Taming the Wild Mushroom

Book excerpt: Many mushroom hunters prefer to do their foraging in the marketplace, where all the mushrooms are clearly labeled and safely edible. With this fact in mind, Arleen and Alan Bessette have written Taming the Wild Mushroom, one of the first cooking guides devoted exclusively to choosing and preparing the mushroom species now available in many grocery stores, supermarkets, and natural and whole foods markets. A dozen wild and cultivated species are covered in the book, including white Button, King Bolete, Oyster, Chanterelle, Morel, Paddy Straw, Wood Ear, Shiitake, Enokitake, White Matsutake, Black Truffle, and Wine-cap Stropharia. Easy-to-understand descriptions and excellent color photographs of each species help market foragers choose mushrooms in peak condition. Fifty-seven original, species-specific recipes, from appetizers, soups, and salads to meat and vegetarian entrees to sauces and accompaniments, offer dozens of ways to savor the familiar and exotic flavors of these mushrooms. A mouth-watering photograph accompanies each recipe. For cooks who want to go beyond a single meal, the Bessettes also offer well-tested information on preserving, growing, and collecting mushrooms. Their species descriptions include culinary characteristics and historical uses to give a broad sense of how each species has been used in different eras and cultures. And for times when specific mushroom species are out of season, they also provide an extensive list of specialty food suppliers. For everyone who loves to eat mushrooms, this is the cookbook to own. With it, market foragers and all mushroom hunters can safely expand their repertoire with dozens of savory new recipes for some of the most popularmushroom species.