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Gruyere, Wild Mushroom and Caramelized Onion Pizza Thanks to Cecilia Stipes for another great recipe! by Cecilia Stipes Morchella snyderi. © Alan Rockefeller (from mushroomobserver.org) Method Preheat oven to 450°F. Heat a pizza stone or inverted cast iron skillet in the oven for at least 30 minutes (or longer). In the meantime, place onions in a preheated large sauté pan with half of the olive oil. Cook on medium flame until onions are caramelized. Add stock and allow to cook until liquid is reduced. Remove onions from pan, place pan back on heat and saute mushrooms in remaining oil until golden brown. Spread the onions and mushrooms on the pizza shell, top with grated cheese. Carefully slide the pizza onto the preheated stone or skillet, and then bake until cheese is melted, 5 to 10 minutes. Recipe contributed: January 2009 Objective: Main course Total Time: About an hour Yield: Serves 4 Suggested Mushrooms: Chanterelle (Cantharellus californicus, Cantharellus formosus, Cantharellus subalbidus) Maitake (Grifola frondosa) 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 2 onions, peeled and julienned 1/2 C olive oil 1/2 C veal stock (or chicken or vegetable stock) 1 pre-baked pizza shell (store-bought or homemade) 1/2 pound Gruyere cheese, grated 1 C wild mushrooms, sliced Salt and pepper to taste Previous Recipe All Recipes Next Recipe

Top Ten Poisonous Mushrooms of California Many people come to the love of mushrooms through eating them, and many people don’t eat them because they can be very poisonous. by Douglas Smith Omphalotus olivascens. © Douglas Smith (from mushroomobserver.org) Concerns about poisonous mushrooms outweigh the love of mushrooms in the general populace, and in a few species these concerns are valid. To go into the woods to find mushrooms for food is noble, but to know mushrooms that are poisonous is to be safe. People should be careful, and get to know poisonous species before they start to eat mushrooms they gather themselves from the wild. Plus these can be interesting mushrooms to find: some are common, some are beautiful. If you are planning on finding mushrooms for food in the wild, as an extra challenge for the season this year and for safety’s sake, try to find and ID these also. Just make sure you don’t eat them! For ID confirmation, come to one of FFSC's events; join our Google Group, or try other resources where experts can be found. (See our FAQs for links.) This list was compiled with help from Mike Beug, Professor Emeritus of Evergreen State College, Olympia WA. The Toxicology Chair of the North American Mycological Society, Mike has been compiling stats on mushroom poisonings for years, and was very helpful in creating this list. The list is the top ten weighted by the seriousness of the poisoning along with the number of poisoning cases from the western US each year. 1. The Death Cap — Amanita phalloides Amanita phalloides . © Douglas Smith (from mushroomobserver.org) The Death Cap is the most deadly of mushroom species, accounting for more deaths that any other. It contains amanita toxins which block cells’ ability to function, and then destroys the liver. A. phalloides causes serious illness, liver damage or failure, and death. Each year a few cases of this occur in California, usually from people moving here that were used to eating edible Amanitas at home. Identity can be determined by a thick base with a volval sack, off-white grey to grey-green cap, and bright white stipe, gills, and partial veil. Usually found with live oak in California, there are rare sightings with other oaks reported. Common in the Bay Area and south, it is slowly moving out to other areas of California, and can be found from Mendocino to Los Angeles, and east through the central valley. 2. The Destroying Angel — Amanita ocreata Amanita ocreata . © Darvin DeShazer (from mushroomobserver.org) A mushroom as deadly as A. phalloides , also containing the deadly amanita toxins. This one causes fewer deaths, because it seems to be eaten less often. Perhaps because while A. phalloides is found early to mid-season, this one is usually found mid to late-season. Still a serious concern, and can be confused with the fairly popular local edible Amanita velosa , which shares the same season and habitat. This species has a similar base and stipe to A. phalloides , with the thick base, and volva, and the same bright white stipe, gills, and thin partial veil. This species differs in that the cap is usually off-white, sometimes with a tan central disc, and rarely with pink colors in the tan. The partial veil on the stipe of this one is so thin, it often disappears, something to keep in mind for a careful ID. 3. Green Spored Parasol — Chlorophyllum molybdites Chlorophyllum molybdites . © Nathan Wilson (from mushroomobserver.org) The most common cause for poisoning cases in the USA, but this is more true in the midwest and east than for California. Causes severe gastrointestinal distress in most people, and enough to cause some to end up in the hospital. Usually confused with the edible Shaggy Parasol ( Chlorophyllum rachodes / brunneum ) which it can look very similar, except the poisonous species has green spores, and the edible species have white spores. Found in grassy places, and landscaping. 4. The Fly Agaric — Amanita muscaria and A. pantherina A tie for fourth place, these two species have similar effects on people, and cause similar numbers of cases in the west. These contain muscimol and ibotenic acid which produce a number of effects in people, from severe sickness to fever, sweating, and delirium. Along with being poisonous, it is also one of the most popular mushrooms from the wild. If someone asks me to ID this fantastic mushroom they saw hiking, it is usually the A. muscaria . These are very common species in California, found among pine and fir trees. 5. The Western Jack-o-Lantern — Omphalotus olivascens Omphalotus olivascens . © Douglas Smith (from mushroomobserver.org) This mushroom causes gastrointestinal upset. It’s a “wishful thinking” poisoning: if compared for long enough with a chanterelle picture, "maybe it will be OK to eat!" Although this mushroom isn’t really that close to the chanterelle, they do share orangish colors, and a vaguely vase-shaped body form. The Jack-o-Lantern is different in that it often grows clustered, on wood, with brown-green colors, and thick, true gills in comparison to the vein-like false gills of the chanterelle. 6. The Deadly Galerina — Galerina marginata ( autumnalis ) Galerina marginata . © Mke Woods (mykoweb.com) A small brown mushroom, this one also contains the amanita toxins that are found in A. phalloides , and can be a quite serious and deadly mushroom if eaten. It is rarely eaten, and almost never confused with any mushrooms used for food, but it could be confused with Psilocybin mushrooms if those were desired. Found on wood, it is small, brown, and usually with a fibrous veil near the top of the stipe, that is brown with adherent spores. 7. The False Morel — Gyromitra esculenta Gyromitra esculenta . © Fred Stevens (from mykoweb.com) A spring-time ascomycete that shares the same season and habitat with the popular edible Morels. This is a confusing mushroom in term of edibility: it was called a choice edible for years, but it contains poisons that get processed into monomethylhydrazine in the body. The tolerance for this chemical in the body is extremely variable, going from nothing to kidney failure. This is the cause of many serious poisonings in the midwest, but poisonings are rare in California. 8. Psilocybin mushrooms — Psilocybe coprophila / cyanescens and others Psilocybe cyanescens . © Fred Stevens (from mykoweb.com) This is a collection of species that contain the chemicals psilocybin and psilocin, which are hallucinogens. They cause confusion and delirium in people, and send a few to the hospital each year. These are more a concern for small children, where their low body weight makes the effect stronger, and at least one case of death of a small child is attributed to these. Small brown mushrooms with deep purple-brown to black spores, they usually stain blue when bruised. Depending on species they grow on either wood chips or dung. 9. False puffballs — Scleroderma polyrhizum / cepa / areolatum Scleroderma areolatum . © Darvin DeShazer (from mushroomobserver.org) These are similar to puffballs, growing on the ground, with spores developing inside. They differ from other puffballs with a thick yellow-brown skin, a yellowish inside when young, and spores that are purple-black when mature. Other puffballs develop deep brown spores. They have caused kidney/liver failure in pigs and dogs, but this hasn’t been seen in people yet. Poisonings of these are rare in the US, but more common in California, perhaps due to the popularity of puffballs for the table here. Make sure you can ID Scleroderma before eating any puffballs. 10. Poison Pax — Paxillus involutus Paxillus involutus . © Mike Woods (mykoweb.com) A species that is sometimes eaten in Europe, but it contains poisons that result in kidney failure if they build up in your system. There are some deaths attributed to the mushroom, but poisonings seem to be rare in California, perhaps because it is such a drab and fairly ugly mushroom in our area. This can be identified by its vase shape, long decurrent gills, and brown velvety cap. And wait, there’s more... Mike Beug actually put a surprise species higher on the list here — Morels! — Morchella elata / esculenta Morchella elata . © Nathan Wilson (from mykoweb.com) Although these are a top ten edible, when raw and undercooked they account for a number of poisoning cases in California. I’ve pushed this to an afterword to point out other species and keep the top ten format, but people should keep this in mind when eating morels. Mushrooms covered: Amanita muscaria Amanita ocreata (Western destroying angel) Amanita pantherina Amanita phalloides ( death cap) Chlorophyllum molybdites (green-spored parasol, green-spored lepiota, the vomiter) Galerina marginata (deadly galerina, funeral bell) Morchella elata (black morel) Morchella esculenta (yellow morel) Omphalotus olivascens ( western jack-o'-lantern) Paxillus involutus (brown roll-rim, common roll-rim) Psilocybe cyanescens ( wavy cap) Scleroderma areolatum (leopard earthball, leopard-spotted earthball) Scleroderma cepa (smooth earthball, onion earthball) Scleroderma polyrhizum (many-rooted earthball, dead man's hand) Previous Description All Featured Fungi Next Description

News & Stories / Mycology & Art News Taylor Lockwood's National Geographic Magazine Debut Dear friends -- In the past twenty-five years or so I have been sending major publications some of my best images in hopes of getting them to see mushrooms as nature's art instead of dried up moldy pieces of science. That's o.k. too but I'm going for nature's beauty here. Taylor Lockwood • February 12, 2014 Bioluminescent mushrooms. © Taylor Lockwood It has been very frustrating and I've written letters detailing my thoughts about their aesthetic fungophobia -- but I didn't send them. I decided to take the high road and keep photographing and sending images until there was one to which they could not say "no". My persistence has paid off. In the May, 2014 issue, in their front section, Visions of Earth, National Geographic Magazine is going to feature one of my mushroom photos in a two page spread. To their credit, they picked one of the best mushroom photos of my career -- bioluminescent mushrooms with no other light than from the light of the moon. That image (above) and many more will be in this year's "Spirits of the Forest" tour in the fall. This is a great day for mushrooms. And, to the many people who have bought my "mushroom items", booked shows, given advice, helped with editing and identifications, provided hospitality as well as other support, this is not just my success; it is your success too. This is not a time to "rest upon laurels". I feel even more charged than before. To that end, I'll be going to Brazil again this Friday and Australia/New Zealand next month. I hope to see you on the "Spirits of the Forest" tour in the fall, Taylor Editor's Note: As of 2026, a photo of the 2-page spread is available in the National Geographic Photographic archive channel (@geoarchive_) on Instagram. Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Cam Cam by Taylor Lockwood Bioluminescent Mushrooms from Spirits of the Forest Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

Chicken Filets with Cèpes (Porcini) Cream Sauce In the next two months, gangs of eagle-eyed boletivores will be scouring the hills and dales between the beachland forests and the high Sierra, prodding every earthly mound with pointed sticks and feathery rakes. by Shea Moss Boletus edulis © FunGuy Nate (FunGuyNate) (CC-BY-SA) (from mushroomobserver.org ID 600655) Method Lightly flour each piece of chicken and sauté in butter over moderate heat for 30 seconds on each side. Remove chicken from pan and set aside. To the same pan add the glaze and the two wines and reduce by half. Turn the flame down to simmer, and add in the powdered and sliced Boletes, and gently cook for 3 or 4 minutes. Turn the flame down to low, add the cream, and let the sauce warm and thicken slightly. Add back the sautéed chicken breast filets, and add in and correct the seasonings to taste. When you serve the filets, garnish with freshly chopped parsley, and place one slice of B. edulis on each filet. Eat! Recipe contributed: October 1984 Many will be returning to their seasonal shrines, the locations of which are a well-guarded secret. If you happen to pass one of these shrines in the wild, you can easily identify its inhabitants: When the boletivore is standing up, they typically will tell you you've lost your way and where you want to be going is 600 yards in the opposite direction. If they are down on their knees in the duff, they will typically tell you they are searching for their pet 100-foot long python who is "hiding somewhere around here." Being a boletivore yourself, you will either nod understandingly, smile your sad sigh, and vacate the area like a gentleman to find your own shrine; or you will grin wolfishly, point at your socks and jump in to find the python first. After collecting your prizes, you may wish to try the following recipe... Objective: Main course Total Time: About 45 minutes Yield: 2 chicken filets 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 2 half breasts of chicken, skinned, boned and filleted 1/4 inch each in flour 6 oz white glaze (made from 2 cups chicken stock, greatly reduced) 4 oz marsala wine or sherry 1 Tbs. dried and powdered Boletus edulis 6 thin slices of fresh or rehydrated B. edulis Chopped parsley (to taste) Sweet, unsalted butter (for sautéing) 5 oz, of a good dry white wine 1 cup heavy cream Salt and white pepper (to taste) Previous Recipe All Recipes Next Recipe

Support TEST - We're still moving the following info over to this new system: Past orders (such as tickets and memberships)--don't worry, if you registered for Albion in December, we still have your details! Past announcements about monthly speakers, culinary events, forays, etc. Past Fungus Fair announcements and speaker lists Past field reports Past news articles Past bio pages (e.g., MycoGeeks) If you can't find what you're looking for, try using the Search icon at the top of the page. If you still can't find what you're looking for, feel free to use the Contact Us form and ask where to find it. Where Did Things Go? In November 2025, we started moving this website to a new system. Here is a list of what is still being migrated.

News & Stories / Writings The Best Thing I Ever Ate at an FFSC Event... Okay. It’s been raining here in Santa Cruz with more to follow. So the local mushroom season is beginning. Richard Lyness • November 1, 2010 Chocolate is an honorary mushroom. Photo by Katherine Elvin Tonight I’m watching one of my favorite channels—FoodTV—and one of my favorite programs, “The Best Thing I Ever Ate”. Thinking forward toward our December potluck (and thereafter, the Wine & Mushroom Dinner and the Suds n’ Shrooms Potluck) I’d like to encourage members to document and share their unique recipes ! I can think back over past dinners and potlucks and the list of memorable dishes is extensive. A few favorites come to mind like Henry Young’s crepes with mushrooms and caviar, Bob Sellers Chanterelle Soup, Debbie Johnson’s chocolates, Bill White’s salmon and Bob Wynn’s pizza and pasta. There are soooo... many more incredible dishes. I’d like to encourage everyone to bring their original or adapted recipes to our upcoming events, or to submit any to this website. Richard Lyness Minister of Culinary Events Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Mushroom Soup Tip – Fried Dried Mushrooms Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

Earth Star (Astraeus hygrometricus). Photo by Tim Teske Earth Star Tim Teske Found in Rancho San Antonio park along the Rogue Valley Trail. Appeared shortly after a brief day of rain during an unusually dry season. Learn more about the genus Astraeus : Astraeus (fungus) , Wikipedia Barometer Earthstars (Genus Astraeus) , iNaturalist California Mushrooms, page 460 Astraeus hygrometricus , Mushrooms of the Redwood Coast, page 533 Camera Apple iPhone X Focal L. 4mm Aperture f/1.8 Shutter Sp. 1/100s ISO 40 Flash Off Photo taken on December 23, 2017 Mushroom(s) ... Previous Photo Back to Gallery Next Photo

News & Stories / Writings Spring Musings with Bill McGuire On a brief foray today, I may have heard this silent exchange. The sun was hot, the walk was long, and I felt oddly strange. But then, on second thought, I might not have. Bill McGuire • May 1, 2010 Two princes. (Photographer unknown) Said the Prince to the Princess Appendiculatus, you’re quite a mess Those silly pores and fat reticulated stipe Quite obvious my dear, you’re just not my type! Replied the Princess to the Prince These words, lets us not mince That awful almond smell – as well As your yellow stained skinny stipe Augustus, I find you quite disgustus And definitely, you’re not my type! Hastily returning to my car, I found I had already gone, the tiny little bits of greenish stained stems on the ground gave me a clue. I may impart the lesson to you, on second thought, I may not! Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts The Season Begins Haikus Celebrating the Secret Life of Fungi Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

Drying Mushrooms Did you know that mature boletes, craterellus, candy caps, morels, and several other mushrooms can actually taste even better after being dried and then reconstituted? by Deb Member drying freshly picked wild mushrooms while camping. Photo by Katherine Elvin Advantages of drying mushrooms Doesn’t require freezer space. Some mushrooms actually improve with dehydration. For example, drying is good for mature boletes, craterellus, Suillus spp ., candy caps, pine spikes (yes!), winter chanterelles, Russula spp ., Marasmius oreades , and morels. Disadvantages of drying mushrooms Can be detrimental to quality and texture of certain mushrooms. For example, drying is not so good for chanterelles, oysters, lobster mushrooms, and amanitas. Objective: Storage/Prep Total Time: Suggested Mushrooms: Boletus sp. (bolete) Chroogomphus sp. Craterellus calicornucopioides (black trumpet, black chanterelle, horn of plenty) Lactarius rubidus (candy cap) Marasmius oreades (fairy ring mushroom, fairy ring champignon, Scotch bonnet) Morchella sp. ( morel) Suillus sp. Equipment and/or Ingredients Dehydrator Vacuum sealable containers Method Drying Directions Slice cleaned mushrooms approximately ¼” thick. Dry in dehydrator at lower temperature (100°-115°F) until potato chip crisp. Cool before packaging for storage. Alternate drying methods include utilizing screens in the sun or over heating vents inside. (A little candy cap aromatherapy, anyone?) Storing Dried Mushrooms Some people like to store dried mushrooms in glass containers on the shelf. Others prefer storing them in the freezer to discourage bugs that may have survived dehydration. Still others pack in Mason jars and vacuum seal with a Foodsaver attachment, effectively suffocating the little buggers. This way jars can be stored on the shelf but insect activity is minimized or eliminated. Dried mushrooms can also be powdered in a coffee or spice grinder for later use. Many favor separating bolete tubes from flesh, then drying and powdering the tubes. Previous Technique All Techniques Next Technique

News & Stories / Notes from the CEO — March 2001 O craterellus You are hidden in plain sight One, two, then many! Deb • March 1, 2001 Stereum hirsutum. © Lisa Tesler (CC-BY-NC) (from inaturalist.org, obs. 341611905) I hope everyone has gone out and returned with full baskets at least once so far. The season has been a bit erratic In the rain department and we may not have had a great variety of species, but bolete, chanterelle and craterellus hunting have certainly been good. FFSC's second annual Black's Beach Cafe dinner on February 6th was a huge success! Chef Robert Morris orchestrated a great menu and the courses just kept on coming. Bob Wynn again made wonderful arrangements for the evening, and Marilyn Fenn (our official culinary concierge) handled the reservations beautifully. Bob Sellers observed that it's rare to be served a dish in which you find more craterellus than broccoli. Of course, Bob picked much of it himself! Many thanks to Bob Sellers. Bob Wynn. Phil Carpenter and Fred Chin, who donated fresh craterellus, hedgehogs, chanterelles and dried boletes. And thanks to our Minister of Culinary Events, Rene Seltzer, for her support and good cheer. The Albion II foray was a great success. Rain came down In buckets prior to the foray. While the Bay Area was being drenched, we happily picked mushrooms and basked in the sun. Horst Kuhlmann worked hard to maximize available spaces for the foray, which was again a sell-out. Well done, Horst! Don't miss the upcoming General Meetings. Phyllis Cole has arranged an outstanding slate of speakers, including Nancy Weber from Oregon State University speaking about "Mushrooms Around the House" for the March meeting; Ernst Both discussing Boletes in April; and Tom Volk covering fungal systematics in May. Meetings are also a good time to see what's coming up in the area and get an ID consult on mushrooms you've found. See you at the meeting, Debbie Johnson, CEO Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Notes from the CEO — April 2001 Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

Hygrocybe miniata gp. Photo by Hugh Smith Hygrocybe Miniata Group Hugh Smith It takes a sharp eye to find this little waxy cap, especially for those of us that are color-challenged! Hygrocybe miniata , or those in that group differing in minute ways, are very colorful little mushrooms that grow in a variety of habitats including rotting wood and moss, as these were. These were fresh since they are still quite red. As they age, they frequently fade to dull orange to yellow, which often leads to mis-identification when found in this state... Camera Canon EOS REBEL T3i Focal L. 50mm Aperture f/32.0 Shutter Sp. 1/2s ISO 100 Flash Off Photo taken on September 14, 2013 Mushroom(s) ... Previous Photo Back to Gallery Next Photo