478016 Thu Jan 10 10:59:24 -0800 2008 7 31 Home Cooking 0 3281528 I was at a chinese outdoor market today and saw a bunch of shiitakes for a good price so I snatched them up... when I noticed another mushroom next to it I haven't seen before. The lady said it was an oyster mushroom, but it doesn't look at all like any oyster mushroom I've seen. Let me try and describe it. It's white, one solid cylindrical mass, about 5 inches long, 3 inches wide at the base, about 1.5 inches wide at the top. The top has a slightly darker, flat top looking top. It's shaped and colored kind of like a really short, somewhat skinny daikon, if that helps. What is this? I couldn't find anything online. And once that mystery is solved, any suggestions on how to use it?? It cost me less than a dollar, so the experiment won't set me back much, but I'm just so curious, that I couldn't resist. Your thoughts appreciated. Thu Jan 10 10:59:25 -0800 2008 11120 adamclyde 1 3281558 Probably a King Oyster. They're more stem than cap - white on the bottom, with a tan top. I have a couple of packages in the fridge at this very moment which I bought the other day at an Asian supermarket. They have excellent flavour and texture. Similar to oysters, but meatier. You can use them in pasta, stir fries, risotto - anywhere you'd use oyster mushrooms or, for that matter, fresh porcini. Thu Jan 10 11:05:31 -0800 2008 3281528 12383 Nyleve 2 3281568 ahh. that's it! I just googled that and that's it. Thanks! Interesting. These things were so dirt cheap too. I should have picked more of them up. Thu Jan 10 11:06:56 -0800 2008 3281558 11120 adamclyde 3 3282150 Mushroom "steaks" from the big ones. Thu Jan 10 13:09:07 -0800 2008 3281568 93805 hannaone 2 3281859 King oyster mushrooms are great! The stem and cap have practically the same texture and if you sautee them in a bit of butter they get a nice meatiness to them. I like them in pastas or roasted with other veggies. Thu Jan 10 12:00:32 -0800 2008 3281558 42944 leanneabe 1 3281620 Anything like this wiki article? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_oyster_mushroom Thu Jan 10 11:17:04 -0800 2008 3281528 93805 hannaone 2 3282874 yup, that's what they were. these had even less of a cap than the ones in that picture. I tried them out tonight. They really are good. They keep their texture quite well. I'm looking forward to using these more. Particularly since they are so darn cheap at this market. $2.50 a pound. At least I think that's cheap. How do you make your mushroom "steaks"? Thu Jan 10 15:54:12 -0800 2008 3281620 11120 adamclyde 3 3282962 Slice them across the barrel on a bias, saute in butter or some meat drippings with a little onion & garlic. Sometimes with just a touch of soy sauce or drizzled with toasted sesame oil. Thu Jan 10 16:18:35 -0800 2008 3282874 93805 hannaone