Porcini mushrooms!!!

(Image courtesy of http://sienet.luontonetti.com/en/sivut/boletus_edulis.htm)

A thoughtful patient gave me a porcini mushroom today and it's supposed to be delicious!! I was not familiar with the name porcini, but according to Wikipedia it means 'piglets' in Italian, as the young fruiting bodies resemble little piglets. It's also known as the King's mushroom or Boletus edulis. I was happy to read on Wikipedia that, "Boletus edulis is considered one of the safest wild mushrooms to pick for the table because there are no poisonous species that closely resemble it"!

It is described as nutty and slightly meaty, with a smooth, creamy texture. This mushroom has a distinctive aroma similar to sourdough. Young, small porcini are most appreciated by gourmets. It's also said that, when dried, porcini have more protein than all other commonly consumed vegetables apart from soybeans!

I can't wait for dinner tonight. My husband suggests, it would be good in a butter/condensed milk sauce with chicken, yum!