Mushroom Primer

Button, Cremini, and Portobello
Cremini, button, and portobello mushrooms are actually very closely related. Cremini looks and tastes much like a button, but is a bit larger with a brown cap. When growth is unchecked, it becomes a portobello with more complex flavor and texture. All three are cultivated and available fresh year round.

Chanterelle
Curved trumpet or vase shaped with a color varying from bright orange to apricot gold, chanterelle is grown around the world. Wonderful simply sautéed with olive oil, the flavor ranges from apricot-like to fruity earthiness. Available fresh during fall and winter, and dried year round.

Enoki
Tiny and dainty, enoki has a creamy white cap on a long slender stem. Their delicate nature and mild, sweet taste with a slightly crunchy texture make them best for using raw in salads, floating on soups, or tossing into a stir fry just before serving. Cultivated and available fresh year round.

Morel
Tan to dark brown conical spongy caps hide a hollow interior that must be rinsed thoroughly before cooking. Intense, earthy flavor complements meat dishes well; however, fresh morels sautéed in butter are heavenly on their own. For now, they are available fresh in spring, and dried year round. Soon, though, they may be available fresh year round as after many, many years of trying, a method of cultivation has finally been achieved!

Oyster
Fan shaped with prominent ridged gills, the color of oyster mushrooms varies in beautiful tones from off-white to pink, yellow or grey brown. They are delicate in flavor, but their appearance makes a strong statement on the plate. Sauté briefly or use in mild dishes complemented by butter, onion, seafood and gentle herbs. Easily cultivated, they are available fresh year round.

Shiitake
Also called Black Forest or Chinese Black mushrooms, they are chocolate brown, with a whimsical umbrella-shaped cap and fibrous, woody stems. Their strong flavor makes them a good all-purpose mushroom and their firm texture can stand up to long cooking. Use in everything from a quick stir fry to a casserole, but be sure to remove their tough, inedible stems first. They are cultivated, so available fresh and dried year round.

Porcini
Also known as Cepes or King Boletes, these range from two to eight inches wide, growing from umbrella-shaped to nearly flat with age. Yellow brown to dark red brown in color, they are smooth, moist, and firm. With a robust, meaty flavor and sturdy texture, use in any recipe requiring a definite mushroom flavor, whether cooked briefly or at length. The liquid from soaking dried porcinis is valuable for soup and sauce making. Available fresh in the fall and dried year round.

Truffles
These elusive stemless treasures are an irregular round shape one to three inches in diameter with a rough surface. They are blackish-brown in color and very firm in texture. Growing completely underground, truffles are very difficult to both cultivate and to find in the wild. Harvesting in the wild requires the assistance of trained truffle-hunting pigs or dogs during a short season. The expense of this operation and the fact that demand far exceeds supply shows up in the cost; however, the flavor is prized by great chefs worldwide and it requires just a small shaving to impart. Often grated finely over egg dishes, truffles are used as well in other mild dishes (such as rice or creamy pasta) where their pungent, unique flavor shines. This intense flavor fades quickly with time yet moves into the medium in which they are stored, creating luscious truffle-scented rice or oil. Available fresh on occasion, you'll more easily find them jarred or in oil.