There are smells that literally… TAKE YOU THERE
For me, it’s mushrooms hitting a hot pan with butter and a splash of wine.
One whiff and I’m back having a flashback to Southern California. Dad is at the grill. Somewhere nearby is the Pacific. And I’m a teenage girl again, with an apricot Poodle named Dandi….. and absolutely no idea how much of my life has already begun.
The dog at the end of the leash
Dandi was my first real show dog. We got him while we were living in California, and although he never finished his championship, Dandi had a much bigger job to do. He was my best friend, my companion and, although I certainly didn’t know it at the time, one of my first teachers.
This sweet and easygoing boy taught me how to show a dog in conformation and opened the door for me to become a junior handler. I learned about grooming, presentation, patience and all those little things that come with sharing your life with a dog ….I just thought I was having fun.
Dandi, along with our other Poodles, Velvet and Peppi, also sparked my love of grooming. By the time I was about twelve, I had a makeshift grooming shop set up in our garage and was earning money grooming other people’s dogs under the name “CANINE DESIGN by Sandy”
Apparently that wasn’t enough to keep me occupied, because I was also making jewelry and selling it to my classmates.
Mom and Dad never once told me that one of my ideas was too much, too impractical or just plain harebrained. Whatever I became interested in, they found a way to encourage it. Even the unicycle and accordion!
Since I was earning some money of my own, I tried to help pay for my dog-show adventures whenever I could. I didn’t realize it then, but my parents were giving me something much bigger than permission to pursue a hobby. They were teaching me that the things I cared about were worth pursuing.
Those days roadtrippin’
Some of my favorite memories from those California years had nothing to do with dog shows.
My dad had been through major heart surgery, and getting away to the ocean , mountains or desert became a chance for him to fish, relax and simply unwind. And always accompanied by our 3 dogs in the “BRADY-esque” yellow and avocado green camping van!! We all loved that camper!
We lived in Simi Valley, so trips to the coast were close enough to make regularly. We spent countless hours around Laguna and Newport, often near the piers where Dad could fish.
We weren’t a family that went out to restaurants very often. We packed our food and brought it with us. And somewhere in those memories, there was almost always a grill.
Dad made burgers, but the part I remember most vividly wasn’t the burger itself. It was the mushrooms. He would sauté them in butter and wine and pile them onto the burgers. Such a simple thing.
I couldn’t tell you today exactly what kind of wine he used. I don’t remember the buns or what else we put on the burgers. I’m sure none of us thought there was anything particularly memorable happening at the time. We were just having lunch. And perhaps that’s why the memory is so precious now.
It took a lifetime to understand where you were leading me….
All these years later, I can be standing in my own kitchen, pour a little wine into a skillet, and suddenly I’m right back there. Dad is at the grill. The fishing gear is nearby. Mom,David and the poodles are there.
It’s funny how memories work. They don’t always arrive chronologically or announce why they matter. One leads to another until suddenly you can see a path you couldn’t see while you were walking it.
Dandi led me from obedience classes into the show ring and junior handling. Those early Poodles gave me a love of grooming and showing dogs that never went away. Eventually that path would lead me to Chow Chows and to a passion that would shape much of my life.
Dandi never finished his championship. He didn’t need to. Championships are funny things. We spend so much time measuring dogs by the ribbons they win that sometimes we don’t recognize the much greater things they give us.
Dandi gave me a direction. When I created the artwork for this story, I pictured him on a path overlooking the California coast. He’s walking ahead of me, his leash trailing back toward the foreground, but he has stopped and turned his head. He’s looking back to see if I’m coming.
Sweet Dandi….It just took me a lifetime to understand where you were leading me.
DADS WINE & MUSHROOM BURGERS
Ingredients
For the burgers
- – 1 lb ground beef preferably 80/20
- – Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- – 4 hamburger buns
- – 4 slices Swiss or provolone cheese optional
For the Wine & Butter Mushrooms
- – 2 tablespoons butter
- – 1 tablespoon olive oil
- – 1 lb mushrooms sliced (cremini or white button)
- – 2 cloves garlic minced
- – 1/3 cup dry white wine
- – Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- – 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley optional
Instructions
Make the mushrooms.
- Melt the butter with the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned and tender.
Add the wine.
- Stir in the garlic and cook for about 1 minute. Pour in the white wine and simmer until the wine has reduced and most of the liquid has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in parsley, if using, and keep warm.
Grill the burgers.
- Divide the ground beef into 4 patties. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Grill over medium-high heat until cooked to your preferred doneness. If using cheese, add a slice during the final minute of cooking and allow it to melt.
Assemble.
- Toast the buns if desired. Place a burger on each bun and generously spoon the warm wine-and-butter mushrooms over the top. Serve immediately.
Notes
The mushrooms are the heart of this recipe, so give them enough time in the skillet to brown before adding the wine.
Use a dry white wine that you enjoy cooking with. Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio or an unoaked Chardonnay would all work well.
A grill or stovetop works for this recipe!
For me, the important part isn’t making these burgers fancy. It’s that simple combination of mushrooms, butter and wine—the flavor that takes me straight back to those California days with Dad.
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