Mad about Mushrooms . . .

"Make Room for Mushrooms," an article from Whole Foods Magazine

Thanks to friends who know of our passion for all things mushroomy, we were made aware of a Whole Foods Magazine article by Veronica Kim dated May 22, 2017.  This well-researched article begins with the following statements:

Mushrooms, once thought to be the “sons of god” sent to Earth by lightning, are known today for their nutritional and medicinal value.  There is increasing evidence that mushrooms exhibit anti-oxidant, anti-tumor, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, and anti-microbial properties.

From this ambitious beginning, the author goes into a well-referenced discussion of the role of mushrooms in neuro-regeneration, bone building, tumor repression, renal support, and improved physical fitness, all of which has caused me to consider consuming another handful of mushrooms on a daily basis.  Thanks for the great information, Veronica.

 
Growing your own mushrooms is a fun way
to bring more mushrooms into your life.

How to Cook Mushrooms for Their Ultimate Nutritional Value?

We frequently come across articles that encourage us to eat more mushrooms in order to optimize our health.  In May, the Mirror online newspaper printed an article by Adam Bennett with the answer to the tantalizing question:  How should I cook mushrooms so that they retain their ultimate food value and help in my goal to maximize my well-being?

The recommendation is simple.  The study, which has been published in the International Journal of Food Sciences, suggests that grilling or microwaving fungi enables them to maintain their high levels of essential amino acids and vitamins to keep blood cells healthy.

Study author Irene Roncero reported that "Frying and boiling treatments produced more severe losses in proteins and antioxidants compounds, probably due to the leaching of soluble substances in the water or in the oil, which may significantly influence the nutritional value of the final product."

 

 

 

 

Announcing Fall Shows and Festivals Celebrating All Things Fungi

It's that magical time of year again ... various clubs are scheduling their annual fungi festivals.   These shows are one of the highlights of our mushrooming year, offering us the opportunity to share with like-minded individuals.

The details of the events can be somewhat sketchy at this point, so you may want to contact the organization's website directly for the most complete and up-to-date information. 

The following is a listing of the shows that we're aware of and that we think you'll want to considering visiting:  

 
A mushroom at Kasba Lake in Northwest Territories
struggles to find its own space.

September 2017's Recipe of the Month: Real Simple's Pasta with Chicken Sausage, Corn, Leeks and Mushrooms

We're at our little cabin on Mt. Hood where we've been enjoying the beginning of another colorful fall season and savoring all the promises that the upcoming rains bring with them, hopefully creating the groundwork for another bountiful mushroom season. 

At 350 square feet, our cabin's just the right size for getaways.  It's quick to clean and upkeep is minimal.  Yet, preparing dinner can be challenging with such limited space, and I'm always searching for recipes that are suited to the tiniest of kitchens.  Perhaps that's the reason that I was originally attracted to this month's Incredible Recipe, which we encountered in Real Simple magazine.  However, the first bite of this marvelous pasta dish ensured that wherever we were (mountain cabin or coastal home), it would reappear on our dinner table for years to come. 

You have to love a recipe that it is quick and effortless to prepare wherever you find yourself, that calls for easy to find ingredients, and that encourages you to be creative and substitute/add other ingredients when putting the dish together.  For example, we're fond of swapping out the Italian chicken sausage for Chicken and Apple Smoked Sausages, crimini mushrooms for mixed wild mushrooms, and casarecce pasta for campanelle pasta, which resembles a small cone with a ruffled edge.  It's all delicious!

 
Bold floral plantings lined the walkways around 
our holiday rental in Canada where we prepared this dish
in its compact, utilitarian kitchen.