shallots, finely chopped

¼-½ cup yellow onions, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced, or equivalent garlic paste

½ cup fresh mixed mushrooms (chanterelles, morels, porcini, cremini, oyster), sliced

1½ teaspoons fresh sage, minced (optional)

½ cup dry white wine

1 cup arborio or carnaroli rice

1 tablespoon white truffle oil

Fresh ground pepper

½ cup imported parmesan cheese, grated

¼ cup heavy cream (optional)

1 tablespoon butter (optional)

Heat stock in sauce pan; keep covered and warm on stove top.

In a shallow, 3-quart sauce pan, melt butter with olive oil over medium heat and sauté shallots and onions until translucent. Add garlic and sauté briefly to avoid burning it. Add mushrooms and sage and sauté briefly, 2 minutes or so. Add a small amount of olive oil if necessary to prevent burning.

Add rice and stir to coat, about 1 minute. Add wine and stir until wine is absorbed. Add stock, one ladle at a time, stirring until each addition is absorbed. (If using chicken and mushroom stocks, alternate between the two.) Continue adding stock until rice is plump and cooked, but not mushy, 20-25 minutes. The rice should retain a slight firmness in the center.

When risotto is almost done stir in the truffle oil, cheese and pepper to taste. Blend in cream and butter if desired.

Serves four to six.

Cook's note: The amount of liquid and time it takes to cook risotto may vary. Add additional stock as necessary.

Nutrition values per serving: 310 calories, 16 g fat (8 g saturated), 29 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber, 9 g protein, 45 mg cholesterol, 190 mg sodium.

Do you know a cook? To suggest someone to be profiled in this column, send thecook's name, address and phone number to Laura Bianchi c/o Cook of theWeek, Daily Herald Food section, P.O. Box 280, Arlington Heights, IL 60006 or e-mail us atfood@dailyherald.com.