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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 / Field Reports Mushroom Heaven, a Restaurant in Beijing Not far from the Gate of Heavenly Peace (Tiananmen) Square in Beijing is the gate to Mushroom Heaven. Here, in the center of Beijing, is a restaurant specializing in fresh wild mushrooms from all over China. Cliff Warren • April 1, 2002 Morchella esculenta. © (CC BY-NC) by Louisa Z. Riedel (from inaturalist.org, ID 132324429) Upon entering the restaurant a few weeks ago, I was immediately confronted with 46 different kinds of wild mushrooms. All were laid out on a table, already cleaned, sliced and in their own bowl of water(?). Each was priced separately and sold by weight. Prices ranged from about $2 to about $4 per 100 grams. We chose boletus edulus , matsutake, morel and 3 others from among the 46 varieties. Fortunately, I had brought along a beautiful picture book of Chinese edible mushrooms, which I had just bought, which listed both the Latin and Chinese names for the various mushrooms. So, it was rather easy to choose the mushrooms and then match the picture or the Chinese characters to the displayed mushrooms. Alternatively, you can simply point to each mushroom you would like to have, the price is listed next to each bowl. Before sitting down at our table, and after choosing the mushrooms we liked, we then were asked which of two ways we would like to cook them at our table: stir-fried or boiled in consommé (similar to shabu shabu in Japan). We chose to boil, and so, very soon after sitting down, a large wok was placed in the center of the table over a built-in single burner stove. A natural gas tank under the table provided the fuel, which ultimately boiled the liquid. Once seated, we were asked what additional vegetables and type of meat we wanted (beef, pork, lamb or chicken). We chose a variety of green vegetables as well as both beef and lamb. In addition to the fresh mushrooms on the table, there were at least six large bottles of mushroom-infused liquor made from "baijiu," a kind of Chinese grain alcohol, each made from a different mushroom. We stayed with beer (non-infused). Extremely aromatic, the boiling liquid turned out to be a mushroom consommé made, I was told, from more than 40 mushrooms. Besides smelling great, it tasted delicious, even by itself. Our small group (3) had chosen 6 different mushrooms and these were brought to the table along with the vegetables and meat (lamb and beef). My Chinese hosts wanted the two kinds of meat! One by one, we cooked each type of mushroom in the boiling consommé. Each had its own unique taste and texture. Cooking them ourselves, we were able to control the degree of doneness and monitor the effect each was having on the consommé. Simply stated, they were very delicious, especially the morel, which was quite succulent and tender. When the raw meat came, we had to choose which sauce to dip it in. Choices were: sesame, soy sauce or hot sauce. We each took a different one, but the hot sauce was the best. Both the meat and vegetables were added to the boiling water and again we were able to control the cooking time of each. In between, we often sampled the bouillon. Finally, when all the mushrooms, vegetables and meat were consumed, noodles were added to the still boiling liquid to make the final soup. The resulting mixture of flavors was intoxicating; so aromatic, so complex and so wonderful, it is impossible to describe. At that moment, I knew I had reached nirvana, I was truly in mushroom heaven. Mushroom Heaven business card, 2002 Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Mushrooms in Chongqing China Setas Silvestres in San Sebastian Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

Freezing Mushrooms Cooking and then freezing works well for certain types of mushrooms. You should either sauté or microwave the sliced-up mushrooms before freezing them, depending on how you plan to use them. by Deb Ice cubes (stock photo) Advantages of freezing Quality close to fresh when properly done Works well for chanterelles, bolete buttons, oysters, amanita species, and morels Disadvantages of freezing Takes up freezer space Subject to freezer burn Does not work well for some mushrooms Objective: Storage/Prep Total Time: Approx. 30 minutes Suggested Mushrooms: Amanita vaginata grp. (grisette) Boletus sp. (bolete) Cantharellus sp. (chanterelle) Morchella sp. ( morel) Pleurotus ostreatus (oyster) Equipment and/or Ingredients Method Sauté Directions Slice or tear cleaned mushrooms into moderate-sized pieces. Sauté prepared mushrooms in butter or oil of your choice until they start giving up liquid into the pan. Cool and freeze, including liquid, in ziploc bag or other container. Microwave Directions An advantage of microwaving is that since you're not choosing a specific fat to cook them in, the mushrooms can be used later in a recipe with either butter or oil, according to the flavor you prefer for the meal. Slice or tear cleaned mushrooms into moderate-sized pieces. Microwave prepared mushrooms until they start giving up liquid into the bowl. Cool and freeze, including liquid, in ziploc bag or other container. Previous Technique All Techniques Next Technique

News & Stories / Writings The NHR (Nate, Henry and Richard) April Adventure We include this report, adapted from an email report to a small group, to give everyone some background about what goes into planning a successful group foray. And also to show you the lengths to which our new Minister of Long Distance Forays, Nate Segraves, will go in search of prime fungi! Nate Segraves • May 1, 2006 Helvella lacunosa. © Darvin DeShazer (from mushroomobserver.org) Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts 2007 Spring Foray Species List Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Boletus edulis: A Family Tradition It's five in the morning and dawn has barely broken. Half asleep, I stumble through the woods, hoping a gorgeous King (bolete) will find me. Karin Leonard • September 1, 2000 Boletus edulis var. grandedulis. © isayhellahella (CC-BY-NC) (from inaturalist.org, obs. 67584600) My companions in crime: mom, dad and brother, in feverish pursuit of Germany's prime edibles, hoping to hunt down the "Steinpilz" ( Boletus edulis ), before the fungi-starved Bavarian hordes claim the prize. (Maybe you thought Santa Cruz was too picked over by your fellow hunters? Ha!) My family clan, often joined by my grandmother and aunts, is so fervently focused on the hunt that we lose track of time and space, and most often get perfectly lost in the woods. I remember many an outing of wandering around for a few hours, hungry and cranky, trying to fmd our way back ... but we always did ... Thirty years later, the Fungi flame still burns brightly in me. The fire quietly glimmers during the summer months, but once those first rains hit ... watch out! It's Santa Cruz time; I'm on my hands and knees fine-combing my spot for emerging porcines. High from the fever of the hunt, I nonetheless hope no one I know comes by. It's difficult to explain this strange behavior to a non-fungiphile. And, I certainly don't want anyone to discover my spot! When I'm out there in the woods, it's timeless. I might as well be one of my Viking ancestors, thousands of years ago, forging for family food, senses sharp like a wild cat, and trained intuition alert. I feel those ancient memories stirring somewhere in my genes, when I spot a tiny speck of rusty red raising its earthy head in the duff: a surge of adrenaline, ready to claim my treasure! I love many a mushroom, but nothing compares to uncovering a perfectly formed king bolete from the depths of the duff. The sheer delight of getting there before all that would love to devour this beauty - fellow hunters, deer and maggots ... As I clean off the hardy stem, I hear the echo of my dad's knife, proudly carving duff off his prized find, so many years ago. Sadly, he suffered a stroke in February of '99, and wasn't able to join in the Boletus hunt last year. Luckily for him, Bavaria didn't have a great porcini harvest this time round. The mushrooms, he says, are waiting for him "to come back next year." And I know his Steinpilz passion has helped him get better, already anticipating this season's hunt. He may not yet be able to forage on his own, but I will pay a visit this fall, and hunt in his stead — carrying on the family tradition. Let's hope I hit the jackpot, and won't get too lost ... Here's to a great bolete season for all! Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Dr. Harry Thiers (1919 — 2000) It is with great sorrow that we mark the beginning of a new mushroom season with the loss of an old friend. Dr. Harry Thiers, one of the grand old gentlemen of fungophilia, passed away August 8 at the age of 81. Deb • September 1, 2000 Saproamanita thiersii. © Mandie Quark (CC-BY-NC) (inaturalist.org, obs. 310891913) Word has it that he spent the day mushrooming with his family, and then died peacefully in his sleep. Much of the following biographical information was taken from a tribute to Dr. Thiers written by Dennis Desjardin for the 1998 NAMA Foray. Dr. Thiers was born in 1919 in Fort McKavett, Texas. After serving in the Navy during WWII, he received his Ph.D. at the University of Michigan in 1956, giving his dissertation on the Agaricales of the pine belt in eastern Texas. He taught at Texas A&M for 12 years before moving to California where he taught at San Francisco State University for 30 years, creating an herbarium that includes over 100,000 specimens and has become a National Resource Collection. It is the largest and most important collection west of the Mississippi. Dr. Thiers published 8 books, 50 papers in leading scientific journals, and numerous articles for lay journals. He was recognized worldwide as the leading authority on boletes and an innovator in the research on secotioid fungi. 14 different taxa are named in his honor, including the genus Thiersia. Between the years of 1974 - 1983, Dr. Thiers served in many official roles in the Mycological Society of America, including Councilor, Secretary-Treasurer, Vice President, President Elect, and President. He was given numerous awards and honors throughout his career, including the W. W. Weston Award for Teaching Excellence by the Mycological Society of America, the Outstanding Teacher Award by San Francisco State University, and a Life Membership in the Mycological Society of America. In addition, the Mycological Society of San Francisco established the H.D. Thiers Scholarship, and the Mycological Society of America created the Thiers Travel Award, and awarded him their highest honor, the Distinguished Mycologist Award. Finally, he was awarded the California Academy of Sciences Fellows Medal, the highest award given by this prestigious organization, and the first time it was ever given to a mycologist. With as much as Harry meant to the world of mushrooming, and with as much as he will be missed, I still find it comforting to remember one thing: The very mushrooms that Harry loved so much are nothing more than agents of death and decay. Perhaps Dr. Thiers' passing can serve to remind us that death is a necessary part of life, and this in turn can help us to better enjoy our own brief passage through this world. That being said, I hope you all had an enjoyable summer. Perhaps you found time to head up to the Sierras to hunt Boletes in recent weeks. We certainly hope the upcoming Lake Tahoe area forays are fruitful; in any case we'll have a good time, and maybe raise a cup or two to the memory of Harry Thiers. Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

Craterellus tubaeformis. Photo by Yevgeny Nyden Winter Chanterelles Bunch (Craterellus tubaeformis) Yevgeny Nyden Craterellus tubaeformis is an edible fungus, also known as yellowfoot, winter mushroom, winter chanterelle, and funnel chanterelle. Camera Panasonic DMC-GX1 Focal L. 14mm Aperture f/3.5 Shutter Sp. 1/10s ISO 1600 Flash Off Photo taken on January 26, 2013 Mushroom(s) ... Previous Photo Back to Gallery Next Photo

News & Stories / Stewardship Message From Our Incoming CEO 2009 If you had told me back in 1984 that I would be making this salutation 25 years later, I would never have even considered the possibility... Bob Sellers • September 1, 2009 Bob Sellers But here we are, starting our next 25-year run, a prosperous and vibrant organization, with an incredible group of talented and dedicated members, some of whom have been with the group since it began; others who have joined the voyage only recently. As one of the original handful of "midwives" who helped give birth to the organization, I have occupied nearly every minister position in the FFSC over the years except for CEO. It seems appropriate that 25 years later, I volunteer for that role. This year's programs and events will follow our tradition of monthly meetings, local forays, long distance forays, and special culinary events. We also have changes in the works, including a new format for our mushroom ID class, led this season by Phil Carpenter. Details are included in this newsletter. We may also implement collecting trips before some of the classes. One of our premier events is the annual Fungus Fair in January, held in downtown Santa Cruz. We have co-produced the Fungus Fair with the City of Santa Cruz and the employees of the Museum of Natural History and the Museum Association for many years of the Fair’s history. The picture changed this year when the City’s budget crisis resulted in elimination of the paid Museum staff. In spite of these changes, we are now planning for the 2010 Fungus Fair in cooperation with the Natural History Museum Association. Your help in volunteering for the fair is more crucial than ever. The proceeds from sales at the Fungus Fair represent a substantial percentage of our yearly revenues, allowing the club to pay for such things as speakers and snacks at our meetings, equipment purchases, library additions and educational stipends to students studying mycology. Because the Fungus Fair is such a popular event, our publicity whiz member, Jim Maley, worked with a local California publication to write a piece about the Fungus Fair and FFSC. Look for the article in an upcoming issue of Sunset Magazine! Here's to a wet and wonderful mushroom season, everyone. Bob Sellers, CEO Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / "Americas Most Wanted" Amanita, and European Names Greetings to my fellow fungiphiles in Santa Cruz. I am writing this in hopes of tracking down the individual who collected a rare, unnamed amanita for the 2005 FFSC Fungus Fair. Debbie Viess • May 1, 2005 Amanita sect. Lepidella sensu Bas. © Debbie Viess (from mushroomobserver.org) This distinctive Amanita was cream-colored, with thin, tan warts on the cap, gills with a pale purple cast, and an elongate, slightly swollen basal bulb. It was presented at the FFSC Fair in a duck basket, and was mislabeled as a silvicola . It turned out to be a member of the unusual subsection limbatulae , in section lepidella (which includes silvicola , smithiana and magniverrucata ). These limbate lepidellas have the unique feature of a thin membrane over the basal bulb, and apparently reach their apex of diversity here in our great state of California. Dr. Rod Tulloss, world expert on Amanitas , would love to hear from the person who collected this mushroom; collection data is needed (who, what, where, and when; the why is because we love ’em!) If you believe that you collected this mushroom, please contact me and I will pass on the information to Rod. More collections would be invaluable, so keep your eyes peeled for this unusual lepidella in your future woodland walks. By the way, thanks to all of the folks that showed up for my Amanita talk in March. I had fun sharing my passion for this interesting group (and learned that Santa Cruz velosas can commonly have a brownish cast to their caps, unlike my cap-color experiences with them in the East Bay). I hope that you had fun and learned something, too. Speaking of learning, one of your members asked an interesting question, and one that I had been puzzling over myself: what causes the striations on the caps of some Amanitas ? Since I didn’t know the answer, I ran it by Rod. He replied that Bas (the father of the modern study of Amanitas ) believes that striations are an evolved trait. Basically, if you slice a striated cap through the center, you will see a membrane, rather than fleshy cap context, in the area of the cap where the striations are formed. A very thin pileus context (read membrane) allows the gills to be packed very closely, without expending a lot of water and energy to open a big, heavy cap. Long striations correlate rather well with broad, membranous pileus margin areas. So, you might say that members of the section vaginatae (our various grisettes , Caesar’s mushroom, etc.) are among the most highly evolved of the Amanitas . Delicious, too. ( Caution: Be absolutely sure you have correctly identified this species before choosing to consume it yourself.) And in answer to one other question that was posed to me, yes, it is true that “our” Amanita baccata is not the same as the European form. But, until it is formally described and named, it is still being referred to as Amanita baccata sensu Arora , or “Arora’s baccata”; this is how it keys out in the excellent key to Amanitas of the PNW , written by Jan Lindgren, and put out by the PNW Key Council, a must-have for serious students of Amanitas . To further muddy the waters, (and give us the blues), “our” Amanita franchetii is also not even remotely the same as the gray-capped European franchetii . But again, for simplicity’s sake, and until we have a new name, franchetii it is. Just like in many of our North American groups of mushrooms, with names based upon European species, there is still much work to be done. But the fun is in the trying. - Amanitarita (Debbie Viess) Other reading: Top Ten Poisonous Mushrooms of California Meet Amanita pruittii: Arora’s Amanita, Anonymous No More! Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts An Amanita Poisoning Account Matsutake or Amanita? Thank You, Debbie Viess! Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

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

Chicken Breasts with Oyster Mushrooms Oyster mushroom season usually kicks off after the first autumn rains. October is a wonderful time to try this dish with your fresh collections. by Southern Idaho Mushroom Association (SIMA) Pleurotus ostreatus. © Tom Minh Van (CC-BY-NC) (from inaturalist.org, obs. 253773500) Method Pound chicken breasts between wax paper till slightly flattened. Add salt and pepper to taste. Roll in flour till lightly coated Heat butter and oil in large skillet. Sauté chicken over low heat for 3 minutes on each side. Add mushrooms and cover skillet. Simmer for 10 minutes, Add cream and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Transfer chicken to serving dish and keep warm. Add wine to skillet and bring to a boil. Cook till thick and creamy. Pour over chicken. Garnish with sprigs of cilantro. Recipe contributed: October 1993 This recipe was originally printed in the March 1993 issue of the Southern Idaho Mushroom Association newsletter. As that issue appears to be out of print now, we're sharing it here for our members. Objective: Main course Total Time: About an hour Yield: Serves 4 Suggested Mushrooms: Oyster / king oyster mushroom (Pleurotus eryngii, Pleurotus ostreatus) 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 4 Skinless, boneless chicken breasts 2 Tbsp. olive oil Salt and pepper to taste 1/2 Lb. sliced oyster mushrooms 3 Tbsp. flour 1 Cup heavy cream 2 Tbsp. butter 1/4 Cup dry white wine Previous Recipe All Recipes Next Recipe

News & Stories / Presenting the FFSC 40th Anniversary T shirt The 2024 September General Meeting will mark the 40th Anniversary of the Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz (1984-2024). Lisa Tesler • May 4, 2024 FFSC 40th anniversary logo Learn more about our history on the FFSC History page. A limited edition of a members-only T-shirt has been designed to mark the occasion. Login to see details below. Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article