12:24 AM 3/20/98
rfc

Nice Friend!  I soak them for 30 minutes in hot water or, depending on the 
dish, hot water and sherry or wine.  Rinse the reconstituted porcini to remove 
any clinging bits of grit and dirt and DO NOT throw out the soaking liquid.  
Strain the soaking broth through a strainer lined with cheesecloth or paper 
towels to remove any dirt or grit.  Use the strained liquid to add to risotto 
as part of the broth quantity, add to stocks, soups and sauces where you want 
a wild mushroom flavor and, generally treat the reconstituted mushrooms as a 
flavor enhancer for any dish that calls for mushrooms.  Add to any pasta sauce 
or stew that would benefit from mushroom flavor but use sparingly as they can 
sometimes over power some dishes in their dried form.  I usually mix 
domesticated sauteed mushrooms along with a few porcini to add to risotto or 
pasta sauces.  The porcini tend to dominate the saute and impart their flavor 
to the blander domesticated mushrooms.  You can also finely grind the dried 
mushrooms (unreconstituted of course) and use them along with fine bread 
crumbs as a coating for fish etc.  This lends a smokey flavor to breaded, 
fried foods.  

Kate
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Sausages with Porcini Mushrooms

Good to serve with Polenta or over pasta. Needs no cheese.

2 oz. dried porcini mushrooms
1 lb. Italian sweet sausage
1 medium sized onion, sliced
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 T. tomato paste
2 cups chicken or meat stock
chopped fresh rosemary
coarse salt & fresh ground pepper

Put mushrooms in a small bowl with hot water to cover. Soak 15 mins.
Slice sausages into 2 inch pieces.

Saute the onion in olive oil in a heavy skillet. Add sausages and brown
lightly.

Add tomato paste, mushrooms with their water, stock and herbs. Bring to
a boil, lower the heat, and simmer gently for 1/2 hour. Season with salt
and pepper. 

MEanwhile, make the polenta or heat water to cook pasta.

Serve sausages with their sauce on top of the polenta or pasta.

Supposedly yields 4 servings but s.o. and I could finish this between
the two of us. Double recipe if you want to invite guests.

Bon appetit!
-- 
Leila Abu-Saba, Berkeley, CA
reply to ---> leilasab at sfsu dot edu