b'Fresh porcini mushrooms are, in my modest opinion, the best-tasting mushrooms ever. I was in Italy in late October, and in Rome, where I took this photo, they were everywhere. You can only imagine how difficult it was for me to be so close to one of my favorite foods and yet not be able to cook with it. In this case, however, my wife and I found a compromise. Almost every day while in Rome, we went to eat at our favorite restaurant, La Carbonara. Fresh porcini were on the menu, and I ate them all. I am sorry for the patrons who came in aer me. I have been told that many diners rescheduled their dinner reservations to precede my arrival, just to make sure there would be some fresh porcini mushrooms for them.74'