Mad about Mushrooms . . .

Mohawk Restaurant & Lounge - Crescent, OR

One of the great joys of a road trip is discovering those little, out-of-the-way, roadside cafes, such as the Mohawk Restaurant & Lounge in Crescent, OR.  Situated about 90 miles from the nearest notable towns of Klamath Falls to the South and Eugene to the Northwest, it nonetheless attracts a consistent following of locals, hunters, snowmobilers, skiers and tourists, such as ourselves.

There's a lot more than great food at at the Mohawk.

The Weasku Inn & Blondies' Bistro - Grants Pass, OR

Amazing!  That pretty much sums up our stay at the historic Weasku Inn in Grants Pass.  Surely, it's the best kept secret on the I-5 corridor!  Originally built as a fishing lodge on the banks of the Rogue River in 1924, it has had several owners and several renovations over its life span.  Yet, it still captures the atmosphere of the past, and offers tales of such famous visitors as Walt Disney, Bing Crosby, and Clark Gable, who stayed here in seclusion for three weeks after the tragic death of his beloved wife, Carole Lombard, in a plane crash.

The Weasku Inn truly is a treasure.  From the massive fireplace in the main lodge to the lodge's large open decks and surrounding gardens filled with rhodies, it's a feast for the eyes.  It's situated on the banks of Oregon's Rogue River, traditionally one of the main draws for guests who also come to fish its justly-famous waters. 

But the Weasku experience doesn't stop there.  It's also a feast for the nose and mouth.  The breakfast (which is available until 11:00!) includes fruit-studded scones and cinnamon rolls served hot out of the oven, along with more usual items as biscuits and gravy and huge platters of ripe fruit.  We eagerly filled our breakfast plates and ate on the expansive deck in the warming morning air.  Afternoon brings a selection of appetizers and generous glasses of wine.  And, the day concludes with plates of the best warm chocolate chip cookies you've ever tasted, complimented by glasses of cold milk.

The legendary Clark Gable was but one of the Inn's famous guests. 

Hoodoo's Crescent Lake Resort & The Pines Bar & Grill - Crescent Lake, OR

When we started our week-long road trip from Port Orford to Crescent Lake, Klamath Falls and Grants Pass, I don't think that either Steven or I could have forecast it would turn out to be such a delightful trip.  The scenery and the outdoor experiences as well as the food and accomodations were all very special.

The view from our cabin was awesome. 

In the Market for New Furniture - How About Furniture Constructed from Mycelium?

For more details, you'll need to contact Philip Ross of San Francisco or visit his website, www.philross.org.  But, in the meantime, here's some basic information to stimulate your curiosity and sense of design.

Mr. Ross incorporates mycelium, often reiche, grown on red oak sawdust from Northern California mills, into his hand-crafted furniture.  Sure, it sounds a little wacky, but he explains that "it's a versatile building material with many attractive qualities."  For example, he claims that mycelium is fire-retardant, compostable, plastic, a good insulator, healthy for humans to be around, and as strong, structurally, as concrete, adding that "I've shot a handgun at one of these and the network was strong enough to block the bullet - it only went in about 5 inches."  Now, let's hope that there won't be guns being fired anywhere near the mycelium furniture that you may acquire but, just in case, you now know what will happen.

Philip favors Ganoderma lucidum, commonly known as reishi,
for furniture making.  Notice how this specimen has grown
around a stick that was in its path. 

What's Been Happening in our April and May 2013 Mushroom World

Our first mushrooms of the year tend to be Giant Puffballs, which also happen to be one of our favorite mushrooms to eat.   These jewels are a delightful discovery, often nesting as bright, white globes in freshly sprung grasses and greenery. Typically ranging in size from a tennis ball to a baseball (and occasionally much larger, to basketball size on rarer occasions), they are easily gathered.  They have no apparent stem and can simply be lifted off the ground.  They're usually clean, with no leaf debris or dirt. 

We've found that these early fungal treats frequent warmer and dryer climates than Port Orford, and we typically dedicate a day or so looking for them on Mt. Hood late in April.  If successful  (and we almost always find at least a few!), the Giant Puffballs are particularly delicious when sliced or diced and sauteed in butter.  They're wonderful with meats, and make a great addition to egg dishes as well as sauces and soups, quickly soaking up the flavors of the ingredients around them.  They're prime candidates for dehydrating, and willingly sit on the pantry shelf in a sealed, air-tight container for years.  

It's a wonderful time of year to be wandering the woodlands of Mt. Hood, an ancient volcano that was named Wy'east by the Multnomah tribe.  Rarely do we encounter another human being or are we deafened by the sound of off-road racing engines in April.  It seems this time of year is just a little too early for the campers and bikers that frequent the trails and tracks.  Get much into May, of course, and it's a very different story.  This is the time to head for higher ground, if you're still seeking puffballs. 

This year's April was no exception, and our peaceful hunting grounds rewarded us with a nice collection of Giant Puffballs in an area dominated by ponderosa pines.  Steven gently placed them in a brown paper bag and then sauteed them later in the day as a special treat for the cooks who were preparing the dishes for the annual Hilaire's Wild Game Banquet at the Monarch Hotel, a charity event benefiting several Portland area children's services. 

We never cease to be
amazed by the mushrooms and majesty of Mt. Hood. 

Previously Unknown Truffles Recently Discovered in the Klamath-Siskiyou Region

Daniel Newberry's excellent article in the May 2013 Jefferson Monthly (The Members' Magazine of The Jefferson Public Radio Listeners Guild) entitled "Biodiversity on the Frontier" offered information on truffle discoveries in one of the world's most biodiverse areas:  the Klamath-Siskiyou region.

Scott Loring, an Ashland-based botany consultant, recently discovered a new genus of truffle and assisted a colleague in the identification of a second previously unknown truffle.  Both findings are expected to be published this spring.  At its most basic level, a truffle is an underground mushroom, with spores dispersed by the animals that eat them and disturb the soil, unlike the windblown spores of mushrooms.  Fungi, says Loring, are on the cutting edge of biodiversity.  "With truffles it's a relatively easy thing to find new species because nobody ever sees these things, they're all underground, so you actually have to get out and look for them, rake the ground."  You'll know a truffle, he adds, because they look "A bit like little potatoes, that at first look like a rock or a clump of dirt, and come in a whole rainbow of colors."

Truffles come in
a variety of sizes and shapes. 

May 2013's Recipe of the Month: Todd English's Shiitake Omelette with Crab Salad

Anytime is omelette time! 

And, this delicious variation created by the celebrity chef Todd English is sure to please whenever and wherever it turns up, especially if it features our local Port Orford crab meat.  We believe that you'll find this pairing of the hearty shiitake mushroom (praised for its smokey understones) with delicate, sweet crab meat to be a welcome addition to your breakfast, lunch or dinner table!

Port Orford fishermen continue to bring crab
to the dock - fresh crab is such a delicious treat!