Mad about Mushrooms . . .

Morel Hunting 2021 Style

Hats off to the Cascade Mycological Society of Eugene and their recent program featuring Trent Blizzard of www.modern-forager.com.

I watched it on YouTube the other day and was tremendously impressed with the scientific and methodical approach that the charismatic Trent and his wife, Kirsten, have to gathering burn morels, which they define generally as morels that only grow in conifer forests, only in the Western US and only after a fire.

During the course of the 1.5 hour presentation, Trent guided us viewers through different parameters such as directions, elevations, and temperatures that he and his wife have found to be important factors in gathering burn morels. He noted that much of the research and preparation can be done from the convenience of an arm chair, sparing the mushroomer many hours of wandering and hoping in the woodlands.

Yet another Humongous Fungus!

Relaxing for an hour or so on a Sunday morning, with a piping hot cup of cold brewed coffee lovingly tucked in the palm of my hand, is one of my passions, especially if CBS’s Sunday Morning is on the tele.

ASM's annual Agar Art Contest

Please don't scold me - sure, I know that this post really doesn't fit neatly onto the MadAboutMushrooms focus, but we found the contest so amazing that we wanted to share it with you.

We recently became aware of the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) annual Agar Art Contest. “What is the world is that?” you ask.  Actually, I have to confess that it was something new for us, too. But, now that I know of this absolutely fascinating event, it’s been pasted to my calendar for viewing in future years.

The intriguing contest was launched in 2015 and merges science with art to engage the public with microbiology and highlight the beauty and diversity of the microbial world according to the ASM’s website. Individual pieces of artwork are submitted to the ASM, all of which have been created using living, growing microbes ‘painted’ on agar.

This year there were 189 entries (including videos, songs, and even a handmade shirt) from 203 artists in 29 different countries and 27 US states. The judges assessed entries based on their creativity, artistry of design, the scientific accuracy of their description, and their accessibility to a general audience.

Kudos to Scott Pavelle for his Bolete Filter and to NAMA for their Virtual Presentations

True, I am always raving about this new world of mushroom programing. And, why not? The abundance of recently introduced and engaging information that we have available is so satisfying and enriching, although it may seem a little overwhelming from time to time.

I personally am quite excited in particular about the virtual programming that NAMA is now offering. For example, Monday’s offering was entitled “Learning about Boletes and the Online Bolete Filter Tool with Scott Pavelle.” Yes, quite a mouthful for a title, but the presentation was outstanding, just what I would have expected from NAMA … and more.

For years, dare I say more than 35 years, I have been an active member of various local mycological societies, and, have wondered what would be the value of joining NAMA. Sure there were the NAMA forays, but not all of us can attend forays. And, sure there was the newsletter. But, last night's program and the follow-up discussion, along with other such recent offerings have convinced me that there is a real and identifiable benefit to NAMA membership. In fact, the opportunity to be a part of this program via Zoom was more than worth the cost of a year’s membership.  I sincerely hope that NAMA will continue to offer such enlightening programs!

The Admirable Bolete, always a delightful find.

Considering Chad Hyatt's The Mushroom Hunter's Kitchen

It wasn't that long ago that I was pleased to participate in a Zoom event with Chef Chad Hyatt of the Bay Area, thanks to the very active Wild Rivers Mushroom Club.  It was an amazingly entertaining session with Chad offering sound advise and concentrating on what he calls "weird" mushrooms. 

In his introduction, Chad promised to steer away from the traditional, old fashioned mushroom recipes that we too often encounter in our cookbook collection.  Instead his goal was to step up to a higher level, away from myth, into the atmosphere of science.  How does something work?  What is going on?

I am sure that my fellow audience members would agree that he did just that as he prepared 4 different "things" pretty much at the same time during his presentation.  Ably assisted by his wife, Rosa (who is from Catalonia where they are "absolutely insane" about mushrooms), Chad detailed the science behind the preparation of the seviche served over boiled sweet potatoes, "creamless" cream of mushroom soup, black trumpet jam, and parfaits with candied mushrooms.

Yum, a tasty, "full meal" served up with great panache in less than a hour and a half!

Oh, I mustn't forget.  You can order Chad's cookbook direct as I did and receive a speedy delivery.  Even in the midst of the holiday shipping rush, I was cooking up a fungal feast from The Mushroom Hunter's Kitchen in time for Christmas dinner!

Where have all the matsutake gone?

My Japanese friends in Kanazawa-City, Osaka and Kawasaki-City have sounded the alarm. Their beloved matsutake mushroom (Armillaria ponderosa) is no longer in bountiful supply. What used to be a celebration of the changing seasons from summer into fall and winter, marked with generous bowls of broth and slivers of the revered matsutake, has now become a concern for them due to the scarcity of domestically harvested matsutake.

Mushrooms can stir memories
of years gone by.

Do you want to be waste or compost, asks Loop's website

A number of September’s newspapers and online sites tended to repeat stories of the Living Cocoon designed by Loop. The central question was: Why settle for a non-environmentally friendly traditional casket that normally takes more than 10 years to decompose when you can select a Living Cocoon, a coffin made from mushrooms that returns the deceased to the earth while enriching the earth?

We continue to learn more about how fungi
can play a role in our life...and death.

Harvard Museum of Natural History & Their Virtual Fabulous Fungus Fair

Here we go again sharing content and learning, thanks to the Harvard Museum of Natural History’s YouTube channel with highlights of their Virtual Fabulous Fungus Fair. Check out the short videos addressing such subjects as Fungal Biofertilizers (in which fungi are considered as an alternative to traditional fertilizers, thus taking advantage of mycorrhizal relationships to better reach nutrients in the soil and improve plant growth) along with Mycoremediation (when fungi are used to break down pollutants in the environment), Small Fungi, Big Pharma (where fungi behind the popular drugs penicillin and statins is discussed) and Fungal Biofuels.

We can continue to learn more about
fungi, thanks to various presentations such as this.

Mushroom Hot Chocolate with Reishi - quite tasty!

There was a sturdy, steady and cold breeze blowing through the Gresham Farmers' Market when I was there a week or so ago.  Nonetheless, I persevered and briefly visited most of the booths.  That was until I came upon the Healing Earth table and Rosalie Crowe’s display of Mushroom Hot Chocolate with Reishi.  Curiosity caused me to linger and accept a sample of the beverage.  A sip quickly convinced me that I couldn’t live without a package of this non GMO, vegan, dairy free product to offer guests.  It was quite delicious, seemingly less sweet than the usual hot chocolate, and it left a very pleasant taste lingering in my mouth and in the back of my throat of the organic coconut milk powder blended into the mix.

Rosalie with mushrooms.

What's Happening with Taylor Lockwood?

It seems that another one of my favorite people, Taylor Lockwood, renowned mushroom expert and photographer, is reinventing himself.  Maybe it's COVID, or the time in our lives, or the phase of the moon.  It doesn't matter the reason why.  It just feels so good to blossom and fruit in another direction, whatever the reason.