...All the Rain Promises and More!!

The title of this blog, as a mushroom hunter of any ilk will recognize, is taken directly from one of the most prominent identification guides for mushrooms, and especially edible mushrooms. David Aurora's book is often the only book that many mushroom hunters use and reference, though I recommend using any and all of them at hand, as the information varies from author to author. Some that have the best illustrations (DK series, Smithsonian Handbooks by Thomas Laessøe & Gary Lincoff) have the most hideously incomplete guide to edibility--giving it a dinner plate, a dinner plate with a cross through it, or a skull and crossbones) Whereas others, such as "Common Mushrooms of the Pacific Northwest" give some of the most colorful descriptions of edibility, ["The toxic MMH (monomethylhydroxine) found in this and other Gyromitra species, is the same chemical that is used in rocket fule for space travel. Not only is the Hooded Morel poisonous if eaten, but it also releases toxic fumes into the air if cooked. DO NOT EAT. It is better left for space travel"] many of the mushrooms that I have found casually wandering are not in this book, and despite the apparently common appearence to me, were unidentifiable by this standard. One MUST forgoe the desire to make a mushroom found fit the description of one in a book, as this arrogant hope is no assurance of avoiding sever side effects.

There are also many books on edible mushrooms, and again, these books reflect a difference of opinion as striking as opposing religions! Michael Kuo's incredibly informed book "100 edible Mushrooms" is prefaced by the author with a disclaimer saying that he does not eat wild mushrooms anymore, and indeed, each entry is seemingly trying to convince the reader that while the recipe that follows is delicious, is is best left to the experts to determine what is edible and exciting to cook. Wise words certainly, but the hint of caution and fear does give one an impression of an imperceivable danger.

As a chef in Portland, one of the most predigious mushroom producing areas of the world, I must advise that everyone go out in the woods and explore, collect and examine the mushrooms species growing locally. Paul Stamets, [www.fungiperfecti.com] has said no mushrooms will hurt you upon picking it. He openly encourages his children to pick and bring him any mushroom they find. Many mushrooms are even better identified by their taste (tiny, miniscule fragments, put in the mouth, macerated, and spit out) and by their smell. The mushrooms that cause death do so by poisoning the liver and doing irrevocable damage, requiring a transplant in many cases within a few days. In other words, they must be eaten. As a fellow mushroomer told me, if you eat a mushroom and experience no problems until after 8 or more hours, you probably have a problem. However, if they immediately cause you grastronomic upset, your poisoning is likely not sever, just extremely uncomfortable (think really bad flu). Thus, as an amatuer mushroom collector myself, I would employ the same logic as Kuo in pushing the forager to know for certain what it is you have in your basket before eating, and even after doing so, if there is any doubt remaining as to the strain of the mushroom (one book I found suggested, as mentioned in the previous post, a possibility of a poisonous strain of chicken mushrooms in the northwest) eat only a small amount and wait 24 hours. This was what I did with the chicken mushroom I found, and after feeling quite fine, my roommates and I ate the rest and enjoyed them thoroughly! The conclusion is that three cases of poisoning from mushrooms known to be edible is more than likely an allergic reaction, not a poisonous strain.

There is no danger in collecting any and all mushrooms you find and bringing them home to examnine and if you can identify. I had the recent honor of attending the Oregon Mycological Society's Fall Mushroom Show, and what a wonder it was to see all the fungus I have seen in passing in the woods gathered and displayed with their respective families. In fact, I was asked more than once while in the field whether I was gathering mushrooms for the show, and until I arrived, I had little sense of why this question was being asked, but having been, I will be gathering them, for the next show, to be sure! I also joined the group with mush enthrusiasm, and purchased for myself an innoculated bag of straw that will soon be bloom to Pink Oyster Mushrooms...stay tuned for more info as this growth develops.

UPDATE: Since the rain has come and gone, and come again, I have been back to the places I know where the chanterells grow like so much sorel on the forest floor. In no more than one and half hours, foraging in an area that a weeks preious had been barren, my friends and I collected over 3.5 pounds of the Official Mushroom of Oregon, the golden chanterelle, still fetching $11.00/pound at the farmers markets and the grocery stores. Some of the specimens were so beautful I wish there were ways besides photgraphs to preserve their beauty. But alas, they had to be eaten:

Wild Mushrooms Pizza:

Dough:
3 cups All-purpose flour (or bread flour)
2+ Tablspoons Olive Oil
2 teaspoons Instant Yeast (try the local Cash&Carry for the best prices per volume)
1.5 teaspoons salt
1 to 1 1/4 cup water

Let the dough rise for 30-45 minutes in warm place, and stretch to fit the oiled pan for use.

Cook chanterelles and lobster mushrooms (and any others) by the dry saute method:
Simply put into a pan on med. hi until they release all of their juices, cook until the juice has reduced and reabsorbed into the mushrooms. At this point, I add salt to season, and a little olive oil to start to carmelize the mushrooms for a deeper flavor. I highloy encourage a taste of the released juice before it is cooked away, for this is some of the most flaorful liquid I have very experienced. And to think it came from the forest floor!

For toppings on the pizza, we used a pumkin seed/arugula pesto, minced garlic, shallots, fresh tomato from my garden, and goats milk monterey jack cheese, grated.

For anyone into pizza, this will spell relief from the boring old toppings and sauce aailible at 99% of the Pizza Joints out there, and the relief one gets from using items collected on one's own is better than simply enjoying the fruits of someone else's labor.

Enjoy the fall!