Instructions: Combine the mushrooms with water in a 4- or 6-cup saucepan and turn the heat to medium-high. Bring to a boil, then adjust the heat so the mixture simmers gently. Cook until the mushrooms are tender, about 15 minutes.

Remove the mushrooms with a slotted spoon and place in the container of a blender. Strain the liquid through a paper towel place in a sieve, or through a couple of layers of cheesecloth; there will be about 1 cup. Add most of the liquid to the mushrooms and puree, adding the remaining liquid if necessary to allow the machine to do its work.

Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve, or cover and refrigerate for up to a couple of days.

VARIATION: The sauce can be made more complex. When pureeing the mushrooms, add your choice of additional seasonings. Be sure to taste the puree before you remove it from the blender; the mushroom flavor is so strong that it may take a relatively large quantity of complementary seasoning to make its presence felt.

Serving Ideas : The puree has many uses: Stir it into risotto or other grain preparations (be sure to use any of the leftover mushroom-cooking liquid in cooking the grain); include it in omelets or on pizzas; thin it with butter or olive oil to make a sauce for meat or fish; or simply use it as you would ketchup.

NOTES : If you simmer dried mushrooms until tender, then toss them in a blender with their cooking Liquid, you get a thick puree, potent and delicious. You can use any dried mushrooms for this condiment, such as the extremely inexpensive shiitakes (also called black mushrooms) sold in Asian markets. Better, of course, is the prince of dried mushrooms, the porcini.

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