Gary Lincoff Awarded Wasson Prize

NYMSNew York Mycological Society Newsletter Summer 2017

GARY LINCOFF AWARDED WASSON PRIZE

Surprise Wasson Award presentation by Tom Volk at the West Virginia Mushroom Club’s 2017 Shelly Conrad Foray

Gary Lincoff was awarded the Myco- professionals, who, along with some logical Society of America’s Gordon of their brothers and sisters, were and Tina Wasson Prize earlier this doctors. I don’t think the question summer, for his tireless efforts on “what do you want to do when you behalf of the Fungal Kingdom. Gary is grow up” was ever asked of them. a mentor, educator, raconteur, philos- Having read Henry David Thoreau’s opher, walking encyclopedia, whose “Walden” at an impressionable age, knowledge and humor are inspiring I only knew that I didn’t want to find and infectious. The NYMS is blessed out when I came to die that I had not to have him! lived, whatever that meant. In a way not totally unlike Thoreau’s, I was Gary was unable to attend the MSA drawn to the woods, to a life “out- ciate not just the astounding beauty meeting in Athens, Georgia to receive doors.” I didn’t know what interested of mushrooms, but their place in the the award, but Tom Volk, current me, partially because my undergradu- world, and in scientific classification. MSA President, read the acceptance ate education was in philosophy. I Had I not met R. Gordon Wasson, speech at the MSA meeting, and somehow settled on MUSHROOMS, and soon after, Dr. Emanuel Salzman, presented the award to Gary at the perhaps because it was thought of the co-founder of the Telluride Mush- West Virginia Mushroom Club’s Shelly at the time as being of no account, a room Festival, I’d never have explored Conrad Foray in July. mere curiosity of nature, something some of the places and met some of For the sake of brevity, Gary didn’t that rotted everything else. My grand- the people whose interactions with include the crucial part about John father even had to say to me, when mushrooms so intrigued Gordon Cage and Irene Liberman – how she my behavior was already too far along Wasson. was the one who inspired Gary to buy to be corrected, “I like lettuce BUT And, true to my roots, much like my Cage’s “Silence” (in 1969 or there- I don’t study it!” Somehow I knew I jeweler grandparents, I never have a abouts), and how he discovered in was on the right track. loupe or hand-lens far from my eye. its pages, those zen-like mushroom I had the great good fortune to come stories about the NYMS. The rest is I wish to thank MSA for this wonder- under the tutelage of Dr. Clark T. Rog- history. ful honor of making me a recipient of erson at the New York Botanical Gar- the Gordon and Tina Wasson Award. Our hearty congratulations to Gary! den, who showed me how he prac- Given my non-traditional mycological The text of his acceptance speech ticed mycology, something my uncle, background, I never imagined in my follows: an ophthalmologist, thought had to wildest mushroom dreams that I’d do with fungal diseases. Thanks to My grandparents were immigrant ever be so acknowledged by the My- such giants in the fields of natural his- cological Society of America! Thank shopkeepers, watch cleaners and, tory and mycology as Dr. Sam Ristich eventually, jewelers. My parents were you, so very much.’ and Dr. Rolf Singer, I came to appre- Gary Lincoff CONTENTS Are Fungi the Factories of the Future? by Raquel Du Toit & Jeremy Schaller...... 4 Ganoderma Workshop with Matt Schink by Vivien Tartter...... 6 Denis Benjamin’s Illustrating Mushrooms with Watercolor Workshop by Reema Keswani...... 7 Ursula Hoffmann by Ralph Cox, Dennis Aita & Dianna Smith... 8 Chicken of the Woods Chipotle Sauce, by Marie Viljoen...... 10 NYMS Newsletter Year 1 in Mushroomworld, by Mical Moser...... 10 Editor—Juniper Perlis NEMF, by Juniper Perlis...... 11 Copy editor—Ethan Crenson Design—Ethan Crenson A quarterly publication of the New York Mycological Society, distributed to its members. President—Tom Bigelow Mycommentary Vice President—Dennis Aita by Ethan Crenson Secretary—Paul Sadowski Treasurer—Kay Spurlock On the 25th of July, my wife Walks Coordinator—Dennis Aita —Gary Lincoff Amanda and I took a short walk in Lecture Coordinator Study Group—Paul Sadowski Vermont in the White Rocks National Archivist—Ralph Cox Recreational Area on a trail called Webmaster—Ethan Crenson The Ice Beds. The trail winds over a www.newyorkmyc.org ridge covered in hemlock, pine and Articles should be sent to: birch and on this particular day it Juniper Perlis was teeming with fungi. The slopes 713 Classon Ave, Apt 505 were everywhere dotted with the buff Brooklyn, NY 11238 caps of Russula compacta. Amanita [email protected] flavoconia, Harrya chromapes and 347.743.9452 Coltricia cinnamomea grew in fair Membership inquiries: abundance. But for me, the prize Kay Spurlock—Treasurer- came last. The Ice Bed trail dead New York Mycological Society ends at a massive talus pile, a tower P.O. Box 1162 Stuyvesant Sta. of broken rock heaped against the New York, NY 10009 steep face of White Rocks Cliffs. [email protected] Here are the Ice Beds. In the crevices Address corrections: Vibrissea truncorum photo © Ethan Crenson between the boulders, ice builds Paul Sadowski up in the winter and, insulated by 205 E. 94 St., #9 the rocks, is preserved well into the summer. This unique phenomenon is New York, NY 10128-3780 [email protected] evident when hiking the trail. As we descended toward the base of the talus pile the temperature cooled perceptibly. As the ice melts it feeds a brook which All statements and opinions written in this emerges from the pile. There in a pool in the brook growing from submerged newsletter belong solely to the individual author and in no way represent or reflect sticks and plant debris I found Vibrissea truncorum, a tiny stipitate ascomycete the opinions or policies of the New York with a bright yellow head. Vibrissea truncorum is an aquatic ascomycete. I feel Mycological Society. To receive this pub- like I might have buried the lede in this article, so let me reiterate—Vibrissea lication electronically contact Paul Sad- truncorum grows underwater! Aquatic macrofungi, especially V. truncorum, may owski at: [email protected] Archive not be altogether rare. But amateur mycologists like ourselves are probably copies of the newsletter are available in the Downloads section of our website. not looking for mushrooms in shallow streams and vernal pools. We find more of our quarry on dry land. So the next time you have an opportunity to splash Submissions for the next issue of the around in a cool mountain stream at the end of a mushroom walk, be sure to NYMS newsletter must reach the editor by September 15, 2017. Various formats keep an eye out for aquatic fungi. (More about aquatic macrofungi can be found are acceptable for manuscripts. Address in Jonathan L. Frank’s article in Fungi Magazine Volume 8:2 Summer 2015: questions to Juniper Perlis, editor. http://www.fungimag.com/summer-2015-articles/V8I2AquaticLR.pdf). See above for addresses. NYMS/COMA picnic Saturday, September 9 Remember! Stay responsibly in touch with us. Once again, we will be joining COMA (the Westchester/Connecticut club) for If your telephone number, mailing our annual picnic. It’s in Fahnestock State Park in Putnam County. Bring food or email address changes, please to share, and wine and other libations if you wish. Plastic utensils and paper contact Paul Sadowski, Secretary goods will be provided, but please bring your own serving utensils. We will start with your new information. On your off with a mushroom hunt around Pelton Pond followed by lunch. Take membership form, please consider the Taconic Parkway to route 301. Go west less than one mile past the camp- going paperless when it comes to ing area on the left. Park on the left side at the picnic area. We will meet at receiving these newsletters. News- 10:30. Dennis Aita will try to get rides for those who need them. Contact: letters sent via email (PDF file for- [email protected] or phone: 212-962-6908. mat) are in color, have live web links, help us contain costs, and use Thank you Howard Goldstein & Mimi Calhoun! fewer natural resources! Let’s all thank Howard and Mimi for generously treating us to a tasty breakfast NYMS walks policy: We meet when before our first morel hunt of the year. For over twenty years they have invited public transportation arrives. Check us to their home in the spring. It is a wonderful, heartwarming event with old the walks schedule for other trans- friends and new, and when the gods are benevolent, it precedes the finding of portation notes. Walks last 5-6 hours morels. Fortunately, this was one of the best morel seasons in many years, and and are of moderate difficulty except it was a pleasure to see so many of us with morels in our baskets. where noted. Bring your lunch, water, knife, a whistle (in case you get lost or injured), and a basket for NYMS Instagram mushrooms. Please let a walk leader know if you are going to leave early. NYMS member Alberto Hamonet has put together a fantastic Instagram page for the club: https://www.instagram.com/newyorkmyc/ Leaders have discretion to cancel walks in case of rain or very dry So far, posts are primarily about the club and some of its members (both histori- conditions. Be sure to check your cal and current). There are images of specimens, sometimes with brief descrip- email or contact the walk leader tions or key characteristics. There is an open submissions policy, so members before a walk to see if it has been can send in materials they would like posted and Alberto can facilitate. canceled for some reason. Nonmembers’ attendance is $5 for Here are some categories Alberto wants to focus on: an individual and $10 for a family. Mycologist Spotlights We share a brief biography featuring We ask that members refrain from contributions to the field visiting walk sites two weeks prior to the walk. Mushroom of the Month A more in depth analysis of a fungi Warning: Many mushrooms are which inspires. toxic. Neither the Society nor indi- Forage Highlights vidual members are responsible for Very similar to what occurs on the identification or edibility of any the facebook page but in a more fungus. condensed form. Humor Mycological humor or anecdotes which members want to share. Art Mycologically inclined art whether by a member or someone a member admires Unique Specimens Instagram is different from other online forums because, the content is more precisely curated and will stem only from members. It is a direct and immediate format and has a huge Myco culture already embedded in it. A great way to bring more positive attention to the society and that means more bodies discovering more mushrooms! 3 Are Fungi the Factories of the Future? by Raquel Du Toit and Jeremy Schaller

We are two artists looking to escape the voice, lamenting the modern Repub- Entering Cayuta Sun Farm we got our city for the summer. lican penchant for publishing books first dose of heavy permaculture when instead of practicing good governance. we learned that there were at least three The initial plan we put together involved He showed us on a foldout paper map ways to get anywhere, no paths be- visiting people in rural upstate New where those cooky “gardeners” doing ing straight or perpendicular, instead, York that are engaged in experimental permaculture were just off Old Swamp following the topology of the land. living and identify as intentional com- Road. We thanked him, especially for These paths circumscribe a series of munities. It turns out that some of the the genuine interaction, turned tail and concentric zones to establish a grada- innovations underpinning such experi- drove a few miles back the way we tion for cultivation. A steep path leads mental living are being developed within came. up from the most personal to the still permaculture agriculture. Looking for wild uncultivated areas on the periphery. the address in the Finger Lakes region On our first attempt we blew right past The gruff man, it turned out, had sold for the Permaculture Institute published Old Swamp Road, turning into a drive the land cheaply to our intrepid perma- in their newsletter, we drove up to an lined on either side by tall rows of pop- culturalist, a Brooklyn escapee, since it unstaffed post office. Then aimlessly lars lead up to a three story colonial. A was overgrown with huckleberry bushes cruising country roads through the roll- young woman emerged and we learned (a notoriously hardy plant usually requir- ing hills near Cayuga lake, we eventually that the gruff man we met earlier was ing a bulldozer to clear). This presented realized we had no idea where we were the owner of this stately home, all family a vexing problem for a permaculturalist headed. heritage and that the checker cab on not wanting to disturb the topology or blocks in the side yard was from the TV strip the top layer of soil. We stopped at an intersection thinking show Taxi. A bit of backtracking takes we might get better cellphone recep- us to another turnoff, down a private The results were evident though – a tion to orient ourselves. Behind us, a airfield for launching airplanes over the gorgeous passive house with sunken pickup truck pulled up. A man got out lake. Further backtracking, we round the earth refrigeration, a beautiful garden of who carried a close resemblance to a corner of Old Swamp Road and meet heirlooms, two types of chickens, and retired General Custer. A slight bitter- Michael Burns. further out a drove of pigs wreaking ness of defeat sounded in his gruff havoc among the remaining huckleberry

4 bushes, appearing for scraps from the build a living sculpture of inoculated kitchen and slop collected from local or- logs overlooking a lake. One weekend, ganic corn processor. We were hooked a pagan wedding was held at dusk and and were invited to camp under a grove part of the festivities included launching of pines behind the house. floating candles on surface of the lake while the bride arrived by boat to greet We arrived just in time for the annual the groom. The following morning, we inoculation party – immediately invited canoed around the lake and collected to attend the Shiitake Speakeasy the the floating candles. Following the di- next evening – for it turned out under rections of our permaculture friends we the forest grove were other campers, inoculated some logs with the dowels sleeping like logs in mesh tents – Shii- that were gifted to us and remelted the take or Sawtooth Oak, Maitake or Hen wax of the floating candles to seal in of the Woods – until bursting forth for the dowels after inoculation. The logs the harvest in early summer. stand there now leaning on each other A few weeks later, back in the city, we without cover at a corner of the lake. We visited the Smiling Hog Hedge Ranch, a hope the mycelium is slowly colonizing guerrilla community garden reclaiming the logs. As we learned from our travels a strip of unused Metropolitan Trans- through permaculture and guerrilla com- portation Authority land in Queens. munity gardens: mycelium construct There, an assembled group of university their own path, twisting and winding. Mycologists, taught oyster mushroom With the insights given us by the meth- cultivation in straw bundles. They also ods of permaculture, the transformation gave out samples of wooden dowels going on in the logs by the lake doesn’t inoculated with spores which we kept in seem correctly described as decay. the fridge not knowing quite what to do We visit the logs to learn what those with them as we watched them flourish changes in matter may be. Creation, still under ziplock. not visible, hidden inside, and we look to see if they fruit. The following spring we were given a weekly residency schedule at Rosekill, All images © Raquel Du Toit and Jeremy Schaller a performance art space near Kings- ton. We came up with the idea to use our spores of Ganoderma lucidum to

5 Ganoderma Workshop with Matt Schink

By Vivien Tartter

There is turbulence in taxonomy within the genus Ganoderma. Until recently, most of us in the New York Mycological Society referred to all of the laccate (i.e. lacquered) Ganoderma on hardwood as Ganoderma lucidum or Reishi. Reishi is the Japanese common name for G. lingzhi which is extensively cultivated and used medicinally in Japan, China and all around the world. We had conflated this with G. lucidum, a European species which is found on hardwoods. For years, we have been using the name G. lucidum to identify G. sessile and G. curtisii. (Interestingly, G. lucidum was found recently in Salt Lake City, on Gambel oak, a native species.)

Claude Martz, Claudine Michaud & Matt Schink photo © Tom Bigelow Ganoderma lobatum photo © Tom Bigelow

Thus began Matt Schink’s March 19 Ganoderma are diverse and adapt- proffered by the group, including a workshop on Ganoderma. Matt is an able. Ganoderma applanatum has huge and magnificent G. applanatum “amateur”, like most of us, and is from been cultured from a cave in Antartica of Tom Bigelow’s. It looked to me Binghamton, NY. He is young and has and is widespread throughout the like the scallop shell which Venus amassed amazing knowledge on this Northern hemisphere. A Ganoderma arises from in Botticelli’s painting. We genus. He is now the go-to person species partial to cactus has been also had the opportunity to do some on Ganoderma species nationwide. found in Mexico. microscopy. It was satisfying to see Somewhat nervous at the start, as the varying densities of the interwall this was his first presentation (he con- The principal features to aid in iden- pillars of the spores. fessed at the outset), he warmed up tification are: geographic location, to masterfully entertain and instruct whether the pileus is laccate or not, The species to be found in the New for two hours. The presentation was whether the fruiting body is stipitate or York City area are: G. sessile, G. curti- further enlivened with stunning photos sessile, color, whether or not there is sii, G. tsugae, G. applanatum, and G. and fascinating stories. His self-taught resin in the context, and the tree host. lobatum. G. lobatum was not on any expertise and skills were an inspira- Some distinctive microscopic fea- of our park lists prior to this work- tion to us all. tures include spores which are double shop, but after the presentation, there walled and supported by interwall was conviction that we had seen it. It We learned that the original describ- pillars (of different density in differ- is a non-laccate species which super- ers of Ganoderma based their clas- ent species), whether the spores are ficially resembles G. applanatum, but sifications on macro features. Like smooth or rough, and whether there like the laccate species, is an annual many genera in the fungi kingdom, are asexual chlamydospores. (For with a soft pileus which can easily these classifications were upended example, G. resinaceum, has both be broken with a finger nail. The hunt by DNA analysis. However, the DNA smooth spores and these asexual was on, and in fact, on the second has shown that some of the original spores.) pop-up walk following the talk, Tim species concepts were accurate and Foster found it on Staten Island. It has still stand. Matt’s talk was buttressed by Gano- been seen in at least three other city derma samples collected by Matt or parks since.

6 Denis Benjamin’s Illustrating Mushrooms with Watercolor Workshop

By Reema Keswani

Fifteen lucky club members gathered at the Dana Center in Central Park on Sat- lection. I personally selected a branch urday, April 1st, for a fun afternoon learning watercolor techniques for painting of Trametes cinnabarina and my table fungi. Denis Benjamin, the instructor, is a retired physician and past Chairman of mate, Laura Biscotto, also selected a the Toxicology Committee of the North American Mycological Association. polypore. A number of attendees clearly had a fair amount of experience with watercolors. Ernie Martinez, new to the NYMS, but someone with experience foraging with the Long Island Club, chose a morel to sketch. His impres- sionistic use of his brush resulted in a charming series of quick freehand renderings. Painting fungi really forces you to see and perceive differently than when looking at a photograph. It was a delightful afternoon spent seeing fungi differently and playing Beatrix Potter. Dr. Benjamin was kind enough to bring some of his prints and original watercolors for sale, and I left the proud owner of one of the latter. There Ernie Martinez watercolor photo © Tom Bigelow were so many that were stunning, but I finally settled on a painting of some He started the day with a short intro- around it. For example, frisket film Amanita muscaria. This class was a duction and then told us a bit about may be used to create the bright highlight in this year’s NYMS pro- how he came to watercolor. Dr. Ben- white of the crusts growing on Ama- gramming. jamin learnt watercolor shortly before nitas. In particular, Adrienne Haeberle he retired. At a mycology conference, & Hiromi Karagiannis mentioned the he wandered into a watercolor class introduction to various brush strokes that marked the beginning of his inter- to create desired effects was helpful. est in painting fungi. Other little bits of knowledge, particu- I was so grateful to know that Dr. lar to painting fungi, such as using a Benjamin has only been painting for a sprinkling of salt to create the im- few years. It gave me some measure pression of pores were fun. He also of hope for myself. We began the day recommended using a projector. All with a few technical details such as of the paper, paints and brushes were the kind of paper - no less than 140 provided, allowing us to experiment lb., different brands of paper makers with a wide variety of different tech- and the difference between hot press niques during the class. paper (good for detail but unforgiv- Overall, the emphasis was on ‘saving ing) and cold press paper(what most the light.’ Dr. Benjamin also suggest- artists use). We also discussed paints ed: know what you’re going to do be- and brushes. fore putting brush to paper. And then Dr. Benjamin was very generous with it was off to the races. We selected sharing a number of invaluable tricks our fungal specimens. The fungi table to create particular effects, such as was rich with choice, thanks to Tom using frisket film, a masking liquid Bigelow, who arrived with a wide to protect the paper while you paint variety, many from his personal col- Denis Benjamin photo © Tom Bigelow

7 Ursula Hoffmann

to demonstrate that a weekend day, the club official could early in his career not find a judge holding court. So the his speeches were group was released. In retrospect, it carefully com- all seems quite funny now, but at the posed, while as his time, Ursula definitely did not see any power increased, joke. they became more Time was not kind to Ursula. She had and more a series various physical ailments including of harangues. My a tremor. Because of it, she did not response was, that attend our banquets in recent years, it was fortunate she citing the difficulty of carrying food did not plan to run from a buffet to a table. In conse- for public office, as quence, many of the newer members news that she had did not get a chance to meet her. I played even one tried to persuade her, saying plenty speech of Hitler’s of her friends, starting with myself, would not be a would be glad to carry her plate or winning campaign provide any other help, but to no avail. issue, regardless She did, however, go to restaurants of the reason for with friends. We dined in a good many doing so. “There places in her neighborhood, becom- was once objection ing especially fond of one that served to the display of a mussels in 20 plus ways. Those of us photo courtesy of Gary Lincoff fossil in NYC be- who knew her have suffered a loss. A cause it was found memorial service is planned. URSULA HOFFMANN, a dynamic pres- in South Africa,” she responded. Ski- ence in the Northeastern Mycologi- ing and opera, in addition to mycol- cal Federation, and long time NYMS ogy, were among her interests. member, died earlier this year. It was By Dennis Aita Ursula who gave the common name All of her fellow long-time members Ursula loved to cook, and especially “Lobster Mushroom” to Hypomyces remember, and some even partici- loved to cook mushrooms. In past lactifluorum. She was a force of nature pated in, a mushroom event in the years, club members would bring and the most loyal of friends. Three of Catskills in which Ursula was in- mushroom appetizers to start off the Ursula’s many friends share reminis- volved. A group of us were invited by cences below… evenings of our annual winter ban- Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell Brock to spend quets and dinners (thanks to Laurette a weekend, mushroom hunting in the Reisman for organizing so many of area of the Catskills where they had By Ralph Cox these early banquets). I got a chance their summer home. One of the walks to taste some of Ursula’s offerings With the death of Ursula Hoffmann, was on the land of a private club of when I joined the club back in the the society lost one of the dwindling which Mrs. Brock was a member and early 80’s. They were always tasty number of its long-time members and was authorized to grant permission to and amongst the best of the hors those of us who knew her well lost a enter the club’s land. Ursula was the d’oeuvres. But she was especially dear friend. I define long-time member walk leader. Neither Mrs. Brock, nor proud of one creation – a mushroom as being a member in the days when I went on this walk, so my account is aspic loaf with “floating” wild mush- Guy Nearing, one of the society’s second-hand. It seems that a club of- rooms (cinnabar chanterelles, yellow founders, led all of our walks, about ficial came upon the group, told them chanterelles, and black trumpets) in 40 years ago or so. Ursula was born they were trespassing, and that he in- it. I still don’t know how she did it! in Germany and came to the US on a tended to have them all arrested. Tell- Sometimes when I would talk about post-war student exchange program ing him that they had permission to some special mushroom dish that and stayed on. She was an academic enter the club’s land from a member I had made she would think back with a Bachelor’s from Smith College was of no use as he did not recog- and mention her laborious creation. and her PhD. from Yale, teaching Ger- nize Mrs. Brock’s married name. This I would have loved to have seen this man at Lehman College in the Bronx event occurred when this country was dish…and to have tasted it! until her retirement a few years ago. still in the wake of WWII and among She told me that in one of her ad- Ursula’s concerns was that there was She loved to talk on the phone, more vanced German classes, she played still some German intonation in her so as she stopped doing email in her records of some of Hitler’s speeches English. Fortunately, because it was later years. In those later years, when we became better friends, I would 8 call her at least once a week to talk. Those who knew and talked to Ursula, know that it was often hard to end these phone conversations. She loved to continue the conversation. But she was really interested in others. She listened…and she remembered just about everything I said...the good as well as the bad. I will miss her.

By Dianna Smith I first met Ursula September 19, 2002 at the NEMF Catskill Foray hosted by COMA/NYMS/LIMC/MHMA. She was standing on the well-worn Nevele Grande Resort stairs where registration was to take place with an armful of files and a frustrated scowl on her usually smiling face. Something about Ursula with Sam Ristich at a COMA Foray. Photo © Dianna Smith the registration procedure wasn’t going according to plan. Ursula was the Ursula came to the US from Germany at the CT COMA Forays talking and NEMF Foray chairperson, a role she as a mature teenager where she both sipping the chanterelle and the black relived several times as President of attended classes at Smith College, trumpet vodka I had made. She liked the Northeast Mycological Federation located in my current home town of the latter better, possibly because the of mushroom clubs and chief adviser Northampton, and taught classes in taste was stronger and more appeal- to clubs of most future annual forays. English - of all subjects! She did have ing to a steady smoker. Our conversa- Along with Gary Lincoff, Sandy and a thick German accent, but no one tions were wide, always ranging. She Jerry Sheine, Roz Lowen, Elinor Sha- ever had a problem understanding rarely repeated a single story. She vit, Sam Ristich and members of the her. She is in my thoughts the three to also introduced me to numerous won- NYMS like Paul Sadowski and David five times a week I pass her college derful people, including Kim and John Rose and Don Shernoff of COMA, she and intermittently in between when I Plischke III, with whom she spent accepted me as a myco colleague am feeling guilty about not keeping up much of her time in her less mobile from the beginning of my journey into our sometimes weekly and rather long years at NEMF and COMA forays. At the complex world of fungi. phone conversations. Although she one of her last trips to be with her my- was facile at computer programming, cological friends, her years of devoted Ursula never did like to communicate service were properly acknowledged with anyone via email. The ‘old-fash- and she was presented a NEMF ioned’ phone was her preferred de- award by the man who undoubtedly vice. I wish I spoke with her by phone knew her best, Gary Lincoff. more often during the last couple of I visited Ursula several times in the years when she was confined to her city and was always treated to a deli- apartment. cious lunch and glass of wine at a I met Ursula annually at most of the restaurant near her apartment. Once, subsequent NEMF forays and at all I even spent a bit of time with her in the COMA Clark Rogerson Forays. her east side apartment. I observed She was instrumental in devising that every surface was stacked high collection data for individual NEMF with assorted piles of important Forays as well as many COMA For- papers going back through the years. ays. She was also the NEMF web- She assured me she could easily find master for many years. She made no anything there, whether on orchids, secret of her caring and respect for fungi, teaching at Lehman College or Gary Lincoff and accompanied him by any other matter within a minute or train, car and plane to and from many two. Ursula was generous with her forays as well as COMA’s Mushroom love, her friendship, and her time in University an hour or so outside of devoting so much of it to those of us the city. I fondly recall spending hours who were fortunate enough to make with her late into the summer nights her acquaintance. I miss her. Photo © Dianna Smith 9 Chicken of the Woods Chipotle Year 1 in Mushroomworld Sauce By Mical Moser By Marie Viljoen First there was the one that was charismatically red and the size of a bol of café au lait. Something that lights up the morning so vibrantly must have a serves 2 (One of the recipes from my new wild foods cookbook. Chelsea Green Publishing, April 2018) name, I reasoned, and how was it possible that I didn’t know it? And if I ate it, what would it wake in me? Would it kill me? This smoky sauce is a fantastic taco filling, or a topping for Tequila-marinated steak, soft po- Next came the red or green ones in amidst the grass and moss of the lawn. lenta, and egg yolk pasta. Very young chickens I watched through the living room window as squirrels sprinted among are tender enough to cook entire, but once they them, whacking off their caps with fierce little paws is if competing in some reach impressive fan size, trim and use only the sciurine sport. Stranger still, they’d check the mushroom cap bottoms and outer edges of the fan, and cook them for longer. devour some while abandoning others to lie ruined like so many sacked temples. It felt like a challenge. How much mushroom knowledge did these 2 Tablespoons olive oil one-pound furballs have in their tiny brains and why did my impressive 1 medium onion, chopped finely hominid head hold so much less? 5 large cloves garlic, sliced thinly 3 Tablespoons tomato paste For years I had been foraging because it seemed unethical, even insane, 4 cups very thinly sliced tender chicken of the to prepare for our annual camping trips by buying, measuring, and packing woods in plastic every morsel we’d need to eat. Surely, I thought, the nature we 1 Tablespoon lime juice were heading into was replete with food if only I knew how to identify it. So 1/2 cup orange juice I bought books. I researched. I scrutinized greens and tubers and corms 3 cups broth (chicken, mushroom or vegetable), and nuts. I got myself a fishing license. I discovered that I have no patience plus extra to fish. I endangered myself by putting berries in my mouth without due 1 3” long piece of orange zest diligence. I expressed curiosity in mushrooms and it was then that the oth- 6 bayberry leaves (subst. 2 ordinary bay leaves) erwise mild-mannered Tim put his foot down and flat out forbade me from ¼ teaspoon bayberry salt (subst. sea salt) eating foraged mushrooms until I’d done a class of some kind. 5 chipotle chiles, very roughly chopped Years passed. We got ourselves a little patch of woods. The woods (no need to soak) sprouted mushrooms. And suddenly my inability to name them felt urgently To serve unacceptable. As part of a class at the New York Botanical Gardens, Gary Lincoff took us on a gander in Central Park where I discovered something Tortillas that entailed exercise, art, science, meditation, nature worship, sociability, Sour cream critical thinking, rote memorization, and last but not least, eating. It was like Pickled chive flowers discovering a cake baked from all of my favorite ingredients. Pickled ramps Thinly sliced radishes That was a little over a year ago. Since then, Tim and I have made a con- Cilantro or tender American burnweed certed effort to learn what we can about the mushroomy world. The red café (Erechtites hieraciifolius) au lait sized mushroom? It was a Baorangia bicolor (Boletus bicolor). The Warm the oil in a pan over medium high heat. fungus the squirrels played handball with? Those were Russulas. What else Add the onion and garlic and sauté for a few have I learned in the last twelve months? So much, but here is a short list. minutes, until the edges just turn brown. Add 1) Walk very slowly. If cycling is a ten, and city walking is a five, move at the tomato paste and stir well, letting it caramel- the speed of one. Move at the speed of less than one. Move at the speed ize for a minute. Add the mushrooms, and stir. of the Paradox of Zeno. Walk as if you will never arrive and that’s when you Pour in the lime and orange juices, allowing the will start to really see things. liquid to boil. Add the stock. The liquid should just cover the mushrooms. Add the orange 2) Look as if your eyes are microscopes. See as if the tiniest things are the zest, bayberry and bayberry salt. Now add the undiscovered truths that will save us all. chopped chipotles. Cover the pan, bring the 3) Mycology is filled with the undiscovered and the unknown. We can all liquid to a boil then reduce the heat to low. Cook play the part of Aristotle or Elizabeth Blackwell, or any other eighteenth- for an hour at a gentle simmer. If there is still a lot century heroine of amateur science, muddying our hems as we trudge of liquid in the pan, remove the lid, increase the through fields with cold-stiffened fingers, pausing to disentangle from the heat and cook until you have a thick, concen- earth some curiosity, warming ourselves with the promise of an interesting trated sauce. identification and an eventual cup of hot, milky tea. Tortillas: toast 3 – 4 flour tortillas per person: Heat them directly on the open flame of your gas 4) People who hunt say there’s nothing like the satisfaction of feeding range, turning them three times until they puff a family on what you’ve caught and I’ll never know because when I see up. You can also toast them in a dry frying pan a deer the last thing I think is “Quick! Kill it!” But going out hunting for over high heat. Keep warm in a folded napkin. mushrooms and never knowing if we’ll find our dinner and then finding our dinner is, it’s true, a thrill. To serve: spoon some warm mushroom sauce into the middle of the tortilla. Top with sour 5) There is one answer that is always true, and that is “butter and salt.” cream, pickles and radish, and finish with the leaves. Fold. Chew. Yum 10 NEMF

By Juniper Perlis

In the early days of the New York My- I know people are still identifying and things so many mycologists don’t pay cological Society’s current incarnation, bringing that number up. attention to. Not only was it inspiring, a tradition was started of going to Ver- it really gave those of us participating, The beauty of Stratton Mountain was mont every summer for a chanterelle the tools we need to pursue identifi- a wonderful bonus and the accom- weekend. Fittingly, in recent years, cations on our own. modations were uncharacteristically Paul Sadowski has been the resident comfortable for a NEMF foray. Frank NEMF is an excellent opportunity to expert for the chanterelle weekend. Marra did a wonderful job selecting meet people like Ethan who focus This year, Paul Sadowski, The New walks. The thing was organized a little on specific aspects of mycology, York Mycological Society and its bit differently than other NEMFs I’ve and generously share their knowl- neighbors, The Long Island Mycologi- been to, in that we used carpooling in edge with those of us who are eager cal club, The Mid-Hudson Mycologi- addition, and in some cases instead to learn with them. Next year in the cal Association, and the Connecticut/ of, bussing to get to the foray sites. Finger Lakes! Westchester Mycological Associa- It seemed efficient and allowed us to tion joined together to host one of spend more time in the woods. the most successful North Eastern Mycological Federation (NEMF) forays One of the more marvelous aspects in history. Surprisingly, those who go of being in a co-hosting mushroom regularly to the chanterelle weekend, group, was seeing so many of our reported a significantly fewer number members participating more fully in of chanterelles than are often found. the event. A shining moment for me However, we had a near record- was being present for the workshop breaking number of species recorded. Ethan Crenson taught, “Blotches, (Second highest number of species Spots and Bumps on Logs”. He did found at a NEMF.) The total was 530 such an excellent job of putting to- when I left on Sunday afternoon, and gether a beautiful presentation on the

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