have you ever tried any exotic mushrooms? they're good aren't they? i'm not talking about shitake, porcini, or cremini. i'm talking about a black trumpet, clamshell, king oyster or hen of the woods. i went for it the other night while shopping at whole foods, they had several wild mushrooms to choose from, so i picked what looked the strangest to me. the black trumpet (obviously the black ones shown) and the king oysters, which have a very big, thick stem and a typical mushroom "cap". i paired them with a good ole' sirloin and a baked potato, that my husband and i split. deep down, i'm a steak and potato kind a girl, however, i rarely eat this sort of meal. so, i was really looking forward to it! i loaded up my bag full of new and exciting mushrooms, headed to checkout, and almost passed out! i'm not kidding. the king oysters were $49.99 a pound! they rang up to something like $36 or so. needless to say, i returned all but 2. i still wanted to try them and when i left i spent $7, and 2 were just plenty. i simply sauteed them in a bit of olive oil, shallots, rosemary, salt and pepper. they were better than i had expected. full of flavor, meaty, earthy, different, new. it won't be an item i use regularly, only on those "special occasions". so, until the next one, it's back to the tried and true... cremini and buttons.