Not long ago, the only mushroom available in the market was the common button mushroom, which made up in versatility what it lacked in flavor. Now a myraid of mushroom types are being cultivated for sale in stores - shitake, oyster, enoki and baby bellas to name a few. When handled properly, they lend exotic tastes and silky textures to many dishes.

Always select mushrooms that are plump, firm and fragrant with no signs of wetness or shriveling. Store mushrooms unwashed in the refrigerator in a paper bag. Before using your mushrooms, trim the ends of the stems and remove dirt with a damp cloth or soft brush, don't rinse or soak in water because mushrooms are like sponges and will absorb the water. Try our Chicken Stuffed with Savory Duxelles (French for "a garnish or stuffing of finely chopped, sauteed mushrooms).

Despite the simplicity of grilling, the constantly changing dynamic of a live fire means grilling is also the most interactive and therefore the most challenging of all cooking methods. When you bake, you just turn the oven on to 350 degrees, and for sauteing, you twist the dial to medium-high. But there are no such controls in live fire grilling! The cook must make constant, intuitive decisions based on observation and experience. And since no two individual fires are alike, each time you approach the grill you are a facing a new culinary landscape, a cooking adventure complete with the possibility of triumph or failure. This provides a uniquely exciting cooking experience that James Beard called "the thrill of the grill."