# Let's talk mushrooms. anything--just bring it!



## vitauta (Jul 6, 2011)

i just plain straight-up love mushrooms.  i love the way they smell - raw, cooked, pickled, growing in the soil, in rotting wood...i love their many different fun shapes and their fine-grained textures.  mostly though, i'm in crazy love with their wonderfully subtle earthy flavors--on their own, and also blending beautifully in with so many other foods.  personally, i'm not about posting mushroom recipes - i don't really have any, i mostly just use, add and adore eating mushrooms.  please share your mushroom recipes here....one more thing. i just heard, again, that raw mushrooms should never be eaten.  is it really never? i love the taste of raw mushrooms and in salads....


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## LPBeier (Jul 6, 2011)

Some wild mushrooms should be eaten raw with caution, but most of the mushrooms we buy are totally fine.  

I have made it no secret that mushrooms are my favourite food group!  I have posted a few recipes in the vegetables forum and may add a few more.


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## Snip 13 (Jul 6, 2011)

I sometimes buy a mix of all the mushrooms I can find fresh, then fry them with garlic and onions, make a cheesy bechemel and layer the mushroom mix with lasagna sheets and bechemel and top with mozza and bake for 40 mins till golden and bubbly. Yum!

Or flavour your rice by adding fried mushrooms with onion and butter.


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## CookingMamaof2 (Jul 6, 2011)

Mushrooms are one of my favorite foods.  They were on my list of foods that I can't live without.    I loved stuffed mushrooms, what they are stuffecd with doesn't matter.  Also, sauteed with garlic and olive oil.  One of hte best things DH and I have cooked over a campfire was sauteed mushrooms.


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## Snip 13 (Jul 6, 2011)

You could also stuff a fillet of beef with mushrooms and mozzarella.


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## kadesma (Jul 6, 2011)

http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f18/one-more-time-mushrooms-tnt-73246.html
This might make you smile This too
kades
http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f7/mushroom-yummies-tnt-72323.html


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## vitauta (Jul 6, 2011)

Snip 13 said:


> I sometimes buy a mix of all the mushrooms I can find fresh, then fry them with garlic and onions, make a cheesy bechemel and layer the mushroom mix with lasagna sheets and bechemel and top with mozza and bake for 40 mins till golden and bubbly. Yum!
> 
> Or flavour your rice by adding fried mushrooms with onion and butter.



anytime mushrooms come together with onions, a very special magic occurs. any time anywhere. magic. period.


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## pacanis (Jul 6, 2011)

vitauta said:


> anytime mushrooms come together with onions, a very special magic occurs. any time anywhere. magic. period.


 
Suatéed in butter with just a touch of soy sauce... magical indeed


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## Rocklobster (Jul 6, 2011)

Creamed, oyster mushrooms on toasted french bread.


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## Craigallen (Jul 6, 2011)

*Mushrooms*

If you live on the East coast you'll find these growing on oak trees between September and November. If you live on the West coast they'll be found on fir trees around the same time of year. They're best taken after a rainy day. The eastern variety is called Laetiporus Sulphureus. The western one is L. Confericola. Both are referred to as Chicken of the Woods and are delicious sauteed in butter. There are no poisonous analogs for this 'shrrom.

Laetiporus sulphureus: The Chicken of the Woods (MushroomExpert.Com)

CA


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## vitauta (Jul 6, 2011)

CookingMamaof2 said:


> Mushrooms are one of my favorite foods.  They were on my list of foods that I can't live without.    I loved stuffed mushrooms, what they are stuffecd with doesn't matter.  Also, sauteed with garlic and olive oil.  One of hte best things DH and I have cooked over a campfire was sauteed mushrooms.



oh yesss!  stuff 'em w/something, shish kabob 'em on the grill, saute 'em all day long, cooking mushrooms over a campfire--pure perfection....


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## kadesma (Jul 6, 2011)

try this:
http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f7/once-again-stuffed-mushrooms-tnt-71139.html
kades


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## vitauta (Jul 6, 2011)

kadesma said:


> http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f18/one-more-time-mushrooms-tnt-73246.html
> This might make you smile This too
> kades
> http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f7/mushroom-yummies-tnt-72323.html




you sure dine fine, kades.


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## kadesma (Jul 6, 2011)

vitauta said:


> you sure dine fine, kades.


Thank you
kades


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## vitauta (Jul 6, 2011)

LPBeier said:


> Some wild mushrooms should be eaten raw with caution, but most of the mushrooms we buy are totally fine.
> 
> I have made it no secret that mushrooms are my favourite food group!  I have posted a few recipes in the vegetables forum and may add a few more.




the warning prohibiting all raw mushroom consumption came most recently from dr. andrew weil, who imo can be rather intense at times, and so perhaps overly strict in some of his assessments. my plan is to indulge in this not-so-healthy practice (eating raw mushrooms) in moderation until further notice....


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## Claire (Jul 6, 2011)

Oh, dear, I guess I'm dead.  I've been eating raw mushrooms for years.  Now, I will say I'm extremely cautious about wild mushrooms.  As a friend who is a forager said to me, there are old mushroomers, there are bold mushroomers, but there are no old, bold mushroomers.  As a general rule, I get my mushrooms from the grocery store and eat them raw/marinaded and/or cooked.  When I can, I get morels.  And, yes, I've been foraging many times in my life, but only with a very trusted guide.


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## LPBeier (Jul 6, 2011)

Claire said:


> Oh, dear, I guess I'm dead.  I've been eating raw mushrooms for years.  Now, I will say I'm extremely cautious about wild mushrooms.  As a friend who is a forager said to me, there are old mushroomers, there are bold mushroomers, but there are no old, bold mushroomers.  As a general rule, I get my mushrooms from the grocery store and eat them raw/marinaded and/or cooked.  When I can, I get morels.  And, yes, I've been foraging many times in my life, but only with a very trusted guide.



Claire, I don't think you have anything to worry about.  I did an assignment on mushrooms for school and if you are cautious about the wild ones (I always cook them) you are totally fine eating the store boughts.


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## vitauta (Jul 6, 2011)

Claire said:


> Oh, dear, I guess I'm dead.  I've been eating raw mushrooms for years.  Now, I will say I'm extremely cautious about wild mushrooms.  As a friend who is a forager said to me, there are old mushroomers, there are bold mushroomers, but there are no old, bold mushroomers.  As a general rule, I get my mushrooms from the grocery store and eat them raw/marinaded and/or cooked.  When I can, I get morels.  And, yes, I've been foraging many times in my life, but only with a very trusted guide.



just once in my life i would like to experience mushroom foraging, maybe even truffle hunting - under carefully controlled conditions.  mushroom gathering yes, skydiving no....


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## CWS4322 (Jul 6, 2011)

When I was young, my father would take us foraging. We collected puffballs, sulphur shelves, and, my favorite, morels. We would collect other mushrooms and do the spore test...I can't remember everything now, but I'm confident I would recognize a morel if I were to see one <g>. I read that morels, oyster mushrooms, and shitakes shouldn't be eaten raw. What's the issue with raw mushrooms? I've eaten raw mushrooms on salads for years, off of veggie trays, etc.


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## vitauta (Jul 6, 2011)

pacanis said:


> Suatéed in butter with just a touch of soy sauce... magical indeed



s'all you need. wedded bliss....


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## Dawgluver (Jul 6, 2011)

Hen of the Woods, only in the Fall.  A friend brought it over, from under a dying oak tree.  It was almost the size of my beagle, and I dried, froze, cooked, and froze some more.  Fantastic texture.


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## vitauta (Jul 6, 2011)

Dawgluver said:


> Hen of the Woods, only in the Fall.  A friend brought it over, from under a dying oak tree.  It was almost the size of my beagle, and I dried, froze, cooked, and froze some more.  Fantastic texture.



that's what i'm talking about - dog sized mushrooms and for free!  did you need to secure it with a leash?


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## Dawgluver (Jul 6, 2011)

vitauta said:
			
		

> that's what i'm talking about - dog sized mushrooms and for free!  did you need to secure it with a leash?



Vit, you have to try it!  Like a steak texture!  Leash didn't fit.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Jul 6, 2011)

If you check these out, you will even find a recipe for Mushroom Ice cream...

http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f123/gcc-mushroom-lpbeier-70772.html

http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f123/gcc-mushroom-princessfiona60-70509.html

http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f123/gcc-mushroom-goodweed-of-the-north-70788.html

http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f123/gcc-mushroom-davesomd-70686.html

http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f123/gcc-mushroom-kathleen-70510.html


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## vitauta (Jul 7, 2011)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> If you check these out, you will even find a recipe for Mushroom Ice cream...
> 
> http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f123/gcc-mushroom-lpbeier-70772.html
> 
> ...



oh wow, you guys. wow. these mushroom entries are spectacular! one after another, they blew me away!  it must have been very difficult to judge this contest.  i couldn't have done it.  i sure would have loved to be there tasting each and every dish though.  that would have been mushroom nirvana right there....


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## tinlizzie (Jul 7, 2011)

This thread brings to mind visiting in-laws in southern Ohio in the 60's - BIL had gathered morels from the woods, and SIL dredged slices in flour with s&p, then fried them.  Absolutely heavenly.  I haven't had them since, but remember well how unique and delicious the flavor was.

Just a couple of years ago, daughter and her boyfriend, who was a chef, gathered wild chanterelles in the woods when we were living in Charlotte NC.  He made a nice sauce with them (while we tried our best to be confident in his shroom knowledge).  

I'm one of the many here who were bowled over by that wonderful gratin recipe.


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## Barbara L (Jul 7, 2011)

I'm drooling just reading this thread!  I love mushrooms! To be honest I have only had wild mushrooms once and I didn't like them, but I think that can be attributed to the fact I was 8 or 9 years old and they were totally different from anything I had tried. As an adult I have not met a mushroom I haven't loved!


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## ChocolateFrosting (Jul 7, 2011)

Everything about mushrooms is amazing!! I love garlic mushroom with a fry up, mushroom soup, mushrooms in or on all italian food, raw mushrooms in salad, stuffed mushrooms... Yu-ummy!!!


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## CWS4322 (Jul 7, 2011)

I am hoping the morel season was good this year in MN. I always manage to find room in my luggage to take a couple of jars of dried morels home from my father's stash...if I can't bring walleye, maybe I can bring morels. I really have to start planning my trips to MN around the time my favorite foods are plentiful...

I investigated buying morel plugs so I could grow them here on the farm...just didn't get around to it this year. Maybe next year, since I finally got the chickens this year, two apricot trees, and more blueberry plants. Other things that have been on my "add to the farm" list. I'm holding firm against a dairy cow...don't think I can handle milking twice/day and figuring out what to do with all that milk. Not to mention all the fencing we'd have to do to have secure pasture areas...and, cows probably like company, so two would be in order...maybe a couple of dairy goats would be a better idea...


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## Zereh (Jul 7, 2011)

vitauta said:


> i just heard, again, that raw mushrooms should never be eaten.  is it really never? i love the taste of raw mushrooms and in salads....



Mushrooms need to be cooked to get any nutritional value from them.


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## CWS4322 (Jul 7, 2011)

Zereh said:


> Mushrooms need to be cooked to get any nutritional value from them.


 Is that the only reason, nutritional value? (I guess I could go to Google U--but I'm on a deadline and need to refocus on tomorrow's deadlines).


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## GrillingFool (Jul 7, 2011)

I can blame my love of mushrooms directly on my party days in college.
HATED the things until one day when I got the munchies, and all that 
was available was a friend's roommate's spaghetti sauce simmering on the stove
He hadn't added the mushrooms yet, so I grudgingly used one to scoop some sauce..
BAM! loved them ever since. So at least one good thing came from all those nights of 
irresponsible youth.....


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## vitauta (Jul 7, 2011)

CWS4322 said:


> I am hoping the morel season was good this year in MN. I always manage to find room in my luggage to take a couple of jars of dried morels home from my father's stash...if I can't bring walleye, maybe I can bring morels. I really have to start planning my trips to MN around the time my favorite foods are plentiful...
> 
> I investigated buying morel plugs so I could grow them here on the farm...just didn't get around to it this year. Maybe next year, since I finally got the chickens this year, two apricot trees, and more blueberry plants. Other things that have been on my "add to the farm" list. I'm holding firm against a dairy cow...don't think I can handle milking twice/day and figuring out what to do with all that milk. Not to mention all the fencing we'd have to do to have secure pasture areas...and, cows probably like company, so two would be in order...maybe a couple of dairy goats would be a better idea...



yes definitely, make plenty of room in your suitcases for those stowaway morels, cws.  how do you cook them?  you think i could grow mushrooms under my bed?


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## Zereh (Jul 7, 2011)

CWS4322 said:


> Is that the only reason, nutritional value? (I guess I could go to Google U--but I'm on a deadline and need to refocus on tomorrow's deadlines).



I'm not even sure, to be honest. 

I heard Aida Mollenkamp say something on her Cooking Channel show about mushrooms needing to be cooked for the nutrients to be absorbed so I did just a little bit of research. Of course she was right! I was just surprised because I had never ever heard that before.

She didn't say not to eat them raw; I have never heard anyone say that it was bad to do so. So that's new to me as well but not anything I've done any reading about.

I will put some raw mushrooms on a salad as well but that's the only place I ever use them.


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## vitauta (Jul 7, 2011)

GrillingFool said:


> I can blame my love of mushrooms directly on my party days in college.
> HATED the things until one day when I got the munchies, and all that
> was available was a friend's roommate's spaghetti sauce simmering on the stove
> He hadn't added the mushrooms yet, so I grudgingly used one to scoop some sauce..
> ...



you mean give CREDIT for your love of mushrooms on your party days in college, don't you gf?  cherished memories and a life that has mushrooms in it - i'd say college wasn't wasted on you, gf....


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## LPBeier (Jul 7, 2011)

tinlizzie said:


> This thread brings to mind visiting in-laws in southern Ohio in the 60's - BIL had gathered morels from the woods, and SIL dredged slices in flour with s&p, then fried them.  Absolutely heavenly.  I haven't had them since, but remember well how unique and delicious the flavor was.
> 
> Just a couple of years ago, daughter and her boyfriend, who was a chef, gathered wild chanterelles in the woods when we were living in Charlotte NC.  He made a nice sauce with them (while we tried our best to be confident in his shroom knowledge).
> 
> I'm one of the many here who were bowled over by that wonderful gratin recipe.


Awww, thanks, TL!  I am absolutely amazed how that one has gone over....it was so simple. 

I love morels and chanterelles!


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## CWS4322 (Jul 7, 2011)

vitauta said:


> yes definitely, make plenty of room in your suitcases for those stowaway morels, cws. how do you cook them? you think i could grow mushrooms under my bed?


 Because the morels are dried, I rehydrate them and add them to things--roast beef, beef stew, stroganoff, wild rice. I mostly add them to things that are beef-based. Except the wild rice. They add a "meaty" flavor. I did like to nibble on them dried, but then read one was never supposed to do that...I didn't die. 

Bringing back walleye and morels is why I'm debating driving--or taking Amtrak from NY. I always used to drive, but now that my "canine shotgun" passenger is no longer with me, I don't have that excuse. Another reason I drove was the 2 days on the road let me get ready for the emotional roller coaster and decompress from the same on the way home. And, I got to listen to some great audio books. 

I usually bring an over-sized suitcase and bring the minimum of clothes--I can do laundry there. It is the shoes that kill me. And the computer. I have to bring my notebook(s) so I can work and stay connected. That's a pain.


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## sparrowgrass (Jul 8, 2011)

I took an Extension class this spring where we made our own shiitake log.  It takes a year for the plugs to grow into the log enough to make mushrooms, but it is a simple process.

I am a mushroom hunter--I love oyster mushrooms in particular, and much prefer them to morels.  They are very easy to find, they grow only on wood, and there is nothing dangerous to confuse them with.  

I have half a dozen mushroom ID books, and I use them all when I find a new species.  And 99.9% sure of ID is not good enough--those get tossed. Most mushrooms won't kill you, but some will, and some will just make you wish you were dead--liver and kidney damage is not worth it!!


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## Bolas De Fraile (Jul 9, 2011)

I love mushrooms, in Europe chemist shops in the mushroom picking area's will give you a free poster of the one's that kill you


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## vitauta (Jul 10, 2011)

i just came across a container of dried wild mushrooms that is stamped "best used by 7-01-2011."  oops.  mushrooms expiring in my house? how did that happen?  i must have been saving them for a too-good-for-this-world occasion that never materialized.  and what is with these best used by dates anyway?  are these mushrooms still good, but not as good as they were before the first of july? i will find out soon enough.  if i remember right, the rehydrating liquid will provide me with a rich, mushroomy broth that should be nice even if not "best" in my (sale) beef pot roast....i think i thought these mushrooms would be good forever when i bought them....


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## CWS4322 (Jul 10, 2011)

Darn--I just got off the phone with my dad to firm up my travel plans...once again, I forgot to ask about the Morel harvest!


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## kadesma (Jul 11, 2011)

vitauta said:


> i just came across a container of dried wild mushrooms that is stamped "best used by 7-01-2011."  oops.  mushrooms expiring in my house? how did that happen?  i must have been saving them for a too-good-for-this-world occasion that never materialized.  and what is with these best used by dates anyway?  are these mushrooms still good, but not as good as they were before the first of july? i will find out soon enough.  if i remember right, the rehydrating liquid will provide me with a rich, mushroomy broth that should be nice even if not "best" in my (sale) beef pot roast....i think i thought these mushrooms would be good forever when i bought them....


My m-i-l- kept dried mushrooms in a coffee can laced with peppercorns to discourage bugs for ever. The storing never hurt them and the broth was always poured throug  clean cloth to catch the grit and then the broth was used to  improve the taste of the gravy. It also made the gravy a rich brown color instead of red. Good gravy it was wonderful and I still keep mushrooms like ths to this day.
kadesma


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## purple.alien.giraffe (Jul 11, 2011)

I love mushrooms cooked with green onions, a little black pepper and a little sour cream. I also love them cooked with fresh green beans and sliced onion. And the large portabella caps are amazing stuffed with a mix of cream cheese, scallops and garlic and then topped with a little asiago or parmesan. Tasty stuff. Pretty much anything mushroom I've tried I really liked. Although, I found out that with some varieties, there is such a thing as too many mushrooms. I once made a hot and sour soup with dried wood ear mushrooms and added a few too many strips. It was a little overwhelming and really bitter. Little bit of wood ear, really good. Too much wood ear, bleh.


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## vitauta (Jul 13, 2011)

i accidentally left a tube of crescent rolls out on the counter and it split open, leaving me with one solid log of bread dough.  i cut it into sections (8-10) spooned a mushroom mixture into the center of each "roll" and baked up a batch of hors d'oeuvres for a phenomenal brunch treat i will soon be repeating--intentionally.  the mushroom mix is one i like to keep on hand for omelets, pastas, gravies, soups, etc.  (i simply saute together about 6 ozs. mushrooms together with an onion in butter)  this will keep beautifully, refrigerated, for a week or longer--how much longer i don't know coz in my house it gets used up quickly....


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## purple.alien.giraffe (Jul 13, 2011)

Oh, that sounds good! Something else I'm going to have to try.


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## spage424 (Jul 13, 2011)

Try portobello mushroom pizza. Take a portobello mushroom cap and brush a little bit of olive oil on both sides. Then heat it in the oven for about 30 minutes. Afterwards put some tomato sauce on it with mozzarella cheese and pepperoni to top it. Then place it back in the oven until the cheese melts. It is a delicious meal for any mushroom lover.


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## CharlieD (Jul 13, 2011)

vitauta said:


> i just came across a container of dried wild mushrooms that is stamped "best used by 7-01-2011." ....


 
Best used doesn't mean that they are bad now. I have had dry mushrooms for years. They do not have as much flavor, but otherwise are perfectly fine.


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## Claire (Jul 13, 2011)

Yeah, there are just so many things nowadays that are sort of prohibited.  If they were all going to kill me, I'm dead a dozen times over.  I'm not foolish, but I'm 56, which generally means I'm too old to die young, especially not from food.  There are a few things I do that I'm not sure I'd recommend to others (for example I love raw beef; I don't serve carpaccio or tartare to others, but happily eat it myself).  But I don't worry about the mushrooms I do eat, although I'm selective in who wants to sell me foraged mushrooms and even herbs.


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## vitauta (Jul 14, 2011)

purple.alien.giraffe said:


> I love mushrooms cooked with green onions, a little black pepper and a little sour cream. I also love them cooked with fresh green beans and sliced onion. And the large portabella caps are amazing stuffed with a mix of cream cheese, scallops and garlic and then topped with a little asiago or parmesan. Tasty stuff. Pretty much anything mushroom I've tried I really liked. Although, I found out that with some varieties, there is such a thing as too many mushrooms. I once made a hot and sour soup with dried wood ear mushrooms and added a few too many strips. It was a little overwhelming and really bitter. Little bit of wood ear, really good. Too much wood ear, bleh.



your and spage424's ideas for stuffing portabellas are on my short list!  anything mushrooms make that list. let the rest wait....


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## CharlieD (Jul 14, 2011)

purple.alien.giraffe said:


> ... I once made a hot and sour soup with dried wood ear mushrooms...


 
Care to share your hot and sour soup recipe, please?


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## justplainbill (Jul 14, 2011)

CharlieD said:


> Care to share your hot and sour soup recipe, please?


You can make with vinegar or sour kraut juice, hot red peppers, mushrooms, strained mushroom soaking water and chicken broth and garnish with scallions.  If you want to get fancy, you can add some tiger lily buds.  If you want it to stick to your ribs, you can add egg barley.


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## Robo410 (Jul 14, 2011)

I live in mushroom country..Chester County PA.  I can buy right from the "farm" 7 days a week. Love making a mushroom bread pudding, sort of baked stuffing for steaks chops etc. so good. recently have fallen in love with King Oyster or King Eringi mushrooms.  Large dense, slice and saute in olive oil s and p...you'd think you had them in pure butter. add shallots and make toast!


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## justplainbill (Jul 15, 2011)

papinki?


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## purple.alien.giraffe (Jul 15, 2011)

CharlieD said:


> Care to share your hot and sour soup recipe, please?



I don't have exact measurments (I really need to get better about that) but I can tell you what I put in it. It's actually a really simple and basic soup. I start with chicken broth, about half a pot full. Like, sauce pot, not stock pot. I add some fresh ginger, maybe two teaspoons, minced extremely fine, about two teaspoons of low sodium soy sauce and about a teaspoon of sriracha chili sauce. I add the dried would ear mushrooms, I'd say start with about a half cup and add more from there to taste. I didn't bother to rehydrate them, I let the soup do it and that works out well. I also add a can of bamboo shoots and some thin sliced onion, about half a small one. I bring it up to a boil add one or two teaspoons white or cider vinegar (depending on my mood) and then cover and reduce to a simmer. It cooks 10-15 minutes. I taste the soup as I go and adjust it to fit what I'm looking for since sometimes I like it hotter or with more ginger or soy sauce. I usually serve it with sliced green onions or chives.


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## spork (Jul 15, 2011)

Shroom!  The variety is remarkable; that each tastes different is magical.  I like getting stuck on just one for a stretch, experimenting with it.  Right now, it's giant abalone mushrooms.  From its cooked shape, color and texture, it's aptly named.  Fun stuff.


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## spork (Jul 15, 2011)

What mushrooms do you NOT like?

I might pass on enoki.  It's a bit like eating a spaghetti bowl of rubbery dental floss.


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## vitauta (Jul 15, 2011)

spork said:


> What mushrooms do you NOT like?
> 
> I might pass on enoki.  It's a bit like eating a spaghetti bowl of rubbery dental floss.



so far, only the ones that are poisonous.


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## Zhizara (Jul 15, 2011)

The ones I don't like are canned.  Rubbery, and tasteless.


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## justplainbill (Jul 15, 2011)

Shrooms that are so permeated with sand that they defy cleaning.


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## ChefJune (Jul 15, 2011)

Mushrooms are marvelous. They make almost any food better, from bread to steak, to fish, to (fill in the blank)!

My favorite "cheffy" tip for mushrooms:  When the recipe calls for "wild" mushrooms and all you can find is the white button kind (or even -- sadly -- canned ones) while you are sauteeing them, (be sure to use lots of real butter) squirt a little lemon juice on them to freshen up their flavor. Then just before they're finished, toss in a handful of finely chopped flat leaf parsley.  Amazing the transformation.  As I said, it even works with canned mushies.  Rinse them well (to help remove the "can" taste) and dry well. Then slice and proceed as for fresh.


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## buckytom (Jul 15, 2011)

vitauta said:


> so far, only the ones that are poisonous.





and even they taste good, before they kill you.

two of my favourite things to make with mushrooms in the summertime are shish kebabs with beer soaked (overnight is best) white button shrooms on the skewer, and  grilled portabellas filled with melted gorgonzola and minced garlic.


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## ChefJune (Jul 15, 2011)

> grilled portabellas filled with melted gorgonzola and minced garlic


 
mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm


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## justplainbill (Jul 15, 2011)

Chanterelles (pfifferling) are great as long as you do not overcook them.


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## Snip 13 (Jul 15, 2011)

I love raw mushrooms and so does my daughter, when I make a mushroom dish I buy 2 punnets. One to eat for us and one to cook with, otherwise we end up with hardly any left..lol! Mushroom pate is good too


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## PrincessFiona60 (Jul 16, 2011)

ChefJune said:


> Mushrooms are marvelous. They make almost any food better, from bread to steak, to fish, to (fill in the blank)!
> 
> My favorite "cheffy" tip for mushrooms:  When the recipe calls for "wild" mushrooms and all you can find is the white button kind (or even -- sadly -- canned ones) while you are sauteeing them, (be sure to use lots of real butter) squirt a little lemon juice on them to freshen up their flavor. Then just before they're finished, toss in a handful of finely chopped flat leaf parsley.  Amazing the transformation.  As I said, it even works with canned mushies.  Rinse them well (to help remove the "can" taste) and dry well. Then slice and proceed as for fresh.



Thank you for this tip ChefJune, I have a jar of straw mushrooms and a jar of oyster mushrooms...they both taste like the brine they are packed in.  I will try your fix!


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## purple.alien.giraffe (Jul 16, 2011)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> Thank you for this tip ChefJune, I have a jar of straw mushrooms and a jar of oyster mushrooms...they both taste like the brine they are packed in.  I will try your fix!



It also helps after rinsing and drying them to dry fry them in a non-stick skillet for a few minutes before add the butter and seasonings. It helps get out some of the excess moisture and improves the texture a little. @ChefJune, I haven't tried using the lemon and parsley, it sounds like something I should try. Thanks for the tip.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Jul 16, 2011)

purple.alien.giraffe said:


> It also helps after rinsing and drying them to dry fry them in a non-stick skillet for a few minutes before add the butter and seasonings. It helps get out some of the excess moisture and improves the texture a little. @ChefJune, I haven't tried using the lemon and parsley, it sounds like something I should try. Thanks for the tip.



Thanks, I didn't like the flavor (chemical, astringent), but have been too stingy to just toss them out.


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## vitauta (Jul 18, 2011)

did you know truffles are considered to be an aphrodisiac, just like oysters and artichokes?  what kind of a specialty dish would you create, given a $500 truffle (the size of a baby pillow)?  this was the challenge on masterchef tonight.  timothy, i'll have a truffle dream to report on for your "what did you dream last night" thread tomorrow.  it should make a nice companion piece for your sushi dream....


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## PrincessFiona60 (Jul 18, 2011)

$500 worth of truffle...that's more people than I want on my aphrodisiac date night...but for Shrek and I, slightly burned Truffle Tapioca pudding.

I had some White Truffle Balsamic vinegar today...I wanted to reduce it to syrup and pour on French Vanilla ice cream.


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## ChefJune (Jul 19, 2011)

mmmmmmmmm  truffles!  I have some truffle honey. It's really good drizzled on hot biscuits.


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## Snip 13 (Jul 19, 2011)

I've never had truffles in any way shape or form  Must try and find some! Can't die without ever tasting truffles, that would just be sad!


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## purple.alien.giraffe (Jul 19, 2011)

I've only ever had truffle oil and truffle salt. It was tasty though.


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## ChefJune (Jul 19, 2011)

Truffle butter is not too pricy, and is a great way to get an even better flavor of the truffles than the oil or salt.  Try frying eggs or potatoes with the truffle butter. Truly decadent.


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## purple.alien.giraffe (Jul 19, 2011)

I will have to look for that. Thank you!


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## CWS4322 (Jul 19, 2011)

I've only had truffles once--they were heavenly! I guess I can die happy--I do like the truffle salt I picked up in Chicago...the truffle oil is also good, but I like the salt better.


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## Snip 13 (Jul 20, 2011)

I have never seen truffle oil, butter or salt here but I might find it at the market. Should go look, thanks for the ideas


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## vitauta (Jul 20, 2011)

Snip 13 said:


> I have never seen truffle oil, butter or salt here but I might find it at the market. Should go look, thanks for the ideas



i would skip the oil and go for the butter, salt or paste, snip.  they are all available online.


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## Snip 13 (Jul 20, 2011)

vitauta said:


> i would skip the oil and go for the butter, salt or paste, snip.  they are all available online.



Thanks  Don't laugh, I must be the only person on the planet that doesn't own a credit card (I hate debt). Can I buy online with a debit card (visa) ?


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## CWS4322 (Jul 20, 2011)

Snip 13--you can buy prepaid visa cards. This is what I use for online buying. I only have one credit card--it is for emergency travel or veterinary care. I like cash.


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## Zhizara (Jul 20, 2011)

Snip 13 said:


> Thanks  Don't laugh, I must be the only person on the planet that doesn't own a credit card (I hate debt). Can I buy online with a debit card (visa) ?



You definitely can use a debit card.  I do it all the time.  I rarely use cash and _never_ use a credit card.  I love just swiping my card at the store.  Much easier.


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## Snip 13 (Jul 20, 2011)

CWS4322 said:


> Snip 13--you can buy prepaid visa cards. This is what I use for online buying. I only have one credit card--it is for emergency travel or veterinary care. I like cash.



Thanks for the info  My bank card is Visa so it should work then too!


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## vitauta (Jul 26, 2011)

have you heard about the $80 hot dog they're selling in massachusetts?  it's a 1/2 lb. beef wiener coated with truffle oil, dusted with ground-up porcini mushrooms, and topped with white truffle shavings.  there's also some caviar and a specialty bread involved.  would you buy one of these dogs?  i think i might go halvesies....


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## buckytom (Jul 26, 2011)

caviar and truffles on a hot dog?

that's worse than lipstick on a pig!

earthy, fishy/salty, and the spice of a hot dog? yuk!!!


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## vitauta (Jul 26, 2011)

buckytom said:


> caviar and truffles on a hot dog?
> 
> that's worse than lipstick on a pig!
> 
> earthy, fishy/salty, and the spice of a hot dog? yuk!!!




did i forget to mention that the wiener is nestled in a bed of lima beans?


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## joesfolk (Jul 26, 2011)

I used to use this recipe often many years ago when i felt it ws great diet food. I actually adapeted it from a simple dish served at a restaurant where I worked about a million years ago.

1 slice dry toast
1 sliced green onion
4 ounces of cooked mushrooms
1 slice of your favorite cheese
Place onions, mushrooms and then cheese on top of the toast and broil until cheese is melted and until the cheese just begins to brown. Serve hot.
Like I said very simple but it makes a really yummy lunch.

Oh my gosh, it just occurs to me how much better this would be if the mushrooms were marinated in wine!!!


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## vitauta (Jul 26, 2011)

joesfolk said:


> I used to use this recipe often many years ago when i felt it ws great diet food. I actually adapeted it from a simple dish served at a restaurant where I worked about a million years ago.
> 
> 1 slice dry toast
> 1 sliced green onion
> ...



easy-breezy yummy sounding open-faced sandwich, thanks!


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## Claire (Jul 26, 2011)

One thing I've always wanted to do (but haven't had a lucky friend who had extras in a few years) was stuff a morel.  They are so dirty and buggy that I usually slice in half to clean, then semi-dehydrate and freeze.  But that hollow stem and crown just cry out for stuffing, if I could figure a good way to clean them first.

Foraging is such fun if you have a good guide (I'd never do it on my own ... wild mushrooms are expensive and people have been known to shoot to protect what they consider their fields, not to mention the poisoning possibilities).  But I did it the first time as a little girl with Opa (he wasn't really my own grandfather  but a friend of my parents' father) in Germany, then with a group of young men here.  I do remember Opa's first lesson:  Those beautiful red-with-white-polka-dots fairy-tale mushrooms are deadly!


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## vitauta (Jul 26, 2011)

i'll bet cws will swing by here with some good morel ideas for us, and some on mushroom foraging as well--she's our resident expert on morels r us, and much more.


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## Claire (Jul 26, 2011)

tonight's dinner will be a stir-fry (using up leftover poke and shrimp from the weekend), and I just love reconstituted tree ears for their crunch!


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## vitauta (Jul 27, 2011)

please help me do justice to this pile of fresh oyster mushrooms i brought home.  i am just now hearing about the seafood characteristics of this remarkable mushroom, in taste and smell as well as in its recognizable oyster shape.  does anyone have a recipe that would utilize and showcase these mushrooms without the use of too many unfamiliar ingredients?  the simpler the recipe the better.  wow, these are really some beautiful, whitish and delicately textured, mushrooms.  they may become a favorite if i learn to use them well.  thank you.


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## vitauta (Jul 30, 2011)

...so, here's how i used (massacred) my beautiful clusters of oyster mushrooms:  incidentally, the texture is sublime and it is a joy just cutting them up.  i sauted together with onion, rough cuts of mushrooms, then added them to a pot of chicken thighs that i had already bubbling in a stew pot with cream of mushroom soup, chicken broth, and zinfandel.  new potatoes, carrot discs and white parts of green onions joined the mushrooms and bubbled happily away for a while.  meanwhile, in a separate pot, i boiled some panni potato dumplings.  boy, are they nice...when my stew was ready, i added some of the dumplings and cuts of green onion and dill in to the pot.  another shot of wine, and done!  wow, this may have been a poor use of those lovely oyster mushrooms, but i've never had such incrediblly rich, creamy, mushroomy flavored chicken stew in my kitchen before.  the gluey, sticky, starchy little dumplings added a new dimension of texture and flavor to this humble comfort dish, too.  i'd still like to hear from you with ideas or recipes for oyster mushrooms. momentarily, at least, they are my favorite mushrooms. (i had a separate little pile of them on my plate with the stew--soft, chewy, earthy, delightful!)  i will definitely buy these guys again when i see them on sale.  hopefully, i'll have a recipe worthier of them next time--hint, hint....


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## vitauta (Aug 7, 2011)

lp, your mushrooms gratin has become my go to dish when i have some fresh mushrooms i need to cook up quick and good.  the ingredients are always on hand ('cept i used provolone today--fine) and this gooey yummy dish keeps well, plus it makes a great little side that goes w/most everything....


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