Conventional wisdom says mushrooms must simply be brushed clean, not washed or they will become soggy. But trawling the Web in a spare moment I was amazed to see that lifestyle doyenne Martha Stewart descents! On her website, www.marthastewart.com, she insists: “It’s a myth that you shouldn’t wash mushrooms. Because they are absorbent, they shouldn’t be soaked, but quickly submerging them whole in a bowl of cold water cleans them more effectively than wiping them with a vegetable brush or damp paper towel. Swish the mushrooms; their grit will drop to the bottom of the bowl. Lift them out, lay them on a clean kitchen towel, and blot to remove excess moisture.” Worth a try, maybe?