Dried porcini mushrooms and uncooked pearled barley

I know I've bought pearled barley, and they have a great mushroom selection. I'd give them a call.

Polcari's in the North End should have both. So should Salumeria Italiano, but I find Polcari's to be a little cheaper on bulk items - which both of these should be.

in the South End and Southie carry both. Dried mushrooms in the produce section. For the barley, look for the Bob's Red Mill grains in clear cellophane packages.

Um, the local Stop & Shop?

These are pretty basic ingredients.

Hey, I don't mind being helpful, but I don't think I've ever been to a supermarket without barley. Right next to the dried beans every time. Dried porcinis are slightly rarer, but I have seen them at the shaws on comm ave in allston, central square, and fenway, the whole foods on Beacon st near the fens, washington st in brighton, and the big one in cambridgeport, and I'm pretty sure both the TJ's in Coolidge Corner and Cambridgeport.

I know human interaction may be scary, but it isn't that hard to pick up a phone and CALL the supermarket in your neighborhood. As kind-hearted as faceless internet folks can be, the employees will actually know for sure, and won't suggest driving to exotic locales such as Inman or Maine for basic ingredients.

pearl barley. Barley that has undergone less of the polishing (pearling) to remove the outer hull than pearl barley is usually labeled "barley groats" and has a light brown color.

Thus, the plain ol' barley that Goya sells, for instance, and is easily found in with the dried beans, is also pearled. (Something I just figured out today.) There are degrees of pearling: it can be refined further to make smaller-bore kernels. But if it's white, it's pearl barley.