It seems there is a mushroom hater in just about every family. One major reason is because they have only ever tasted mushrooms that taste fungusy. Another major reason is the texture of most common mushrooms.

Both of these issues become less of an issue when a variety of mushrooms are served, but the majority of mushrooms will still have that underlying stale and funky flavor that mushroom haters despise, and most will still go to the texture and appeal of a slug in the garden once they are cooked. Rubbery slime that tastes faintly of mildew is just not appealing to many people.

For those who love mushrooms, the flavor that comes across is the REST of the flavor. The savory, meaty, sweet, or buttery flavor that the mushroom imparts. And mushroom haters generally LIKE that part, but just don't care for the rest that accompanies it.

So... how do you serve up mushrooms, so that those who love them can have them, and those who don't like them can learn to enjoy foods that contain them, and take part in the health benefits that mushrooms give?

1. The biggest thing is to not serve them as an entree, garnish, or side dish that features mushrooms. To a mushroom hater, that just means that they have to pick them out. If you want them to eat them, mix them into dishes that have multiple ingredients. They are a natural for the following foods:
   
   • Spaghetti
   • Chili
   • Soup or Stew of any kind
   • Casseroles
   • Pizza (mix them in the sauce, don't put them on top)
   • Meatloaf and Salisbury steak
   • Stuffings
   • Gravy
   • Sauces - cheese, alfredo, white sauce, barbeque, any sauce with chunks of veggies, any sauce with tomato, etc, and even sauces made from canned soups.
   • Hot salads - anything that has bacon in it
   • Croquettes (any mixed and shaped meat patty actually)
   • Stir fry or chow mein, other Asian mixed dishes
2. Chop them up into small dices. This helps to keep the pieces small, so you don't end up chewing on a great big hunk of something repellent. It also helps the other flavors of the dish to be the main focus.
3. Use dried mushrooms, and reconstitute them in broth. This gets the broth into the mushroom, and tempers the flavor. Dried mushrooms often have a stronger savory flavor and less fungusy flavor anyway.
4. Pair the mushroom with something that tastes similar to the good aspect. That means white mushrooms or Criminis (and other similarly flavored mushrooms) with beef or pork, Shaggy Mane and Porcini with butter and chicken, Hedgehog with a sweet and sour sauce or barbeque or even orange chicken sauce, Straw mushrooms with soy sauce and dark meaty flavors, King Trumpet in buttery white sauce that is lightly salted, Morels fried in butter and tossed into cashew chicken, etc.
5. Put the mushrooms into the dish early in the cooking process so they meld with the other flavors.
6. Mushroom powder can impart some subtle flavors without the slimy textures. It can be used in soups, sauces, gravies, casseroles, salad dressings, etc.
7. Use a reasonable amount. Think of them as a companion ingredient, the same way you do onions. About the same amount of diced onion, or maybe twice the amount, that you'd use in the dish if it called for onion.

Generally you won't make a mushroom lover out of a mushroom hater. But if you are considerate, and try all kinds of mushrooms, then you can usually find those that are tolerable, and dishes in which they are not disliked.

Dietary Note: If a person is genuinely allergic, do not try this.

Some people dislike mushrooms because they do not digest or metabolize them in a positive way. This doesn't mean that mushrooms will actively harm them, only that their body does not appreciate them in part because it does not know what to do with them. By pairing them with other food combinations, they may become more digestible, and additional metabolic elements may be available that aid the body in utilizing mushrooms in a way that it cannot when they are served alone, or without specific elements. We find that the combinations can vary, but that they may be more digestible when served with fruit or acids (this is why some people don't mind them in tomato sauces), when served with certain types of vegetables, when served with butter, or when served with certain types of meats. The specific combinations that work best are a very individual thing.

When a mushroom hater says, "I like that!", and they do not notice that it had mushrooms in it, then you know you got the combination right.