Search this site

News & Stories / Tapas Tasting at Blacks Beach Cafe, February 2000 We gladly welcomed some enthusiastic new members to the 1st annual Tapas tasting party. Rene Seltzer • March 1, 2000 Cantharellus cibarius. © beepboop (CC-BY-NC) (inaturalist.org, obs. 13671576) Our February culinary fungal event was held at Blacks Beach Cafe. The attendance was high (there were only 3 spaces left at the tables). Hats off to Chef Robert Morris and his staff for great food and a job well done. Special appreciation to members Bob Wynn for suggesting and arranging Blacks Beach. Margie Young for reservations and hostessing, and Debbie Johnson and Bob Wynn for the local foray to find mushrooms used in the feast. Robert, the chef and owner, also supports local artists. Lynn Pio's colorful fantastic art was on display and I understand the 'French fries' are not to be missed. I wouldn't be surprised to see Blacks Beach Cafe on the culinary calendar for February 2001 for the 2nd annual Tapas tasting party. Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

Candy Cap & Sage Pork Tenderloin This savory Candy Cap dish delighted members at one of our long-distance foray dinners. by Bernard Glim Candy caps. Photo by Hugh Smith Method Meat Directions Rub the tenderloins with salt and pepper.  Mix the candy caps and sage, and apply as a dry rub all over the tenderloins. Melt butter in a large skillet (with lid for later use). Cook over medium heat, turning occasionally, until deeply and evenly browned. Reduce heat to low, cover skillet and simmer for about 45 minutes, turning occasionally. Center of tenderloin should reach 145°. Transfer meat to a warmed serving dish and keep warm while finishing the sauce. Sauce Directions Stir the mustard into the pan juices. Pour in the cream to deglaze the pan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes until hot but not boiling. Serving Suggestion Carve meat into serving pieces. Arrange some boiled and halved baby red or white potatoes around meat. Pour part of sauce over tenderloin slices and potatoes; garnish with parsley. The remaining sauce can be served in a gravy boat. Recipe contributed: February 2005 This savory Candy Cap recipe is the creation of Bernard Glim. It was served at one of our epic El Dorado Long-Distance Foray potlucks to great acclaim. Objective: Main course Total Time: 1 hour Yield: 6-8 servings Suggested Mushrooms: Candy cap (Lactarius fragilis, Lactarius rubidus, Lactarius rufulus) Join FFSC or renew your membership to access the rest of this content. Join FFSC Login as an FFSC member to access the rest of this content. Login Ingredients 2 lbs. pork tenderloin 2 - 3 Tbl dried, finely chopped candy caps 2 Tbl finely chopped fresh sage Salt & freshly ground black pepper 4 Tbl butter 2 - 3 Tbl Dijon mustard 1 1/2 c heavy cream Baby red or white potatoes (garnish) Parsley (garnish) Previous Recipe All Recipes Next Recipe

Greek Rice with Boletus Easy, fast, dependable and good. I first tried this after a long, cold day in a marsh hunting ducks. Later, I discovered it is a good vehicle for Boletus edulis . by Ed Eulice Boletus edulis var. grandedulis. © Shahram Tavakol (CC-BY-NC) (from inaturalist.org, obs 179467987) Method Melt and slightly brown the butter in a large skillet. Add the rice and stir until lightly browned. Quickly add the broth, lemon juice, and Boletus strips. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Recipe contributed: February 1985 Objective: Side or first course Total Time: About 45 mins Yield: 6 servings Suggested Mushrooms: Porcini (Boletus edulis, Boletus regineus, Boletus rex-veris) Join FFSC or renew your membership to access the rest of this content. Join FFSC Login as an FFSC member to access the rest of this content. Login Ingredients 1/2 stick butter (or 2 to 3 Tbsp. green olive oil) 1 cup white rice 1 can (15 oz.) beef broth or prepared bouillon 1 lemon, juiced and strained 6 to 10 dried Boletus strips, torn into two or three pieces Previous Recipe All Recipes Next Recipe

Breaded Bolete Caps When the Echo Summit foray is only a few weeks away, thoughts of delicious boletes are on everyone’s mind. by Bo Letos Boletus rex-veris. © Alan Rockefeller (from mushroomobserver.org) Method Combine all ingredients except mushroom caps and mix well. Coat bolete caps with the seasoning and broil 4-8 minutes until lightly browned. Turn and broil the other side until tender and golden-brown. Enjoy. Save the stems for another dish! Maybe try bolete fries ? Recipe contributed: September 2009 Objective: Side or first course Total Time: 30-45 mins Yield: 10 servings Suggested Mushrooms: Porcini (Boletus edulis, Boletus regineus, Boletus rex-veris) Join FFSC or renew your membership to access the rest of this content. Join FFSC Login as an FFSC member to access the rest of this content. Login Ingredients 1/2 cup olive oil 1 Tbl. chili paste or 3/4 tsp. cayenne pepper, or to taste 4 cloves garlic 2 tsp. mellow miso 1 tsp. rosemary, ground 1/2 tsp. thyme, ground 1/2 tsp. turmeric (optional) 1/4 tsp. black pepper or to taste 10 cups king bolete, other choice bolete caps, or other mushrooms Seasonings can be varied—add your favorites flavors for a create-your-own flavor. Previous Recipe All Recipes Next Recipe

News & Stories / Writings Lost: The Companion's View ...By now, the thunder was getting more intense, frequent and close. Henry still was not back. With the weather deteriorating rapidly, I knew something was wrong... Phil Carpenter • January 27, 2015 Caldor Fire Recovery. Photo by Katherine Elvin (Reprinted from FFSC's original Duff newsletter, 1998) Now that you have read Henry’s account of being lost in the wood, I’ll tell you my side of the story as the companion and the various thoughts that prompted my actions. Caldor Fire Recovery. Photo by Katherine Elvin Henry and I had driven up Friday night, slept on the ground and had risen early for a full day of hunting. The plan was to first look for morel at the burn north of our campground and then look for boletes on the way home that evening. We spent the majority of the day walking up and down the steep hillside between the two roads that bordered the burn we were hunting. We had been having mixed success in finding morels, but overall we were doing very well. At lunch, we had noted how quickly the predicted stormy weather was coming in. We also talked about the need to leave the area before it started raining since the road we were on was in such poor condition. We had gone out on another leg of the search, splitting up, as is usual for us. A little later we met again halfway down the ridge (again, as is usual for us) and discussed our “plans”. I was going to go down to the road below the burn and Henry was going to work his way further east at the same elevation. After working down the slope and finding little worth keeping me there, I worked my way back up, slowly moving eastward as well. By this time the wind had picked up and it was getting noticeably cooler. I was still picking lots of nice fresh morels but I heard some distant thunder and decided that it was time to get back to the truck and get out of there. I worked slowly back up the steep ridge, picking as I went. Something seemed wrong about the direction I was going. I felt like I was going too far east and needed to move more to the west. Even with that, I found that I was at least half a mile east of the truck. When I got back, Henry was not there. That really did not concern me since it is not unusual for Henry to be the last one in. I dropped off my haul of morels and went back out on a short loop to kill some time waiting for Henry. By now, the thunder was getting more intense, frequent and close. When I returned, Henry still was not back. Now I was concerned! With the weather deteriorating rapidly, I knew something was wrong from our earlier discussions about departing before the rains. I dropped off my basket and went to the area where we had met in the woods and searched the entire region east of there, both up and down that ridge. We have long-established calls, whistles, etc. that we use to “communicate” and I was using them but with no answers. I made my way back to the truck, hoping of course that Henry would be there. No such luck. That was the crucial decision point: do I assume that he is just really slow in getting back or do I assume the worst? Given the previous discussions, I made the fairly simple decision that something was wrong. At that point, it was about 4:00 and I knew that I needed more people to cover the area where he might possibly be. I never for a second thought that he was lost; I was convinced that he was hurt and unable to answer my signals. Henry and I had hunted together for many years and never in all those years had he ever been lost, and that was in parts of the world where it was much more likely to get lost. Remember that the area we were hunting was a slope between two roads: impossible to get lost, right?! Go uphill, hit a road, go downhill, hit a road – no problem; therefore no compass, no survival gear, no water and no extra clothes in case of bad weather. All that went through my mind in a flash and formed the basis of my decision to walk out and get help. I had to walk since Henry had driven and he had the keys. ( Lesson #1: Take a spare set of keys and give it to your hunting partner ) I knew that he needed to be found before dark and for that I needed help. Just as I wrote a note (just in case he DID come back late), the heavens opened with a vengeance. The next five hours were really frustrating since it took a long time for the search and rescue team to mobilize and get there from Placerville. All this time it was pouring rain and I was envisioning Henry in a heap somewhere in a T-shirt, freezing. Once the authorities were involved, I was not allowed to go back out to hunt (this was REALLY frustrating). I did take a couple of El Dorado County Sheriff deputies out in a search right at nightfall, only to have them announce that they would take up the search the next morning since they didn’t search the woods after dark. Their “plan” (standard issue, I guess) was to drive the roads with lights and sirens – a fine plan if someone is lost, warm and can get around to find the road again. Of course, I was jumping up and down trying to get through to those guys that all of that was worthless since he would already have come out if he could since he NEVER gets lost. I really believed that unless we continued to search through the night, by morning he would not have survived. My frustration level was really going off-scale and I started second-guessing my decision to get help in the first place. I felt like I had just wasted all the daylight left in the day and had nothing to show for it. If only I had continued to search by myself, I would have at least felt like I was doing something positive. All of that ended abruptly when I heard that radio call from the search vehicle that had gone off in the wrong direction but was successful in finding him. “Lost? What do you mean, he’s lost? You mean he isn’t hurt?” I had all these mixed emotions going at once: relief as well as disbelief that he really was actually lost and that they had actually found him. The fact that he was found strictly by accident only adds to the incredulity of it all. I must say that I really was impressed to see that Henry had come out with his basket – full of morels. But, you know, we never did have time to go look for boletes. Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Reality Check: Dispelling a Myth Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

Mushroom Bisque I usually look at my recipes and then wing it, so quantities are guesstimates. The liquid needs to be varied to get the right consistency of the bisque. by John Spaur Mushroom Bisque in a Teacup. Photo by John Spaur Method 1. In a heavy skillet, heat butter. Add the onion and sauté to caramelize; add garlic during the last 1-2 minutes to soften but do not brown the garlic. Put the onion garlic mixture into a blender or food processer. 2. Sauté the shitake mushrooms in butter to brown a bit and put into the blender or food processor reserving a few to use as garnish. 3.Sauté the maitake mushrooms in butter to brown. I cook these separately because they are moister and take longer to brown than the shitake. Place the mushroom in the blender or food processor reserving a few for garnish. 4. Add the vegetable stock to the onion/mushroom mixture in the food processor or blender and puree or blend until smooth. Be careful when starting the blender because the hot mixture will expand and blow the top off of the blender and spill the hot mixture. Pulse quickly before blending on high speed. You may need to do this in batches and add more vegetable broth. This is where you can add the porcini broth with water and white wine. The porcini broth will add salt so be careful. 5. Pour the blended mixture into a soup pot and add the white wine if you have not added it already. Add the bay leaf and thyme. Simmer for a few minutes to a boil or just under. Add the cream, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and cayenne to taste. Heat up and cook a few minutes longer. 6. Remove the bay lead and stir in the sherry just before serving with the reserved mushrooms as garnish. Recipe contributed: December 2014 Objective: Soup Total Time: 30 minutes Yield: Serves 4 Suggested Mushrooms: Matsutake (Tricholoma magnivelare, Tricholoma matsutake, Tricholoma murrillianum) Porcini (Boletus edulis, Boletus regineus, Boletus rex-veris) Shiitake (Lentinula edodes) Join FFSC or renew your membership to access the rest of this content. Join FFSC Login as an FFSC member to access the rest of this content. Login Ingredients Butter as needed divided use 1 onion, diced 1 small clove of garlic, minced 8 oz maitake mushrooms, sliced 3-4 shitake mushrooms, sliced 1 14.5 oz can vegetable broth (more or less) ½ C heavy cream (more or less) ½ C white wine (more or less) ½ cube porcini bullion dissolved in a little water 1 sprig fresh thyme 1 small bay leaf Salt and pepper to taste Ground nutmeg - smidgen Cayenne pepper - smidgen 2 Tbls dry sherry (to taste) Previous Recipe All Recipes Next Recipe

Raisin Scones Some of you may remember the delicious scones that Shoshana served at one of our Albion forays. Here she has given us her recipe. by Shoshana Abrass Raisin scones. Photo by Lisa Tesler Method Combine the fresh milk with 1 1/4 tablespoon (i.e., 1 tbsp. plus 3/4 tsp.) of lemon juice, and stir it briefly. Let stand at room temperature, undisturbed for 5 or 10 minutes until the milk sours* and curdles. You'll know it's ready when it thickens slightly and tiny curdled specks form on the sides of the glass. Mix the melted butter, brown sugar, and raisins in a bowl. Mix the salt, baking soda, and baking powder together, and stir it thoroughly into the bowl. Add the soured milk to make a soft batter. Drop large spoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375°F until lightly browned and they spring back to the touch (about 15-20 minutes). * Soured milk is not the same as spoiled milk. The acid in freshly soured milk reacts with the baking soda to create carbon dioxide bubbles in the dough. This makes the scones more light and fluffy, and gives a clean, tangy taste similar to buttermilk while being a little less rich. Recipe contributed: February 1992 Objective: Dessert Total Time: About 1.5 hours Yield: 10 to 12 large scones Suggested Mushrooms: Without mushrooms (non applicabilis, sine fungis) Join FFSC or renew your membership to access the rest of this content. Join FFSC Login as an FFSC member to access the rest of this content. Login Ingredients 1/2 Cup melted butter 1/2 Cup brown sugar 1 Cup raisins or walnuts 3 Cups flour 1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp. baking powder 1 1/4 Cups (10 fl. oz.) whole milk* 1 1/4 tablespoon (i.e., 1 tbsp. plus 3/4 tsp.) lemon juice (or white vinegar) Cookie sheet Butter or your preferred grease for the cookie sheet Previous Recipe All Recipes Next Recipe

Pasta Porcini This Northern Italian recipe comes from the year Deb taught school in Trieste, Italy. by John Muñoz and Deb Gulluzzo Boletus edulis. © hunter_bunter (CC-BY-NC) (from inaturalist.org, obs. 326051439) Method Reconstitute dried porcini in warm water for about 20 to 30 minutes. Strain through a coffee filter, reserving liquid, then finely chop the mushrooms. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Melt ½ cube butter over low heat. Add 1 cup panna, 1 beef or porcini bouillon cube, chopped boletes, and a splash or two of the strained mushroom soaking liquid (sparingly or the sauce will be too thin). Cook 1 lb. pasta until al dente (about 8 to 12 minutes). Toss pasta with warm sauce and serve to your lucky guests. Recipe contributed: December 2003 Deb and John brought this to Wine & Mushroom a few years ago and it is truly a simple and magnificent thing, one of the best mushroom dishes I've ever had. And it's bolete season! It’s simple, rich, and flavorful, making it a great first course or side dish. Objective: Main course Total Time: About 45 minutes Yield: 4 to 6 servings Suggested Mushrooms: Porcini (Boletus edulis, Boletus regineus, Boletus rex-veris) Join FFSC or renew your membership to access the rest of this content. Join FFSC Login as an FFSC member to access the rest of this content. Login Ingredients ½ cube butter 1 oz. dried porcini ( Boletus edulis & co.) 1 cup panna*, heavy cream, or crème fraîche 1 cube beef or porcini bouillon 1 lb. good quality dried pasta (a good chunky pasta with lots of curves to hold the sauce, such as rotini or radiatori, works well) * Panna is a special Italian cream. You can substitute heavy cream or crème fraiche. Previous Recipe All Recipes Next Recipe

I Took a Walk. Helvella lacunosa (fluted black elfin saddle). Photo by Kaye Peyron I took a Walk Kaye Peyron Found in Watsonville, CA. During this time of year it was rainy and cold. At first we almost missed it because it was under all these leaves. We did not collect this baby elfin for it needed more time to grow before consideration of collecting. Camera Canon EOS 60D Focal L. 85mm Aperture f/5.6 Shutter Sp. 1/100s ISO 1000 Flash Off Photo taken on March 1, 2019 Mushroom(s) ... Previous Photo Back to Gallery Next Photo

Quick Red Pepper Tomato Soup with Hummus and Smoked Chanterelles Richard Lyness shares another of his ongoing culinary experiments with us... by Richard Lyness Red Pepper Tomato Soup with Hummus and Smoked Chanterelles. Photo by Richard Lyness Method Blend in blender. Microwave 2 minutes on high. Garnish with a sprig of tarragon and a few sautéed chanterelle slices. Enjoy! Pereparing Red Pepper Tomato Soup with Hummus and Smoked Chanterelles. Photo by Richard Lyness Recipe contributed: November 2011 Objective: Soup Total Time: Quick! Yield: Varies by bowl size Suggested Mushrooms: Chanterelle (Cantharellus californicus, Cantharellus formosus, Cantharellus subalbidus) Join FFSC or renew your membership to access the rest of this content. Join FFSC Login as an FFSC member to access the rest of this content. Login Ingredients 2 C of boxed tomato/red pepper soup 1/2 C garlic humus 1/4 C smoked, sautéed chanterelles (save a few for garnish) Smoked and fresh chanterelles. Photo by Richard Lyness Previous Recipe All Recipes Next Recipe

Photography for ID Purposes When you can't bring in actual mushrooms for our taxonomists to ID, shown below are some tips on photographs and observations to send us, which will help the identifier answer your "what is this" question. Clitocybe odora. Photo by Christian Schwarz Perhaps you’ve noticed some mushrooms growing in your yard, or while you were on a hike? Maybe you were foraging for chanterelles and ended up with a few mystery mushrooms in your basket? Whatever you’ve found, our taxonomists will be happy to help you identify them, where possible. In the past few years, instead of bringing specimens to us in person, a growing number of people are taking cell phone photos for the purposes of mushroom identification. In general, it's more difficult for us to identify mushrooms solely from photographs. Often the taste, odor, staining reactions, tactile and/or other features and tests (as well as habitat details not visible in close-up photos) are often needed to correctly identify many species. Here are tips on how to take photographs for mushroom ID purposes, as well as observations to include with your photos. (These observations are also helpful when you bring certain specimens to us in person!) Photographs to Take in the Field When you first see a mushroom in the wild, even before you dig up the mushroom (or if you're in an area that doesn't permit collection), here are a few photos and observations to capture. Note: Your photos don't need to be beautiful. For identification, the more details we can see, the easier it will be for our taxonomists to identify distinguishing features. It may help if you support your camera on a tripod or a rock, or brace your body against something solid. Consider using a flash or a flashlight to illuminate darker areas if possible (without blowing out the image). If you'd like more tips on how to take better quality photos, check out our "Tem Tips for Taking Better Mushroom Photos" in our free FFSC Online Learning area. Show Us the Habitat Many mushrooms grow on or near specific trees or plants, at certain elevations, in certain temperatures, etc., or they tend to fruit at the same time as certain other plants. Take a few photos of what the mushroom is growing on, and the immediate area surrounding the mushroom(s), such as: The leaves, twigs, grass or dirt immediately surrounding it, or the log or tree (or leaf or bug) it's growing on Nearby trees (including burned or charred trees) One or two photos of the broader habitat, such as trees and plants in the general area Examples of immediately surrounding and broader habitat Try to photograph multiple examples of the same mushroom species that are nearby (or look-alikes if you're not sure). Show different age groups (some old-looking ones, some young-looking ones, etc.) Show us nearby mushrooms that seem similar, of different sizes If you're in the area for a few days, another option is to photograph the same mushroom(s) over time to show how it ages. Examples of the same mushrooms photographed over time Show Us Different Angles If you can't collect the mushroom, take close-up photos of it, and then move your camera to get shots of different sides of the mushroom. Set your camera on the ground to get low angles too. This helps our taxonomists examine the underside of the cap and the features of the stem. Low angles help the taxonomists see cap and stem features Show Us the Entire Mushroom If the area permits collection, dig up a specimen of the mushroom so that you can take photos of the entire mushroom. Take close-up photos (as clear/sharp as you can) showing: The whole top of the mushroom cap The bottom (underside) of the cap. Features of the stem, including the very bottom of the stem. Scratch or cut through the cap, to see if there are any color changes, and photograph what you see. Show Us the Mushroom's Size To help the identifier understand the size or dimensions of the mushroom, you can include another object, such as nearby pine needles, your shoe (keep it on), hand or fingers, or anything (or anyone) else with a recognizable size near the mushroom. (This can be done in the field or after collecting the specimen.) Photos that convey the relative size of a mushroom Observations to Include with Your Photos Many county and government-managed parks and forests do not permit mushroom collection, or you'll need to buy a collecting permit. Be sure to check the location's policies before digging up any mushrooms. Take Detailed Notes If you're not able to collect a specimen (or it won't survive until you're able to bring it in), write down (or photograph) the following details while in the field, and include them when you send in your mushroom photos: The habitat where your mushroom is growing. Is the mushroom on wood or the ground? If on wood, what kind? What tree species is it growing on (or what’s nearby)? (Nowadays many naturalist apps, websites, and even your phone's AI can help you identify trees based on their leaves.) Write down any distinctive aroma you notice while the mushroom is fresh – “mushroomy” is NOT a good descriptor! Create a spore print if time permits. It's easy! The sooner you can start the process, the better. See Part III of our free Learn about Wild Mushroom Identification tutorial for how to create a spore print, or search the Internet for similar tips. Do not eat an unidentified mushroom. If a mushroom ID specialist asks you to taste a mushroom to help them ID it remotely, just take a tiny bite and then spit it out and do not swallow any of it. Some people also prefer to rinse their mouth after tasting a mushroom for ID purposes. Bring Specimens in Person if Possible The most reliable way for our advisors to identify a mushroom is to see, touch, smell, and potentially taste it in person. If you’re coming to an FFSC event in person, we recommend that you store your specimens in a loose, breathable container, such as paper or wax paper bags (not plastic or glassine bags). You can place them on an ID table in a wicker basket, cardboard egg crate, or on a paper plate. People often bring specimens to our Monthly Speaker events , which are free and open to the public, and to our annual Santa Cruz Fungus Fair in January. Photos of specimens in baskets, on paper, etc. Members Only Content Login Join FFSC

Sparassis americana (American cauliflower mushroom), Pisgah, North Carolina. Photo by Judy and Bobb Lipp Sparassis americana in North Carolina Judy Lipp Roaming the East Coast in our RV. Pretty dry out here until we went into the Pisgah National Forest near the North Carolina Arboretum. It's practically a rain forest there. Must have seen over 50 species without looking hard and literally thousands of mushrooms. It was hard to ever be out of sight of at least 5 species at a time. Fun to see so many different species that are different or uncommon to the West Coast. Used the Audubon Guide on my iPhone and kept popping up familiar names on the photos such as Debbie Viess and Noah Siegel. Thanks guys! (David Rust helped with the ID.) Learn about this mushroom: Cauliflower Tales , NAMA Camera (Not provided) Focal L. Aperture Shutter Sp. ISO Flash Photo taken on August 15, 2016 Mushroom(s) ... Previous Photo Back to Gallery Next Photo