God thats ugly...but humm so good!

One ugly mushroom with awesome healing powers.
http://www.maitake.com
Pic borrowed from:
http://theforagerpress.com/fieldguide/octfd.htm

Sing along-"One bite makes you larger, one bite makes you hummm" "Feed your head"
Haaaaa College years...(Giggles)

SO...FUNGI BUTTERS

2 Sticks of butter (ORGANIC) unsalted (Clarified butter works better but if you are careful with the heat and take a little more time melting the butter you can keep from burning the solids and at least for me the resulting product will have a rounder flavor)

So the basic reason for these recipes is to save food from going yuck in your refrigerator...specially those funky fancy mushrooms that become gump before you get them out of the shopping bag.

Butter can be used to melt, blend, store, conserve and brew flavors...I do not know if you have ever achieved leaving a stick o'butter rot. I am a fan of forgetting food in my fridge and finding little green monsters several months after...

Delicate flavors such as flowers, mushrooms, oils and yes Hemp (even the wacky weed) can be used long after their shelf life as a condiment when conserved in butter. Lets face it butter is also very handy as an ingredient...LOW FAT SHMOW SHMAT...Your body needs fat. Hello Cholesterol keeps your cells and skin from falling apart. Even bad Cholesterol. but keep this in mind moderation. BTW Butter beats TransFats anytime....Butters and milk products are subject to debate as for the antibiotics and hormones used with the cows in order to increase production. (Organic hopefully has none of those)

So:

Prepare mold: Any plastic container that gives you the volume and the shape that is most utilitarian line the mold with wax paper length and width crossing the strips over each other leaving several inches outside of the mold (Over mold edge). Or just use your old Margarine tub. (Mind one thing the butter stick or roll works better because you can cut and measure future portions.

Fine Chop your Maitake Mushrooms
(Strong Flavored) and throw into the pot with the melting butter (LOVE CROCK POTTS FOR THIS)
add White Pepper, Garlic powder, salt, Bay Leaves let simmer for one hour, for light flavored mushrooms I recomed majoram and less pepper, no garlic... Let cool to room temp for 20 min. Pour into your mold (Aka: My Tupperware lined with two strips of wax paper) Place in cooler 1 hour take out of mold (Now you get why the strips are helpful ...to lift the butter from the mold. Place the solid in a plastic wrap sheet and roll while is still cold. (Like a play dough roll)


SERVE ON PLAIN PASTAS, BREAD, CRACKERS, USE TO SEASON MEATS AND POULTRY, ADD TO CREAM BASED SOUPS OR USE TO STUFF, BASTE OR AS PART OF A GREAT THANKSGIVING TURKEY (Hint: Place pieces in pockets under the skin of the bird before roasting it)