Mushroom Carpaccio with Pecorino Toscano

A few weeks ago, we spent a long weekend in Phoenix with our friends, Alicia and Shazam. The day before we flew out, my May 2009 edition of Gourmet came in the mail, so I threw it in my backpack for something to break up the monotony of the book I was reading. There was a great section on Tuscan inspired recipes and I thought they would be fun to try in Phoenix. After going to Trader Joe's, AJ's, Safeway and LeeLee Market, we had all of the ingredients to create a great dinner. We all took part in the prep and cooking, which is a great way to spend time with friends. Here is one of the recipes we tried out. Alicia and I liked it, Dan and Shazam were not so fond of it. It did make a pretty plate, though.

Mushroom Carpaccio with Pecorino Toscano

1/2 lb. large white mushrooms
1 1/2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1/2 lb. Pecorino Toscano or Parmigiano-Reggiano
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup celery leaves

Slice mushrooms lengthwise as thinly as possible. Spread them out on a large platter and drizzle with lemon juice. Using a vegetable peeler, shave some of the cheese over the top. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with celery leaves.