Eat Your Gods

Gather

• 4 large king oyster mushrooms (about 1 lb)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp butter (or vegan butter)
• 2 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• ½ lemon
• Flaky salt and black pepper

Use olive oil or vegan butter and it's vegan.

The rite

1. Separate the reach from the crown. Cut off the caps and save them for tomorrow's stir-fry. Slice the stems into 1-inch rounds.
2. Mark them. Score a shallow crosshatch on both cut faces. Pat them very dry. Damp mushrooms don't sear. They steam and sulk.
3. Reach into the heat. Heat the oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high until it shimmers. Lay the rounds in, cut side down, not touching. Leave them alone for 4 minutes, until deep gold. Flip. 3 more minutes.
4. Anoint. Lower the heat to medium. Add the butter, garlic and thyme. Tilt the pan and spoon the foaming butter over the mushrooms for 1 to 2 minutes.
5. Begin. Salt, pepper, a squeeze of lemon. Eat right away. Prozyfai does not wait for things to cool.

Gather

• 6 cups water
• 8 dried shiitake
• 1 piece kombu, about 4 inches (optional)
• 8 oz fresh shiitake, stems removed, sliced
• 1 tbsp neutral oil
• 2 scallions, whites and greens separated, sliced
• 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
• 3 tbsp white miso
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 2 servings udon or soba
• 2 handfuls baby bok choy or spinach

A soft-boiled egg on top is welcome but optional.

The rite

1. Let it steep. Soak the dried shiitake and kombu in the water for 20 minutes. Overnight in the fridge if you're the planning kind. Rezyfai is.
2. Draw it in slowly. Bring to a gentle simmer. Take out the kombu just before it boils. Simmer 10 minutes. Lift out the shiitake, slice them and put them back.
3. Brown the fresh ones. Meanwhile, sear the fresh shiitake in the oil over medium-high until browned, about 5 minutes. Add the ginger and scallion whites for 1 more minute.
4. Cook the noodles apart. Boil the noodles separately, following the package. Drain. Wilt the greens in the broth for 1 to 2 minutes.
5. Receive. Turn off the heat. Whisk the miso with a ladle of broth, then stir it back in. Don't let it boil again. Add the soy sauce and sesame oil.
6. Return everything to the bowl. Noodles first, then broth, then the seared shiitake and scallion greens. Egg if your practice includes it.

Gather

• 2 lb mixed fresh mushrooms (cremini, maitake, oyster)
• ½ oz dried porcini
• 1 cup hot water
• 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 1 onion, 1 carrot and 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• ½ cup dry red wine (or more porcini liquid)
• 1 can (14 oz) crushed tomatoes
• 1 rosemary sprig and 1 bay leaf
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• Salt and black pepper
• 1 lb pappardelle or a pot of polenta

Parmesan on top makes it vegetarian. Up to you.

Honey mushrooms are Mycelius's own, but they're rarely sold and have dangerous look-alikes. Use what the market has.

The rite

1. Wake the porcini. Soak the dried porcini in the hot water for 15 minutes. Chop them. Pour off and keep the liquid, leaving the grit behind.
2. Break them down. Pulse the fresh mushrooms in a food processor until pea-sized, or chop by hand. Brown them in two batches in 2 tbsp oil, 8 to 10 minutes each, until the liquid is gone and they're deep brown. Patience is the whole doctrine.
3. Build the ground. Add the last tbsp of oil, then the onion, carrot and celery. Cook until soft, about 8 minutes. Garlic for 1 minute. Tomato paste for 2 more, until it darkens.
4. Pour one out. Add the wine and scrape up everything stuck to the pan. Reduce by half. Return the mushrooms with the porcini, their liquid, the tomatoes, rosemary, bay and soy sauce.
5. Descend. Lowest heat, lid ajar, 45 minutes to an hour. Stir now and then. Add a splash of water if it gets thick. Nothing hurries Mycelius.
6. Return to the Web. Fish out the herbs. Season. Toss with the pasta and a splash of its cooking water.