594 MUSHROOMS, EDIBLE AND OTHERWISE 



HOW TO COOK MUSHROOMS. To the true epicure there are but four 

 ways of cooking mushrooms broiling, roasting, frying them in sweet butter and 

 stewing them in cream. 



In preparing fresh mushrooms for cooking, wash them as little as possible, 

 as washing robs them of their delicate flavor. Always bear in mind that the 

 more simply mushrooms are cooked the better they are. Like all delicately 

 flavored foods, they are spoiled by the addition of strongly flavored condiments. 



Broiled Mushrooms. Select fine, large flat mushrooms, and be sure that 

 they are fresh. If they are dusty just dip them in cold salt water. Then lay 

 on cheese cloth and let them drain thoroughly. When they are dry cut off the 

 stem quite close to the comb. Or, what is better, carefully break off the stem. 

 Do not throw away the stems. Save them for stewing, for soup or for mush- 

 room sauce. Having cut or broken off the stems, take a sharp silver knife and 

 skin the mushrooms, commencing at the edge and finishing at the top. Put 

 them on a gridiron that has been well rubbed with sweet butter. Lay the mush- 

 rooms on the broiling iron with the combs upward. Put a small quantity of 

 butter, a little salt and pepper in the center of each comb from where the stem 

 has been removed and let the mushrooms remain over the fire until the butter 

 melts. Then serve them on thin slices of buttered and well browned toast, which 

 should be cut round or diamond shape. 



Serve the mushrooms just as quickly as possible after they are broiled, as 

 they must be eaten when hot. So nourishing are broiled mushrooms that with 

 a light salad they form a sufficient luncheon for anyone. 



Fried Mushrooms. Clean and prepare the mushrooms as for broiling. 

 Put some sweet, unsalted butter in a frying pan enough to swim the mushrooms 

 in. Stand the frying pan on a quick fire, and when the butter is at boiling heat 

 carefully drop the mushrooms in and let them fry three minutes, and serve them 

 on thin slices of buttered toast. 



Serve a sauce of lemon juice, a little melted butter, salt and red pepper with 

 fried mushrooms. 



Stewed Mushrooms. Stewed mushrooms after the following recipe make 

 one of the most delicious of breakfast dishes : It is not necessary to use large 

 mushrooms for stewing small button ones will do. Take the mushrooms left 

 in the basket after having selected those for broiling, and also use the stems cut 

 from the mushrooms prepared for boiling. After cleaning and skinning them 

 put them in cold water with a little vinegar, and let them stand half an hour. If 

 you have a quart of mushrooms, put a tablespoonful of nice fresh butter in a 

 stewpan and stand it on the stove. When the butter begins to bubble drop the 

 mushrooms in the pan, and after they have cooked a minute season them well 

 with salt and black pepper. Now take hold of the handle of the stewpan and, 

 while the mushrooms are gently and slowly cooking, shake the pan almost con- 

 stantly to keep the butter from getting brown and the mushrooms from sticking. 

 After they have cooked eight minutes pour in enough rich, sweet cream to cover 

 the mushrooms to the depth of half an inch, and let them cook about eight or 

 ten minutes longer. Serve them in a very hot vegetable dish. Do not thicken 

 the cream with flour or with anything. Just cook them in this simple way. You 

 will find them perfect. 



