Pairing and Cooking Mushrooms with Wine Everyone knows drinking wine with wild mushroom dishes is a delight beyond compare. Can we go a step further and think about pairing styles of wine with a particular mushroom genus? ... Caption Pairing Mushrooms with Wine Good wine is a careful balance of fruit and acidity. The alcohol has to be in balance with the fruit and acidity to give that rounded yummy taste. California white varietals tend to be a little less acidic, so winemakers sometimes add acid during fermentation for balance. That's where you get that nice clean crisp feel in your mouth. Red wines in general are slightly higher in alcohol content. That’s where you get that nice glow in your head. White wines give a lighter lift to food, while red wines, because of their complexity, lay a heavier interest to dishes. Now lets think about wild mushrooms. Are morels light or robust? Chanterelles are light. Lepiota spp. are heavy. Coccora and Amanita velosa are light. Chocolate is heavy. You can think about the balance you want to create between the wine and the mushrooms you're serving. Objective: Complementary Total Time: N/A Suggested Mushrooms: See code Equipment and/or Ingredients Your favorite mushroom dish and a variety of wines to choose from. Method Cooking Mushrooms with Wine When cooking, too much wine can overwhelm the dish and you lose flavor. As an example, people who dump half a bottle of red wine on a 5 pound roast have to add a lot of salt and fat to compensate for the acidic taste from the reduced wine. If you are going to cook a mushroom dish with wine, add the wine during the last ten minutes of the cooking cycle. The more acidic the wine, the more oil or fat you can add. Suggested combinations are: Boletes with butter and 1/4 cup Sauvignon blanc Cream of chanterelle soup with 1/4 cup of Chardonnay (per 2 quarts) Morels sautéed in olive oil, a dash of tamari, a pinch of brown sugar and a sprinkling of Zinfandel Sliced coccora wrapped in 1/4 strip of bacon, broiled and brushed with a mix of Pinot Noir, tarragon and a little arrowroot (for thickening). You get the idea. Taste taste taste. When you are cooking with wild mushrooms and wine, think about what you are combining and how the ingredients will play on one another. Remember to only cook with wine you would drink. A so-so wine will result in a so-so dish. Think about sampling and enjoying the complexity of each bite, sipping thoughtfully. Ahhh…Life is good. Previous Technique All Techniques Next Technique

News & Stories / Mycology & Art News Fungus Fair Sculpture at the Wharf Santa Cruz Main Beachgoers were presented with an big, bodacious Fungus Fair sand sculpture last weekend courtesy of FFSC member Bill Lewis. Deb • January 6, 2014 Fungus Fair sand sculpture by Bill Lewis. Photo by Joe Paquin. Is this not incredible? Thank you, Bill! Thanks to Joe Paquin for the photo. Volunteer for the Fungus Fair - it's happening this coming weekend! Setup starts on Wednesday. We still need volunteers, so this is an ideal time to sign up. Click and link and go for it! Set Up : http://ffsc.ivolunteer.com/setup Fair : http://ffsc.ivolunteer.com/fungusfair See you there! Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts 40th Fungus Fair: Time lapse of the Island setup A Short History of the Fungus Fair Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

Santa Cruz Fungus Fair After Hours Dinner On opening night of the Santa Cruz Fungus Fair each January, we indulge in a multi-course prix fixe meal crafted by a celebrity chef. Each year brings a unique selection of tasty mushroom dishes, and may include wine pairing, music, and/or other activities. Tickets to the After Hours Dinner usually go on sale in early December, and sell out quickly. (Fungus Fair General admission tickets do not include the dinner.) Examples of Past Dinners 2025 Menu presented by Chef Chad Hyatt Wine pairings by Jeff Emery, Winemaker, Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyard Live music by George Heagerty & Never the Same Members Only Content Login Join FFSC

News & Stories / Writings Demise of the Duff “Our dilemma is that we hate change and love it at the same time; what we really want is for things to remain the same but get better.” — Sydney J. Harris Deb • April 1, 2013 Albion Sunset Yes, changes are in the offing for the FFSC. Next month’s issue of Duff will be the last in an almost 30 year history. Starting with The Federation Flyer , morphing into Ascus and then Duff , the Fungus Federation has long communicated by newsletter. And it was always a process of change: typewritten postcards gave way to double-sided sheets, which then evolved to a printed newsletter with the advent of desktop publishing. Technology moved us a few steps further to a full-color digital downloaded Duff . We’ve really been in the avant-garde of change for an organization of our size and nature. Now our evolutionary process comes to the point where our information remains the same, for a while anyway, but delivery improves: in an effort to improve access to information in the club, we will be launching a new FFSC website starting in the Fall 2013 mushroom season. The new site will contain the same information you now look to the Duff for: calendar, upcoming speakers and events, photos and articles by members, as well as general myco-news, all posted on an ongoing basis rather than once a month. But it also gets better. The new site will contain a great deal more than the newsletter and old site combined. Video archives of past speakers and events, an ongoing member photo contest, Mushroom of the Month articles, recipe archives, downloadable calendar, field reports and a cultivation page are in the works. It promises to be a dynamic site. We’ve heard concerns about all this great intel being available on the web to all, member and non-member alike. No worries on that point, folks! Privileged information will be contained in the Members section of the website, providing value to those who have paid to be part of the club and support its continued operation. The world will not be reading our field reports. And please know that this process wasn’t meant to be opaque or mysterious — these things just take time and the work isn’t complete yet. Many thanks to Yev Nyden for all his hard work in making this happen! We anticipate unveiling the new version of the FFSC website in September, and will notify everyone by email and via the Google Group. We hope it helps keep the “fun” in fungi for all of us! Debbie Johnson, Minister of Propaganda FFSC Web Team Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Ending, Beginning Anew Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

Potluck Essentials We want everyone to feel safe and comfortable at our potlucks and other culinary events. Thus, please review and follow these policies carefully before preparing and bringing food for potlucks. (FFSC will remove potluck dishes that do not meet our safety requirements.) Birch Chicken with Leccinum and Boletes, made by Peter Mu Please review and follow all of these guidelines, and only use the acceptable mushroom species below for FFSC culinary events. Some people are sensitive to specific mushrooms and other ingredients. Therefore, you must also label your creations using the provided ingredient cards below--no exceptions. All Mushrooms Must be Cooked Sauteed Morels at the 2012 Spring Foray. Photo by Hugh Smith All mushrooms must be thoroughly cooked before serving to others. Look up what is recommended for the species you're serving, whether they were foraged vs. store-bought, the cooking method you're using (e.g., sautéing vs. simmering), and the size of the mushrooms. Please avoid serving potluck dishes with raw or under-cooked mushrooms. (See The Mycophagist's Ten Commandments .) Permitted Species Lists The permitted species vary depending on your level of experience with mushroom ID. Permitted Species for People Still Learning to ID Mushrooms Roasted mushroom (oyster and shiitake) & yuba (tofu skin) salad by Krista C. New FFSC members (and any members and guests who have not completed a basic mushroom ID class and/or who are still practicing) are encouraged to use commercially cultivated (store-bought) mushroom species. Here are some popular cultivated species (and their latin names) which you can often find in stores and/or farmers' markets : Shiitake ( Lentinula edodes ) Cremini and Portabello ( Agaricus bisporus at different ages) Oyster mushroom ( Pleurotus ostreatus ) Maitake ( Grifola frondosa , also known as hen of the woods) Enoki ( Flammulina filiformis ) Cordyceps ( Cordyceps sp. , also known as caterpillar fungus) Wood ears (Auricularia sp. ) Chocolate ( Theobroma cacao is an honorary mushroom!) Please purchase mushrooms from reputable brands, check for recalls before using them, and be sure to cook all mushrooms thoroughly. Many of our members also bring dishes without mushrooms--especially when it hasn't rained recently. Desserts and salads are always welcome, too! A basket of solid chocolate mushrooms Permitted Species for People with ID Training Members who are experienced with mushroom identification are welcome to serve any of the following species (as well as the species above): Agaricus augustus (The Prince) , campestris, osecanus, arvensis, lilaceps Auricularia spp. (wood ears, usually cultivated) Boletus edulis (king), regineus (queen) Butyriboletus persolidus (butter bolete) Cantharellus californicus, subalbidus, formosus (chanterelles) Chroogomphus sp. (pine spikes) Coprinus comatus (shaggy mane) Craterellus calicornucopioides (black trumpets), tubaeformis (yellow foot), atroncinereus (black chanterelle) Gomphus clavatus (Pigs Ear) Hydnum repandum and umbilicatum (hedgehogs) Laccaria amethysteo-occidentalis (Western Amethyst Laccaria) Lactarius deliciosus (saffron milk cap) Lactarius rubidus , rufulus (candy cap) Lactarius rubrilacteus (bleeding milk cap) Leccinum insigne, manzanitae (aspen and manzanita boletes) Lepista nuda (blewitt) Morchella sp. (morel) Pleurotus ostreatus (oyster mushroom) Russula cyanoxantha (varicolored russula) Russula xerampelina (shrimp russula) Sparassis sp. (cauliflower mushroom) Suillus sp. (slippery jacks) Tricholoma magnivelare (matsutake) Ustilago maydis (Huitlacoche, Corn Smut) Prohibited Species for Culinary Events FFSC culinary events prohibit using mushrooms that are generally deemed to be unsafe for consumption, as well as mushrooms that can be easily misidentified, or which are commonly known to trigger sensitivities in some people. For example: No species of Amanita may be served. Chloryphyllum brunneum ( Macrolepiota rachodes ) may not be served. Coprinus atramentarius may not be served. Any other mushroom listed as poisonous or inedible in field guides or on this website may not be served. All mushrooms must be thoroughly cooked. Raw mushrooms should be avoided. When in doubt, stick to the permitted species . Dish Ingredient Cards / Allergen Labels Craterellus Mashed Potatoes by Jeff Emery. Photo by Peter Mu Let everyone know about that great dish you brought! Please print a dish card to accompany your creation. Some people are sensitive to certain mushrooms (even chanterelles and candy caps!). Your dish label allows each attendee to make their own choices about which mushrooms and/or other ingredients they're comfortable eating. List your name, the dish name, the mushroom(s) you used, whether they're store-bought, and circle whether the dish is vegan, gluten-free, etc. Truffle Goat Cheese Pizza by Kari Some people are also allergic or sensitive to other ingredients that might surprise you, such as melon, barley, rosemary, and corn! So it's helpful if you're able to recall or even show your full ingredients list, as a kindness to your fellow attendees. You can download this dish card to fill in beforehand, or fill one in when you arrive. Dish card 2018 .pdf Download PDF • 102KB Label Your Serving Dishes & Utensils We want your serving platters, bowls and serving utensils/cutlery to go home with you! Dishes get moved around to make room for other dishes. Pyrex casseroles all start to look alike after a while. So, please mark your name on the back or bottom of your serving bowl, platter, or other dish. Painter's (blue) tape works well for this. We also recommend using sturdy, non-breakable serving dishes and utensils when possible. Please don't bring heirloom china or precious silverware to FFSC events. Zero Waste We are striving for zero-waste events. So, we ask that you bring your own utensils, glass/wineglass/mug, plates, bowls and napkin (and perhaps a separate dessert plate, as dishwashing facilities are usually limited). Label your items to ensure they go home with you. Members Only Content Login Join FFSC

Other Nonprofit Resources Here are a few nonprofit resources where you can learn more about mushrooms. If you're interested in commercial classes, tours and mushroom-related vendors, start with your favorite search engine or social media channels. Earth Star (Astraeus hygrometricus). Photo by Tim Teske Cornell Mushroom Blog A mushroom blog from the Mycology Department of Plant Pathology Cornell University that aimed at ordinary people with a tendency towards mycophilia. MykoKey Created by Jens H. Petersen, MycoKey, Denmark & Thomas Læssøe, MycoKey/University of Copenhagen, Denmark Mushroom Observer Think of it as "... a living field guide for mushrooms or a collaborative mushroom field journal." iNaturalist iNaturalist helps you identify the plants and animals around you while generating data for science and conservation. Other Mycological Clubs A few of our peer organizations. Members Only Content Login Join FFSC

Stereum hirsutum in May, Orange Grove on the Forest Floor. Photo by Amanda Timoney The Orange Grove of the Forest Floor Amanda Timoney Camera (Not provided) Focal L. 4mm Aperture f/2.2 Shutter Sp. 1/300s ISO 200 Flash Off Photo taken on January 17, 2016 Mushroom(s) ... Previous Photo Back to Gallery Next Photo

News & Stories / Fair News 40th Fungus Fair: Time lapse of the Island setup Have you ever wondered what it takes to create the famous "Fungi Forest" each year at the Santa Cruz Fungus Fair? Yevgeny Nyden • January 10, 2014 Setting up the island for the 40th Fungus Fair Check out this time lapse video (7 hours condensed into 2 minutes!) of the Island setup for the 2014 Fungus Fair. Now we're just waiting for volunteers to bring in the mushrooms they've found! Wow, that team works fast! Here's general information about the Santa Cruz Fungus Fair. Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts A Short History of the Fungus Fair Fungus Fair Sculpture at the Wharf Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

The Mycophagist's Ten Commandments When you are collecting for the table, follow these "ten commandments" -- and stay safe! Amanita novinupta in Douglas Fir. Photo by Katherine Elvin When you are collecting for the table, follow these "Mycophagist's* Ten Commandments," excerpted from Edible Wild Mushrooms of North America by David Fischer and Alan Bessette: 1 Never eat a mushroom unless it is positively identified as edible . Mistakes can result in toxic reactions ranging from mild gastric upset to death. If in doubt, throw it out! 2 Eat only fresh mushrooms that are free from infestation by insects or larvae. Mushrooms can spoil, and eating any spoiled food can cause food poisoning or other adverse reactions. 3 Thoroughly cook all mushrooms unless they are specifically known to be edible raw. Some mushrooms contain toxins or gastrointestinal irritants that must be destroyed by cooking. 4 Eat mushrooms only in moderate quantities . Mushrooms are not easily digested; overeating them is an easy way to get sick. 5 When trying an edible mushroom for the first time, eat only a small portion (a spoonful), and don't try any other new kinds for forty-eight hours. As with many kinds of food, some people are sensitive or allergic to mushrooms commonly eaten by other people. Individuals with known food allergies or sensitivities should be extra careful when trying mushrooms new to them, especially those species known to present problems for some individuals. 6 Don't pick mushrooms from contaminated habitats . These include polluted areas, chemically treated lawns, ornamental trees, and places close to highways, landfills, toxic waste sites, crop fields, power lines, railroads, buildings, industrial areas, or firebreaks. Contaminants may accumulate in wild mushrooms. 7 Never assume that a wild mushroom you find overseas is the same edible species you know from North America, or vice versa. Too many serious cases of mushroom poisoning occur because vacationers and immigrants unwittingly gather dangerous look-alike species not found in their native lands. 8 Be conservative about feeding wild mushrooms to children, the elderly, and the infirm. Avoid edible species known to cause adverse reactions in some people, and don't let children, the elderly, or persons in poor health try an unfamiliar kind of wild mushroom until you and other friends or relatives have identified and eaten it without any adverse reactions. Limit portion sizes for children, the elderly, and the sick because they're generally more susceptible to toxins than other people are. 9 When trying a wild mushroom for the first time, save a few intact, uncooked specimens in the refrigerator for forty-eight hours. If someone develops an illness within two days after trying an unfamiliar mushroom, the physician may want expert identification to rule out the mushroom as the culprit. 10 Examine every specimen in every collection of mushrooms to avoid inadvertent mixing of different species. Even experienced mushroom hunters can err if they become careless and fill their baskets too hurriedly. *A mycophagist is an organism or person who eats fungi, particularly mushrooms, or an enthusiast who is deeply interested in mushrooms from a gastronomic perspective. The term combines the Greek-derived prefix "myco-," meaning mushroom or fungus, with the word "phage," referring to eating. Members Only Content Login Join FFSC

Inky Caps - from "Basic Inky Cap ID for California" "Out of the millions of different kinds of fungi out there, I think that inky caps are the coolest by far. They are called inky caps because they dissolve into black ink when they get old. They are also often misidentified, so I put together a list of the common inky caps and their differences." ... Coprinopsis lagopus gr. Photo by Terry Way Editors note: FFSC member Peter Vahlberg posted "Basic Inky Cap ID for California" on iNaturalist in 2020, and FFSC previously reprinted a copy on this website. Going forward, you can read Peter's original article on iNaturalist instead, for the latest comments and updates. In the meantime, enjoy these quick links to the inky cap species that Peter describes in his article: The genus Coprinus includes the edible shaggy mane ( Coprinus comatus ) and a close look-alike, Coprinus calyptratus . www.inaturalist.org Shaggy Mane (Coprinus comatus) Shaggy Mane from Dan Foley Park, Solano County, US-CA, US on November 19, 2016 at 12:38 PM by Peter Vahlberg www.inaturalist.org Star-capped Coprinus (Coprinus calyptratus) Coprinus calyptratus is a species of fungus in the family Agaricaceae. It is commonly known as the star-capped coprinus. (Source: Wikipedia, 'Coprinus calyptratus', https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coprinus_calyptratus, CC BY-SA 3.0 . Photo: (c) Pete Siminski, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Pete Siminski) The Coprinopsis group includes Coprinopsis lagopus and Coprinopsis atramentaria . www.inaturalist.org hare's foot inkcap (Coprinopsis lagopus) hare's foot inkcap from Jackson Demonstration State Forest, Mendocino County, US-CA, US on December 7, 2018 at 03:42 PM by Peter Vahlberg www.inaturalist.org Common Ink Cap (Coprinopsis atramentaria) Common Ink Cap from Santa Clara County, US-CA, US on January 30, 2018 at 04:45 PM by Peter Vahlberg Coprinellus includes Coprinellus micaceus (the mica cap) and Coprinellus flocculosus . www.inaturalist.org mica cap (Coprinellus micaceus) mica cap from 2755 Glorietta Cir, Santa Clara, CA, US on December 25, 2018 at 04:12 PM by Peter Vahlberg www.inaturalist.org flocculose inkcap (Coprinellus flocculosus) flocculose inkcap from Golden Gate Natl. Rec. Area - SF, San Francisco County, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, US-CA, US on October 28, 2017 at 09:21 AM by Peter Vahlberg An unnamed species in California looks similar to C. micaceus , but Peter believes it is Coprinellus radians . www.inaturalist.org Genus Coprinellus Coprinellus from Rancho San Antonio County Park, Los Altos, CA, US on December 25, 2018 at 03:37 PM by Peter Vahlberg www.inaturalist.org Coprinellus radians Coprinellus radians is a species of mushroom in the family Psathyrellaceae. First described as Agaricus radians by the mycologist John Baptiste Henri Joseph Desmazières in 1828, it was later transferred to the genus Coprinellus in 2001. (Source: Wikipedia, 'Coprinellus radians', https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coprinellus_radians, CC BY-SA 3.0 . Photo: (c) judymac, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by judymac) Coprinellus disseminatus does not turn inky. www.inaturalist.org Trooping Crumble Cap (Coprinellus disseminatus) Trooping Crumble Cap from Monte Bello Open Space Preserve, Santa Clara County, US-CA, US on December 28, 2018 at 11:08 AM by Peter Vahlberg The genus Parasola are hard to ID without a microscope. www.inaturalist.org Genus Parasola Parasola from Santa Clara County, US-CA, US on June 30, 2017 at 10:34 AM by Peter Vahlberg Parasola auricoma is easier to identify, along with Parasola conopilus (which looks like Psathyrella corrugis ). www.inaturalist.org goldenhaired inkcap (Parasola auricoma) goldenhaired inkcap from Bay Rd, Menlo Park, CA, US on October 19, 2019 at 11:31 AM by Peter Vahlberg More inky caps exist, but can be hard to identify without a microscope. www.inaturalist.org Inkcaps (Genus Coprinopsis) Inkcaps from Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, Santa Cruz County, US-CA, US on December 14, 2018 at 09:33 AM by Peter Vahlberg Mushrooms covered: See code Previous Description All Featured Fungi Next Description

Foray Potlucks After a day of foraging in Mendocino, Tahoe, and farther afield, create an amazing gourmet potluck feast as you share tales of the hunt around a warm campfire. Members Only Content Login Join FFSC

News & Stories / Field Report on January 2015 Local Foray We had a great foray last Saturday on our foray! A big thanks to the all the great folks who participated! Cass Fuentes • January 5, 2015 Craterellus cornucopioides (from another foray). Photo by Hugh Smith Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts 2015 January Local Foray Wrap Up Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article