Mushrooms

[Chris Hennes]

Inspired by the new banner (hopefully a new society sponsor?) for mushrooms, a quick search revealed a couple of region-specific mushroom topics in Canada and Japan, but strangely, no general mushroom topic in the Cooking forum (though there is a mushroom recipes thread)! As a mushroom lover myself, I think this should be remedied immediately (apologies if I missed it in my searching).

The great thing about living in Pennsylvania has been the wide selection of fresh mushrooms. At Wegmans yesterday there were almost a dozen varieties, including my personal favorite-of-the-moment, the Maitake (also called the "Hen of the Woods" I believe). There must be hundreds of varieties I have never tried.... what are some that I should seek out? What are your favorite mushrooms?

[sygyzy]

I am not a mushroom expert but my favorites, by far, are chantrelles. I also like portabello but it's a distant second.

[Tri2Cook]

I can walk out in the woods here (at the right times of course) and pick morels, chanterelles, lobsters (ok, so it's not technically a mushroom... close enough) and matsutakes so they have become my favorites but I can't say that I've tried a mushroom I didn't like. We also have honey mushrooms but I haven't tried to find out if I'm one of the people who doesn't tolerate them yet. Maybe ths year. After all, what's a little gut-grumbling in the interest of new food experiences?

[sygyzy]

I can walk out in the woods here (at the right times of course) and pick morels, chanterelles, lobsters (ok, so it's not technically a mushroom... close enough) and matsutakes so they have become my favorites but I can't say that I've tried a mushroom I didn't like. We also have honey mushrooms but I haven't tried to find out if I'm one of the people who doesn't tolerate them yet. Maybe ths year. After all, what's a little gut-grumbling in the interest of new food experiences?

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Please send me some chantrelles, stat!

[sanrensho]

I want to live where Tri2Cook lives.

Seriously, though, I enjoy chanterelle, matsutake (pine) and porcini mushrooms among wild-picked varieties.

Among cultured varieties, we eat a lot of shiitake, enoki and hiratake or maitake.

From a price/availability perspective, if I had to pick one mushroom as an everyday cooking variety, I would choose fresh shiitake.

[hummingbirdkiss]

the mushroom in season here is the one that is my favorite....and morels are coming in very soon!!!! I am writhing with th urge to go hunting..for now then they will be my favoites then!

if I can find it and get it on to a plate I am happy

they are my favorite food.s..

mushrooms and cheese alone or together

[Chris Hennes]

the mushroom in season here is the one that is my favorite....and morels are coming in very soon!!!! I am writhing with th urge to go hunting..for now then they will be my favoites then!

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Oh, how could I neglect morels!!! I first had them a few months ago, simply sauteed in butter and a little thyme. Wow. I am jealous of your foraging skills!

[toweringpine]

I don't know what the proper name for them is but... I love fresh Puffballs. If you catch them at the right time they can be as big as a volleyball. Slice them into steak sized slabs, fry 'em up with some butter and garlic, yum yum. I've never seen them in a store and they don't last long in the field but they sure are yummy if you get them at the right time. As soon as they turn a little brown they are no good anymore but when they are pure white all the way through and nice and firm they can't be beat.

[Batard]

I love fresh Puffballs. If you catch them at the right time they can be as big as a volleyball.

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These are the only mushroom I forage, because I happen to find them when I am hiking and they are almost impossible to misidentify. I find maybe 1 or 2 a year. They are delicious and steak-like when cooked, we put them on the grill. They have a firm tofu like texture. The way to check if it is edible is to cut it in half, it should have a solid white interior.

I've always wanted to join a mycology club and learn how to forage for myself, but have not gotten around to it yet. So for now, my chanterelles come from specialty markets like Whole Foods or the Gourmet Garage in NYC.

Edited February 29, 2008 by Batard (log)

[Chris Hennes]

I don't know what the proper name for them is but... I love fresh Puffballs. If you catch them at the right time they can be as big as a volleyball. Slice them into steak sized slabs, fry 'em up with some butter and garlic, yum yum. I've never seen them in a store and they don't last long in the field but they sure are yummy if you get them at the right time. As soon as they turn a little brown they are no good anymore but when they are pure white all the way through and nice and firm they can't be beat.

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Is this the one? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_puffball

[Magictofu]

I love mushroom hunting and tried a few dozens wild species as well as the usual cultivated ones.

I love king oysters... they last long in the fridge and cook to delicious chewy bits in the pan. Texture is key here.

Second would probably be the king bolete if and only if sauteed with a ton of butter... the alchemy between these and butter is unparalleled in the fungi world in my opinion. I do not share the same enthusiasm for other boletes though... but I haven't tried them all

Black trumpets are also on top of my list. These are particularly good with cream, noodles or eggs.

Then Morels and Chanterelles are ahrd to beat, one in the spring the other in the summer (at least around here).

Blewits are also terrific in the pan... and so are a few other species such as the Man on horseback. I have heard very good comments about other tricholoma such as the pine mushroom but never tried them.

The very cute cultivated shemiji mushrooms are quite nice and available in more and more stores.

Enoki mushrooms are also among my favourite... I think its all about texture again here.

I also quite like gypsies but only had them once and my memory is fading.

My girlfriend is crazy about orange milkies... I find them quite good but almost too strong.

My girlfriend also really enjoys shaggy manes but I don't like them as much.

To my surprise, I quite enjoy the cloud ear mushroom (or juda's ear)... they taste almost nothing but they feel like jelly and absorb almost any flavor. I sometimes cook them in a light syrup and serve them for desert.

I like the usual shitake, button mushrooms and its other agaricus family members as well as the oyster mushrooms.

I am really not a big fan of puffballs... I truly hate their smell. I have been told that their taste vary a lot from one specimen to the other so I am willing to try again.

Lobster mushrooms look terific and their crunchiness is weird to say the least but they are a bit insipid, at least to my taste.

I find the taste of aborted entoloma a bit weird and the texture of the aborted form too chewy.

Lets not forget truffles... I only tried black truffle, chinese and oregon truffles. The closest thing to white truffle that I tasted was truffle oil and love it.

I never tried liberty caps but they are also certainly enjoyed by some

[Batard]

I don't know what the proper name for them is but... I love fresh Puffballs. If you catch them at the right time they can be as big as a volleyball. Slice them into steak sized slabs, fry 'em up with some butter and garlic, yum yum. I've never seen them in a store and they don't last long in the field but they sure are yummy if you get them at the right time. As soon as they turn a little brown they are no good anymore but when they are pure white all the way through and nice and firm they can't be beat.

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Is this the one? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_puffball

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That's exactly what they look like. The have no stem or cap.

[Henry dV]

Numero uno has to be the Cep, for real slap in the face flavour.

Next Chanterelles for delicacy.

and don`t forget the Liberty Cap.................only joking

[heidih]

I am currently entranced with oyster mushrooms. I shred them with the grain and saute with butter, garlic and leek. Sometimes cream finishes them. Chanterelles are the only "wild" ones I have access to and I treat myself when I can. Have just started playing with King Oyster mushrooms from the Korean market. Reasonably priced, good shelf life and very hearty. Today they were sampling some from Korea sliced into 1/2 by 1 inch slices and moved around in a pan with a minimal bit of olive oil. They were presented two ways on toothpicks. With a slice of Kirby cucumber, and lightly touched with wasabi out of a tube. The latter were really good. I wish I knew more about the lovely looking ones I see popping up on occasion when I hike, but do not want to take chances.

[rlibkind]

Let's not forget agaricus bisporus. The humble, common white button mushroom, the cremini (baby bella or brown), and the portobello are all agaricus bisporus. It's a versatile mushroom and always available. While I adore morels, chanterelles, pom poms, porcini and just about any other mushroom I can lay my grubby hands on, I can't contemplate a good rib steak without an accompaniment of garlicky sautéed white buttons. Lacking more sophisticated or rare mushrooms, they can always be augmented by some dried boletes (a.k.a. cepes, porcini, etc.) to intensify woody flavor.

One of the most satisfying entrées I've enjoyed at a fine restaurant was a vegetarian plate one spring at L'Étoile in Madison, Wisconsin: morels and asparagus points surrounding a savory flan, all accented by a beurre blanc. It was a perfect evocation of the season.

When it comes to my favorite mushroom, I'll paraphrase the old Yip Harburg lyric from Finian's Rainbow: "When I'm not near the mushroom I love, I love the one I'm near."

[Peter the eater]

What are your favorite mushrooms?

Mmmmmushrooms. . .

I like morels that have been dried and then reconstituted (by me) in a fortified wine, such as a tawny port:

[Chris Hennes]

Let's not forget agaricus bisporus. The humble, common white button mushroom, the cremini (baby bella or brown), and the portobello are all agaricus bisporus.

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White button mushrooms don't do much for me, but I do enjoy creminis, left whole and quickly sauteed in the drippings from a steak, then served atop same.

I'm also a fan of reconstituted dried porcinis for use in things like bolognese---they round out the flavors perfectly. I was tempted to pick up some bluefoot at the Wegmans the other day, but they were a bit pricey.

[hummingbirdkiss]

the mushroom in season here is the one that is my favorite....and morels are coming in very soon!!!! I am writhing with th urge to go hunting..for now then they will be my favoites then!

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Oh, how could I neglect morels!!! I first had them a few months ago, simply sauteed in butter and a little thyme. Wow. I am jealous of your foraging skills!

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there are mushroom hunters in OK!!!

and they have planted pine forrests that may indeed have morels in them ..worth a shot imho!

[mizducky]

There's a whole bunch of everyday go-to mushrooms that I use copiously. This group does include the plain ol' supermarket shrooms (white button, crimini, portobello); when handled properly, even the boring white buttons can be quite tasty. Then there are king oyster or eryngii shrooms--great texture that stands up to long braises; enoki mushrooms--strong contender for the title of "cutest instant garnish in the world"; shiitakes fresh and dried; and other dried Chinese fungi--I love the crunch and texture of dried reconstituted wood ears.

I also love the contrast in texture between the fresh and dried forms of all mushrooms--for instance, how fresh shiitakes become melt-in-your-mouth tender while reconstituted dried shiitakes have a firmer, more meatlike mouthfeel. Dried shiitakes have become a permanent staple in my pantry--they're so versatile and flavorful, I use them in many things besides Asian dishes, basically just about any everyday dish where I need a mushroom-umami hit.

[Darienne]

Just walked into my kitchen and gave a small shriek. Sitting on the counter was this: (12" ruler for size)

[OliverB]

portobello and chanterelle, freshly picked in the Austrian Mountains! Yumm!

There are also tons growing here in NorCal and I'll be out in the woods once the season starts up again, I think around Nov to Feb or something like that. Never had a chance so far, but the kids are now big enough to hike through the wild :-)

[percival]

My vote's for dried shiitake. Essential in every pantry, lasts forever, and so packed with flavor. Nothing beats a shiitake risotto in taste:ease to make ratio.

[Peter the eater]

Just walked into my kitchen and gave a small shriek. Sitting on the counter was this: (12" ruler for size)

Crikey what a fungus. Looks like an unreliable bowling ball. What will you do with it?

[Darienne]

Crikey what a fungus. Looks like an unreliable bowling ball. What will you do with it?

A photo from the top would have been even more dramatic.

What will 'I' do with it? Nada. DH, Ed, says he'll fry it and freeze it. But this morning it is still sitting there.

[kitchensqueen]

What are your favorite mushrooms?

Mmmmmushrooms. . .

I like morels that have been dried and then reconstituted (by me) in a fortified wine, such as a tawny port:

I have to agree with the enthusiasm over morels - they are by far my favorite mushroom. And I love the idea of reconsistuting dry ones in wine - I've got to give that a try soon!