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News & Stories / Field Reports Account of Todd Spanier's 15th Annual Winter Chef's Foray Hugh and Sandi Smith were the proud FFSC Fungus Fair Raffle winners for the 15th Annual Winter Chef ’s Foray led by Todd Spanier of King of Mushrooms. Hugh provided the following vignette of their weekend. Hugh Smith • April 1, 2010 Coastal Redwood. Photo by Hugh Smith Wow, was that the 15th Annual Winter Chef ’s Foray? I can’t imagine what the other 14 were like! This was the first one I attended though, so I wish I hadn’t missed the others. I hadn’t heard of it before, but Todd Spanier puts on this annual event ... every year. Three Januarys ago, Sandi and I entered the raffle at the FFSC 34th Fungus Fair. Todd had been more than generous to offer such a weekend of Hunting, Wining and Dining in the Anderson Valley. Pretty generous, Todd. All of us (you and me) are very busy of course, and Sandi and I weren’t able to collect on our prize until now. It was certainly worth the wait. We arrived at the Screaming Lizard Ranch (a private property) to meet up with everyone at the house where we would be staying. Sandi and I took the cabin away from the main house. There are Redwood, Oak, Fir, Pine, and many other types of trees on the 40 acres. Our bathroom was inside, but our shower was outside. Imagine me, in my outside shower, with hot running water, in the woods, naked ... OK, don’t. Hungry? We picked greens from the back yard for our salad. But the first thing I did when we arrived was to get out of the car and start the hunt. There is always something to find at this time of year. Lots of things! Exciting things! Gyromitra esculenta , Ganoderma applanatum , Craterellus cinereus , Phlogiotus helvelloides , Helvella compressa , and far too many other mushrooms to name here. Y’know, really great stuff. There were also Cantharellus californicus , Craterellus cornucopioides , Spring Coccora , Hydnum umbilicatum ... the usual. We went to the Yorkville Winery, Todd showed us a place where Oak Trees have been inoculated and French truffles are being propagated, and there’s a grove of virgin Coastal Redwoods (Hendy Woods). But the real treat came Saturday night. After a day of hunting, wine tasting, sack lunches and sunshine, we picked some more of our salad in the yard, had a campfire, and had some of the most awesome dishes created for us that I have ever tasted. Although Todd is a great chef in his own right (he was the head chef Friday night), he invited a man named Marc Vogel for Saturday night. Marc, I had no idea mushrooms could taste that good. I don’t really like mushrooms, y’know. I’d usually rather trade them for Chicken. It’s about the hunt, y’know? The discovery! But with cooking like that, I’m rethinking if I know what I have talked myself into, or out of. Could mushrooms really taste this great? That was a terrific weekend, Todd. Thank you very much! Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

Strobilurus trullisatus. 2013, Fort Bragg. Photo by Hugh Smith Strobilurus trullisatus Hugh Smith Strobilurus trullisatus forms colonies on old Douglas fir cones. Thank you, Hugh, for this lovely photograph! Camera (Not provided) Focal L. Aperture Shutter Sp. ISO Flash Photo taken on January 19, 2015 Mushroom(s) ... Previous Photo Back to Gallery Next Photo

News & Stories / Editoricus Blatheronsus: What are Entheogenic Mushrooms Since I just love stirring the pot, let's see if I can't create even more controversy this month. Larry Payne • February 1, 2000 Amanita muscaria ssp. flavivolvata. © Sadie Krier (CC-BY-NC) (from inaturalist.org, obs. 198254605) Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Field Reports Collecting Conditions in Mendocino at ACCF 2014 I went to the All California Clubs Foray (ACCF) in Albion last weekend. We actually found an amazingly large number of mushrooms so the myco-geeks were thrilled. Edibles? - only a few chanterelles, hedgehogs and winter chanterelles. Phil Carpenter • February 27, 2014 Fomitopsis pinicola. © Ember Erebus (from mushroomobserver.org) I just wanted to let you all know that it is my opinion that the right decision was made to cancel Albion II. All of the "usual" places were dry, dry, dry and essentially devoid of fungi. We all sought out the deepest canyons that never saw the sun to find damp spots to collect. Even then, things were sparse (especially edibles). With a lot of people gathering and spending the time, we had plenty of diversity and things to discuss. I thoroughly enjoyed working with the excellent mycologists present to continue my education. It was a good call to bring this subject up for a vote, Wendy! I agree that our group would have been disappointed. Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Report from the Mendocino Coast 2018 December Albion Foray Species List Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

Warm and Creamy Mushroom Dip Simple and satisfying comfort food for cool winter nights. Try with morels, hedgehogs, or other robustly flavored mushrooms. by Tahoma Mycological Society Hydnum olympicum. © ladycartoonist (CC-BY-NC) (from inaturalist.org, obs. 335277859) Method Chop the mushrooms.** Lightly sauté the the mushrooms in butter. Gradually add the cream cheese in 1 tablespoon chunks. Serve warm, maintaining a very low temperature, along with crackers or veggies for dipping. Optionally, add a little white wine to taste, along with shallots and fresh thyme or other herbs. ** If you have sturdy mushrooms, chunky bits give the dip a satisfying texture. If you have thinner or delicate mushrooms, chop them more finely to infuse the cream cheese with their flavor. For example, hedgehogs tend to hold less water, so larger chunks brown well without getting soggy, adding a nice texture to the dip. Yellowfoot are thin and cook down quickly, so if you chop them finely and sauté them well to concentrate their sugars, they will infuse the cream cheese to create a more creamy dip. Or try different combos, such as meaty mushrooms for texture and finely chopped mushrooms for aroma. Recipe contributed: December 1993 Objective: Appetizer Total Time: About 15 mins Yield: 6 to 8 servings Suggested Mushrooms: Chanterelle (Cantharellus californicus, Cantharellus formosus, Cantharellus subalbidus) Hedgehog (Hydnum olympicum, Hydnum repandum , Hydnum umbilicatum, Hydnum washintonianum) Maitake (Grifola frondosa) Morel (Morchella sp.) Porcini (Boletus edulis, Boletus regineus, Boletus rex-veris) Yellowfoot (winter chanterelle) (Craterellus tubaeformis) 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 1/4 lb. mushrooms* 8 oz. cream cheese 1/4 lb. butter Salt and pepper to taste Crackers or veggies for dipping Chafing dish, Sterno (canned heat), or low-temperature hot plate * Choose mushrooms with earthy, robust, or meaty flavors, so their taste stands out in the rich, tangy fat of the cream cheese. Previous Recipe All Recipes Next Recipe

News & Stories / Stewardship Faces of FFSC – Phil Carpenter In an effort to introduce our newer members to some of our more established members, I’ll be profiling a few FFSC members. I begin with Phil Carpenter, who is teaching our new mushroom ID classes. Wendy Wells • October 1, 2009 Phil Carpenter Phil Carpenter is a long-standing member of FFSC. He says, with a smile, that he only missed the first three meetings of the Federation when it began twenty-five years ago. He has served as a minister in most capacities and used to organize the Echo Summit foray. What event started your interest in mushrooms? Mushroom hunting and identification began during Phil’s Illinois childhood when the entire family would foray for morels each Spring. During this time he also developed a lifelong joy of being in the woods. After relocating to California he took a mushroom ID class from David Arora in 1978 (5 years before FFSC began). He has also attended Dennis Desjardin’s summer class that emphasizes microscopy (Spring Fungi of the Sierra Nevada). His lifelong commitment to learning includes making sure he learns new mushrooms each year. What prompted you to offer a mushroom ID class? Phil discussed his eagerness to share his myco-knowledge and visions for the class. He plans to provide an approachable learning environment that will build on the cumulative knowledge learned from the prior class. He wants to introduce terminology and help students develop a systematic approach using solid identification skills. Phil emphasized the importance of time commitment and self-study to benefit most from the classes. During our conversation, I mentioned my difficulties in keying out a mushroom by spore color, especially when the color choices are similar, like peach, salmon or apricot. I was surprised to discover Phil is color-blind. He reinforced that color is only one of many defining characteristics. Learning all the characteristics is equally important. He can always consult with foraging friends regarding color definitions. Do you have a favorite mushroom? Hmmm. The list was long and includes morels, boletes, shaggy parasols and black trumpets. He expressed a fondness for shaggy parasols. Aside from being very flavorful, they were the first mushroom he ate when he arrived in California. Why do people attend events, forays and meetings? We discussed the value of attending events, forays and meetings, not only for information, but for the camaraderie of enjoying people with similar interests. Group participation and sharing of knowledge are high on Phil’s list of priorities. He values the long-term friendships he has developed with other FFSC members. He enjoys all the forays but has a fondness for camping events, like the spring foray to Pipi Valley. The camping forays tend to eliminate the ‘intimidation factor’ that many newer members sometimes have about their limited expertise. He shared that interactions, foray jaunts, cooking and give-and-take around a camping environment bring fond memories and develop friendships. Who is your favorite foray partner? Why, that would be Henry Young, of course. Phil mentioned that Henry shares his joy of foraging and has a similar outlook on enjoying the fun of the hunt. Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Faces of FFSC – Adam Ryszka New Illustrator in the FFSC Fold – Angela Mele Spring Fungi of the Sierra Nevada - 2026 Recap Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Field Reports A Fruitful Fungal Foray One Sunday afternoon, after an unproductive morning searching all the right spots for mushrooms that weren’t there, I happened to stop... Richard Lyness • January 1, 2010 Rack of Lamb with Hen of the Woods. Photo by Richard Lyness Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Mushroom Soup Tip – Fried Dried Mushrooms Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

Almond Candy Cap Cookies Did you like the candy cap cookies served at the 2009 Fair? Here’s the recipe. Now all you need to do is get out and find some Candy Caps! by Marje Young Lactarius rubidus. © Alan Rockefeller (from mushroomobserver.org) Method Reconstitute the dried candy caps in brandy and drain. Sauté in 1 Tbl. butter until dry. Cream butter with sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat until light again. Sift flour, baking powder and salt together and work thoroughly into the creamed mixture. Stir in the candy caps, almonds and vanilla. Shape into rolls 1 1/2 inches in diameter and wrap in waxed paper or plastic wrap. Chill overnight. Preheat oven to 375°F. Slice the dough into thin slices and bake on greased cookie sheets for about 8 minutes. Recipe contributed: February 2009 This recipe can also be found in From Duff to Dinner , a cookbook edited by the FFSC’s own Marjorie Young and the late Vince Viverito. Objective: Dessert Total Time: Overnight prep Yield: 8 dozen cookies 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 1¼ cups crumbled, dried candy caps ( Lactarius rubidus or fragilis ) 1 cup unsalted butter 2 cup light brown sugar 2 eggs, well beaten 3 cups flour 3 ½ tsp. baking powder ½ tsp. salt 1 cup slivered, toasted almonds 1 tsp. vanilla extract Previous Recipe All Recipes Next Recipe

News & Stories / Fair News FFSC 37th Annual Fungus Fair Rocked On Friday, January 7, 2011, I’m standing at the back of the stage at the Louden Nelson Center, around 3:00 pm. I’m taking a moment’s breath, and I’m thinking, “What if nobody comes?” Rene Barone • February 1, 2011 Ticket line at the 37th Fungus Fair. Photo by Hugh Smith What if, after all this work, nobody shows up for the first Friday the Fungus Fair is open to the public? Well, four hours, 435 patrons and numerous volunteers later, the 37th Fungus Fair was well on its way to success. Saturday and Sunday followed suit with new attendance records set. Thank you one and all for your attendance and volunteer efforts. I am humbled by your enthusiasm in helping us to accomplish our goals of providing mycological education and helping to keep the fun in fungi. Rene Barone Co-chair FFSC gratefully acknowledges our Fair Co-Chairs, Phil Carpenter and Rene Barone for their many months of hard work and planning. Their tireless and cheerful leadership made this the best Fungus Fair ever. Providing supporting roles were the many members of the Fair Committee and the Group Coordinators. And, those amazing engineers of our new display island—Fred Molner and Ron Bader! And to our Many Many Enthusiastic Volunteers – We Can’t Do It Without You! 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

News & Stories / 2007 Fungus Fair — Thank You In spite of dry weather we had a good showing of fungi, with a total of 232 species represented. Chilly weather during setup kept the mushrooms fresh. Santa Cruz Fungus Fair Committee • March 1, 2007 33rd Santa Cruz Fungus Fair 2007 T-shirt The well-chilled human setup volunteers were quite pleased to have hot soup provided by Vernetta McGuire and Marilyn Diamond to keep them warm. In all, 60+ dedicated FFSC volunteers and 40 dedicated Museum volunteers and staff worked to setup, run and take down the fair. Always a popular Fair Exhibit. Photo by Catherine Campos Each year we marvel at how much time and effort go into setup and how quickly it all goes away at the end. This year’s teardown set a new record: in one hour and ten minutes it was all done and we were devouring Bob Wynn’s wonderful dinner of mushroom lasagne, quiche and salad! Thanks to all who helped, from picking mushrooms to setup, identifying, staffing tables, cleanup and compost-ing the mushrooms at the end. It would be impossible without you! I’m not naming everyone because, well, I lost my list in transition to a new computer and relying on my poor memory will ensure that someone is left out. But bear in mind that anonymous good deeds count for double credit in the universe! Exhibit at the 2007 Fair. Photo by Catherine Campos Attendance was a bit lower than usual, with about 150 attending the Friday night Members’ Reception and 2200 at the door Saturday and Sunday combined. Vernetta McGuire and the Museum Association put on a wonderful reception Friday night, with great food. Wine was a cut above the usual, with Jeff Emery of Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyards pouring. Massimo Caporale of Gelato Massimo provided Candy Cap Gelato. Marilyn Fenn outdid herself in decorating the Louden Nelson hallway gallery. A few new features were included in this year’s Fair. The addition of Toxicology talks to the Mushrooms 101 room proved timely in the wake of the Amanita phalloides poisoning of a family just prior to the Fair. OurMany thanks to Bill and Louise Freedman for their encouragement and assistance in this endeavor. Rhiannon Crane and Judd Nelson brought two new activities to the Kids’ Room (both of which were popular with adults as well): Guided microscopic tours of a variety of fungal cultures and mushroom dyeing on silk. Book and T-shirt sales were brisk, and 47 new members joined during and since of the Fair. It was a fine event - our sincere thanks to everyone! The Fair Committee Horst Kuhlmann, Chair Bill White, CEO Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Fungus Fair 2009 — Better Than Ever! FFSC 37th Annual Fungus Fair Rocked Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

Breaded Boletes with Tomatoes A warm dish for late fall along the coast or in the spring after the snow melts. by Ed Eulice Boletus rex-veris. © Alan Rockefeller (from mushroomobserver.org) Method Chop parsley and garlic. Mix with breadcrumbs, half the olive oil and spice with salt and pepper. Leave mixture to stand for an hour or so. Preheat oven to 350°F. Brush a baking dish with olive oil. Place each bolete cap round side down in bowl, covering each cap with a quarter of the mixture. Drizzle remainder of the olive oil over the caps. Halve the tomatoes and place in the same bowl and season with salt and pepper. Bake until caps are crisp (30-40 minutes) Recipe contributed: September 2009 Objective: Side or first course Total Time: 2 hours Yield: 4 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 cup toasted breadcrumbs 1 Tbl. chopped flat-leaf Parsley 1 garlic clove, chopped 1/4 cup nice quality olive oil 4 bolete caps 2 tomatoes salt & pepper Previous Recipe All Recipes Next Recipe

Chicken (of the Woods) Satay with Hazelnut Romesco This dish features an east coast species of sulphur shelf, Laetiporus cincinnatus . by Rene Seltzer Laetiporus cincinnatus © Megan Kreuser (CC-BY-NC) (from inaturalist.org, obs. 391897259) Method Cover the mushroom cubes with boiling water and leave for 3 minutes to soften. Thread onto bamboo skewers and set aside. Grate the orange zest onto a plate, and squeeze juice into a bowl. Discard seeds, pulp and core. Grind the hazelnuts in a food processor until smooth. Add the bread, oil, broth, cinnamon, honey, and the zest and juice from the orange. Blend, then season to taste with celery salt and pepper. Spoon half of the marinade over the skewered chicken of the woods and set aside at room temperature for at least 30 minutes to allow the nut and citrus flavors to soak in, but no more than 40 minutes (to prevent acids in the orange juice from turning the cubes to mush). Preheat a moderate broiler and cook for 8 minutes to caramelize and warm through, turning once at the 4 minute mark. Serve with the remainder of the marinade in ramekins or a gravy boat at the table. Recipe contributed: November 2001 I didn't attend the NAMA foray* in Minnesota, but Phyllis Cole (FFSC member and President of NAMA) and Lee Yamada did. They brought back Laetiporus cincinnatus ("white-spored chicken of the woods") which is white underneath instead of bright yellow. What a fabulous edible mushroom and now my favorite. It has a wonderful texture and really does 'taste like chicken'. After trying this mushroom my husband and I saw the light! We now understand the importance of joining NAMA (and FFSC members get an "affiliated club" discount)! It's good to broaden your horizon. I suggest you serve this dish with (or on) couscous or rice, and a green salad. Or perhaps quick-seared baby broccoli, blistered cherry tomatoes, or grilled zucchini ribbons. Editor's note: Laetiporus cincinnatus grows in the eastern US and Canada, on the ground or around the base of hardwoods like oaks. Our California species of sulphur shelf are L. gilbertsonii (which grows on hardwoods) and L. conifericola (which grows on conifers). Unlike L. cincinnatus , they have a more sour, lemony flavor, and only the outermost edges are soft enough to eat (similar to L. sulphureus on the east coast). Be advised that our local sulphur shelf species are known to cause gastrointestinal upset for some people, especially when found growing on Eucalyptus. (Some people have said it can last for days!) So only taste a small amount if you have never eaten them before. If you want to try white-spored chicken of the woods, it is sometimes available (dried) through specialty wild food marketplaces online. Alternatively, you may be able to grow it yourself from cultures. If using softer mushrooms instead, skip the preliminary step (boiling in water) in the recipe below. Just put the raw cubes onto the skewer and broil them as described. Suggestions: King oyster mushrooms can withstand being cubed and grilled on skewers. If you use standard oyster mushrooms, only cut the thickest parts of the clusters for the skewers. (Optionally, sauté the thinner scraps separately and use a small portion in the marinade and the rest as a garnish or for another meal.) Shiitake caps can be skewered whole, or halved if they're large. (Optionally, sauté the stems separately and blend into the marinade.) Maitake (hen of the woods) adds a crispy texture to the dish if you pull it apart into large clusters (instead of cutting into cubes) and skewer the clusters. If using puffballs, peel off the tough outer skin, slice the pristine white interior into cubes (discard any yellow or green areas), and skewer. (Make sure you know how to safely ID puffballs!) Note that specimens with higher water content (like porcini, Agaricus , chanterelles, etc.) may turn mushy or crumble on the skewers. * FFSC members are welcome to request an FFSC scholarship to attend a NAMA foray. Objective: Main course Total Time: About an hour Yield: 4 servings Suggested Mushrooms: Maitake (Grifola frondosa) Oyster / king oyster mushroom (Pleurotus eryngii, Pleurotus ostreatus) Puffball (Calbovista subsculpta, Calvatia booniana, Calvatia gigantea, Lycoperdon perlatum) Shiitake (Lentinula edodes) Sulphur Shelf (Laetiporus cincinnatus, Laetiporus gilbertsonii, Laetiporus sulphureus) 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 3½ cups Laetiporus cincinnatus , trimmed and diced into bite-sized cubes (1" to 1.5" wide) ½ hazelnuts, toasted 1 shallot, quartered 2 oz. French bread, crustless 2 Tbsp. hazelnut or walnut oil 2 cups vegetable broth, boiling ¼ tsp. cinnamon, ground 1 tsp. honey 1 small orange ½ tsp. celery salt** ¼ tsp cayenne pepper 2 to 4 bamboo skewers ** If you don't have celery salt, you can use 1 part celery seed with 2 parts salt; or a pinch of regular salt plus finely minced celery leaves. Previous Recipe All Recipes Next Recipe