New Ideas for Cooking with Mushrooms

mushroom spores

You might be thinking of acquiring some mushroom spores in order to grow your own mushrooms at home, or you might just want to buy the best looking mushrooms at your local supermarket. Many experts will say that it doesn’t matter that much. What matters most on the other hand is how you actually cook your mushrooms. The taste and the health are both in that, and you’ll definitely find a few surprising opinions regarding both.

Uncommon Methods for Cooking Mushrooms

If you ever saw a Portabello mushroom up close, you’ve probably already noticed that its cap is just the right size to top off a burger. In case you’re looking for ideas on how to make your hamburgers less fattening and add some healthy nutrients and protein to the mix, you might actually want to consider a mushroom cap on top of them. It really can’t be worse than the bun – and in fact, it will taste a lot better than you might imagine.

Another unique way to cook mushrooms is by chopping them into fine, tiny pieces and adding them to appetizers. The best “amused bouche” is a treat that not only looks amazing, but will also leave your mouth watering from a single taste. Mushrooms have the magic of unique flavoring that can achieve that, and in the hands of a skilled chef, you’ll find that this simple action of reducing mushrooms to the tiniest possible pieces will make them more appealing than you think.

Have you ever had mushrooms with chicken in a refined, creamy sauce? If not, you might want to consider visiting a restaurant that has some quality creamy chicken and mushroom fricasse when you next want to dine out. This meal looks pretty much like a cross between a white stew and some pizza topping, with a myriad of ingredients such as onions, thyme, carrots and celery flowing together quite beautifully and dancing around the best combination of gold and brown that the mushrooms and chicken will create. Best of all, the taste is amazing!

Following Science for Healthier Mushroom Dishes

When in doubt, follow the science! Recently, studies have shown that mushrooms can be extremely healthy because of their high content of Vitamin B1, B2, B12, as well as C, D and E, along with trace minerals, low fat and high fiber content. However, there’s a catch: you have to know how to cook your mushrooms in such a way that they’ll retain all of their awesome nutrients and health benefits.

Surprisingly, researchers have found that boiling and frying mushrooms can actually lead to a lower content of these healthy nutrients, while also leading to higher antioxidant activity. On the other hand, when you grill or cook them in the microwave, the antioxidant activity diminishes and the mushrooms are actually healthier. The biggest surprise was that, when frying mushrooms, they actually lose a high amount of healthy protein and increase in fat. So that definitely says a lot about how we’ve only just scratched the surface when it comes to figuring out how to make our food truly healthy.

Why Are ‘Chicken of The Woods’ Mushrooms Loved by Chefs

Also known as chicken fungus, chicken of the woods is a mushroom variety that can thrive among any climate conditions and is one of the most preferred mushroom varieties for chefs, professional and amateur alike. The name should not be confused for “hen of the woods” – another variety of edible mushrooms native in the northwest of the US and Japan, appreciated for its size (some mushrooms can reach the weight of 100 pounds).

spore syringe

Chicken of the woods is not only spectacular in appearance – it is also a variety highly appreciated by chefs, professionals as well as amateur cooking enthusiasts, for the characteristic chicken taste that gives these great fungi their name and for the varied cooking options they offer. Here are some things that are worth knowing when preparing to use chicken of the woods in the kitchen.

Identifying Chicken of the Wood and Harvesting Tips

Chicken of the woods mushrooms are easy to recognize – they are the large, yellow and orange or yellow and red masses that thrive in the woods on the trunk or at the base of dead trees. The masses consist of multiple, large, shelf-like formations that have a frilled shape and are orange colored with yellow edges. You need to know that only young mushrooms are good to eat – to make sure that you have only young ones, look for mushrooms that feature bright colors

Chicken of the woods are very common in woodlands, they can grow on practically any tree variety. While they are safe to harvest from most forests, you should avoid chicken of the woods coming from conifer or eucalyptus trees because these trees secrete toxins that the mushrooms can absorb, becoming toxic themselves.

Why Chicken of the Woods are so Great in the Kitchen

Chicken of the woods are easy to work with and they can be added to a variety of recipes. Cleaning them is easy – all you need to do is to remove any dirt with a mushroom brush, then to soak the mushrooms into cold water for a few minutes (not for more, to ensure cleanliness without letting the mushrooms absorb too much liquid), then to dry the mushrooms with a paper towel.

Chicken of the woods can be used in many recipes – here are some ideas from an online company offering many mushroom spore syringe varieties:

  • Pates and spreads – just chop the mushrooms into small pieces, sauté them in a large pan to remove excess water, add shallots, garlic, salt, pepper and herbs for more flavor and keep stirring the mix until the desired consistency is achieved;
  • Sauces – chicken of the woods make excellent ingredients in pasta sauces. You can prepare them exactly like you would cook sauces that contain minced meat;
  • Roasted chicken of the woods – putting your mushrooms in the oven with some herbs is another great way to prepare them;
  • Sautee them for an elegant side dish – despite their meaty flavor and texture, these mushrooms go great with meat dishes. They also cook very fast, so they are a quick alternative to rice or potatoes.

The Ways and Benefits of Using a Diet Based on DNA

DNA testing is now available for everyone and it can be used not only for determining kinship, but for issues related to health and lifestyle, such as obtaining a fully personalized diet based on DNA. In the last few years, scientists have paid increased attention to the ways in which our genes influence our health and they have discovered that our genetic code determines not only the illnesses that we are prone to, but also the types of food and ingredients that are good for us and have used advanced testing methods for determining the optimal diet.

The technology that not very long ago belonged to realm of science fiction is now becoming widespread – more and more companies provide DNA testing services to optimize the patient’s diet, helping them not only to adjust their weight, but to stay healthy as well.

diet based on dna

Why Personalize You Diet

When it comes to the right diet, there is no one-size-fits-all solution – eggs, for example, are generally considered to be healthy, low-calories ingredients that should have an important role in any healthy diet, but even so, your genetic test might reveal that they are not good for you, that your body cannot digest them properly or they just don’t have any positive effects on your body. The diet based on DNA offers you insight into these otherwise hidden aspects of your biology and they use the analysis of the body’s most basic molecule, the DNA, to determine the composition of the ideal diet.

Where You Can Get a Diet Based on Your DNA

There are many companies nowadays that provide DNA testing services for the purpose of determining the right diet – it is enough to enter a query into your internet browser and you will find at least one service provider in your area.

What Does the Testing Procedure Involve

The best providers of DNA testing services for diet optimization send their clients a test kit with which the clients can collect DNA samples in the comfort of their home, without having to travel to a laboratory. The samples are then sent to the company where they are analysed considering dozens of different biomarkers. Following the detailed analysis of the results, the client receives a list with the foods that are recommended and another one with the foods and ingredients that are counter-advised. The testing companies work with doctors and nutritionists who can provide the client with further guidance based on the personalized nutrition profile delivered after the analysis of the client’s DNA sample.

To make the client’s journey toward health even easier, some companies provide meal delivery services as well, creating delicious meals based on the client’s personalized dietary recommendations and delivering the meals to the client’s address.

Related Costs

This great, modern solution for a healthy and personalized diet is much less expensive than you may think. The price for the testing process is usually in the hundreds range – the nutritionist-assisted process of further diversifying the diet based on DNA is available for extra fees and so are the meals delivered.