Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Unexpected discovery

Of all the pictures that I took last weekend, I did not expect the mushrooms to take center stage. But Braveheart Ela recognized what they were and started me on a journey of discovery.

Those are oyster mushrooms, She said. Edible.

So I went online. A mushroom guy online that She recommended, agreed. I emailed the photos to my parents, too, across the country. They are mushrooms hunters and they agreed, too.

Still not 100 percent at ease, I found a mushroom expert who lives in my city -- found his phone number, at least. I hope to hear from him tomorrow. Even if I don't, I'm ready to give these mushrooms a try. I know what deathcaps, destroying angels and toadstools look like -- and I know that none of them spring from logs, as oysters do.

Sweetie is going to observe my reaction. If I die, She won't sample.

So if this is the last post I ever put up, everybody was wrong and I will my books to a Girl's school in Afghanistan. I have no money and nothing else of value.

9 comments:

BraveHeart said...

That post made me laugh:)

Do you have a good recipe? I recomend to go simple, like frying them with onions and adding sour cream.

( I actually did try them but together with other mushrooms, in a soup, so I can not attest to their specific taste.
In my part of the world they grow, but did not see them so white and clean, and so many at once)

Eastcoastdweller said...

Simple seems best, since I don't want to lose the unique flavor, especially if it is my last meal on earth. (o:

Ian Lidster said...

Very, very, very wary of wild mushrooms, as tempting as they seem.
The only ones I've dared with are young and tender puffballs, as they have no gills, and they are heavenly sauteed in butter and nothing more.

Cristina said...

Ecd is neither stupid nor is he as brave as he thinks :p

Unless something happened to them (like exposure to radiations or snake venom or... oh well a lot of things - maybe you are brave after all), they're never poisonous.

So... enjoy :)

Eastcoastdweller said...

Have to disagree with you on that one, Trisia. Some mushrooms are deadly even if they grow in a virgin wilderness.

Open Grove Claudia said...

Oh how fun! I have a friend who takes a delightful journey into the forest this time of year. They hold hands, pick mushrooms, then make delicious items for dinner.

That's my wish for you!

Cristina said...

I means stuff growing out of trees, Ecd, not just wilderness.

I could be wrong, but usually mushromms are exactly what they eat. ours are probably going to be a bit "woody."

Eastcoastdweller said...

Well, Trisia, as you will see from my next post -- and then I promise to talk about something else for a while -- the oyster mushrooms didn't kill me, at least not quite yet. And woody or not, they tasted delicious.

Anonymous said...

"Sweetie is going to observe my reaction. If I die, She won't sample."
As nervous as I was for you, I laughed out loud when I read this line.