Ingredient Spotlight: Shiitake Mushrooms
One of the most common and easily-acquired Asian mushrooms is the shiitake mushroom. Shiitakes grow on trees in the wild, but are easily cultivated on wood chips or logs, they are available as mushroom growing kits.
Shiitakes are often found in dried form, but fresh shiitakes are readily available year-round. To prepare, fresh shiitakes don’t really need a cleaning since they grow on wood; they aren’t often dirty, but inspect them anyway. The stems are too tough and woody to be eaten, so trim them off, but save them to make mushroom stock with. Dried shiitakes are easily reconstituted after a few minutes of soaking in hot water; they also need the stems trimmed off. The soaking water also makes a good addition to soups.
Shiitakes are very earthy and fragrant, with a flavor that is both sweet and savory. They make a wonderful addition to soups, pastas, casseroles, stews, stir frys, and sauces. Their tender texture has a pleasant mouthfeel.
(Image: Kathryn Hill)