Rick Bayless is chef of Frontera Grill and Topolobampo in Chicago, creator of Frontera gourmet foods, cookbook author and host of Mexico - One Plate at a Time.

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RICKMAIL - sign up for our email list From the Kitchen of Chef Rick Bayless

Starters, Snacks & Light Meals

Wild Mushroom Queso Fundido

Queso Fundido con Hongos Silvestres

Serves 6 as a light appetizer

Recipe from Season 6 of Mexico - One Plate at a Time

Ingredients

3/4  ounce (about 1/2 cup) dried porcini (or other wild) mushrooms
Hot green chiles to taste (roughly 1 large jalapeno or 2 serranos), stemmed
1 medium white onion
1 large ripe tomato
2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
3 tablespoons beer, preferably a full-flavored beer like Mexico's Bohemia
8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (you'll have about 2 cups)
About a dozen warm corn or flour tortillas

Directions

1.    Rehydrate the mushrooms.   Scoop the mushrooms into a small bowl, cover with boiling water, weight with a plate to keep the mushrooms submerged and let rehydrate for 20 minutes.  Drain off the liquid, pressing on the mushrooms to remove all the water.  Chop into 1/4-inch pieces.

2.    Prepare the flavorings.  Finely chop the chiles (seed them first if you wish), then chop the onion and tomato into 1/4-inch pieces.  Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the chiles, onion, tomato and mushrooms and cook, stirring nearly constantly, until the onion begins to soften and brown, 7 or 8 minutes.  Add the beer and stir until the liquid has evaporated and the mixture is once again dry looking.

3.    Finish the queso fundido.  Reduce the heat to medium-low, sprinkle the cheese evenly over the vegetables and stir slowly and constantly until just melted - too long over the heat and the cheese will become tough, oily and stringy.  Immediately scoop into a warm serving dish (a small fondue dish with a tea light below is ideal) and serve with warm tortillas for making soft tacos.    

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