Much Ado about Mushrooms(cont'd)Saturday, September 24, 2005
CHANTERELLE - The large trumpet-shaped chanterelles usually come with ruffled golden-yellow caps, although there is also a French variety of this mushroom that is black. Depending on where they’re grown, chanterelles can vary in flavor anywhere from earthy to nutty to fruity.
ENOKI - Native to Japan, the enoki mushroom is a sprout-like mushroom with tiny caps topping a long, thin stem. Found mainly in Asian cooking, enoki mushrooms are a very mild, slightly sweet tasting mushroom that is quite fragile and is most often enjoyed raw or lightly cooked.
PORCINI - Ranging in size from 1 to 10 inches across, porcini mushrooms are the Italian version of the cepe, a variety of French mushroom. These mushrooms feature a brown cap, and a spongy surface where the gills normally would be. In the U.S., porcini mushrooms are grown in the Northwest (Washington and Oregon) and are rather expensive, although highly sought after for their extraordinary taste.
PORTOBELLO - Native to Italy, the portobello is actually the full-grown version of a cremini mushroom, ranging in diameter from 4 to 5 inches across. This full-flavored, meaty mushroom has dark brown-black gills. Portobello caps are often sold alone for grilling and make an especially tasty vegetarian burger.
SHIITAKE - Dark brown-black and umbrella-shaped, shiitake mushrooms are a very meaty-tasting mushroom widely found throughout Asian cooking. Shiitake mushrooms are especially prized for the fact that they contain all eight essential amino acids (protein building-blocks), a feat which many other foods cannot match.
Much Ado about Mushrooms(cont'd)Saturday, September 24, 2005
TRUFFLE - Truffles, not the rich, chocolate variety, are a much sought-after, very expensive variety of mushrooms. Topping $400 a pound, truffles are either white or black, and actually grow completely underground, beneath the roots of oak trees. This variety of mushroom is rich in iron and potassium.
Selection, Storage & Cooking
When choosing mushrooms, you can either select canned, dried or fresh. Fresh young mushrooms will have closed gills, while older mushrooms will have gills in full view. Choose mushrooms that feel firm to the touch, have unbroken skin, and are not slimy or rancid smelling. Once you have your mushrooms home, they can either be stored in the refrigerator in a loose paper bag or original packaging for up to three days. When you’re ready to start cooking, do not wash your mushrooms. Mushrooms are extremely absorbent and will soak up any moisture, making them slimy and quite unappetizing. Instead, dampen a paper towel or kitchen towel and wipe the caps clean of any dirt right before use.
CHANTERELLE - The large trumpet-shaped chanterelles usually come with ruffled golden-yellow caps, although there is also a French variety of this mushroom that is black. Depending on where they’re grown, chanterelles can vary in flavor anywhere from earthy to nutty to fruity.
ENOKI - Native to Japan, the enoki mushroom is a sprout-like mushroom with tiny caps topping a long, thin stem. Found mainly in Asian cooking, enoki mushrooms are a very mild, slightly sweet tasting mushroom that is quite fragile and is most often enjoyed raw or lightly cooked.
PORCINI - Ranging in size from 1 to 10 inches across, porcini mushrooms are the Italian version of the cepe, a variety of French mushroom. These mushrooms feature a brown cap, and a spongy surface where the gills normally would be. In the U.S., porcini mushrooms are grown in the Northwest (Washington and Oregon) and are rather expensive, although highly sought after for their extraordinary taste.
PORTOBELLO - Native to Italy, the portobello is actually the full-grown version of a cremini mushroom, ranging in diameter from 4 to 5 inches across. This full-flavored, meaty mushroom has dark brown-black gills. Portobello caps are often sold alone for grilling and make an especially tasty vegetarian burger.
SHIITAKE - Dark brown-black and umbrella-shaped, shiitake mushrooms are a very meaty-tasting mushroom widely found throughout Asian cooking. Shiitake mushrooms are especially prized for the fact that they contain all eight essential amino acids (protein building-blocks), a feat which many other foods cannot match.
Much Ado about Mushrooms(cont'd)Saturday, September 24, 2005
TRUFFLE - Truffles, not the rich, chocolate variety, are a much sought-after, very expensive variety of mushrooms. Topping $400 a pound, truffles are either white or black, and actually grow completely underground, beneath the roots of oak trees. This variety of mushroom is rich in iron and potassium.
Selection, Storage & Cooking
When choosing mushrooms, you can either select canned, dried or fresh. Fresh young mushrooms will have closed gills, while older mushrooms will have gills in full view. Choose mushrooms that feel firm to the touch, have unbroken skin, and are not slimy or rancid smelling. Once you have your mushrooms home, they can either be stored in the refrigerator in a loose paper bag or original packaging for up to three days. When you’re ready to start cooking, do not wash your mushrooms. Mushrooms are extremely absorbent and will soak up any moisture, making them slimy and quite unappetizing. Instead, dampen a paper towel or kitchen towel and wipe the caps clean of any dirt right before use.
posted by Katherine | 12:13 PM
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