Mushrooms

True wild mushrooms are a farmers’ market treat; many varieties are now cultivated. Here’s a brief primer on the mushrooms you’re most likely to encounter.

Preparing: You can brush or wipe them clean if you like, but I usually rinse fresh mushrooms as lightly as possible; they absorb water like a sponge if they sit in
it. Either way, make sure you get any dirt out of hidden crevices. It’s easier to trim some mushrooms before cleaning; morels are easiest to clean if you cut them in half lengthwise, but they don’t look as nice afterward. Cut off any hard or dried-out spots, usually just the end of the stem. The stems of most mushrooms are perfectly edible. Clean the stems well, cut them in half if they’re large, like portobello stems, and cook them with the caps.

To reconstitute dried mushrooms, see page 304.

Best cooking methods: sautéing,stir-frying,roast- ing, grilling; raw if marinated

When are they done? When tender, though you can cook them until they’re crisp too.

Other vegetables you can use: mushrooms are largely interchangeable, including reconstituted dried mushrooms. Otherwise there is no substitute.