UnRecipe: I LOVE FUNGUS

Seriously, I do. The fungal sponge-y growth that someone, somewhere, some time ago, thought it would be okay to eat, is one of my favorite ingredients. Especially the wild varieties, like oyster, chanterelle, lobster -- all the names that don't evoke the idea of mushroom. They're fun ingredients to work with, and while each type of mushroom has its own level of earthy flavor, it's never so overwhelming that you'll ruin a dish in the name of experimentation. So here's to mushrooms, an easygoing, fun guy to cook with. Har har.

Holy Shiitake! It's mushrooms - Photo by Wasabi Prime