Mushrooms are an extremely versatile ingredient, yet can often be overlooked in terms of what they bring to a dish. In truth, mushrooms can be the star of any culinary show, particularly if you know how to use them in the right way. Here we look at a few recipes that put mushrooms front and centre, and how to best match different mushrooms to your culinary visions.

Stir-fry with oysters mushrooms

Oyster mushrooms are one of the most absorbent mushroom varieties, and are able to take on a surprising amount of flavour and texture in any dish. For this reason, they make the perfect accompaniment to any stir-fry, soaking up the soy, oyster or hoisin sauce that flavours the dish. What’s most surprising about oyster mushrooms, however, is their unique texture, as they are often just as juicy as cuts of fish or chicken.  

Pho-style soup with enoki mushrooms

Enoki mushrooms might look a little strange, but they have a mysterious subtlety about them that helps brings a richness and depth of taste to a dish. One fantastic use for enoki mushroom is in any asian-style soup, such as pho. If you are being carb conscious, try switching out rice noodles for a handle of enoki mushroom and bean sprouts. Rest assured, they will be just as delicious.

Button-mushroom soup

Button mushrooms are the most common type of mushroom found in the Western world, regularly served up alongside a poached egg and steaming mound of spinach. Mushrooms can also make for a delicious creamy soup filler, too, when mixed with cream, fresh parsley and served with a buttered crust of bread.

Shiitake mushroom burgers

Not for the faint hearted, shiitake mushrooms are one of the most flavoursome of the oriental varieties, really holding their own in terms of texture and taste. For this reason, they tend to steal the spotlight of a dish and are best presented as the main component of a meal, rather than as part of a mixture of ingredients. Why not try a steaming shiitake mushroom burger patty, mixed with some fresh shallots, garlic and ginger? Paired with crunchy salad ingredients, it’s the perfect accompaniment to a healthy vegetarian dish.

Chocolate is one of the world’s most universally loved ingredients; whether a bitter dark blend, or a sweet milky white, this decadent beauty has a long and rich history that spans hundreds of years. Here we canvass a brief overview of the story of chocolate, its journey from the bean to the bar, and how it is used as the popular ingredient as we know it today.

From bean to bar: chocolate’s personal journey

A little known fact about chocolate is that it actually begins life inside a fruit – the cocoa pod – that is found on trees that primarily grow in tropical regions such as Southeast Asia, West Africa and Central and South America. The trees themselves require much love and care, and are harvested by hand by the millions of smallholder farmers employed in the industry.  

Once picked, cocoa pods are cracked open so that farmers can scoop out the seeds. They are then dried and fermented before being exported to factories, where they are ground and roasted into the delicious ingredient we know and love so well. Through a process of pressing, rolling and mixing with other ingredients, chocolate is finally formed and ready to be packaged for sale.

Chocolate in the history of the world

Chocolate has been a feature in human life for hundreds of years, first making an appearance in the history books as a liquid used by the Mayans and Aztecs in pre-Colombian Mexico. In 1528, the product had made its to way across the waters to Spain, and soon began spreading throughout Europe in the as a popular wedding gift, still in liquid form.

It wasn’t until around 1850 that the ingredient first took solid shape, when Fry & Sons introduced chocolate to the world as an edible product. Bitter in taste, however, it wasn’t popularly adopted until later in the century, when Swiss chocolatiers started blending cocoa with milk to create the smooth and silky flavours we love so much.

Cooking with chocolate

It’s little surprise that chocolate is a favourite ingredient to cook with, especially for those with a sweet tooth. Usually reserved for the realm of desserts, chocolate is often re-melted back to its liquid form before folding into cake mixes or lavishly pouring atop a steaming mound of pancakes. A relatively easy ingredient to use, the only thing to be aware of is over cooking it – burnt chocolate can be extremely bitter and that is likely to ruin the intended culinary effect!

Grapes are an ancient food source, and they have long been cultivated in many countries, such as China, Germany, Italy and Egypt.

In Australia, after colonisation, grapes were imported from European varieties. In 1791, the first known and recorded cutting of grapes occurred in New South Wales, in the Governor’s garden in the early summer.

Grapes come in many varieties, with the main categories being seeded and seedless. You can choose from green, red, blue or black grapes as a basic starting point. Some varieties include:

Crimson seedless (red)
Thompson seedless (yellow-green)
Menindee seedless (green-yellow)
Red Globe (pink-red)

The seasonal availability for grapes is from November to May, peaking around February and March.

The best way to select your grapes is to check for white powder coating on the outer skin. This is known as bloom and is a naturally formed barrier against the loss of moisture and rot. The bunches of grapes should have stems that are green and resilient.

The best way to store grapes is to place them inside a plastic vegetable bag with holes. You should then refrigerate the grapes without washing them, to maintain the texture and shelf life. You can rinse the grapes before you use them in your recipes, or when eating them as a snack by themselves. Do not allow bunches of grapes to become squashed up; allow space for them to remain nice and plump and properly formed. Do not store the grapes next to odorous vegetables that give off a pungent aroma, such as onions. The grapes should last about a week in the fridge under the right conditions. 

You can also freeze grapes if you wish to have a frosty snack or otherwise use them in your recipes. A good way to do this is to remove the stems, rinse the grapes and then place them into airtight plastic containers with the lid on. Alternatively, you can use freezer bags. You can also choose to make a syrup for the grapes with sugar and water. Wait until the syrup has cooled and pour it over the grapes and seal into plastic containers with lids. The frozen grape shelf life may be up to one year in the freezer.

Some ides for recipes with grapes include:

Fruit salad – a combination of raw fruits, possibly served with soy cream cheese. [http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/21315/traditional+fruit+salad]

Quinoa salad with roasted grapes and feta – a tasty and healthy meal, suitable for vegetarians. [http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/39568/quinoa+salad+with+roasted+grapes+and+feta]

Candied grapes – for an ultra sweet snack 🙂