By Margo True, Sunset Food Editor

I know I haven't yet told you about the first 7. I've been avoiding it...soon I'll spill the beans. But there's no avoiding disaster #8, the mushroom log we've been relying on for shiitakes for our fall one-block dinner. Which is in 5 days.

Eeesh.

I've tried to revive this log with soakings in diluted bleach, with mold-shaving sessions, with tight wrappings in plastic. I may have done the wrong thing; makers of other kits suggest rubbing alcohol and no bleach under any circumstances. Who knows. The mold lives on.

Luckily, Far West Fungi will replace incorrigibly moldy logs for its customers, as long as they're reasonably satisfied you haven't mistreated your log (stored it on the floor next to the trash, for instance.) In the meantime, does anyone have suggestions for how we can keep our next log mold-free?