What is it about mushrooms that are so appealing in cooking? I think one either loves what mushrooms can offer in cuisine or not. Mushrooms lend interesting texture and flavor contrasts to foods and dishes. They are low in fat and sport the qualities of protein and fiber. Many Japanese mushrooms such as Mitake and Shitake have long been known for their healing qualities, especially with the lungs.


Most of us are familiar with White Button mushrooms that are easily found in grocery stores. Although they are versatile in cooking they lack some of the flavor and texture that other mushrooms have.


Morel mushrooms can be grown in kits just about anywhere but are native to the mid and northwest regions of the states. More than half of all Morels are found in the upper Great Lakes Region. These are considered a delicacy and can bring a pretty fair price at market This is the time of year you would find Morel pickers in the spring with plenty of rain and just enough warmth to sport their growth.


Chanterelle's are grown mainly from northern Michigan and have a wonderful texture for cooking and should smell somewhat like fresh apricots.


Portobello mushrooms can be found in larger grocery stores or markets that carry a larger selection of produce. Ideally you would always like to purchase the freshest mushrooms possible, so ask your grocer or market when their shipments come in and try to buy accordingly, it’s worth it. Portobello is named after a street in London "Portobello Road" and in Italy Portobello is referred to as "Cappellone" meaning "big hat" because of their shape and appearance.

You will need for these recipes: Melted butter, flour, milk, bread or cracker crumbs.

Olive oil, crabmeat (canned is fine, you can use white or lump crabmeat or lobster if available), cracker or bread crumbs, heavy mayo, feta cheese or shredded mozzarella if you like a lighter flavored cheese, balsamic vinegar.

To prepare Morel mushrooms, you first want to soak them in cold lightly salted water. Morels have lots of small cavities and soaking will remove any grit and firm them for frying. Dry morels before cooking between paper towels. Roll in flour then dip in milk, roll in bread or cracker crumbs and fry in melted butter lightly for about eight minutes, turning as needed. That’s it! They make a yummy side dish with meats and fish. There are other ways to cook Morels but this is the most popular.

To prepare Stuffed Portobello’s

Remove stems after washing. Mix one can of crabmeat with I tablespoon of heavy mayo. Add in 1 tablespoon of feta and 1 tablespoon of shredded mozzarella (I like to use both cheeses) and enough bread or cracker crumbs to hold the mixture together. Put stuffing in Portobello’s and place on a non stick sheet pan a few inches apart. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar (do use balsamic for this recipe, it really makes a difference here) Top mushrooms with a bit of shredded mozzarella. Place in a pre-heated oven at 375 degrees for ten minutes. The tops of your mushrooms should be lightly golden brown. Serve on a bed of greens and drizzle a bit more olive oil and balsamic vinegar on the greens.

Enjoy and Bon Appetite!