John Westfield

I'm a lifelong cooking enthusiast with a special love for strange and underused ingredients. I hope this blog helps open your mind to more of the wonderful edible treasures around us.

What do shiitake taste like?

Shiitake mushrooms taste rich, meaty, and buttery when cooked. While you can eat shiitakes raw, their flavor is much more pronounced and developed when they’re cooked. One of the most commonly available edible mushrooms, shiitakes have rich umami flavor and meaty texture. So, what does Donko shiitake taste like? Donko or not, shiitake mushrooms are …

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What is shiitake mushrooms?

Shiitake, when translated from Japanese, refers to the shii tree on which these mushrooms originally grew, while také means mushroom. These mushrooms are more expensive than white button and cremini mushrooms, but their rich, earthy flavor and meaty texture make them worth the extra cost . What is the scientific name of shiitake mushrooms? Lentinus …

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How to grow shiitake mushrooms indoors?

Growing shiitake mushrooms takes place either on logs or in bags of nutrient enriched sawdust or other organic material, called bag culture. Bag culture is a complex process requiring specific conditions of controlled temperature, light and moisture. The inexperienced mushroom grower would be advised to start with growing shiitakes on logs. Can I grow shiitake …

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Are portabello mushrooms poison to dogs?

Just because portobellos are safe doesn’t mean all mushrooms are good for Dexter. The ASPCA cautions against allowing your dog to eat wild mushrooms, as some are toxic. Various wild species can cause kidney and liver damage as well as gastrointestinal and neurological problems. Mushroom toxicity undoubtedly happens more often in dogs than is reported …

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