Porcini Mushrooms, Cepes (Grade B)

An edible mushroom that originated in Western Europe and then spread out through Eastern Europe and South America. They grow under the dark and damp shade of conifer and hardwood forests where they bulk up their fat bottoms and spongy caps (which are porous instead of having gills like most mushrooms). The bolete grows chubby and large; so much so it is often considered the King of the Mushrooms. In fact, some boletes can grow to be 18 inches tall and more than a foot in diameter. The taste of an edible bolete mushroom is hit or miss. Dried, the bolete reeks of dark soy sauce and Chinese black vinegar. When reconstituted the flavor is far more mellow with a slight fermented hint. This European mushroom is popular served with a runny egg, tucked into pasta dishes, and stirred into risotto. A more modern twist is to grind them into powder in a food processor, mix it with salt and black pepper, and use the mixture as a rub for beef.

Only about 20 years ago the Portabella mushroom was barely known to Americans. It was a throwaway food for lower income homes and hippy-dippy vegans that the populous-at-large had no interest in. Then, like the ox tail before it, restaurateurs and chefs rediscovered that this cheap ingredient had a lot of flavor and the potential for ethereally meaty (and vegan-friendly, as it was the 90’s) dishes with a high profit margin were too good to ignore. Now a cheap Portabella is hard to find. Unless, of course, you go dried. The large cap mushroom actually contains more flavor in its dried form, and reconstituted it keeps its meaty texture and flavor. The broth is equally excellent for cooking wild rice or using in soups.

Dating back thousands of years the dried shiitake has been used in medicine and cooking throughout Eastern Asia. The mushroom was often ground up or used in teas and prescribed for respiratory infections, to improve blood circulation, and to prevent aging. The fact that it tasted so otherworldly that it was thought to be a gift from the gods made it a medicine that many were happy to take.

The shiitake is a mushroom that is always preferred dried over fresh. Dried and reconstituted, the mushroom has a far more intense flavor and the broth can be used for deglazing pans and adding to soup stocks. The woody stems are often discarded before drying as they’re usually inedible. The flavor is incredibly savory and umami-centric with hints of beef.

These shredded Wood Ear mushrooms look like destroyed confidential files from a government office rather than food. Perhaps under all that black you might find some undisclosed secret kept hidden from the public. But no, these are mushrooms. Hydrated, these delicate strings of finely sliced Wood Ear mushroom become brown and crunchy with a forest-y flavor. Many chefs have begun to treat shredded Wood Ear like a pasta as instead of a mushroom. Add them to cold soba dishes, or tangle together with fettuccini and slather in an alfredo sauce for an East-meets-West dish. We like to add them into a chicken soup for their antiviral properties. Curious in texture, intriguing in flavor, and with a contemporary appearance this mushroom is perfect for the hip home cook.