Oh shiitake,
 

I bought a small qty of shiitake mushrooms today (not dried ones) after reading how tasty and healthy they are. $15.99 lb. Yikes! They better be!

I put them in a small, brown paper bag and into the main compartment of the fridge, not near any strong smelling food.

What's the best way to cook them? I don't want a recipe that includes other foods at this point. I just want to cook them and eat them to see if I like them. I read that they're so tasty that they don't require salt, which I usually put on common button mushrooms. I read that I should cut off the stems first, which can be saved and used for soup stock.

Sauté, grill, bake (what temp., how long?), nuke?

Can shiitakes be sliced and eaten uncooked in salads (love mushrooms but not crazy about them uncooked)?

(channeling Forest Gump) sauted, grilled, marinated, boiled, fried, deep fried, stir fried, coated and double deep fried, etc....

I've eaten a mushroom soup based on beef bone marrow slow cooked over a day. Yikes was it good.
Higher end resteraunts serve burgers from larger caps.

The dried ones from asian grocery stores are cheap and allow re-hydration in a broth of your choice. Whatever you make, mushrooms tend to be a bulky mass of tasteless gelatinous material at first.
Epicurious.com: Recipes, Menus, Cooking Articles & Food Guides or Joy of Cooking Joy Kitchen or others is a start.

Try fresh basil and mix in sour cream with a little paprika

then spread it by HAND ALL OVER YOUR GF'S BODY

That sounds like one great, full bodied desert!

Thanks for all the input guys.

I'm off now to make a paprika run. SmileWavy

Boy are you in luck!

I cook a ****ake sauce for beef tenderloin that's the bomb.

Saute shrooms in butter to soften (3-5 minutes) medium heat, add 1 tablesppon of madira wine (ish), let evaporate, then add 3/4 cup of beef stock and 1/4 cup whipping cream. Bring to boil for 1 minute, then simmer; add 2 tablespoons of full grain dijon and some fresh parsley. Simmer 5 minutes, serve

Spread over tenderloan when it's cooked.

You can also add a little truffle oil if it's for the right lady :D

Let me know how it turns out

Bob

i hate mushrooms but i like those. i used to make miso soup and slice the shrooms up thin with a razor blade and put em in. any brothy, light soup they seem to work in