Nearly every time I would stroll through the fresh foods section of the grocery store I would stop and have a look at the oyster mushrooms. They had an interesting shape and for quite a while, I wondered what they might taste like. I wondered if I - a novice at cooking - could prepare a dish with this mushroom type.

A number of people have admitted to me that they feel mushrooms are tasteless, so they don't bother using them. However, I learned that mushrooms can add a particular flavor to cooked dishes. Additionally, they can taste good when cooked on their own.

I've only really used mushrooms in salads and in soup. I wanted to try something different, so I was ready to try preparing this oyster mushroom as a dish.

Click on an image to have a close look at the interesting features of the oyster mushroom!

Below is how I decided to prepare them. I was not so strict on the time, but I did notice that if cooked for longer than 10 minutes, they could potentially be over-cooked. I preferred to cook them for about 7-8 minutes.

Ingredients:
Oyster mushrooms - I did not measure the amount. I just grabbed quite a few!
Oil (coconut) or butter (goat)
Optional - sesame oil for added flavor
Salt
Vinegar (rice)

Materials:
Frying pan
Frying pan cover
Knife
Cutting board
Spatula
Strainer to rinse the mushrooms after cutting
Paper towels to dry the mushrooms after rinsing

1) First, slice the mushrooms. Discard the stems. Since it was my first time working with oyster mushrooms, I wasn't sure how I should best cut them. I sliced some in length-wise strips.

2) Next, rinse them in running water and place them on a paper towel. The paper towel will absorb some of the water. I didn't want anymore than incidental water in the frying pan.

​3) Next, coat the frying pan with a fat. I tried it once with coconut oil and then again with goat butter. I personally liked the coconut oil flavor better.

4) Following the fat, add a small amount of sesame oil. This is probably not necessary, but I like the flavor.

5) Turn on the stove and let the pan heat.

6) Once hot, place the mushrooms in the frying pan.

7) Pan-fry them for a couple of minutes, then add salt.

8) After adding the salt, mix the mushrooms in the pan with your spatula of choice.

9) Continue to pan-fry them until they appear a little brown. At some point, reduce the heat if the heat seems too high.

10) Sprinkle some vinegar on the mushrooms and mix the mushrooms again with a spatula. Adding the vinegar may not be necessary, but I tend to like this flavor in my food. I used rice vinegar - it's the vinegar I happened to have on hand.

11) Place a cover on the frying pan and let the mushrooms cook for a few more minutes. Reduce the heat a bit if it seems too high.

12) Remove the cover.

If they look golden-brown they are ready to serve! If they look like they are in water, then remove the cover and cook the mushrooms for a short while longer. The excess water will need to evaporate. Be careful not to over-cook.

The Hottest Sauce in the Universe!

I believe that this sauce lives up to its claim. With a shop bestowed rating of 10+++ on the hotness scale and a warning for those under 18, one knows that this is not a sauce to play with! The transformation of an individual tasting less than a pea-sized amount of this sauce was a sight - a face that gradually turned red, profuse sweating and moving around, shocked vocalizations, and a quick exit...

As the hot sauce lover that I am, I dipped a chip in the sauce and, after being warned about the amount I had on my chip, I proceeded to eat it anyway, not realizing exactly how PULSING BURNING STINGING HOT this sauce would be. Boy, was it the hottest sauce I had ever tasted. It had a powerful pulsing burn that stayed with me for what seemed like 15 minutes. The sales associates were impressed at how relaxed my demeanor was through the taste test. I have to say, I was pretty impressed, too! But then, I simply didn't know how to react!

Hotness Rating: * * * * * 5+++ / 5
Comment: There is wax on the cap for a reason!!! Believe it or not, LESS than a drop is quite sufficient for an entire dish!!!

Ingredients: "Aged red peppers, distilled vinegar, chile extract, ghost pepper, xanthan gum."

Chipotle
Chipotle Mexican Style Hot Sauce and Marinade

This chunky sauce has a biting sting that builds and catches the back of the throat. Peppery, juicy, and smokey seems to be the best way to describe the taste. This is great mixed with Scotch Bonnet and mayonnaise on a sandwich. Also perfect when mixed with Dark Rum as a portabello mushroom marinade. This is currently my personal favorite of the 4 featured sauces in this blog.

Hotness Rating: 4 / 5
Comment: The smokey flavor is enjoyable!

Ingredients: "Chipotle peppers, choice red habanero peppers, fresh carrots, garlic, onions, lime juice, vinegar, and salt."

Scotch Bonnet
Scotch Bonnet West Indies Style Hot Sauce and Marinade

Not quite as heat-intense as Chipotle and a bit less chunky, it has a distinct sweet mustard taste, though still hot with habanero peppers providing a slight sting that builds and catches the back of the throat. This tastes great mixed with Chipotle and mayonnaise on a sandwich.

Hotness Rating: 3.75 / 5
Comment: For those who like hot and mustard, this might fit the bill!

Ingredients: "Fresh onion, habanero peppers, food starch, mustard, sugar, salt, vinegar, flour, & tumeric."

Dark Rum
Dark Rum Coconut Pineapple Hot Sauce and Marinade

Dark Rum is so mild in taste on the heat-scale that I would describe it more as a spicy marinade than a hot sauce. The spicy taste does build as more is eaten, however. Thick, but not chunky, the coconut flakes, pepper, and seasonings are visible in the sauce. The pineapple taste stands out along with the small bits of coconut flakes. Great when mixed with Chipotle as a portabello mushroom marinade.

Hotness Rating: 0.5 / 5

Ingredients: "Water, pineapple, rum, red Tobasco pepper pulp, garlic, pulp, sugar, dehydrated crushed coconut, salt, starch, crushed onion, lime juice, acetic acid, crushed jamaica (allspice), black pepper, and sweet basil powder."