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Mushroom Poisoning If you suspect you have consumed a poisonous mushroom, call 911. Then go to the Emergency Department, and call Poison Control: 1-800.222.1222 Galerina marginata group. Photo by Christian Schwarz Emergency Procedures If you suspect you have consumed a poisonous mushroom: Call 911 Go to the Emergency Department Call Poison Control @ 1-800.222.1222 Call toll-free 24-hours a day, 365 days a year, with poison-related questions or help in California. Santa Cruz Area Hospitals Watsonville Community Hospital : (831) 724-4741 Dominican Hospital, Santa Cruz : (831) 462-7700 Dominican Hospital and Watsonville Hospital keep a list of contacts to help with identification of suspect fungi. Some hospitals have engaged in clinical trials for the immediate treatment of amatoxin mushroom poisonings. Call 911 and talk to a doctor to determine the best course of action if you suspect you or someone you know may have been poisoned. Bring the Mushroom With You If you believe a mushroom poisoning has occurred, the doctors will need to identify the mushroom so they can determine the most appropriate treatment. For an accurate identification, your best chance is to bring a sample of the mushroom with you. The more complete your specimen is, the better chance to ID it correctly. A complete specimen consists of the cap, stem, bottom of the mushroom and any roots or fluff that may have been part of the mushroom at one time. Store the specimen in a paper or waxed paper bag (not plastic) in the refrigerator until needed. Note where the mushrooms were collected in case of potential contamination by pesticides or heavy metals from lawns, roadsides or industrial areas. Non-Emergency Recommendations There is an old saying that “There are old mushroom hunters, and bold mushroom hunters. But there are no old, bold mushroom hunters.” Bit of exaggeration? Sure. But it’s critically important to know what you’re eating! Mushroom Identification The term "poisonous" refers to a wide range of toxicity, covering the range from mild nausea to allergic reactions to life-threatening illness. For general identification of mushrooms you’ve found (not a poisoning case) we encourage you to bring them to our Monthly Meeting or the annual Santa Cruz Fungus Fair . You can also send a Mushroom ID request to our FFSC community mailing list (our Google Group), or via the Contact FFSC page on this website. Pet Poisonings Pets, particularly dogs, eat wild mushrooms on occasion. While the majority of these mushrooms are not toxic, a highly toxic small percentage can cause illness and death in pets. Contact your veterinarian if you see your pet consume a wild mushroom and bring a sample of the mushrooms in the area. For more information see Mushroom Poisonings in Dogs and Cats on the North American Mycological Association (NAMA) website. Report All Poisonings NAMA (North American Mycological Association) tracks all mushroom poisoning incidents. It is important to file a report, even for a minor gastrointestinal upset. After the incident, help document mushroom poisonings by submitting an online report or mail-in report to the NAMA Poison Case Registry. Learn More about Mushroom Safety The California Poison Control System (CPCS) Bay Area Mycological Society: Mushroom Poisonings North American Mycology Association: Mushroom Poisonings Wikipedia: Mushroom Poisoning Members Only Content Login Join FFSC

Mushroom Dye Resources Has your artistic curiosity been piqued by the idea of mushroom-based pigments? Here are some resources to get you started with this fascinating process. Dyeing fabric with mushroom pigments at the Santa Cruz Fungus Fair One of our members has put together this short "how to" for beginners: Intro to Dyeing with Mushroom Pigments Below are some other resources you can use to learn more about dyeing with mushroom pigments. Books Mushrooms for Dyes, Paper, Pigments & Myco-Stix (Fungi Perfecti) By Miriam Rice and Dorothy Beebee The Rainbow Beneath My Feet: A Mushroom Dyer’s Field Guide (Amazon) by Arlene and Alan Bessette (Best feature IMO: Dye Duds section) The Mushroom Color Atlas: A guide to Dyes and Pigments Made from Fungi (Amazon) by Julie Beeler Websites IMDI – International Mushroom Dye Institute Mycopigments website by Alissa Allen Alissa Allen's beautiful and useful Facebook page Shroomworks Bloom & Dye The Mushroom Color Atlas (free online color guide) by Bloom & Dye Regional Palettes: A Closer Look at Northern California Dye Mushrooms Supplies Maiwa Natural Dyes Dharma Trading Company Members Only Content Login Join FFSC

Quick Mushroom Tempura If you’ve found some terrific edibles already, what should you do with them? (I suspect you already know the answer) but here is an idea! Tempura really works. by Richard Lyness Boletus edulis. © Darvin DeShazer (from mushroomobserver.org) Method Make the Tempura Wipe your mushrooms clean, and ensure they're bone-dry on the surface. Slice larger mushrooms about ½" thick. (If using small, store-bought chanterelles, leave them whole or slice lengthwise into chunky halves.) Follow tempura batter instructions to make batter. (Typically whisk with about ½ to ¾ cups of ice cold water for 5 oz. of batter mix, to create a thick batter.) Dip mushroom pieces in the batter, and deep fry per the batter mix instructions (e.g., 1 to 2 minutes at 350°F until the batter is light golden and crisp). Prepare at least two or three dipping sauces. Make the Dipping Sauces The quickest way is to buy dipping sauces from the store. If you want to try making your own sauces: Mix 3 Tbsp. soy sauce, 3 Tbs. mirin (or water with a pinch of sugar), and a splash of rice vinegar for a soy-based dip. Mix 2 Tbsp. sweet chili cause with 1 Tbsp. sriracha and a squeeze of lime juice for a chili sauce dip. Mix 3 Tbsp. mayonnaise, 1 Tbsp. horseradish (in a jar), and a few drops of soy sauce for a horseradish dip. Recipe contributed: November 2009 Objective: Side or first course Total Time: 30 mins Yield: 4 servings Suggested Mushrooms: Chanterelle (Cantharellus californicus, Cantharellus formosus, Cantharellus subalbidus) 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 12 to 16 oz. porcini or chanterelles 5 oz. tempura batter mix (typically sold in 10 oz. packages at Asian markets, Costco or Safeway) Soy sauce Chili sauce Horseradish dip Previous Recipe All Recipes Next Recipe

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

News & Stories / Mycology & Art News Relishing Medicinal Mushrooms Part I Part 1 of 2: We will visit the history and use of medicinal mushrooms, and attempt to answer why, at this time in our history, we are suddenly inundated with a massive wealth of new knowledge on the subject. Chef Zachary Mazi • March 1, 2013 Trametes versicolor (turkey tail). Photo by Larry Volpe Editors Note: Consult your physician before consuming or using any mushroom for medicinal purposes; and ensure you have personally researched and understand how to prepare such mushrooms appropriately. Chef Mazi has been studying herbal medicine and mushrooms for over 10 years, and combining these deep earth wisdoms with fine culinary cuisine. In 2012, Food Is Medicine emerged as a co-project of Chef Zachary Mazi and partner Dr. Juli Mazi, ND; the aim of this organization if to help people worldwide understand that their choices in food matter greatly, and yet the pressure to eat can be lessened exponentially by sticking to intuitive, local and organic options. Food Is Medicine Coach/Chef Zachary Mazi would like to invite you to take a two part journey into the use of medicinal mushrooms in cooking. In this first part, we will visit the history and use of medicinal mushrooms, and attempt to answer why, at this time in our history, we are suddenly inundated with a massive wealth of new knowledge on the subject. In part 2, which will appear in the April issue of Duff , we will explore in greater detail the medicinal values of many of our commonly loved edibles. Each part will be accompanied by some delicious recipes that Food Is Medicine have created to really relish this delicious medicine. Mushrooms used as useful allies for humankind date back to before we recorded history. In the Materia Medica of Chinese Medicine, one can find the history of its seemingly mysterious and vast array of plant parts—dried, fresh and powdered—and certain fungi, spanning back to the nearly the beginning of written history, at least to 6000 BC. Elsewhere in the world, the now-famous ice-man—found preserved in ice on the disputed Swiss-Italian border —was found carrying two mushrooms, both polypores: Fomes fomentarius and Piptoporus betuinus (1). The former was thought to be used as both a fire insulator, to carry embers from one place to the next, and simultaneously used as tinder, packed with flint and stone. The latter was used as a blood stopper. Indeed, the use of mushrooms in ritual, or at the very least the mushroom being adored and worshipped, has been found in cave art about 10,000 years ago by the Tasili tribesmen in Northern Africa (now the location is the Sahara desert, but at this early time, it was a lush and green paradise...perhaps the pre-historic garden of Eden?) But our primitive use of mushrooms certainly has a much greater history even than the recorded history examples above. Of the 22 primate species that eat fungi as part of their diet, 3 of them spend more than 10 percent of their time feeding on fungi. Of these, the Yunnan snub-nosed monkey spends 95% of it feeding time eating lichens, and Goeldi’s monkeys spends up to 63% of its feeding time eating sporocarps(2). It is not apparent whether these primates are using them as food strictly, or as medicines like they do some leaves. These specifics bog western science down. Nevertheless, it is clear that mushroom medicine has been working its magic on our ancestors since time immemorial. Winding a curious path from primate to pauper to priest and to prophet, from folklore to physician, and now to us! What is most fascinating, historically speaking, is the sudden and almost frenetic burst of enthusiasm for the study and innovation in medicine derived from fungi, in the recent decades. If mushrooms have been a part of our culture and heritage for so long, then why suddenly, in the past 30 years—and even more so in the present day—are we seeing an acceleration in the sciences describing these incredible chemical factories? It appears that the confluence of truly needing the medicines they have to offer, with the instantaneous ability to share our results worldwide with the click of a button is exponentially allowing us to get a glimpse into the vast expanse of mystery that is the Kingdom Fungi. Mushrooms have a strange and extremely varied means of chemical production. Manufacturing complex and nearly indescribable compounds—some that resemble compounds made by animals, and some completely foreign to our bodies—these amazing creatures are producing toxins and poisons, vitamins and even complex molecule pathways that mitigate oil spills and other environmental disasters. Like animals, many fungi produce vitamin D when interacting with UV radiation, such as from the sun. Shiitake mushrooms, under the right conditions, have shown to increase their vitamin D content by up to 41,000% in the sun over the course of just one day! Maitake mushrooms are not far behind in the same regard(8). This is a non-reversible chemical reaction, meaning that we can dry our mushrooms in the summer sun and store them until the winter doldrums to get the benefit of their Vitamin D during the darker months. (Even dried mushrooms will undergo this reaction in UV light.) Like animals, fungi breathe in oxygen, and exhale CO2, freeing the stores of the greenhouse molecule from the decaying wood and detritus on the forest floor and elsewhere. The respiratory similarity requires antibody similarity as well, because the same bacteria and viruses that can attack our cells and systems can attack these oxygen breathing cousins of ours the same way. This is the source of some of the most powerful disease fighting compounds that even the US Department of Defense has noted (for example, for use in the case of a bio-terror attack using small pox)(7). The adapted species have spread a fine mess of life lines branching through time, and the vast number of species estimated stands at anywhere from 1.5–5.1 million species of fungi on the planet. They outnumber plants on the planet almost 6:1, and of these, only 70,000 had been described, including molds, and other non sporophor producing fungi(3). So what is now fueling the sudden acceleration of interest and of knowledge taking place in this field of science and classification? It may be because we are only aware of just over 1% of the estimated species. There is definite pressure to expand this knowledge—nature abhors a vacuum. It may be because the number of people on the planet is constantly increasing, whilst our ability to share data exponentially doubles with more regular frequency; it may be that the earth itself, under the duress of environmental catastrophe, is reaching out through the proven biological model of success shared by the mycelial mats of fungi and of our own brain: networking and redundancy. Whatever the reason, medicinal mushroom studies are accelerating in interest and significance, and we, dear reader, are present to reap the benefits and witness this monumentally important age in mankind’s history. Mushrooms and humans have evolved separately on this planet, neither needing the other to survive. As such, the vast array of chemicals that mushrooms produce have far ranging effects on the human body, from educating the body on how to recognize cancer cells more effectively, to causing death and destruction of the internal organs at a fairly rapid pace. And in between these two extremes, lie complex relationships even on the individual level, with some people being deathly allergic to certain mushrooms for which a vast number of people will pay top dollar for example, such as in the case of the matsutake mushroom(4). What is fascinating about medicinal mushrooms is their relative accessibility, their novel ways of effecting the human immune system and other systems, their effectiveness at relatively accessible doses, and the ease of extracting. With many mushrooms, the whole mushroom is indicated, and small amounts (10 grams [1/3 oz.] dried or 6 oz fresh) is a sufficient amount of material to potentiate the magic in healing. These are doses that are equivalent of a pharmaceutical level, without the pesky side effects. We are indebted to such authors and herbalists as Christopher Hobbs (OR, USA) and Robert Roger (BC, Can), for their tireless work sifting through thousands of works and distilling the modern mushroom materia medica for even easier accessibility. And while there are numerous compounds that have been isolated by various means of extraction, it is the edible, medicinal mushrooms that offer a shiny promise even further, and it is these mushroom that we shall explore herein. For what is a true medicine if not relished and taken into the body with pleasure; beyond the pleasure of the healer or the healing, but the momentary and fleeting pleasure of the senses! Cooking with medicinal mushrooms, a field yet to be fully discovered and explored, holds promise for such an exquisite combination of ancient wisdom and 21st century indulgence. This uniting of esthetic worlds can only bring us closer to uniting our health and well-being with our everyday practices. Lets start with a well known mushroom, and a regular for use in medicinal mushroom stocks and broths. The turkey tail mushroom, Trametes versicolor , which is itself difficult to eat due to its very tough flesh, yields both its medicine and its unique sour, musky flavor to mushroom stocks, rices, and soups. If powdered, the mushroom can be eaten; otherwise, it does not add much to the meal, being so tough to chew. Used in conjunction with more fragrant mushrooms like shiitakes, the turkey tail recedes from notice in any dish, perhaps supplying a lingering bitterness. This mushroom is one of the most widely prescribed medicines for cancer in Japan, because of a special humungous molecule called Polysaccharide K, or PSK. PSK has a molecular weight of approximately 10,000 molecules of water. This heat stable, hot water extractable molecule seems to train the body and its specialized cells, natural killer cells, to be better at recognizing the cancer cells lines in the body, and boost the immune system through various means to help destroy even the most advanced hormone related cancers like prostate and breast cancers. Paul Stamets tells the story of his mother, who with stage 4 breast cancer and three months to live, took the second opinion of a foreward thinking oncologist in Seattle and took PSK containing Turkey Tail capsules in conjunction with her regular pharmaceuticals for 1 year, at which time she had no detectable cancer.(5) Thankfully, the turkey tail mushroom grows almost everywhere dead wood can be found, is easy to recognize, and it is such a stable medicine, that it last a long time on logs and branches, forming massive colonies. In the US, Bastyr College of Naturopathic Medicine has just been approved by the FDA to begin research on the effectiveness of the whole mushroom in the treatment of cancer and as an adjunct to cancer therapies already in well established. Proving these ‘theories’ is no easy feat, as the mushroom produces many thousands of compounds, which potentially work in tandem to produce its staggering results, and no particularly easy to grasp ‘mechanism of action’(6) as required by the FDA. The take-away from the story of the turkeytail is a parable that describes many mushrooms waiting at the door of medicine right now. This multi-faceted aspect of immuno-modulating mushroom medicine is common among almost all mushrooms that have some medical benefit. Unfortunately for the rigorous west, this medicine does not desire to fit into our definition of medicine. As its own kingdom, Fungi has its own rules, very different from ours. Like the mystical Qi of Chinese medicine, the direct mechanism of action is hard to pin down by the western approach to science. It may be that finally, under the humble guise of the simple sporophor that we call a mushroom, the foundation of isolated sciences in the field of medicine—demanding direct answers to too-simple questions—may deliquesce and melt away under the weight of new holistic data. Let Bastyr’s important study be the start of this process. Our acceptance of these bio-remediating (earth medicine) and clinically medicinal mushrooms represent a great turning point in humankind’s history... if we choose to adopt this wisdom more ancient than our species to our benefit. In Part 2 of our this article, we will explore the individual and specific aspects of many of our beloved mushrooms, their uses and their lore. And, of course, recipes that we have developed to enjoy cooking with medicinal mushrooms. So as we close for this session, here are some recipes Food Is Medicine has developed to utilize and relish your medicinal mushrooms. References Peintner, U; Poder, R; Pumpel, T (1998). “The iceman’s fungi”. Mycological Research 102 (10): 1153–62. doi:10.1017/S095.375.6298006546. Hanson, A. M.; Hodge, K. T.; Porter, L. M. (2003). “Mycophagy among Primates”. Mycologist 17: 6. doi:10.1017/S0269915X0300106X. Blackwell, Meredith; “ Fungi: 1, 2, 3,...5.1 million species?” American Journal of Botany; March 2011 vol. 98; no.3 426-438 Takako Toda, Masao Yamaguchi, Yuko Nakase, et al; “A Case of Anaphylactic Reaction Following Matsutake Mushroom Ingestion: Demonstration of Histamine Release Reaction of Basophils.” Allergy International; doi:10.2332/allergolint.10-CR-0205. Landau, Elizabeth; “The Forbidden Fruit of Medicinal Mushrooms.” CNN; September 2012; http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/02/health/tedmed-mushroom-man http://m.bastyr.edu/news/general-news/2012/11/fda-approves-bastyr-turkey-tail-trial-cancer-patients Isaacson, Andy; Mother Jones Magazine; Nov/Dec 2009. http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2009/11/paul-stamets-mushroom Stamets, Paul; Fungi Perfecti; August 6th, 2012. http://www.fungi.com/blog/items/place-mushrooms-in-sunlight-to-get-your-vitamin-d.html Ware, Kendra. “The Many benefits of Agaricus bisporus Extract.” Weight Loss Studies; January, 2013. burnitnowasap.blogspot.com/2013/01/the-many-benefits-of-agaricus-bisporus.html Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Relishing Medicinal Mushrooms Part III Relishing Medicinal Mushrooms Part II Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Porcino, Porcini: Recap of Our Celebration of Pork and Boletes Too bad if you missed it! Close to 60 lovers of the bolete gathered for an evening of food, wine and fun. Margaret Carpenter • November 1, 2011 Bill Lewis brought a friend with chanterelles (instead of boletes) to the 2011 Porcini and Pork dinner The food was great and the company was unbeatable. Menu Various hors d’oeuvres Bolete Broth with Thyme Flan Soup Proscuitto-Wrapped Roast Pork Loin with Apples and Porcini Caraway-Juniper Sauerkraut Vegie Porcini Meatballs Roasted Haricots Verts, Fennel and Shallots Green Salad Polenta Candy Cap Apple Tarts Assorted chocolates Bob Wynn and Debbie Johnson preparing dinner at the Porcini and Pork Dinner. Photo by Margaret Carpenter Special thanks from the Culinary Committee to Deb Johnson who not only suggested the event, but helped plan, organize and make it happen, and prepared the Bolete Broth with Thyme Flan Soup and the Prosciutto-Wrapped Pork Loin. Although a lot of people helped with this event, she was instrumental in making it happen. Thank you Deb for your vision and energy to make the wonderful dinner happen. Thanks to Bob Wynn for his unfailing excellence, support and magnificent foccacia! And thanks, too, to Bill Lewis for helping us put a little more pork into the evening by bringing along a friend. He would have eaten fresh boletes had they been available, but he settled for chanterelles! Login as an FFSC member to see more acknowledgements below. Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

Shiitake Mushroom Moussaka with Bolete Béchamel Sauce This rich, very filling dish was served at the Fungus Federation's 2001 Wine and Mushroom Fest last year. by Patria Brown Boletus edulis var. grandedulis. © (CC BY-NC) claredowling (from inaturalist.org, ID 325205056) Method Prepare the Eggplant Slice eggplants 1⁄4” thick. Salt both sides, drain 20 min. in colander over sink. (Meanwhile, make the mushroom tomato sauce below.) Oil baking sheet. Preheat oven to 375. Pat eggplant slices dry and spread on the sheet, in piles if need be. Bake until tender (20 to 25 minutes). (Meanwhile, prepare the mushroom tomato sauce and bolete béchamel .) Mushroom Tomato Sauce Heat oil in large deep skillet. Add onions and salt, cooking over medium heat until onions become translucent (about 8 to 10 minutes). Stir in the shiitake (or cremini or wild mushrooms) and garlic. Cover and cook over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes more. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, spices and herbs, breaking the tomatoes into bite-sized pieces. Bring to boil, lower the heat, simmer uncovered for an additional 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in parsley, breadcrumbs, and Parmesan. Set aside. Bolete Béchamel Melt butter over low heat in medium saucepan. Whisk in the 4 Tbsp. of flour. Cook several minutes, whisking all the while. Pour in hot milk, still whisking. Stir over low heat till smooth and thickened (5 to 8 minutes). Sift in remaining flour, whisking to prevent lumps, and cook an additional 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in Parmesan, boletes, and nutmeg. Remove from heat. Assembly Preheat oven to 375 (if not already heated from the initial eggplant preparation). Oil large casserole dish or a deep oblong baking pan (at least 9 x 13 inches). Layer half of the baked eggplant slices, then alternate layers of mushroom tomato sauce and the remaining eggplant slices. Spread the bolete béchamel thickly over the top. Lightly dust with the breadcrumbs and Parmesan. Bake uncovered until bubbly and lightly browned on the top (35 to 40 minutes). Serve hot! Recipe contributed: November 2002 Objective: Main course Total Time: About 3 hours Yield: 8 - 12 servings Suggested Mushrooms: Porcini (Boletus edulis, Boletus regineus, Boletus rex-veris) Portobello/portabella, champignon, cremini, button (Agaricus bisporus) 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 3 medium eggplants salt Mushroom Tomato Sauce 2 t olive oil 2 C onions, chopped 1 1⁄4 tsp. salt 2 lbs. wild mushrooms (or shiitake and cremini), chopped 1 C reduced vegetable broth 5 cloves garlic, minced One 14 1⁄2 oz. can of tomatoes, including liquid One 6 oz. can tomato paste 1 tsp. cinnamon lots of black pepper 1 tsp. dried oregano and basil (more, if fresh) 1 C freshly minced parsley (packed) 1⁄2 C fine bread crumbs, and more for topping 1⁄2 C grated parmesan cheese Bolete Béchamel Sauce 3 T butter or margarine 6 T flour 2 1⁄2 C hot milk (low fat is acceptable) 1⁄2 C grated parmesan, and more for the top 1⁄2 to 1 C pulverized Boletus edulis or rex-veris (or preferred edible bolete) Previous Recipe All Recipes Next Recipe

Auriscalpium vulgare (Soquel, 2016). Photo by Cass Fuentes Auriscalpium vulgare on Pinecone Cass Fuentes Exploring the Soquel Demonstration Forest at the FFSC local foray in February, and though the weather was amazing, the fleshy fungi were few and far between... None-the-less, there was some really cool finds, including Hericium coralloides (a choice edible related to Lion's Mane), and Auriscalpium vulgare . Camera (Not provided) Focal L. Aperture Shutter Sp. ISO Flash Photo taken on February 20, 2016 Mushroom(s) ... Previous Photo Back to Gallery Next Photo

Oyster Mushroom Tart Weldon & Carol Wong attribute this recipe to Louise Freedman. Louise is a cookbook author, FFSC & MSSF member, and a wonderful chef! The tart differs each time it's made. by Weldon & Carol Wong Pleurotus ostreatus. © Alan Rockefeller (from mushroomobserver.org) Method Bake a bottom pie crust (recipe of your choice), and then let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes to firm. Sauté all the mushrooms in butter till soft, remove heat and allow to cool slightly. Add the rest of the ingredients to the cooled mushrooms, mixing well. Pour mushroom mixture into the baked bottom pie crust (recipe of your choice). Bake for 25+ minutes at 375 degrees until firm (no jiggle and egg binding passes the knife test). Enjoy! Recipe contributed: May 2003 The really nice thing about this tart is that it has intense mushroom flavor with clean cilantro and tangy caper overtones, but contains very little egg to mute the flavors. Objective: Main course Total Time: 1 -2 hours (varies by crust) Yield: Varies by slice size Suggested Mushrooms: Oyster / king oyster mushroom (Pleurotus eryngii, Pleurotus ostreatus) 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 lb oyster mushrooms sliced or chopped as desired 1 egg 1/4 cup bread crumbs 1 medium bunch cilantro, coarsely chopped 1 small jar capers, drained Butter (as needed for sauté) Boletes, etc. to taste/availability Salt and pepper to taste Previous Recipe All Recipes Next Recipe

Showcase a Photo Do you have beautiful, interesting or just plain quirky photos of mushrooms to share? FFSC members share their photos of mushrooms and events to our FFSC Google Group and the FFSC Facebook Group. Selected images (editor’s choice) can also be posted on this FFSC website and FFSC's Instagram page. Strobilurus trullisatus (Fort Bragg 2013). Photo by Hugh Smith Some of the photos on this website were originally posted many years ago when the size limitations were much lower. We'd love to replace them with sharper originals if possible--and we're interested in new photos too! Info We Need from You If you have great photos to share, here's the information we'll need from you: Your name - For the photo credit. Latin binomial (if it's a mushroom you've identified) Date shot - Approximate month and year Backstory - Any stories to tell about the photo? Or rough location or region, or habitat info, did you leave them in the field or bring home? If edible, how did you prepare them? The photo's specs : If you're sharing a photo to include in Fungi Photo Gallery, please provide the photo's ISO speed, exposure, focal length, and aperture; flash usage if any; and the camera make and model. (Or don't delete the photo's original EXIF data.) Technical Requirements This website automatically crops and resizes each photo to adapt to different page layouts, screen sizes and orientations, etc. Thus, your photo will work better on this site if you follow these guidelines: Don't crop the photo: Instead, share a photo in which the main subject has plenty of breathing room around all sides (so the interesting bits don't get cropped out by our system). File size: At least 100KB (max is 25 MB). Resolution: At least 2560x1440. 3000x3000 is better for images that will be zoomed in, and for background images DPI : 72 DPI is acceptable. (Or up to 300 DPI.) File format: We recommend AVIF, WebP, or JPEG. For illustrations, PNG is also fine. If you share an SVG, it should be under 250KB with no embedded images. (Our system supports most other image file formats too, but the quality might be affected during conversion.) File name: Use plain English, including spaces. Don't replace spaces with dashes, underscores, etc. You can include periods, commas, parentheses, and/or a copyright symbol in the filename. For example, here are some filenames on a Mac: Usage of Your Photos and Other Creative Works This website uses content and automated feeds from the FFSC Facebook group, FFSC Instagram posts, FFSC's iNaturalist projects, FFSC's YouTube, and other social media managed by FFSC. This means any artwork or other works that you post to FFSC-managed pages/feeds may also be displayed on this website without notice or a photo credit. If we individually select one of your photos/videos from an FFSC social media channel or system and include it on this website, we'll do our best to include your name as a credit on hover (or mobile device tap). That said, if you see one of your own photos on this website without a photo credit, it's probably because we didn't know you took it (or one of our volunteers forgot to include it). Feel free to use the Contact Us form on this website to let us know whether you'd like to be credited (or if you would like us to remove the photo). Including Someone Else's Photo If you saw a beautiful photo on someone else's website and you'd like to share it, you can post a link to it in our Google Group or our Facebook group. If you're writing an article for this website and you want to include photos that you didn't take yourself, one option is to provide a link to the original photo (rather than including the photo as an attached file). Depending on the source website, our system might render the first image on the target page as part of the link. For example: www.inaturalist.org inky caps (Genus Coprinus) inky caps from Santa Cruz County, US-CA, US on October 30, 2016 at 09:06 AM by Peter Vahlberg. Gigantic! www.mykoweb.com California Fungi: Cantharellus californicus Photographs and descriptions of the Mushrooms and other Fungi of California, USA That said, if you prefer to include the image inline, then you must have the transferable legal right to copy and share the photo on this website: You must make sure the photo is licensed for free, non-commercial use worldwide. Be sure to include whatever credits the photographer requires, and also let us know where you found the photo (e.g., is it from Mushroom Observer, MykoWeb, iNaturalist, etc.). Do not include any photos, videos, or images you downloaded from Google or other search engines. Those images are often protected under copyright law. If you're using a mushroom stock photo, it must be licensed for free noncommercial use worldwide, and please make sure it's a genuine photo (not generated by AI). See FFSC Terms of Use for more information about the use of copyrighted content on this site. Members Only Content Login Join FFSC

Chanterelle Pancake Crepes Fresh from the forest and down on the table, a delicious chanterelle recipe, contributed by Annie Lang. by Annie Lang Chanterelle. Photo by Yevgeny Nyden Method Topping Heat oil in a frying pan. Sauté the onions and bacon. Drain most of the bacon fat. Add the mushrooms and continue to cook 10 minutes, until the water from the mushrooms has evaporated. Add the parsley and sour cream and boil down a little, till slightly thickened. Season with salt and pepper. Batter Put the flour in a bowl, mix with salt. Add the eggs. Gradually incorporate the milk until the batter is relatively smooth. Add the finely chopped herbs and mix well. Note : this will be a thin batter. Not like American pancake batter, think crepes. Heat a pan with olive oil. Add pancake batter and cook until lightly golden, flip and cook until the other side is lightly golden. Place pancakes on the plate, top with the mushroom sour cream mixture, roll and plate. Serve with a salad and enjoy! Bonus : These pancakes can also used for soups in place of noodles. Roll the pancakes, slice to the width of linguine. Recipe contributed: March 2012 Objective: Main course Total Time: About an hour Yield: 8-10 pancakes 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 500 g (1 lb.) Fresh Chanterelles, shredded or cut to bite-sized pieces (or you can use any mushroom you like) 125 g (4 oz.) Bacon, diced 2 Onions, diced 1⁄2 bunch Parsley, chopped 200 g ( 3/4 C) Sour Cream check weight/measure Salt, peppr – to taste 300 g Flour (apx. 2 1/2 C) 600 ml (2 1/2 C) Milk 6 Eggs, beaten 1 bunch Chives Previous Recipe All Recipes Next Recipe

News & Stories / 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