told-stools

[Amicus]

We seem to have some knowledgeable cooks on ‘ere, so, I’m after a book identifying fungi and their culinary uses, any recommendations. Pocket sized if possible.

[Christine]

Ken is a fun-gi man and we often go hunting. It is a case of 'the more you know, the less you know'. I was pretty confident that I knew edibles but now I’m not so sure.

 

We have amassed a few books on the subject and I recommend Roger Phillips Mushrooms and other fungi of Great Britain & Europe. It’s all photographs, which IMO gives much better identification that 'artistic interpretation'. (Phillip’s graphic description of the hallucinogenic properties of Fly Agaric – the red with white spots jobby – is, er, as though he had tried it. Unfortunately the book is A4 format but I would suggest that you collect first – we use a little basket to lay them out in – and bring them home to identify at your leisure.

 

I found a beautiful specimen, brought it home, checked and ate it. Afterwards I turned the page of the book only to find that there was a similar but deadly version. That night I went to bed with the book, the page open by my bed just in case I died in the night.

[ChrisPy]

I met a lady collecting fungi at the Westonbirt Arboretum recently. She was going to make a presentation to an interested group.

 

When asked about edible fungi her response was immediate: 'if you are not an expert, don't go there'.

[Amicus]

 

Roger Phillips Mushrooms and other fungi of Great Britain & Europe.

You wanna flog me your copy then

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mushrooms-Other-Br...l/dp/0330264419

Bit eye watering that

[Christine]

You wanna flog me your copy then

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mushrooms-Other-Br...l/dp/0330264419

Bit eye watering that

 

 

Blimey - I paid £5 in a remaindered book shop. That's enough for a down payment on one of Garry's Limo-boats.

[Bones]

bit cheaper:

 

http://www.addall.com/New/compare.cgi?disp...e=&state=AK

Edited December 5, 2006 by Bones

[Amicus]

She was going to make a presentation to an interested group.

 

'if you are not an expert, don't go there'.

Er, Ah, Umm, short presentation, then?

dunno wot to say about that, really, I think there's a word for it.

[Christine]

Er, Ah, Umm, short presentation, then?

dunno wot to say about that, really, I think there's a word for it.

 

 

Pithy

[tomsk]

Only one sort of 'shroom as far as I'm concerned, the righteous Liberty Cap

[Amicus]

Only one sort of 'shroom as far as I'm concerned, the righteous Liberty Cap

I thought that was a contraceptive.

[tomsk]

I thought that was a contraceptive.

 

Clearly you have eaten too many already

[Bones]

when I was at Uni the first time around I was chairman of the wildlife society and decided to have an outing in to the peaks. The uni had an excellent mycologist who was totally nuts and a pleasure to listen to so I invited him along to lead a fungal foray. I was totally blown over by its popularity and it wasn't until half way around I realised one of the fields I had chosen was the home to a fine crop of Psilocybe tampanensis. No wonder so many people came!

[Breals]

When I was 19 I stupidly ate a whole Fly Agaric. Please don't anyone do anything so foolish - there is a risk it will make you very ill or cause renal failure! Luckily my experience wasn't that bad.

 

If you are picking shrooms to eat, go with someone knowledgable. However, easily recognised ones are Ceps (look like penny buns, pores instead of gills under the cap), Shaggy Ink Caps (unmistakable - get em before they got 'inky'), Field Mushrooms (look and smell like the ones in Tescos), Morels (look like little brains), and Blueits (they're blue!)

 

Leave the small whitish ones with curly stems and a 'nipple' on top to Bones and Tomsk!

Edited December 5, 2006 by Breals

[dor]

I say I say I say,

 

My garden's full of toadstools.

 

How do you know they are toadstools?

 

Because there's not mushroom for anything else!

 

Boom Boom!

[matt]

Apparently in France you can take them in to the local Chemist who will identify them for you (I think I saw that on Rick Stein).

 

(almost back now btw, just getting a fuel leak fixed at Kings Lock).

 

Matt.

[John Orentas]

My good wife assures me that the identification is quite simple, I have those very attractive red ones with yellow spots with my breakfast most mornings. Totally safe she says.

 

Mind you I haven't been feeling very well lately.

[DHutch]

We have the above book, and my parents/brother do occatinaly pick and cook wild mushrooms, so far to no ill affect.

- Although personaly, i usally dont take part in the event. However, the times i have, they have tasted dam good, much better than shopbought tat.

 

 

Daniel

[Budgie]

Good DVD on edible Mushrooms 'How to IDentify Edible Mushrooms'

 

http://www.dvd.co.uk/product2.asp?fs=froog...p;id=000219984X

 

Sorry not DVD Book

[ChrisPy]

when I was at Uni the first time around I was chairman of the wildlife society and decided to have an outing in to the peaks. The uni had an excellent mycologist who was totally nuts and a pleasure to listen to so I invited him along to lead a fungal foray. I was totally blown over by its popularity and it wasn't until half way around I realised one of the fields I had chosen was the home to a fine crop of Psilocybe tampanensis. No wonder so many people came!

er .............................. yuss ..............................

[CLIVE AND JUDY]

Clive (as opposed to me who has more sense!) is very fond of fungi (there's a joke in there somewhere) and very knowledgeable on such matters.

 

As I am a sceptic, I ALWAYS keep a little of each type of mushroom he eats in the fridge - just in case!

 

He says, as a general rule, if you cut the stem and its blue or yellow, avoid it. If it looks and smells like the ones in Tesco its probably OK

 

I would still keep some in the fridge!

[salmiron]

Clive (as opposed to me who has more sense!) is very fond of fungi (there's a joke in there somewhere) and very knowledgeable on such matters.

 

As I am a sceptic, I ALWAYS keep a little of each type of mushroom he eats in the fridge - just in case!

 

He says, as a general rule, if you cut the stem and its blue or yellow, avoid it. If it looks and smells like the ones in Tesco its probably OK

 

I would still keep some in the fridge!

 

Was not Fungi a dolphin who lived in Dingle Bay? So you keep a bit of dolphin in your fridge!

[Bilgemonkey]

Look for the shrooms with a bright red cap with white dots, yummy!

[Barry]

We seem to have some knowledgeable cooks on ‘ere, so, I’m after a book identifying fungi and their culinary uses, any recommendations. Pocket sized if possible.

 

The Easy Edible Mushroom Guide by David Pegler

 

It's easy to read with good photos and tells you how tasty they are - along with advice about similar looking but poisonous fungi

 

It's A5 size so it would fit in a big pocket

 

fresh puffballs sliced and cooked simply in butter are fabulous

[minerva]

I forget now which survival expert once said, unless you know your fungi don't touch it, because for everone thats edible theres one nearly exactly identical that is poisionous....

(tooo risky!)...

[Tinally]

May I recommend "The Ultimate Mushroom Book" by Peter Jordan and Steven Wheeler. Was about £17 when I bought it several years ago, so you'd probably need a small mortgage now! Excellent photographic reference guide. We are fortunate in that our orchard and paddock usually have a small crop of Horse Mushrooms and those nice brown Field Mushrooms. We also get quite a lot of Blue Stalks, ( aka Blue Leg and Field Blewit ) but how anyone can eat the slimy things is beyond belief! Anyone got a decent recipe to render them edible?

 

Dick

 

( I'm told they are very popular in the Midlands! )