Mushroom Gastronomy: The Art of Cooking with Mushrooms

Great book. Beautifully bound and presented, and I love how the content is organized. Each section focuses on a certain type of mushroom and starts with some notes on things like history and availability, what to look for when selecting them fresh, best way to store them, flavor and texture, how they react to different cooking methods, and what they pair well with, followed by a few pages of recipes. For me, as someone who hasn't cooked with a lot of exotic mushrooms, these intro pages are especially valuable because they give me an idea of how different varieties actually taste and what types of dishes they might complement well *before* I invest in all the ingredients. The photos are beautiful too. It's definitely a cookbook first and foremost, but it could pass as an art book or light mycology reading at times. I recommend it for anyone with access to fancy culinary mushrooms, especially foragers and cultivators looking to expand their repertoire.

First, I never realized how versatile mushrooms could be. If you love cooking or are a fan of mushrooms, “Mushroom Gastronomy: The Art of Cooking with Mushrooms” is a must-have for your kitchen. This book completely changed how I see and use mushrooms in my cooking. The sections on different types of mushrooms, their flavors, and how to select and store them are incredibly helpful. I felt much more confident using mushrooms after reading through the first few chapters. But the real magic happens with the recipes. They are easy to follow, even for someone who isn’t highly skilled (like me). The recipes range from simple appetizers to hearty main courses, and there’s even a section on desserts. The photos are stunning and make every dish look delicious. They really add to the experience and make you excited to try out each recipe. It’s not just a cookbook; it’s a celebration of mushrooms. Plus, there’s great information on the health benefits of mushrooms, which is a nice bonus. It’s perfect for anyone looking to elevate their cooking and explore the amazing world of mushrooms. I highly recommend it!

Did you know mushrooms can naturally taste like meat (maitake), bacon (pink oyster), chicken (chicken of the woods), seafood (white beech, lion’s mane), shellfish (nebrodini, lobster), smoky corn, (huitlacoche), roasted hazelnuts (burgundy truffle), cognac with chocolate (winter black truffle), caramelized maple (candy cap), or fresh apricots (chanterelles)? My introduction to mushrooms began with white button (young), cremini (more mature), and portobello (most mature). Like tofu, these fungi absorb and become the flavors they are cooked in while adding a hint or intense burst of umami in every bite. I put them in cream sauces, on pizza, or inside omelettes. Dining out, I fell in love with the earthy, smoky flavors of shiitake and black trumpet. Even when I did not want to eat another French fry dressed in Parmesan, toasted garlic, and white truffle oil, I found the light musk aroma of white truffle absolutely hypnotic. So, pass the aioli! Yet my real education on mushrooms began when I used plant-based (vegan) cooking as a creative outlet. It‘s not healthy to replace eating animal flesh with overly processed, vegan meats. Mushrooms, due to the flavors and textures they can mock, are a wonderful, whole food, plant-based alternative. This cookbook expands my knowledge of mushrooms. However, it is NOT a vegan cookbook. If you want that, check out Bird’s “The Vegan Butcher.” The “Mushroom Gastronomy” offers standard or vegetarian recipes but an experienced, plant-based cook can easily veganize them. This book has given me great ideas how to best use exotic mushrooms at Ranch 99 or chanterelles at Costco. It may even inspire me to finally buy a mushroom kit on Amazon to grow oyster and lion’s mane at home. As the trendy mushrooms have become cost prohibitive and seem to languish too long on the grocery shelf. Mushrooms covered in the Table of Contents (see pic) are: Beech, Black Trumpet, Button / Cremini / Portobello (see Duxelles), Candy Cap, Cauliflower (Sparassis), Chanterelle, Chicken of the Woods, Cordyceps, Hedgehog, Huitlacoche, King Trumpet, Lion’s Mane, Lobster, Maitake, Matsutake, Morel, Nebrodini, Oyster, Pioppino, Porcini, Reishi, Shiitake, and Truffle. Good luck! :)

Great cookbook with clear and beautiful pictures

A beautiful addition to both my kitchen and coffee table! Mushroom Gastronomy delivers both inventive and inspiring recipes along with the most stunning photography. Every page, every recipe is a food lover’s dream. Great for gift giving as well as an addition to any cooking library. Truly an inspired labor of love and expert knowledge. Can’t recommend it more highly.

This is the first mushroom cookbook I have seen that provides detailed information on selecting and storing mushrooms as well as flavor profiles and interesting recipes for all skill levels. It covers traditional “grocery store” mushrooms and a wide range of less familiar cultivated and foraged varieties. The photography alone is worth the price!

It’s a really good love everything about it can’t wait to start making some of the recipes

I cant say enough about this cookbook! Presentation of recipes are easy to follow. The photos of the recipes are truly eye appealing. You can tell that the author has in depth knowledge of mushrooms and the recipes clearly show that. Almost too nice for the kitchen. Should be on the coffee table for display.