Sautéed Shiitake Mushrooms with Sake

                         From John's Recipe Collection


This comes from my brother Matt. I fell in love with them the first time he 
made them for us!

* 5 oz. dry shiitake mushrooms
* 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
* 1 cup sake

Reconstitute the mushrooms in water. Don't use too much water, to avoid 
leaching the mushrooms. They should be ready within an hour.

If starting with whole mushrooms, julienne them with a knife or a 3 mm food 
processor julienne blade (or just slice them if you prefer). Melt half the 
butter in a pan and begin sautéing the mushrooms. Wait until all of the butter 
has been absorbed before adding the rest, to ensure that it is evenly absorbed.
Sauté the mushrooms on high heat until they are slightly browned. Turn off the
heat and add sake (1/2 to 1 cup depending on taste) while continuing to stir.

Fresh shiitake mushrooms can also be used, but they are not as flavorful, are 
much harder to julienne, and cook down much more.