A First, remember that you clean mushrooms only when you are about to cook them. Store them as they came from the market. As to wiping or brushing, their dirt can hide tricky and potentially harmful microbes. Wiping or brushing each mushroom wastes time and doesn't clean them properly.
A French-restaurant chef showed me a better way. He actually laughed out loud when I told him I'd heard they should just be wiped. His take: "This is a restaurant, not a rest home where we have all the time in the world."
Fast and efficient were essential; here was how he cleaned his mushrooms:
• Fill the sink with cold water. Have a small soft brush handy. Working fast, drop in your mushrooms and swish them around as you brush off as much dirt as possible. Allow dirt to settle a few seconds.
• Immediately scoop up the mushrooms and spread them out on a multiple thickness of towels. Roll up the towels, pressing them gently so the towels absorb the mushrooms' moisture.
• Now they are ready for the pan. Mushrooms are like sponges, so never leave them to soak in water.
Lynne Rossetto Kasper hosts "The Splendid Table," American Public Media's national food show, splendidtable.org. Send questions to table.mpr.org.
