deglazing.com

 Have you ever brought your mushrooms home in one of those little blue containers with the plastic wrap and found in two to three days that your mushrooms are slimy? There is a way to avoid this.  The reason your mushrooms are getting slimy is they aren’t stored properly.  Wait a second the grocery store isn’t storing my mushrooms properly? The best way to store mushrooms is in paper bags.  I have actually tested this one out and the difference is amazing.  The paper bag allows air to circulate around the mushrooms and keeps the light out.  If you don’t believe me then just ask the Mushroom Council.(There really is such a thing.)

Okay, so now you have great looking mushrooms.  So what do you do with them?  I suggest making a mushroom risotto.  If you have never had a risotto, you should really try making one.  Risottos are delicious and creamy and work great with all varieties of mushrooms.  Need some ideas on which ones to try.  Here are some suggestions:

Giada’s Mushroom Risotto with Peas - http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_25489,00.html?rsrc=search

Emeril’s Oven Roasted Tomatoes with Mushroom Risotto and Fresh Mozzarella - http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_11110,00.html?rsrc=search

Or how about a pasta dish?

Wolfgang’s Pasta with Wild Mushroom Sauce - http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_27217,00.html?rsrc=search

****Editor’s note - When I first ran this piece I had a part about not washing mushrooms, you will find that it has been removed.  A reader sent in a comment on Alton Brown testing this theory out and finding the mushrooms were fine when washed.  I would like to mention the mushrooms were only soaked for five minutes in the water and they did retain some water, a mere 3% of their body weight.  The jury is still out on this one.  I have read other sources that state you should not wash your mushrooms and other studies have indicated if mushrooms stay in the water for a longer period of time they will retain more water.  So, in the interest of fairness, I have removed the said piece of the article and will leave it up to the reader to discern which method is best for them.****