Cooking with porcini powder

I won a fantastic gourmet hamper at my tennis club’s opening day last week and I am wondering what I can do with the jar of porcini powder that was included. I like mushrooms, but I’ve never seen them presented this way before. I guess I’m a bit unsophisticated!

Porcini mushrooms are traditionally found in Tuscany, Italy. The powder you have is a result of them being dried and ground (if you can only  nd dried mushrooms, grind them yourself in a coffee grinder). Once you’ve started using this powder, you’ll wonder why you never did before. Use it as a rub for meat and sprinkle it on roasted potatoes (cooked with duck fat, if you have it). You can also stir porcini powder into gravy or use it in risotto, soup and casseroles. Frankly, the possibilities are endless. It’s an amazing ingredient and you can usually find it at gourmet food stores.

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