Who’s Afraid of a Little Fungi?
I adore mushrooms! I love them for their umaminess, their meaty texture, their recipe versatility and their myriad health benefits. And I hope to convert those who have maybe never cooked with mushrooms, or think they hate them, or are frankly grossed out by them. Please, read on!
There are several hundred varieties of edible mushrooms out there. But for purposes of getting familiar with them, let’s focus on one of the most accessible varieties of mushrooms on supermarket shelves: the gateway mushroom, if you will: the cremini, or sometimes called “baby bella.” Did you know it’s the middle child of the family? Its younger sister is the less mature white button mushroom and big brother is the robust portobello. Fascinating, eh? The cremini is similar in size and shape to the white button, but its color is a deeper brown. And the cremini’s flavor is the baby bear of the three: just right. It has more earthy, savory flavor than the white button, but isn’t as rich as the portobello.
Cremini mushrooms have many health benefits: research suggests they may help fight cancer cells, they protect cardiovascular health, they can prevent inflammation, they’re a good source of B vitamins and a great source of potassium.
Intrigued?
Walk on over to the mushroom shelves in the produce department and take a look: you’re going to see organic and non-organic varieties of the cremini, most likely, both sliced and whole. Here’s the deal: according to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), mushrooms are on the “Clean Fifteen” list, meaning that they contain the lowest concentration of pesticides in the U.S., even when they are grown conventionally, so you can save a few pennies by buying the non-organic ones. And as far as sliced versus whole, if you need sliced mushrooms right away for a recipe, opt for the convenience; otherwise, go for the whole because they last longer. When I buy sliced, they always go slimy on me way too quickly.
Before cooking with creminis, you always need to wash them. Contrary to years of Food Network advice, I found out to my delight that you CAN wash cremini mushrooms with water (and not have to brush them with a damp towel, which takes forever!). Washing was always warned against because mushrooms are so porous and risk getting waterlogged, but that’s not the case as it turns out. So I’ve adopted this method that Sara Moulton demonstrates here: fill a bowl with cold water, have a tea towel or some paper towels nearby, drop your mushrooms into the water, swish them around for less than a minute (you’ll see the dirt fall to the bottom while the mushrooms bob on top) and then pull them out with your hands onto the towel. Gently press them to dry, and they’re ready to go. Just be sure to wash them right before cooking with them; they tend to slime up if left too long.
Unlike with some other varieties, the stem of the cremini mushroom is edible, so at the most, trim the sometimes rough end of the stem. Then, either leave them whole or slice and dice as your recipe calls for.
Oh, the recipe, you ask? Well, there are so many good ones that it’s hard to choose. Perhaps for mushroom rookies, start by thinly slicing them and tossing into a stir-fry, or sauteeing along with spinach or another green. See what you think. But for those of you wanting a mushroom adventure, I encourage you to try my favorite recipes below. And please note that with both, though the recipe calls for a variety of mushrooms, I often use only creminis because they’re the most available, and I’m just as delighted with the results. But by all means, feel free to mix it up with more varieties if you’re ready.
I introduced Nom Nom Paleo’s Sheet Pan Chicken and Mushrooms to my client Maria and she and her husband loved it so much, it became a weeknight regular in their house. Serve over a bed of brown rice, cauliflower rice, whatever floats your boat to soak up the amazing sauce
And for soup night, meatless Monday, whenever we’re craving amazing comforting flavor, nothing makes my family happier than Mushroom-Spinach Soup with Cinnamon, Coriander and Cumin from The New York Times, along with a hunk of crusty bread. One night, I had a few friends over and made this soup, and everyone wanted the recipe. Everyone. Just sayin.
I hope I’ve inspired you, my healthy-curious friends, to give creminis a try! Please share in the comments your own mushroom adventures this month—whether you made one of the recipes above, have a favorite way to prepare them, or maybe experimented with a new mushroom variety. Let’s build community by sharing!