These plate-sized mushrooms are impressive in appearance, boasting a rich, meat-like flavor and texture. A more mature relative of the White and Brown mushroom, Portabellas have caught the attention of consumers and restaurants nation-wide. Always versatile, the Portabella is the perfect accompaniment dish, or feature entree. Portabellas can be sliced and grilled, baked, deep-fried, stuffed as an entree, or added to your favorite saute or sauce. When buying Portabellas, look for a firm, meaty-cap with light-coloured, dry even gills. Caps should be symetrical in shape, with smooth, unbroken edges. Refrigerate your Portabellas the same way you would button mushrooms, unwashed and in paper bags, or in an open container lined and covered with paper towel.

For an Italian-style grilled Portabella, gently rub the cap with a olive oil, softened butter, or margarine. To bring out their earthy flavor, add salt, cracked pepper and thyme. Grill over medium heat for 2-3 minutes per side, or until the cap has become tender. To enhance the taste experience, stuff the cap with Bruschetta or sun-dried tomato mixture.

Oysters are a delicate mushroom with mild taste and velvety texture. Known for their fluted caps that resemble an oyster shell, Oysters are a popular mushroom for cooking, especially in stir-frys, fish dishes and in cream-based sauces. Their unique physical characterstics make them a beautiful item to present, be it in a cooked, wild vegetable medley, or as additional garnish to an Oyster mushroom-based pasta sauce. Look for an Oyster that has light color gills, a smooth velvety texture, and a firm, unspotted cap. Most Oysters sold commercially are beige, creamy or grey in color.

For an enticing appetizer, place two cups of Oyster mushrooms in a hot sauce pan adding a tablespoon of butter, a 1/4 cup of chopped onion, some balsamic vinegar and pepper and salt to taste. After the mixture begins to cook, blend in 1 tablespoon of minced garlic and cover for 1 minute. Remove the cover, turn the heat to low and stir in two tablespoons of sour cream. Place the mixture on 4- pieces of medium-thickness toasted french bread and serve immediately.

Shiitake mushrooms, also known as Chinese or Black Forest mushrooms, are tan leather to dark brown in color. Shittakes have a rich woodsy characteristic and meaty flavor that add complexity to sauces, soups and stirfrys, pastas, entrees and other side dishes. While they can be eaten raw, they are most popular in cooked Chinese and oriental dishes. When buying Shittakes, look for mushrooms with open veils between the stem and the cap, a broad, umbrella shaped cap and light to tan colored gills.

For a taste of the Orient, place 1 package of Oritental flavor Ramen noodles and two cups of water in a microwavable dish. Layer a 1/2 cup of frozen, stir-fry vegeta-bles on the noodles. Microwave for 4-5 minutes, then stir the mixture. Add two whole shittake mushrooms (sliced) and microwave another 1-2 minutes. Remove, and drain the water in the dish, or use as soup.

White button mushrooms are the most readily available of all commercially-grown mushrooms. White mushrooms are classified into three grades: small buttons, medium buttons, and large stuffers. Known for their mild and woodsy characteristics when eaten raw, they are the perfect accompaniment to salads, vegetable trays, and as a garnish. When cooked, a stronger, distinctive taste makes it an ideal addition to soups, casseroles, game dishes, BBQ skewers, and a variety of sauces. When buying White mushrooms, look for mushrooms with a round, symetrical cap and a tightly closed veil. The mushrooms should be creamy to white in appearance, and firm to the touch - with minimal bruising.

For a tantilizing treat, fry one pound of large white mushrooms in hot oil for 30 seconds, then place the mushrooms on a paper towel. Mix together 1/3 cup of softened, unsalted butter, 3 crushed garlic cloves, 3 tablespoons of chopped fresh herbs, and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Place the mushrooms in a baking pan with the gills facing up. Place a little of the garlic butter into each mushroom cap, the lightly spread some breadcrumbs on top. Broil for 3-5 minutes until golden brown on top, then remove and pour any remaining garlic butter over the caps.

Known also as the Italian Brown, this mushroom is a close relative to the white mushroom. Although they tend to be similar in size and appearance, the Brown mushroom is easily set apart by its naturally darker cap which ranges in color from a light tan to a medium chocolate. Brown mushrooms also tend to be heartier and more complex than fresh white mushrooms. Because of this meatier texture, they do not tend to release as much moisture when cooked or baked. This characteristic makes the Brown mushroom a popular mushroom with many chefs. Like the White mushroom, look for a Brown with a firm, even-color and symetrical cap with closed gills.

To truly appreciate the unique taste of Crimini mushrooms, try this rich, pureed mushroom soup recipe. Melt a 1/3 cup of butter in a large saucepan. Add one pound of sliced medium-sized Brown mushrooms and cook over medium heat for 4 minutes. Add 5 tablespoons of all-purpose flour, stirring well to cover all the mushrooms. Stir in 1 1/2 cups of vegetable stock, 1/2 cup and 2 1/4 cups of milk, slowly bringing the mixture to a boil. Cover the pan, and let simmer for 3-5 min-utes. Transfer the soup to a blender and puree. Season to taste with parsley, cracked pepper, salt and chopped parsley. Before serving, stir in 1/2 cup of light cream for added character. Serve and enjoy.

	These plate-sized mushrooms are impressive in appearance, boasting a rich, meat-like flavor and texture. A more mature relative of the White and Brown mushroom, Portabellas have caught the attention of consumers and restaurants nation-wide. Always versatile, the Portabella is the perfect accompaniment dish, or feature entree. Portabellas can be sliced and grilled, baked, deep-fried, stuffed as an entree, or added to your favorite saute or sauce. When buying Portabellas, look for a firm, meaty-cap with light-coloured, dry even gills. Caps should be symetrical in shape, with smooth, unbroken edges. Refrigerate your Portabellas the same way you would button mushrooms, unwashed and in paper bags, or in an open container lined and covered with paper towel. For an Italian-style grilled Portabella, gently rub the cap with a olive oil, softened butter, or margarine. To bring out their earthy flavor, add salt, cracked pepper and thyme. Grill over medium heat for 2-3 minutes per side, or until the cap has become tender. To enhance the taste experience, stuff the cap with Bruschetta or sun-dried tomato mixture.
	Oysters are a delicate mushroom with mild taste and velvety texture. Known for their fluted caps that resemble an oyster shell, Oysters are a popular mushroom for cooking, especially in stir-frys, fish dishes and in cream-based sauces. Their unique physical characterstics make them a beautiful item to present, be it in a cooked, wild vegetable medley, or as additional garnish to an Oyster mushroom-based pasta sauce. Look for an Oyster that has light color gills, a smooth velvety texture, and a firm, unspotted cap. Most Oysters sold commercially are beige, creamy or grey in color. For an enticing appetizer, place two cups of Oyster mushrooms in a hot sauce pan adding a tablespoon of butter, a 1/4 cup of chopped onion, some balsamic vinegar and pepper and salt to taste. After the mixture begins to cook, blend in 1 tablespoon of minced garlic and cover for 1 minute. Remove the cover, turn the heat to low and stir in two tablespoons of sour cream. Place the mixture on 4- pieces of medium-thickness toasted french bread and serve immediately.
	Shiitake mushrooms, also known as Chinese or Black Forest mushrooms, are tan leather to dark brown in color. Shittakes have a rich woodsy characteristic and meaty flavor that add complexity to sauces, soups and stirfrys, pastas, entrees and other side dishes. While they can be eaten raw, they are most popular in cooked Chinese and oriental dishes. When buying Shittakes, look for mushrooms with open veils between the stem and the cap, a broad, umbrella shaped cap and light to tan colored gills. For a taste of the Orient, place 1 package of Oritental flavor Ramen noodles and two cups of water in a microwavable dish. Layer a 1/2 cup of frozen, stir-fry vegeta-bles on the noodles. Microwave for 4-5 minutes, then stir the mixture. Add two whole shittake mushrooms (sliced) and microwave another 1-2 minutes. Remove, and drain the water in the dish, or use as soup.
	White button mushrooms are the most readily available of all commercially-grown mushrooms. White mushrooms are classified into three grades: small buttons, medium buttons, and large stuffers. Known for their mild and woodsy characteristics when eaten raw, they are the perfect accompaniment to salads, vegetable trays, and as a garnish. When cooked, a stronger, distinctive taste makes it an ideal addition to soups, casseroles, game dishes, BBQ skewers, and a variety of sauces. When buying White mushrooms, look for mushrooms with a round, symetrical cap and a tightly closed veil. The mushrooms should be creamy to white in appearance, and firm to the touch - with minimal bruising. For a tantilizing treat, fry one pound of large white mushrooms in hot oil for 30 seconds, then place the mushrooms on a paper towel. Mix together 1/3 cup of softened, unsalted butter, 3 crushed garlic cloves, 3 tablespoons of chopped fresh herbs, and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Place the mushrooms in a baking pan with the gills facing up. Place a little of the garlic butter into each mushroom cap, the lightly spread some breadcrumbs on top. Broil for 3-5 minutes until golden brown on top, then remove and pour any remaining garlic butter over the caps.
	Known also as the Italian Brown, this mushroom is a close relative to the white mushroom. Although they tend to be similar in size and appearance, the Brown mushroom is easily set apart by its naturally darker cap which ranges in color from a light tan to a medium chocolate. Brown mushrooms also tend to be heartier and more complex than fresh white mushrooms. Because of this meatier texture, they do not tend to release as much moisture when cooked or baked. This characteristic makes the Brown mushroom a popular mushroom with many chefs. Like the White mushroom, look for a Brown with a firm, even-color and symetrical cap with closed gills. To truly appreciate the unique taste of Crimini mushrooms, try this rich, pureed mushroom soup recipe. Melt a 1/3 cup of butter in a large saucepan. Add one pound of sliced medium-sized Brown mushrooms and cook over medium heat for 4 minutes. Add 5 tablespoons of all-purpose flour, stirring well to cover all the mushrooms. Stir in 1 1/2 cups of vegetable stock, 1/2 cup and 2 1/4 cups of milk, slowly bringing the mixture to a boil. Cover the pan, and let simmer for 3-5 min-utes. Transfer the soup to a blender and puree. Season to taste with parsley, cracked pepper, salt and chopped parsley. Before serving, stir in 1/2 cup of light cream for added character. Serve and enjoy.