Fungus, Anyone?

Twenty-five years ago, any recipe that used fresh mushrooms was considered “gourmet.” Cookbooks ordinarily called for canned button mushrooms.

Now many supermarkets carry an assortment that can include morels, shiitakes , oysters and crimini as well as the usual white mushrooms (also called button mushrooms). And what isn’t available fresh is usually available dried in gourmet food stores.

This is a great culinary advance, as far as I’m concerned. I love all the nutty, sweet mushrooms that are now offered. One of my favorite combinations is mushrooms and cream. The mix requires a robustly flavored mushroom, such as a chanterelle or a meaty shiitake ; it makes a great topping for pasta. Spinach fettuccine lends a little more color and flavor to the dish than regular noodles.

Leeks Vinaigrette with a sharp mustard dressing provides a delicious balance to the mushroom dish, but any salad with a vinaigrette dressing would be a welcome complement.

MUSHROOMS WITH SAFFRON-CREAM SAUCE OVER FETTUCCINE 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 1/4 cup minced shallots 1/2 pound sliced, mixed mushrooms 1 cup chicken broth 1/2 teaspoon saffron threads 1/4 teaspoon crushed dried thyme Dash ground allspice 1/2 cup whipping cream Salt Freshly ground white pepper 6 to 8 ounces spinach fettuccine, cooked and drained 1/4 cup shredded Asiago cheese

Melt butter in large, non-stick skillet. Add shallots and mushrooms and saute over high heat until browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup chicken broth. Cover skillet and reduce heat to low. Simmer until mushrooms are tender, about 5 minutes.

Heat remaining 1/2 cup chicken broth in small saucepan until hot and dissolve saffron in it. Add saffron broth to skillet along with thyme, allspice and cream. Season to taste with salt and white pepper. Simmer until heated through and slightly thickened.

Divide cooked fettuccine into 2 serving bowls. Spoon mushrooms and sauce over pasta. Season to taste generously with white pepper and lightly with salt. Spoon 2 tablespoons shredded cheese over each serving and serve immediately. Makes 2 servings.

Note: Choose as many wild mushrooms as are affordable.