MUSHROOM TOAST TAPAS

Steps:

• Prepare the white sauce by melting the butter over a low to medium heat in a saucepan and adding the flour.
• Cook and stir for a few minutes, then add the milk and wine gradually and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened and smooth.
• Season with the salt, pepper, nutmeg (to taste) and cayenne (to taste); although it is recommended to be generous with both the cayenne and nutmeg, it is your choice.
• Remove from the heat and set aside.
• In a skillet, heat the oil until it is very hot; add the mushrooms and saute over high heat for about 2 minutes.
• (I added the dried parsley about 1 minute into the cooking time. If using fresh, wait until the next step.) If the mushrooms give off liquid, cook until it is evaporated before continuing.
• Add the garlic, parsley (if not added before), ham, salt and pepper and turn off the heat.
• Combine with the white sauce, stir in cheese, and mix until smooth and all ingredients are evenly distributed.
• The mixture may be made ahead to this point and refrigerated.
• Toast the bread lightly and cut each slice into two triangles.
• Cover each triangle completely with 1/8 of the mushroom mixture.
• There are a number of ways you can prepare this: Broil until golden, place them face down in 1/2 inch of hot oil to fry, or enclose in puff pastry dough.
• If using puff pastry dough, you will need about 1 pound of pastry; cut the pastry into 3" strips and wrap them around 2 teaspoons of filling.
• Bake at 400 for 8 minutes.
• You can also use the filling for small pastry puff tart shells.