460284 Tue Nov 13 13:53:26 -0800 2007 8 31 Home Cooking 0 3121994 I've just been gifted with a 6" X 6" cauliflower mushroom; what do I do now? It is soft & spongy, looks a lot like a sea sponge. I'm intrigued, cautious and know nothing about a cauliflower mushroom. Anyone have experience eating/cooking/using this gorgeous thing? TIA Tue Nov 13 13:53:26 -0800 2007 15743 Sherri 1 3122534 Does it look something like this? Tue Nov 13 16:21:31 -0800 2007 3121994 93805 hannaone 2 3122629 Door Number One and Door Number Three - Exactly! It is gorgeous, looks like a sea sponge and smells like a very fresh mushroom. Do you know what to do with this beauty? I would appreciate any and all help. Tue Nov 13 16:51:48 -0800 2007 3122534 15743 Sherri 3 3123068 They are coral mushrooms and are very good eating. You can use them like you would any mushroom, in soups, stir fry, etc. With this baby though simple is best. Simple stir fry: Stir Fried Coral Mushroom Ingredients: 1/4 pound Coral Mushroom 2 green onions 2 slices white or yellow onion 3 cloves (1 teaspoon) garlic 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1 tablespoon vegetable cooking oil Directions Preparation Tear the coral mushroom into individual stalks (or small group if the stalks are very slender), rinse well in cold water. Bring a pot of water to a rapid boil. Add coral mushroom and return to boil. Boil for two to three minutes, remove from heat, drain and rinse in cold water. Place mushroom into a mixing bowl, very lightly sprinkle with some salt and pepper, mix and let sit for ten minutes. Cut 2 green onions into 1 inch lengths. Slice 2 medium to thin slices from a white or yellow onion. Press, mince, or finely chop 3 to 4 cloves fresh garlic. Put all together in the mixing bowl, add remaining salt and pepper, and mix well. Cooking Place a small amount of olive oil (or other vegetable cooking oil) into a pan over medium to high heat, heat for thirty seconds, then add mushroom mix. Stir fry four to five minutes, remove from heat and serve. Serve with any steak or main meat dish as a side, or with a Korean meal as part of a Ban Chan array. Tue Nov 13 19:47:16 -0800 2007 3122629 93805 hannaone 4 3124182 Thank you for your timely response (that I've just found). "Boil for two to three minutes, remove from heat, drain and rinse in cold water" I would have never thought to boil such a fragile-looking mushroom but will bow to your knowledge/experience. We look forward to eating this treat tonight. Thanks again. Wed Nov 14 08:32:53 -0800 2007 3123068 15743 Sherri 5 3124310 If yours has very thin/tender stalks, just drop into the boiling water, then drain immediately. The corals I am used to have roughly finger width stems/stalks. As a final step in the stir fry, you can also drizzle with a small amount of pure sesame oil (from roasted sesame seeds, not the cold pressed). Wed Nov 14 09:06:21 -0800 2007 3124182 93805 hannaone 6 3128793 This was indeed a treat! Cauliflower mushrooms have a mild yet very intense "mushroom" flavor. Next time I'll try the (Oriental) sesame oil as I followed your basic instructions for a first go. Yes, the quick boil was a good idea even though this particular mushroom was quite tender with minimal tough, thick stalks. I would have never gotten such a delicious side dish without your help - thank you very much for taking the time to answer. Thu Nov 15 14:28:08 -0800 2007 3124310 15743 Sherri 7 3129043 Glad you enjoyed it. Thu Nov 15 15:49:17 -0800 2007 3128793 93805 hannaone 2 4020321 I finally had a chance to find a Coral and cook it according to your boiling instructions. Upon draing and rinsing, I then sauteed them in garlic butter for approximately 3 minutes. I then added soya sauce and frying rice. Mmmm this is delicious. Tue Sep 09 09:14:19 -0700 2008 3122534 224935 BassManDan