"Champignon de Paris"

April 23, 2009 - Vol 1, Issue 2

In This Issue

April Special

April Events

A Forest of Mushrooms

The Fifth Taste

Roasting and Sauteing Vegetables

Smart Mushroom Tips

Q & A's

Cookbook Review

Recipes with Mushrooms

Quick Links

Kitchen & Spice Website

Bridal Registry

Visit Gainesville

Appreciating Mushrooms

The proliferation and acceptance of cultivated mushrooms started as a rather serendipitous happenstance. Around the turn of the twentieth century, an enterprising florist in Kennett Square, PA,

sought to optimize his greenhouse space and began cultivating mushrooms underneath his plant benches. Dark and damp, the conditions proved perfect for mushroom growing. His floral market, New York and Philadelphia, were also perfect targets for this secondary crop. Another surge in mushroom popularity around the mid '70's turned this specialty crop into commodity produce. A crop now worth nearly one billion dollars a year, mushrooms have spread into our kitchens and have been eagerly welcomed. In this issue we'll provide a glossary of commonly available mushrooms, discuss "umami," the fifth taste sensation, and offer instruction on two essential cooking techniques, roasting and sautéing. We finish with three recipes featuring mushrooms that will have your mouth-watering in anticipation.

"Green" April Specials

April Events

April 23rd - Wine Tasting - 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
This month's wine tasting features McManis Chardonnay, Leese-Fitch Cabernet Sauvignon, Beyond Sauvignon Blanc and Primarius Pinot Noir.

McManis Chardonnay is crafted in the California style of oak barrels which lends a creamy, buttery flavor to the wine and naturally pairs well with buttery sauces.

Leese-Fitch Cabernet drinks beautifully with reduction sauces and meat, making it the perfect complement to food.

A Forest of Mushrooms

Mushrooms are in a special plant class of their own, fungi. Most fungi grow on dead and decaying matter independent of sunlight. Ironically, mushrooms are one of the few rich sources of naturally-occuring Vitamin D, the "sunshine" vitamin. No longer dependent on the forest floor for favorable co

nditions, mushrooms are grown in dark, cool, damp buildings known as mushroom farms. Mushrooms do not have seeds, but have spores for creating the next generation. Spores are scattered on specific mixes of sawdust, corn cobs, and other decaying matter. Runners, known as mycelium, begin to form in the soil. Mushrooms sprout as the "fruit" producing more spores on dark, papery gills located on the cap's underside. It takes four to six weeks for a crop to grow from spore to harvest.

Once the purview of secretive mushroom hunters, mushrooms are standard issue in today's grocery markets. Until recently, fresh mushrooms meant white button mushrooms -- and they still comprise 85% of the cultivated market. However, in the last several years, the fresh options have expanded greatly. Below is a brief glossary of commonly available mushrooms to help guide you: (Courtesy of the Mushroom Council)

Mushroom Chart

The Fifth Taste - Umami

Pronounced "oo-MAH-may," umami is the "fifth taste." Most of us grew up schooled on the four types of taste sensations: sweet, sour, salty and bitter. Anecdotally, the famous French chef, Auguste Escoffier, and the Japanese scientist, Kikunae Ikeda, both hit on umami as the fifth taste, something separate and distinct from the other four tastes. The fifth taste is often described as "brothy," "meaty," or, as the word umami translates, "yummy."

Scientifically, the sense of taste is supported by thousands of taste buds. These specialized receptors are positioned throughout the mouth, particularly on the little bumps, papillae, of the tongue. They are also located on the sides and roofs of our mouths. Different individuals have different quantities of taste buds; an "average taster has about 184 taste buds per centimeter of tongue, a "supertaster" has 425, and "non-tasters" only 96.

The specialized receptors respond to one of the taste types. What was informally known about umami was confirmed scientifically in 2002 when neuroscientists discovered specific receptors for L-glutamate on the tongue. It is this L-glutamate that comprises the primary umami sensation. L-glutamate is a consequence of glutamate, a component of nearly all organic matter, breaking down as it ages, ferments, or cooks. Glutamate is a common amino acid found in both plant and meat protein structures.

Umami is also evoked by other micro-elements known as nucleotides, specifically, inosinate and guanylate. Inosinate is generously found in meat and seafood, while guanylate is found in mushrooms. The combination and proportion of these chemical elements creates different umami sensations. Chefs seek to amplify the "yummy factor" through the synergistic use of foods rich in the molecular components of umami. By combining onions, (rich in glutamate) and mushrooms, (rich in guanylate), with a beefy stock, (rich in inosinate), the umami receptors become quite satiated!

Foods containing large quantities of umami elements include fish, shellfish, beef, pork, and chicken. In the plant world, mushrooms are rich in umami tastes, as well as tomatoes, seaweed, soy beans, potatoes, Chinese cabbage, and carrots. In the dairy world, Parmesan cheese heads the umami list.

Roasting and Sauteing Vegetables

Once was the day that cooking vegetables meant boiling them until mushy and drab in color. No wonder vegetables disappeared from our dining table! Then, we discovered steaming! Steaming kept vegetables appealing in color and inviting with their crisp-tender texture. Steaming remains a perfectly healthy and appropriate cooking method. However, as of late, it's roasting and sautéing vegetables that's taken a prominent role in the kitchen.

Roasting Vegetables - Roasting is a cooking technique invoking high, dry heat to the food at hand. This process evaporates the water in the food leaving the essence of the food in a concentrated form. It's this concentration of flavors and slight caramelization of the vegtables' sugars that makes them particularly flavorful.

How to Roast Vegetables:

Prep your vegetables by peeling, snapping, or trimming.
Wash the vegetables well, then pat dry. We like to allow the vegetables to air dry for a few minutes to ensure that excess water is minimized.
Spread the vegetables in a single layer on a baking sheet without crowding. A baking rack may be used if desired.
Drizzle a bit of olive oil over the vegetables, and toss gently.
Sprinkle sea salt, and add freshly ground pepper.
Bake in a 400-425° F oven until the vegetables are just tender.

The key to roasting vegetables is a single layer arrangement. If you have more than a single layer of vegetables, roast in two batches. It's important that the high heat reach the vegetables -- overcrowding will simply steam them instead of roasting them.

Sautéing Vegetables - Sautéing is another high heat method of cooking that also serves to evaporate the vegetables' water while concentrating the flavors. As with roasting, the high heat inspires the Maillard reaction, more commonly known as caramelization. The butter or olive oil deployed in the process also adds to the delectable flavor layers. Similar to roasting, one key to a good sauté is not overcrowding the pan. Add only a single layer of vegetables at a time. Sauté in two batches if necessary.

How to Sauté Vegetables:

Prep your vegetables by peeling, snapping, or trimming.
Wash the vegetables well, then pat dry. We like to allow the vegetables to air dry for a few minutes to ensure that excess water is minimized.
Heat a sauté pan over a medium-high burner or flame.
Add a small amount of olive oil to the heated pan and allow the oil to heat
Add the prepared vegetables; stir or toss to coat with the hot oil.
Stir or toss gently during cooking until the vegetables are cooked to tenderness.
Sprinkle sea salt, add freshly ground pepper, and serve.