I ENJOY wild mushrooms, but I happen to like ordinary white button mushrooms, too; the cultivated kind, the ones that are also called champignons de Paris (especially by the French). Simply sautéed in a little butter or olive oil and finished with garlic and parsley, or sliced raw for a salad with a lemony dressing — what could be better? They’re completely satisfying.

I suppose they are considered pedestrian in foodie circles, and that’s a pity. These days exotic cultivated mushrooms like royal trumpet, maitake and oyster get all the glory and the poor buttons are taken for granted.

Cooked and marinated à la Grècque with white wine and aromatics, button mushrooms make a fabulous hors d’oeuvre. A modern-thinking Parisian chef I know even makes a very tasty ice cream with them as a cheaper alternative to the trendy black truffle version. And a well-executed white mushroom omelet with a bit of ham and cheese is something wonderful. This week’s recipe, mushrooms à la crème, makes great use of them as well. It’s a simple one, with only a few ingredients: a bit of butter, a handful of sweet herbs and some tangy crème fraîche. Try it as an easy side dish or over noodles.

Mushrooms actually belong to the fungi, not the plant kingdom, but we tend to think of them as a vegetable and treat them as such. Omnivore, vegetarian and vegan diners all prize them, not only for their versatility, but also for a kind of meatiness in texture and flavor, at least in some preparations. Roasting or grilling mushrooms gives them a burnished exterior that accentuates that quality, and it is a fine way to cook them. But for giving flavor to stuffings, sauces and stocks they don’t necessarily need to be caramelized. Remember mushroom duxelles? Finely chopped and slowly simmered, this French staple used to be added to everything from beef Wellington to vols-au-vent.