Shrooming

I spent a lot of time out in the woods hunting for mushrooms in Maine, much to the chagrin of my in-laws and annoyance of my husband. Mushroom hunting is a great activity for anyone with a hopeful streak of OCD, especially if you don't mind taking very small gambles against an Audubon Society field guide, crouching in the dirt with mosquitos, and some labor-intensive dirt removal. It's a also fun way to have a low-carbon-footprint meal.

I learned about chanterelles from my aunt and uncle, Ute and Hans, while travelling with them in Sweden as a teenager. I decided it was time to branch out, so busted out my new above-mentioned field guide and set about gathered specimens that were either unique, pleniful and/or and interesting-looking (to improve the chance of positive identification).



Once identified, I cooked a small amount - one - up and ate myself to confirm no any adverse reactions. This is the government-approved way to proceed when testing a food when you're not 100% sure it won't kill you, if you're ever stuck in the woods and not sure what to eat.

I discovered the painted siullus mushroom which had a slight slimy beef flavor when cooked, which were great on top of hot dogs with coleslaw.



And cooked up a lot of coral mushrooms - these looked like brain with a nice texture - these were all over the place, but intertwined with bits of dirt. And, yes, I also found a couple chantrelles, mixed in below.