Summer 2012 New York Mycological Society Newsletter 2 Inside This Issue 2 John Cage & Roaming Urban Sound- RevisitationsWord on the street is that we’ve seen a spike in membership. Welcome to all the new scapes—p. 4 members. I’ve seen some of you on the club’s Facebook page; I hope to meet at least a few of you in person on a walk or two later this fall. Mycoremediation Project in NY—p. 5 I’m sure you’ll find NYMSers to be a helpful and inviting bunch. We’re blessed to Tandori Grilled Mushrooms—p. 6 have quite a few salty, savvy, and friendly folks who inspire and teach with patience. Term defined “Flabelliform”—p. 9, back But for the self-guided part of the tour, a few personal tips… cover Repetition is fundamental. I re-read certain books on a regular basis to refresh and reinforce what I think I know with the additional hope that another species or detail might take root in my rote memory. (Sadly, I’m still not able to answer “yes” when Gary Lincoff inevitably asks if I’ve memorized the Audubon Guide yet. Sorry Gary—still working on it.) The regular stack of other authors on my nightstand includes Phillips, Upcoming Events a the Bessettes, Arora, and often Charles McIlvaine’s One Thousand American Fungi. a More than absorbing information, I find that previewing images, names, and descrip- Mondays July 23 & 30, August 6 & 13 at tions helps me see and intuit better when I’m in the field. 6:30PM – Foul Weather Friends, Down- Our Monday night Foul Weather Friends identification sessions are an amazing re- town Community Center, 120 Warren source. We have a pretty decent library, a microscope kit, and chemical indicators on Street, Manhattan, NY hand to help you learn how to make correct species IDs. To my knowledge, most clubs Sunday, August 12 – Walk at Norvin don’t offer this on a regular basis. Take advantage and be sure to bring a notebook to Green State Park, Passaic Co., NJ record what you learn. Saturday, August 18 – Walk at Beech If you want to get fancy with your notes, you can track dates, GPS locations, daily Brook, Passaic Co., NJ temperatures, and weekly rainfall totals. Certain species of choice edibles (morels, Sunday, August 26 – Walk at Depew chanterelles, boletes, hen-of the woods,) will often come up under the same tree year Park, Peekskill, NY after year. If you find a good spot for Boletus edulis, for example, you’ll want to time September 7-8 - Cage 100th/NYMS 50th your subsequent returns for similar conditions. A mushroom that fruits on August 6th Anniversary in a cool wet year might emerge earlier or later under different weather conditions. Some data can make a difference. I’d also recommend trying to revisit the same woods or park once per week within the same season. By observing the emergence patterns of one specific habitat over the course of a season, you can learn a great deal. As a courtesy to the group, though, please don’t pick any mushrooms at a location on our walks list within a week or two leading up to that walk date. Again, welcome to the club and happy hunting!
Jason Cortlund Editor, NYMS Newsletter Breaking News and Announcements Celebrate 50 Years!
JoinRoaming fellow members of the Urban NYMS in celebrating Soundscapes our 50th year and the centenary of our founder, composer JOHN CAGE. The Society is marking this milestone with a presentation that explores the myco- 0a logical life of John Cage, New York City, our Society at The Cooper Union. r M s NYMS Newsletter s A theatrical event, in The Great Hall, Saturday, September 8th at 8 PM will be a grand ng Editor–Jason Cortlund multi-media Cagean simulteneity featuring live appearances by JONAS MEKAS, JIM i Design–Maria Reidelbach KERR, GARY LINCOFF, CHRIS MANN, TOM VOLK and others. There will be a Ur an Copy editor—Paul Sadowski special realization of Cage’s 49 Waltzes for the Five Boroughs, music and a lively visual b A quarterly publication of the backdrop of mushroom stills and movies collected and produced over the last fifty New York Mycological Society, years, assembled by PAM KRAY. distributed to its members. On Friday & Saturday, September 7 & 8, we will fill the Great Hall Gallery with art, s un c pes President–Eugenia Bone artifacts and mushrooms. Featured will be a rarely seen mounting of Cage & Lois dSa Vice President–Dennis Aita o Long’s MUSHROOM BOOK, in its entirety! The gallery event is free to the public. Secretary–Paul Sadowski EUGENIA BONE will create a special multicourse buffet given in her home at 5:30 Treasurer–Marija Zeremski t e Walks Coordinator–Dennis Aita prior to the evening event. The 20 diners will be taken by car to the Cooper Union Lecture Coordinator–Gary Lincoff gallery where they will have a 7 PM walk-around among the displays, before going to H Study Group–Paul Sadowski their prime seating for the show. This special GALA TICKET will sell for $200.00 per ni s ri s Archivist–Ralph Cox a e person. vRa e www.newyorkmyc.org A BENEFACTOR TICKET, priced at n Articles should be sent to: $100.00 per ticket will bring the purchas- f Jason Cortlund er a prime seat in the Great Hall, a com- O 2803 Lafayette Ave Gala Buffet Menu Austin, TX 78722 memorative t-shirt, and a gallery walk- Sparkling wine with homemade cassis or [email protected] around from 6 PM to 7 PM on Saturday apricot shrub (512) 297-5258 night. Homecured Halibut with fennel Membership inquiries: Preferred seating is $50.00; general ad- Homecured salmon with dill Marija Zeremski-Seferovic mission is $20.00. Fried zucchini flowers stuffed with smoked New York Mycological Society and Tickets go on sale September 8, see trout 215 Grand St. 3R www.newyorkmyc.org for ordering in- Hoboken, NJ 07030 Homemade green olive tapande pizza formation. [email protected] Beef filet with homemade creme fraiche The Roaming Urban Soundscapes horseradish sauce w a Address corrections: e y rk y o logo, designed by NYMS member Renee M i Roasted pork shoulder with plums and o c c Paul Sadowski n g l Rockoff, was created to commemorate o 205 E. 94 St., #9 wild mushrooms l New York, NY 10128-3780 the celebration for the 50th anniversary Chocolate chile cupcakes [email protected] of the New York Mycological Society and All statements and opinions written in this the centennial of NYMS founder, com- c newsletter belong solely to the individual poser John Cage. The design is inspired o ie y author and in no way represent or reflect S by two of Cage’s poetic structures. One is the opinions or policies of the New York the mesostic, a poetic form similar to an t Mycological Society. To receive this publica- 100/50 Swag tion electronically contact Paul Sadowski at: acrostic where horizontal text intersects The 23” x 28” silkscreen poster is a lim- [email protected] Archive copies of the with a word or words spelled vertically. ited edition of 100. It is printed with two newsletter are available in the Downloads Another structure employed by Cage colors on 100 lb recycled white French section of our website. was the use of multiple typefaces in vari- Paper Company stock. The printing is Submissions for the next issue of the ous sizes with letters and lines touching. by master printer, Luther Davis of Axelle NYMS newsletter must reach the editor The poster announcing the Cage / NYMS Editions, a fine art screen printing house. 100 50 by September 15, 2012. Various formats event has 64 typestyles referencing the The sale price is $75.00 per poster. CAGE NYMS are acceptable for manuscripts. Address questions to Jason Cortlund, editor. See 64 hexagrams of the I Ching or Book of This logo will be silk-screened on t- above for addresses. Changes, a method that defined Cage’s shirts that are priced at $20.00 per shirt September 8, 2012 / 8 PM / The Great Hall / Cooper Union / 7 East Seventh Street, NYC use of chance operations. (a $2.00 2XL surcharge applies). Music / Mushrooms / Waltzes / Poisoning / Psychoactivity / Interviews / Gary Lincoff / Art See the enclosed order form in this 2 newsletter for further details. ByRoaming Paul Sadowski Urban Soundscapes In 1977 I entered John Cage’s Bank St. apartment on business and saw on the table a map of New York City with colored triangles Mycopolis drawn upon it. He explained that it was to be a cover of Rolling Stone Magazine that they commissioned, something about waltzes. We went on with our business which did not include this piece—my role was to prepare his music manuscripts for publication Creative Mycoremediation Project and performance. When Gary Lincoff, Pam Kray, Will Shapiro and I met to plan the 50th NYMS Anniversary Celebration, Gary thought Targets New York’s Newtown Creek The Fairy Rings, a mycoremediation project at Newtown Creek purposes to transform we should include these waltzes in the program somehow. In my mind’s ear I could the water of toxins in a sculptural form. In European folklore, it was believed that the hear birdsong, footfalls, rushing water and other sounds of the forest that pro- gathering and dancing of fairies and elves created fairy rings, a circular discoloration vide the backdrop for our mushroom hunts filling the hall... or growth of mushrooms on a grass lawn. The belief transformed these spaces from In fact the piece was entitled 49 Waltzes for the Five Boroughs commissioned reality into fantasy. by Rolling Stone to celebrate their move from San Francisco to New York City Today, we know fairy rings are a natural phenomenon created by fungi. In this proj- in 1977. The score was minimal, calling for the recording of the ambient sounds ect, oyster mushrooms are used for their ability to neutralize hydrocarbons present in of 147 locations chosen through chance operations in New York City (or any petroleum products such as oil, pesticides, and herbicides and as a hyper-accumulator other place) and their combination into groups of three (hence the Waltzes). to absorb heavy metals, common toxins found in urban environments. The piece was never realized until 1992 when Don Gillespie and Gene Coproglio The sculptural form is an alliance between the material structure and nature. of C.F. Peters Corp., Cage’s publisher, mounted a production of video recording Nature participates through the ongoing process of sprouting mushrooms, my- which resulted in a DVD. celium decomposing and cleansing the water of toxins. The project is being done In the NYMS version which could easily be subtitled If Mushrooms had Ears... we decided to make the fruiting of mushrooms the in collaboration with Newton Creek and the North Brooklyn Boat Club. randomizing conceit and in order to fit into the 90 minute time frame of our theatrical event, combining the 147 locations into 49 Mycoremediation, a term coined by Paul Stamets, is the use of fungi to degrade simultaneities. or remove toxins from the environment. Fungi are adept as molecular disassem- As I write this, Emily Harris and I have recorded over fifty of the locations culled from our wanderings, and those of many NYMS blers, breaking down many recalcitrant, long-chained toxins into simpler, less toxic members. The experience of standing stock-still with a microphone for three minutes and just listening has become a sort of medi- chemicals. The oyster mushroom, Pleurotus ostreatus, has been used to remediate tation of the sort Cage envisioned in his paean to silence, 4’33”. For example, yesterday evening, I did two tapings near Newtown the following: Creek under the Pulaski Bridge. The difference in the two locations, only a block apart, reflected two markedly different acoustic situations, one enclosed by the street and an adjacent building, the other open to the Creek and beyond. Microbes Chemical Toxins Aspergillus niger Benzopyrenes The happenstance is, of course, a central element in the structure of this composition: a boom-box car on Metropolitan Ave. in Bacillus sp. Dimethyl methylphosphonate (VX, Queens, a full orchestra rehearsing in Van Cortlandt Park and always birdsong. Escherichia coli Soman, Sarin) These recordings will be combined into 49 Waltzes: the street, the forest, the barking dog; or, blackbirds, a firetruck, horses Plasmodium falciparum Dioxin hooves; all in a dance that will provide an aural backdrop in the Great Hall as other performances unwind. Pseudomonas aeruginosa Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons In the meantime we have another 90 some meditations to complete. I will savor every one. Pseudomonas fluorescens (PAH’s) Mushrooms, Albany Rural & John Staphylococcus aureus Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB’s) Trinitrotoluene (TNT) By Paul Sadowski Heavy Metals The work of music preparation places great demands on one’s time and energy. Composers’ deadlines are always around the corner Mercury (65-140X) and by nature, their work really only ends when time expires. It falls to the copyist to make up the difference between the falling For more information visit: http://janmun.com/fairy-rings-mycoremediation/ behind and the beginning of the rehearsal. John Cage was in this regard, as in many other ways, exceptional. He was a tireless and punctilious worker which made the pace of work much more predictable. Nonetheless, in the summer of 1975 we were very busy preparing his Bi-Centenial Commission, Sadowski, cont. from p.4 Apartment House 1776. This work, scored for several quartets, utilized music extant in 1776: Harmonies, Tunes, Marches and Montepulciano. Imitations. These all utilizing the I Ching to produce chorale-like pieces with holes in them, sort of ghostly versions of the originals. That afternoon really marked my first venture into mycophilia. For a long time I John drove down from an Adirondack vacation to Albany, New York, where I lived at that time, to work on Apartment House. He served as a conduit of information between my father and John on something Dad would arrive every morning to sit at my piano to play through the music that I was producing at my drafting table (no computers would turn up himself in Albany Rural. then). We worked our way through a rainy week of soggy August heat. When a colleague called me with news of John’s sudden death in August of 1992 I One morning he showed up with a big smile and showed off the Giant Puffball that he spotted on the lawn of a college on his way was devastated. I went for a walk through Chelsea to try to digest the passing of this to my house. I didn’t know anything about mushrooms then so it looked rather like a small child sitting in the back seat. great man, mentor and through twenty years of support, a patron. I found myself at his On Saturday the sun reappeared and so at my doorstep did John. He said that we should not work today but could we instead go apartment house door where within I found Merce with Laura Kuhn. We shed a few someplace where large trees and unmowed lawns might be found? I knew just the place, Albany Rural Cemetery. tears, bid each other well and then I returned to my life at the office. We drove and walked its hundreds of acres, picking mushrooms as we went. The funereal setting brought the subject of conversa- Sometime later, after the sadness had passed, if not the loss, an invitation arrived tion around to his views on dying and remembrance. How when his mother died, the family let some time pass “for grieving to take addressed by hand by Merce inviting Christine and me to a party to celebrate the man place” and then with that past, they held a big party to celebrate her life with her favorite food, drink and conversation. that held such a large space in our lives. It was truly grand, hundreds of people in a After several hours among the headstones, his large basket was filled with edibles, and not just the familiar ones, but Laccarias, large room, John’s favorite burittos flown in from LA, his plants arrayed to form a rep- Invitation from Merce Cunningham Hygrophorus and Lactarius among others. Back at my apartment John laid out our finds on the kitchen table in a magnificent dis- lica of his apartment complete with a chess set on a table and two chairs. And Merce to celebrate the life of John Cage , collec- play. I had called my Dad to come over to see the collections, since he was the real mycophile in our family. John then cooked the perched on a chair receiving well wishers. A party I first talked about that afternoon tion of Paul Sadowski. 5 mushrooms each in a particular preparation. We feasted on the afternoon’s proceeds and washed them down with a good jug of at Albany Rural. Cont. p. 5 rapid cooking of the fresh or dried mushroom, which destroys the enzymes Mycophagist’s Table before they have a chance to act). With a few exeptions (chanterelles, The Mycophagist’s Table moved out- oysters, matsutakes), drying intensifies mushroom flavor by a combination doors for its second iteration on June 9, , Mycophagy , of heightened enzyme activities and browning reactions between amino assuming the form of picnic and barbe- acids and sugars. Shitakes and boletes, or porcini, are familiar examples, cue at a wooded lake club in Boonton, and especially flavorful because they’re endowed with sulfur compounds New Jersey. Quick Tandori Grilled Mushrooms By Larry Litt that generate meaty aromas. Even home-dried button mushrooms are Charles Luce and Leslie Bryan hosted These grilled mushrooms make a spicy, splendidly different appetizer or side dish for far more flavorful than the fresh originals, though they lose their fresh the all-day event, challenging 10 guests an Indian meal or barbecue. My favorite is chicken of the woods because they hold mushroom octenol. to use wood fire, charcoal and smoke on their own natural flavor against the tandori spice mix. whatever tasty treats they could bring, 1 lb firm raw mushrooms cut in half, or one inch by 1/2 inch pieces if larger mush- hopefully some with mushrooms. The rooms like chicken of the woods, king oysters or portobellos response was enthusiastic: chicken wings 1/2 cup Patak’s Tandori Paste (available at Indian markets and better groceries) with wine and cheese sauce; cream of 1/2 cup low fat yogurt mushroom soup; mushroom sticky rice; 1 tsp dried and crushed fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi) Candy Cap Odor duxelle; black trumpet veggie-burgers; 1 tsp oil salad; couscous; smoked ribs, and artisan The Mystery Solved Salt and cayenne to taste For years mushroom hunters have actively sought the “candy cap” mush- burger buns, to make but a partial list. 6-8 wooden skewers soaked in water for half hour room, Lactarius fragilis var. rubidus. When it is dried, this The day threatened rain, but skies Bell peppers cut into one-inch sections of any shape and/or pearl onions mushroom has an intense and persistent fragrance. Because cleared by late morning. Nonetheless Combine all wet and powdered ingredients in a wide bowl, into a marinade. Let it meld of the distinctive and pleasant smell of these mushrooms, they the weather seemed to keep Deer Lake’s for five minutes. are frequently used as flavoring in dessert foods, such as cook- usual crowds away, which allowed NYMS Marinate the raw mushrooms in the mixture for 5 minutes. ies, cakes, breads or ice cream. guests to sprawl around several picnic Pierce marinated mushrooms onto soaked skewers. You can also pierce any color The mushroom’s scent is usually describes as being like maple tables and charcoal grills, and occupy a bell peppers between the mushrooms. They work very well together. syrup, but has also been said to smell like butterscotch, fenu- pavilion - which came in handy during Place skewers on a lightly oiled hot barbecue grill or under your oven’s broiler on a greek, or burnt sugar. The chemical responsible for the smell of two brief precipitation events. Lunch was oiled grill rack for about 5 minutes. Turn once and continue cooking for a few minutes. these mushrooms has been recently identified. This discovery re- a two hour affair, and dinner lasted until Cooking time depends on mushroom thickness. sulted from collaboration between Darvin DeShazer, the scientific dark. Tandori mushrooms should be served quite hot and have a golden brown color. advisor of the Sonoma County Mycological Association (SOMA), Deer Lake is a two-square-mile, stream- Remove from skewers and serve with a warm chapati or roti as a flat bread wrap, light- and William Wood, a chemist at Humboldt State University. fed private reservoir surrounded by hun- ly sprinkled with masala chat powder. Place onto basmati rice for a traditional dish. Wood and DeShazer started this project over 25 years ago. The dreds of acres of woodlands. Although identity of the compounds responsible for the maple syrup odor foraging is constrained on club property, proved elusive. Early attempts to identify the odor compound in Deer Lake is wrapped on three sides by extracts of dried candy caps failed. Finally, the gases escaping from public land, which several “Table” par- The Distinctive Flavors of Mushrooms From Harold McGee’s On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen the dried mushrooms was trapped and analyzed. A chemical called ticipants explored, emerging with a few We prize fungi for their rich, almost meaty flavor and their ability to intensify the flavor quabalactone III was identified as a major volatile compound. On interesting specimens (none edible). of many dishes. These qualities are largely due to a high content of free amino acids, contact with water quabalactone III changes to another compound that has Strangely, no one went swimming, or including glutamic acid, which makes mushrooms—like seaweeds—a concentrated the name sotolon. Sotolon is a commercially available flavoring used in food fishing, or checked out one of the avail- natural source of monosodium glutamate. Another taste enhancer that’s synergistic and other products. At low concentrations sotolon has a pronounced ma- able rowboats to explore the lake’s con- with glutamate, GMP (guanosine monophosphate), was first discovered in shitake ple syrup-like odor. Surprisingly, the chemicals found in this mushroom voluted coastline. Possibly there was just mushrooms, and contributes to the rich taste. are not in natural maple syrup. too much to digest. The characteristic aroma of fresh common mushrooms is mainly due to octenol (an The volatile chemical that flavors candy caps was originally identified A big “thank you” to Eugenia Bone 8-carbon alcohol), which is produced by enzymes from polyunsaturated fats when in the flowers of the Mexican tree, Rosita de Cacao. The Aztecs were and Paul Sadowski for dreaming up The the tissue is damaged, and which helps deter attack by some snails and insects. More known to mix these flowers as a flavoring in chocolate drinks. The Mycophagist’s Table. octenol is generated from the gill tissues than from other parts, and this is one reason name quabalactone III is derived from the scientific name of this tree, Photos opposite. that common mushrooms with immature, unopened caps are less flavorful than the Quararibea funebris. mature version with prominent gills. Brown and field mushrooms have more flavor The odor causing chemical, quabalactone III, is not present in liv- than the white mushrooms, and the “Portobello,” a brown mushroom allowed to mature ing candy cap mushrooms. It is only found in dried mushrooms. for an additional five or six days until it’s about 6 in/15 cm across, is especially intense. Wood and DeShazer theorized that on drying, free amino acids Other mushrooms offer a wide range of aromas. A close relative of the common in the fresh mushroom react to form quabalactone III. This re- mushroom produces the essence of almond extract, while more exotic species are search was published in the journal, Biosystematics and Ecology valued for such flavor notes as cinnamon, pepper, garlic, pine needles, butterscotch, [Volume 43, 51-53 (2012)]. The abstracts, highlights and chemical formu- and shellfish. Shitake mushrooms owe their distinctive aroma to an unusual molecule las for this article are online at http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/ called lenthionine, a ring of carbon and sulfur atoms, which is created by enzymes S0305197812000385. when the tissue is damaged. Lenthionine production is maximized by the common William F. Wood, Dept. of Chemistry, Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA 95521 6 practice of drying and the rehydrating shitakes in warm water (it’s minimized by [email protected] 7 parts in this movie. The whole becomes that much more of a classic. You know that you can watch this again and take even more away, and luxuriate again in the sensuality Remember! as well as the story. i Review i It is rightly gaining many accolades. I highly recommend it, too, and hope it comes 2012 membership renewals are at the new again soon to New York theaters. member rate of $20 (individual) and $30 Musings of a Mushroom Hunter: A Natural Somewhere in the discussion following the screening, or perhaps by reading an (family). Use the membership coupon in interview with Jason and Julia, I learned that the movie takes its title Now, Forager back of this issue. If you wish to become a History of Foraging from the poem, The Untold Want, by Walt Whitman. As transcendentalism is so member of NAMA (the North American Denis Benjamin, author of the landmark book on the health effects of mushrooms very American a development, so the protagonists, Lucien and Regina, who are both Mycological Association), make a sepa- (Mushrooms: Poisons and Panaceas, W.H.Freeman and Co, 1995) has released a lim- Basque-American, live by integrating an other-cultured background into the melting rate check for $32, payable to NAMA and ited first edition of his book, Musings of a Mushroom Hunter: A Natural History of pot—a generation or more, it would seem, after the immigration. mail to the NYMS Treasurer. Foraging (Tembe Publications 2010). The screenplay does very well to portray the two as developing in different ways, Stay responsibly in touch with us. If Three decades of mushroom hunting stories are distilled into this new book. From Lucien proceeding with his wilder and nomadic individualism and Regina moving into your telephone number, mailing or email his discovery of the world of fungi, through the joys, disappointments and competition town, literally as well as figuratively. Besides their personal story and relationships to address changes, please contact Paul of foraging for wild food, to the many characters who participate in this activity, his nature and culture, class distinctions are also exposed in the drama, or dramedy. It has Sadowski, Secretary with your new in- engaging style and perceptive observations directly address all those who venture into real moments of laugh-out-loud humor. formation. On your membership form, the woods, or who collect and eat wild foods. This work reflects on the activity of for- And it is also kind of a New York story, at least, I think, for us of the New York please consider going paperless when it aging, and the people involved, rather than the traditional focus on mushroom iden- Mycological Society. We are a group as diverse as the city, but with some confluence of comes to receiving these newsletters. tification. As the author succinctly said, “It is for those who hunt for their stomach.” desire to be foraging in nature and possibly for finding our individual natures there in NYMS walks policy: We meet when Gary Lincoff’s latest book— The book appeals to all who like a good story, outdoor enthusiasts, locavores, wild food order to attain balance in NYC. Environmentalism and art might have been admixed public transportation arrives. Check the and mushroom gatherers, amateur mycologists, hikers and naturalists. Within its 140 The Joy of Foraging—now in the form of transcendentalism in the nineteenth century U.S., but today’s artists and walks schedule for other transportation pages are 28 anecdotes and stories recounting the rituals and thrill of the hunt, the compet- environmentalists are still mixing it together, and are coming together in groups such notes. Walks last 5-6 hours and are of available! itiveness of foragers and some of the characters who engage in this arcane sport. It recalls The Joy of Foraging is a lavishly illustrat- as the NYMS. moderate difficulty except where noted. our hunter-gatherer past, but in today’s world. Recently reviewed in FUNGI Magazine . ed guide to foraging edible wild plants I ended up spending April thinking about this subject quite a bit. Seeing Jason’s and Bring your lunch, water, knife, and a At this time there are at least five ways to avail yourself of the limited 1st Edition. in the wild, in farmers’ markets, Asian Julia’s movie was followed by a discussion of art and environmentalism by Russell basket for mushrooms. Leaders have dis- 1. Click on the website of the distributor http://atlasbooks.com/mtktplc/03128. markets, restaurants, wherever they are Simmons and Paul Miller (AKA DJ Spooky “that subliminal kid”) at the Green Festival, cretion to cancel walks in case of rain or htm or call 1-800-247-6553. found. It describes and illustrates, in a followed by an interview with film director, Jim Sheridan (My Left Foot, among other very dry conditions. Be sure to check your 2. Visit the same website to download an ePUB or ePDF for digital readers, a paltry step by step approach, many of the very films) at the Tribeca Film Festival. email or contact the walk leader before a $9.95. best edible wild greens, berries, and Sheridan talked about Irish immigration to the western hemisphere during the mid- walk to see if it has been canceled for some 3. Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/) nuts, as well as where and when they nineteenth century Irish potato famine. He also contemplated the subsequent immi- reason. Non-members’ attendance is $5 4. Amazon for the Kindle version can be found, and what, if any, poison- grations here of some of Europe’s other poor populations: southern Italians including for an individual and $10 for a family. 5. or mail an $18.00 check to Tembe Publishing, PO Box 399, Cle Elum, WA 98922. ous look-alikes there are. By beginning from Sicily, Jews from eastern Europe including Russia. He talked about the relation- Warning: Many mushrooms are toxic. (Handling and postage is free with this option - shipped USPS) in the kitchen and marketplace and pro- ship of these former peasants and people of the land arriving into primarily the east Neither the Society nor individual mem- gressing to the yard, street, park, woods, coast cities of the United States and the influences that kept the majority of them in the bers are responsible for the identification wetlands and seashore, edible wild plants Musings after watching Now, Forager cities and from heading out into the land. As an east-coast city kid and adult, I often or edibility of any fungus. are placed in a familiar context of what A new feature film by NYMS members Jason Cortlund and wondered how my relationship to the natural environment unfolded. As a subject that people already know but don’t know they relationship figures in my work. The philosophies, writings and art that I have come know. In addition, there are simple, clear Julia Halperin upon lately, very much including Now, Forager, give me the feeling that I am not alone. By Pam Kray recipes for making soups, salads, sautés, Actually, when I joined the New York Mycological Society, I realized that kindred spir- Now, Forager is a new feature film produced, written and pickles, jams, breads, pies, sorbets and its were all around me in New York City. Bravo, Jason and Julia, for a work that goes far directed by NYMS members Jason Cortlund and Julia beverages using the plants described into it all and brings it home, too. Halperin. I was one of many fortunate filmgoers at the and illustrated in this guide. “The Joy of Now, Forager will screen theatrically this fall at New York’s IFC Center, Chicago’s U.S. premiere screening at New Directors/New Films Foraging” is a companion guide (same Gene Siskel Film Center, as well as in Boston, San Francisco, Portland (OR), and Seattle. at Lincoln Center on Friday March 30 (also at MoMA publisher) to The Complete Mushroom Sunday April 1). Now, Forager’s narrative is about a Hunter. For a way to learn more and get couple that make their living selling wild mushrooms some feedback on what you are finding (and some plants) that they pick. The images of mush- and using, please go to: Garylincoff.com rooms, natural scene locations, and the making of and click on the Joy of Foraging page. food from the wild ingredients provide a lush bed TheA adjectiveTerm “flabelliform” Defined: (pronounced flah-BELL-ih-form) Flabelliform comes from Latin and onto which the somewhat wild and definitely natural describes something that is shaped like a fan. characters work out their tale. While many species of polypore fungi growing from wood could be accurately The protagonists, Lucien and Regina, are complex. described as flabelliform, few specimens would make a more elegant fan for keeping They are well into their relationship, and, in fact, are cool this summer than Ganoderma lucidem—also known as lingzhi or reishi. moving on from one another in this film. In that, and See also back cover. in the scenes in the forests, the movie travels in real Flabelliform artwork provided by NYMS club member and natural science illustrator 8 9 locales. We as an audience, I think, can relate to the Anne Yen (www.anneyen.com). ©2012 Anne Yen Member Profile: Ethan Crenson What brings you to hunt mushrooms? inherent qualities come through as much Not too long ago, when I was visiting my as possible. Walks & Forays in-laws in south central Vermont, I took Do you collect fungus-related objects? a walk in the woods and started to no- I took a suggestion from Paul Stamets tice the variety and complexity of fungi and began making spore prints on glass that were coming up. My mother-in-law and then covering the print with another Catskill Weekend has every sort of field guide imaginable, sheet of glass and taping around the edg- October 5-8, 2012 so I went out with the Audubon Guide es with gaffer’s tape. I keep the rarest and After the disaster that Hurricane Irene brought to the Catskills last season we to North American Mushrooms. I was the most beautiful with detailed notes are set to return to the lovely Crystal Spring House in Big Indian, NY. The bridge hooked. about each one written on the tape. has been rebuilt, the road to Frost Valley restored and the Frost Valley YMCA Where, when, and/or with whom did What’s your favorite fungus? repaired. We will have the house for an extra day this year since October 5-8 is you first hunt mushrooms? The fungus I like the most is the one I’m the Columbus Day Holiday weekend. See the house at
©2012 Anne Yen
New York, NY 10128-3780 NY York, New
205 E. 94 St., #9 St., 94 E. 205 Paul Sadowski Paul