That certainly is a worthwhile question to ask, and that is exactly what I asked myself when I heard that the Wild Rivers Mushroom Club in Brookings, OR was going to publish their own cookbook. After all, it's a relatively small club in a rather remote area. What can they possibly bring to the table?
Well, it seems that they can bring a lot, a lot of which is the sweetness of a personal collection of recipes, complete with individual photographs and compelling stories.
The more remote southern Oregon coast is renowned for
spectacular, natural beauty.
Nonetheless, setting aside our personal involvement in the publication, I can say without reservation that this is a treasure of a cookbook. It is the kind of publication that friends give to friends. The recipes range from basic to elaborate, from every day to special occasion. Yet, there is a common theme among the submissions - the recipe is treasured by the people who offered it to the Wild Rivers Mushroom Club ... and we're convinced that the contents will be greatly appreciated by you as well.
Yes, I have to admit that several of my kitchen shelves are crowded with cookbooks of varying sizes and themes, but none of them is more captivating than this polished 119 page collection. With a range of recipes moving from appetizers such as Russian Marinated Mushrooms to desserts such as Golden Raisin, Hazelnut & Mushroom Cake, what more could you ask for? And, let's not forget that there are a number of additional features to the book including preservation techniques, a fruiting calendar, and a listing of mushrooms with their Latin names and a brief description.
Kudos to Kirsten Anderson (cookbook compiler and designer) and Richard Wickstrom (cover watercolor and logo) for their unique contribution to my cookbook shelf!
Truly, the world does really need another cookbook when it's the Wild Rivers Mushroom Club Cookbook!