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Fresh onions taste much better than dried onions, with a rich sweetness that can't survive the drying process. That can sometimes cause problems with recipes that call for dried onions, such as meatloaf or tuna salad. Not to worry. With a little information and a few basic cooking tools, you can easily convert dried onions to fresh onions without harming your recipe's final results.
Eating spoiled food is a major cause of food-borne illness. The common culprits such as milk and meat aren't the only foods that can go bad and make you sick. Though spoilage takes longer, fungus-based foods like mushrooms can go bad, too. With a little information, you can make sure the mushrooms you're eating are fresh and wholesome.
One of the more exotic and treasured mushrooms available to cooks today, the chanterelle mushroom is cherished for its full mushroom flavor and golden coloring. Chanterelles grow both in North America and in a slightly different form in Europe. Since chanterelles are quite expensive and can be difficult to find out of season, you can purchase frozen chanterelles with ease and put them in your favorite dish with little to no trouble, preparing them in much the same way you would fresh chanterelles.
Chanterelle mushrooms, sometimes referred to as golden chanterelle mushrooms, are a fungus just like other varieties of mushrooms. This type of mushroom is edible and can be consumed either raw or cooked. Understanding what makes the chanterelle mushroom special will help you appreciate its taste and texture even more.
While mushrooms can be used to create dyes, coloring the actual fungus itself can provide a delightful look to a variety of recipes, or contribute to a specific season or holiday theme. Usually containing stems, gills, and a cap, the mushrooms can be dyed whole or sliced. Rehydrating dried mushrooms in a liquid with dye is the best method to color them.
Eco-friendly cookbook author and chef Louisa Shafia makes a flavorful marinated veggie burger out of portobello mushroom caps, then cooks it up for summertime flavor. Topped with blue cheese and watercress, this is a burger so good you won't miss the meat.
Wild mushrooms are a glamorous ingredient, purchased at exorbitant prices and showcased in any number of exotic dishes. Ordinary white button mushrooms, widely available and affordable on any budget, are often overlooked in favor of their upscale cousins. Yet white mushrooms are a versatile ingredient that can be used in many ways to add flavor and texture to meals.
Also known as antler mushrooms, clavariaceae, club fungi or doghair mushrooms, coral mushrooms are fungi that can be cooked to add flavor to vegetables or white sauce. Growing naturally in the summer and fall months, coral mushrooms can be found on the ground and among decaying logs in wooded areas. With their long branching stems, these fungi are range in color from tan, yellowish or white hues as well as the rare pink or purple tinged mushrooms.
Chanterelles (Cantharellus cibarius) are wild mushrooms. Various forms can be found in Asia, Europe and North America. In the western United States they can grow quite large -- up to 2 pounds. Their golden flesh, delicate aroma and buttery taste make them a prized ingredient for fine cuisine. The standard way to enjoy chanterelles is to lightly saute them in butter or oil to fully enjoy their subtle natural flavors. You can also add them to sauces, risotto and other recipes with delicious results.
Apples are the ideal food to caramelize in a pan with brown sugar and butter. The sweet sugars of the apple will develop during the cooking process, mix with the sugar and butter and turn into a melt-in-your-mouth topping for any kind of ice cream. A sweeter apple, such as a Fuji or Gala apple, is the best choice for this scrumptious way to cook a classic fruit. Once they have sautéed, the texture of the apples will be soft and delicate.
American shoppers readily recognize the ubiquitous button mushroom, but other varieties have stronger flavors. Typically associated with Asian cuisine, the shiitake mushroom boosts the antioxidant power of a dish; portobello and oyster mushrooms contribute versatility to the mushroom menu. No matter how you prepare them, mushrooms add an earthy, woodsy depth of flavor to main courses, appetizers and side dishes.
Trombetta, which gets it name from its shape, is a trumpet-shaped, Italian summer squash. The light green vegetable is 1 to 2 feet long and is sweet in taste and easy to cook. There are four different ways that you can cook trombetta. You can boil, saute, bake or roast it. No experience is necessary for cooking it, as each recipe is simple enough for a novice to understand. Once you master your preferred method, you can make alterations to suit your tastes.
Freezing is an effective way to preserve foods while keeping the flavor and taste maintained. With just a little preparation and time, you can prepare your mushrooms and then freeze them for use later on in the season. If done properly, the spoiling of bacterial growth can be slowed and possibly stopped. Cooking the mushrooms only takes a few minutes and then they can easily be added to almost any homemade dinner meal or entree.
Baked portabella mushrooms are a delicious and gourmet vegetarian entrée. They can be used to replace lunchmeat on sandwiches and can even be used as hamburger patties for a homemade veggie burger. Portabella mushrooms can be marinated in advance, to infuse them with extra flavor, and then stored in the fridge until you are ready to bake them.
Mushrooms are a fungus that grows above ground. Many different cuisines use mushrooms in dishes because they are widely available in supermarkets. Mushrooms are prepared using a variety of cooking techniques such as steaming, baking, grilling or sautéing. Sautéed mushrooms have a golden brown texture and a slightly crisp exterior. Cooking them over direct heat releases the juices while they become tender in the pan. Serve sautéed mushrooms as a side dish to almost any meal.
Mushrooms are one of the most versatile foods you can find, but there is little that is appetizing about a discolored, old mushroom in your dinner. The most common mushrooms are white mushrooms, but these mushrooms tend to lose their color when exposed to air. There is nothing particularly wrong with a discolored white mushroom, but mastering a few simple tricks can help you keep them looking fresh and bright -- and keep your dinners looking delicious.
Wild mushrooms have been used for thousands of years for sustenance but it is only since the 17th Century that they began to be cultivated. Earthy and rich tasting, the Romans believed that the small fungus were 'food of the gods.' Their meaty flesh is often used to replace or accompany meat in dishes, as their texture is quite similar. A standard way of eating steak is with mushrooms alongside, either whole or sliced. Boiling the mushrooms before serving them retains their flavor and can be added to a variety of sauces before accompanying steak.
Softening mushrooms without losing flavor requires sautéing them with a liquid sauce. Mushrooms absorb the liquid ingredients and soften throughout the cooking process. Soft mushrooms top dishes such as steaks, chicken Marsala and pasta primavera, providing a tender consistency. Add softened mushrooms to soups, stews, sauces, gravies and stuffing mixtures to thicken the texture and to add a savory taste.
Casseroles are hearty one-dish meals that can be prepared and even frozen in advance. Mary Biner, long-time food columnist for The Calgary Herald, calls casseroles "the working woman's joy and salvation." Onions add flavor and body, and complement chicken, red meat and other vegetables. They are usually sauteed in butter or oil first to soften them and mellow their sharp flavor. Mushrooms suitable for casseroles include portabella, crimini, button, oyster and shiitake, each with their own taste and texture. Fresh mushrooms are usually sauteed or roasted first, while canned mushrooms are usually added without pre-cooking.
Wild mushrooms are prized by chefs and home cooks in most of the world for their distinctive flavor and appearance. Chanterelles grow freely across North America and Europe, making them one of the most widely available mushrooms. They have a beautiful golden color, a delicate flavor and an aroma reminiscent of apricots when they are freshly picked. Chanterelles are best eaten fresh. They do not dry well, losing much of their flavor in the process, but may be frozen if you do not wish to eat them immediately.
Mushrooms provide a meaty texture that complements chicken, meat, pasta, rice, risotto, polenta and soup dishes. Mushrooms can be eaten as a side or cooked within a cream-based, wine-based or tomato-based sauce or stock to infuse it with an earthy flavor. Seasoning mushrooms consists of sautéing them in a mixture of extra virgin olive oil or butter and a combination of herbs. This allows mushrooms to gain a tender texture while being infused with complementary flavors.
The meaty textured portabella mushroom requires immediate storage when you bring it home from the market. Unless you're cooking the mushrooms, store them away from sources of moisture and keep them protected to maintain the flavor and prevent spoilage. When you're ready to use the mushrooms, they should still have a fresh taste if used within a few days for any mushroom dish you desire.
Mushrooms are not actually a vegetable, but rather a fungus, which means they do not have roots or leaves and do not grow flowers. There are many varieties of mushrooms, in fact more than 38,000, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . In Ancient Egypt, mushrooms were considered a food of royalty. Nowadays, many people enjoy eating mushrooms. You have many options when cooking mushrooms, however, steaming is simple. You can serve them with any main dish.
Portabella mushrooms are easily distinguishable by their round, brown caps and chewy texture. They have a meaty taste and are sometimes as large as hamburgers. According to mushrooms.com, a portabella mushroom cap contains 22 calories and is an excellent source of riboflavin. Because of the size and durability of portabella mushrooms, they are perfect for grilling.
Portobello mushrooms are thick and large, but cooking the mushrooms makes them tender and more flavorful. Try portobellos as a sidedish, in a salad, or even as the meat in a meatless burger. Cook the mushrooms using a variety of methods such as grilling, baking or sautéing. The mushrooms will fill your kitchen with a sweet and pleasant earthy aroma.
Pleurotus ostreatus, or the Oyster mushroom, is found growing on trees year-round. Oyster mushrooms have look-a-likes sprouting from trunks that can confuse the forager. Fortunately none of the look-a-likes are poisonous, so the best way to distinguish an oyster mushroom is by taste. Back in your kitchen the fresh fungi can be fried or grilled to eat as an appetizer or an side dish.
Portabella mushrooms are a tasty alternative to meat for some vegetarians because they mimic the meaty texture of a steak. You can prepare a fried portabella mushroom that people will enjoy even if they are not vegetarian. Try adding the mushrooms to a salad or pasta sauce, or putting portabella mushrooms on a sandwich with lettuce, avocados, sprouts and onions for a delicious lunch.
Fresh mushrooms add wonderful layers of flavor to many dishes and make hearty additions to sauces, soups, sandwiches, pizzas and many other foods. You can prepare mushrooms in a variety of quick and easy ways. Mushrooms are delicious, but they're also fat-free, cholesterol-free, low in calories and low in sodium while also providing several nutrients, including vitamin D, selenium, riboflavin, niacin and potassium. And to top it off, they're an excellent source of fiber. Enjoy many different types of mushrooms using different preparation methods and benefit from their rich, nutritional content.
Crimini mushrooms are a member of the white mushroom family, but they possess a richer flavor and range from a light tan to brown color. Crimini mushrooms are an ideal addition to hearty dishes such as lamb and beef. It's important to clean your Crimini mushrooms before preparing them. Wash them with water to remove soil, germs and any other contaminants from the growing and storing process. There's no need to scrub the mushrooms or use any additional products.
Crimini mushrooms are dark in color and have a firm texture. The Italian brown mushrooms can be cooked in a variety of ways. The mushrooms are aged longer than the common white button mushrooms. Sauteing the mushroom gives it a crisp and tender taste, and you can cook it with your preferred seasonings to enrich the flavor. The mushrooms are often added to stews and soups because they hold their texture in liquids well.
Mushrooms are a delicious way to add vitamins and anti-oxidants to your diet. Crimini mushrooms, which are darker than the more common button mushrooms, are especially packed with nutrients. Some research has even suggested that eating niacin-rich foods like crimini mushrooms can help prevent Alzheimer's Disease. Some of the most popular ways to cook crimini mushrooms is to saute, grill or roast them.
The portabella, also referred to as portobello, is a cultivated mushroom used widely in vegetarian recipes. It is known for its meaty texture and generous size. The large, flat caps and open gills make these mushrooms excellent candidates for grilling and broiling, as well as for sautes.
Chanterelle mushrooms grow on the ground, not on trees or decaying wood. They are funnel-shaped and range from light yellow to bright orange. These edible mushrooms smell faintly of apricots and are nutty in taste. You can cook chanterelles many different ways, one being in a chicken and potato hash. The next time you find a patch of chantererelle mushrooms, take some home with you and cook them for your next meal. You won't be disappointed with the ease of cooking these edible fungi or their delicious taste.
Enoki mushrooms (also referred to as the velvet shank) are the delicate and tasteful mushrooms that grow on tree trunks, roots and branches mostly found in Japan. They grow in a cluster and have stems that are up to 4 inches tall. Made famous in Asia, the little mushrooms are prominently featured in many Asian dishes. Their aroma is slightly fruity and they taste is mild. To cook enoki mushrooms, you must know how to buy, store and prepare them to retain their flavor.
When selecting portobello mushrooms, make sure they are plump, firm and solid. A nice earthy smell is a good indication of a fresh portobello mushroom. Remember, a slippery mushroom is a sign of decomposition. If you place the portobellos on a plate and cover them with a paper towel, they can keep in the refrigerator for up to six days. Once the portobellos are cooked, they can be stored in the freezer for up to three months.
Learn tips on how to properly trim a portabello mushroom in this free cooking video clip.
Learn how to clean and slice mushrooms for homemade Korean Takkogi with expert cooking tips in this free Korean cuisine video clip.
Learn how to prepare and cook mushrooms to use on your pizza bread from our expert cook in this free recipe video on making pizza bread.
Mushrooms are a great complement to every day meals. Used especially in Asian dishes, the mushroom provides vitamins such as thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, biotin, cobalamins ascorbic acid.
Mushrooms are a delicious addition in many Italian inspired dishes. Mushrooms must have a certain texture and taste for your pizza bread to come out perfectly. Learn how to cook mushrooms for pizza bread and enjoy this savory treat.
Mushrooms, whether the common, cultivated button type or the exotic "wild" mushrooms, are earthy, satisfying delights. When cooking mushrooms, follow two rules: Use high heat and sear them brown.
