
To rehydrate porcini mushrooms, heat 1 cup water to boiling. Add the mushrooms to the water and let soak about 20 minutes, or until softened. Drain off the water and rinse the mushrooms well in a strainer to remove any dirt. Chop the mushrooms before using. If you would like to keep the soaking water to use in another dish, pour it through a coffee filter to remove any dirt. It can be stored in the refrigerator in a container for 3 days. It would have been easy to opt for the same wine that was used in the dish, and that would have been a good decision. Instead, we chose a bigger bolder wine, to see if the dish would stand up to it. It did. 2010, Molly Dooker, "The Boxer" (Shiraz, Australia) When the Boxer first hit the stores five or six years back nobody knew about it, and they were relatively inexpensive. We saw at least twenty pallets of Molly Dookers at a huge Chicago store their second year of release. But as time passes and profits must rise, this became a $30.00 bottle, which is competitive, but certainly not the $19.99 it used to be. So In the past when we'd get cases, now we'll buy a bottle or two for old time's sake. The Boxer is big, big, big, so open it early and give it air before drinking. An hour or two is not out of the question. In the old days it was a bit more finesse-ey, now it's just BIG. Because it's a high alcohol wine, it has a soft texture and a bit of a palate burn on the finish. This year's Boxer was like being dunked in a kiddy pool of black cherry goodness and held under until the moment you run out of breath. And then dunked again six times in a row. The wine wrested for domination of the dish, the alcohol cutting through the savory seitan and then being saturated and complemented by the rich thickness of the bourguignon's flavors. Back and forth, twenty rounds, and in the end we were the only ones left standing.