I love mushrooms. What's the safest way to handle them?

Washing is the way to go, but don't soak them - they'll get waterlogged.

The Mushroom Council (mushroomcouncil.com), an industry trade organization, recommends brushing off dirt with a damp paper towel and rinsing briefly under running water and patting dry. Don't slice them until you're ready to use them - sliced mushrooms are a fertile breeding ground for bacteria.

Recent research at Pennsylvania State University has found that washing can definitely limit the growth of bacteria and keep mushrooms fresh for longer. Penn State researchers looked at the impact of washing both whole and sliced button mushrooms, the ones most commonly used.

The mushrooms were washed in a special antibacterial solution, followed by a neutralizing solution with preservatives to prevent browning. Then they were injected with listeria and salmonella bacteria. The results: The washed mushrooms had significantly less bacterial growth than the unwashed ones.

Ryckmanl@RockyMountainNews.com

Here's a healthy mushroom main dish from trainer Bob Greene, author of The Best Life Diet.

Mushroom-Barley Risotto

Serves 4

3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated

4 cups fat-free chicken or vegetable broth

Salt

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

2 tablespoons chopped shallots

1 pound portobello or white button mushrooms, trimmed and sliced

1 cup dry white wine

3 cups pearl barley, sorted and rinsed

1 small onion, chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

* In a saucepan, bring the broth to a boil.

* Cover the pan and turn off the heat.

* Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a deep skillet over a medium flame.

* Add the onion and saute until soft. Reduce the heat to "low."

* Add the barley and stir it to coat with oil.

* Add the wine and cook, stirring, until wine is absorbed.

* Add the hot broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring frequently and adding 1/2 cup more of broth each time the previous addition is almost absorbed.

* This should take about 30 minutes. (You may have a little broth left over.)

* If the barley is not yet tender and all the broth is gone, add a little water and cook until it is tender.

* Put remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over a medium-high flame.

* Add the mushrooms and shallots and saute until mushrooms are golden and shallots are soft, about 5 minutes. (If the mixture begins to stick, remove the skillet from the flame and spray the mushrooms with nonstick cooking spray. Return the skillet to the heat and cook until the mushrooms are golden and shallots are soft.)

* Stir the mushroom mixture and basil into the barley.

* Season with salt and pepper.

* Serve immediately, sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.

Nutritional information per serving: 257 cal., 8 g fat (2 g sat.), 3 mg chol., 36 g carb., 8 g pro., 2 g fiber, 167 mg sodium