Rachel Roddy's recipe for spaghetti with mushrooms, soft cheese and herbs | A kitchen in Rome

"Mushrooms are fruiting bodies, specialised structures that, encouraged by the parent body underground, force themselves up through the soil and open their umbrella-like cap so the gills or pores can release spores into passing air currents. The aim is the same as for all pushy parents: get the next generation into the world and hope they don't get eaten in the process."

"After I'd brushed the actual earth off the base of the stems and wiped the caps with a bit of damp kitchen towel, the mushrooms in fact smelled faintly of waxy citrus peel, yeast, almond and chicken fat which are the octanol molecules, apparently. Faintly being the key word here, though that scent is enhanced by cooking, in particular the almond aspect."

"that scent is enhanced by cooking, in particular the almond aspect, which is then joined by the meat-malt flavour that emerges when mushrooms meet heat in a frying pan, lose water and take on colour alongside butter and garlic."

Mushrooms are fruiting bodies designed to release spores, and their flavor profile is more complex than the common "earthy" description suggests. When properly cleaned and examined, mushrooms emit subtle scents of waxy citrus peel, yeast, almond, and chicken fat due to octanol molecules. Cooking intensifies these flavors, particularly the almond notes, while adding meat-malt characteristics when combined with heat, butter, and garlic. Garlic potency varies seasonally, being particularly strong before the new season begins, requiring careful adjustment of quantities. Herbs like parsley, dill, fennel fronds, or chives complement mushroom dishes, and various soft cheeses work successfully in mushroom preparations.

Read at www.theguardian.com