8/28/07 | Mushrooms
[ Currently Eating: Potato Chips ]
Time, time, TIME. There’s little of that today, so here is another cop-out post on vegetables in order to save time. These are actually Crimini (or Cremini, or Baby Portobello, or Portabellini) mushrooms I sliced up and cooked for a bit. Great for toppings on hamburgers and other Cheap Eats.
One of the most distinct memories I have of as a child is going to a mushroom farm. I remember jumping out of The Beast (a pre 1970s Ford Ranger truck, that only got sold last year) and into piles of fertilizer and soil and mushrooms that were just all over the ground. It was pretty insane. If I remember correctly they just scooped you some by the shovelful, dirt and all. I can’t remember exactly, but I think it was very cheap compared to the supermarket.
Anyhow, fast forward to today and you most often see mushrooms packed in those little styrofoam boxes. White button mushrooms are the most common, though portobellos are popular and sold separately. Farmers markets have them too. The thing is - mushrooms are pretty darn expensive, and they have a comparatively short shelf-life. I’m not even going to get into some of the more expensive types of fungi. So you need to look out for sales (Trader Joe’s has them usually for $1.50 to $1.80 which is surprising, but keep in mind they’re unwashed). Or find a mushroom farm - I don’t even know how they run those now or if they let people just walk in and buy some in bulk.
The thing about mushrooms is that they go well with so many breakfast, lunch and dinner recipes that I’m inclined to cut them just a little slack for being such expensive buggers. You just have to remember to use them up in a timely manner. Mushrooms in gravy, omelettes and spaghetti are a favorite for us. Stuffed mushrooms are a lot of work if you use the little ones, but pretty amazing as appetizers. I usually try to plan to use them in at least 2 or 3 meals straight so they don’t have a chance to go bad.
Price: $1.59 for box
Found At: Trader Joe’s
Cheap Eats Score: 6/10
August 29th, 2007 at 9:50 am
So yummmmmmy! I love mushrooms and I find portabellos (which I’m sure I won’t be the only comment on) a great substitute for meat occasionally, which ups their “cheap” factor even more (considering you can cut the meat from that night’s meal…). I’m no vegetarian by a long shot, but I definitely get behind the idea of going meatless once in a while. Mmm. Portobello parmesan is a great recipe - you sautee them gently first to cook them a bit, no deep frying, then just pop cheese and sauce over and bake. Mmm.
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August 29th, 2007 at 10:49 am
i agree with you. mushrooms are not cheap eats unless you can find them on sale. i sometimes find canned mushrooms on sale. they are very versatile and can be used in a lot of different ways.
August 30th, 2007 at 10:43 am
I can’t read this entry because the picture makes me gag. I swear I can smell the stank of them cooking. * shudder*
P.S. I don’t care for mushrooms.
August 30th, 2007 at 1:41 pm
yvo - yeah, I can only do the meatless thing once in awhile. Then I need to eat some cow.
jim - I was going to mention canned mushrooms too, suprisingly decent in things like spaghetti.
peggasus - Oh, I think I understand. I know a lot of people who can’t eat mushrooms. Kinda like Wasabi for me. Wasabi makes me literally gag. I have tried it many, many, many (many) times since childhood and can’t get over the unbelievable gagging crapulousness of it. Why people would eat that barf-o-rama is beyond me. If there is even one smidge of wasabi on a piece of sushi I can’t eat it.
August 30th, 2007 at 1:55 pm
I don’t dig on mushrooms either. But my husband loves them so I keep them around for him.
One thing I have found to help keep the mushrooms fresh is to make sure they are dry and sealed up. I put mine in a ziptop sandwich baggie with all the air squeezed out. I can keep them fresh for a couple of weeks that way.
August 31st, 2007 at 4:50 am
Mushrooms are very cool… They’re very versatile, and because they soak up liquid so well it’s very easy to infuse them with different types of flavors.
They can also make other foods meatier without adding any meat, which is a huge plus!
If you made a portobello burger (a grilled portabello) and topped it with sauteed baby portobellos….mmm.
August 31st, 2007 at 1:32 pm
I worked in a mushroom farm for one summer in school and it was pure hell. It was in a mined-out coal mine, they gew them underground in total darkness, and we worked 13 hour days, 6 days a week, 150 feet underground squatting in muddy gravel to pick them.
I still like eating them though
September 1st, 2007 at 8:25 am
mmmmmmmm mushies!!! i wouldn’t called posting about veggies a cop-out! veggie meals can be sooo filling! and i put mushrooms in most anything i cook especially pastas. they arent really that expensive since you can usually buy them in bulk and you don’t usually need more than 3 or 4 sliced to give some bulk to any recipe. i usually do about one per person in my dishes and get the flavor and texture without it seeming overloaded. find a farmers market (Sprout’s is a good one if you have it in your state) and theyll be even cheaper most times. if you like portabellos try cooking them in Yellow Tail red wine. my roommate bought a bottle a few months ago and whenever i make ports, i steal a few splashes. free (for me)! gives them a sweet flavor.
September 11th, 2007 at 5:23 am
Yum. I love mushrooms.
I actually even prefer canned mushrooms on pizza. They don’t dry out like fresh raw ones do under the high heat.
Of course I use fresh ones with my shrimp, mushroom, and garlic butter pasta. This is a sublime dish, and just about as simple as that, except chopped parsely or basil over the finished dish adds color and flavor. And of course, parmesan at the table.
Another great use for canned mushrooms is my mock mushroon risotto:
1 c. rice uncooked
2-1/2 c. water
4 oz. can mushrooms
1/4 c. finely chopped onion
1 10-1/2 can cream of mushroom soup
1 10-1/2 can cream of chicken soup
3/4 c. milk
This can all be mixed together in a casserole dish. Just wipe the rim before baking for easy clean up and nice presentation. Easy.
It bakes at 400 degrees for about an hour and 15 minutes. I nuke the water to boiling, or it would take longer.
I usually make it with baked chicken which cooks at the same temp, just be sure to put the rice in first because it takes longer than the chicken which only takes about 50 minutes or so for pieces.
I get canned mushrooms for 55 cents and the cream soups for 2/$1 at my local dollar store.
The baking really infuses the mushroom flavor throughout the dish, and you don’t have to constantly stir it like a real Italian risotto.