Western Pennsylvania Mushroom Club Newsletter Volume 8, Issue 3 AugusVSeptember 2007 2007 Gary Lincoff Mid-Atlantic Mushroom Foray: Behind the Scenes Inside This Issue MICIe by Glenn Carr, Pholograpfls by Jim Strutz Article: "Behind the Scenes" 1 President's Comer 2 Article: "Mycophagy' 2 WPMC News Items 3 Article: "Mycologist Bios' 5 2007 MembE!fship App. 7 Foray Registration FOffll 9 Article: "Some Pluleus" 10 Recipe: Fawn Mush Soup 14 Mushroom Joke 14 Fungi Fr1ends 15 Article: 'Oeadly Galer1na" 16 Article: "La Sculori" 18 Article: "Free Gift" 19 ThtI _sItIIe< cI !he' Weslem Pemsyl_ MiAhtoI:m Oub IS publi$hIId and IHlnl>..telj 5 1m. '* When I was asked to write a short article about reviewing the directions to the walks. year AOrillMey, JuneI...... y. Aug/$8Ilt, the organization of the Western Pennsylvania OclINov, and Oec Arlides,~. ~9WS I",",s, _ ..... $Ullm1S$lOf1l ~_ be Mushroom Club"s annual Gary Uncoff Mid As we approach the foray date, other len! 10 \he edilollllle8st ~ __ PlIO' 10 ~ecI OIi\l'ltlutlOO lot !he best Atlantic Foray, I didn't think there was all that preparatory activities take place, such as - cl>1IfIC8 aI _ The _ eannoo. much to say . After all , I'd been involved In gu8f8ll!ee thlt oubmOWons wil be soliciting donations for the Chinese Auction, ,ndJdtId In the 1'16>:1 newo/elter Howe_. three of the events, counting this year's, and selecting a welcoming gift, developing the ,II oubm"",,", wil be ~ in IuIurtt ~l8OS _long lIS ~ _If! SCfI'I they all just seem to go smoothly, even when event program, scheduling a cooking ... ...,10 .... n.. ..Ior_ .... righl Ivan tried to flood us out. Stilt, I didn't know demonstration, finding an after-event get 10 ...... IIMIIMg Of IJfItO'll'l\MlCal CCII'ft!CIIocn _ m~ ~ COflIe"II where to begin. then I thought the best together site, organizing set-up and tear­ CI\a!'98S 10 IhtI aumor Meler111 Ilo..ohshea in ClVI' ".,.,1811"", may be ..ed In 0I/IeI' approach would be to put together a list of the down committees, establishing a hospitality non'i)ltllil putIIo<:alJOf>5 My ... ,ttl UJ'","sed permission _ .. jill tasks involved. My Excel spreadsheet quickly station, and touching bases on who"s llIjlfOpI1a1e ~_ developed a growing problem that even responsible for what supplies, table/chairs Avadart wouldn't solve. I'm not sure the list is rental , printing the various walk and handout complete, but it is W'hat t used to develop a forms, and on, and on, and on . condensed chain of events that occur in a Club Officers years lime frame. At the beginning of the day of the foray the Set-up Committee handles the tables and President First a date has to be established for the foray chairs, the PA system , covering the windows, Olck Dougall and that depends on when Gary lincoff is hanging the foray banner and helping where available. John Plischke or the current needed, the Welcoming Committee Vice President President usually handles thaI. Once a date is organizes morning refreshments, the John Stuart set, the Foray Chair reserves a site, and John Treasurer handles the guest registration desk Treasurer Plischke begins lining up key speakers. and the Cooking Committee prepares for one Gtenn Carr of the more significant events of the day. These first steps usually take place in early Secretary October, and the formation of the foray begins Then the fun beginS, the guests can sign up Shirley Ann Caseman to move forward, slowly at first, but picking up for walks and cooking demonstrations, CctTesponding Secretary speed as Spring arrives. Registration fees and peruse the merchandise available, enter bids Jean Petrisek forms are established and publicity in our for the Chinese Auction, listen to the key newsletter, web site, and e-mail is launched. speakers, learn what has been found for the NewsltJtt8r Editor A li ttle later, a host of other activities are day, feast on the many tasty dishes provided, J im Strutz: addressed like organizing the logistics - lining and enjoy the company of other mushroom up the Identifiers, Cooking Comminee, lovers. vendors, potential hosts for mycologists, determining the walks and their leaders and Conllflued on Page 17, "Behm(1lhe Scenes' Page 1 President.s Comer The Gary Lincoff Mid-Atlantic Mushroom An Idea l Mushroom Walk Foray: Mycophagy By Dick Dougall Article and photo by Becky and Kim Pllschke What items make up a perfect mushroom walk? First, the walk area should have pleasant features and some inherent natural beauty, Second, a lot of different mushrooms should be found during the walk. Third, you want to have a pleasant group of people along to share your experience. Finally, some knowledgeable people should be available to help you identify the mushrooms found , The location of a mushroom walk is something we can control. Having mushrooms fruiting during the walk IS in nature's hands unless we time our walk to coincide with some wet weather. We can always get better at finding the mushrooms thaI are fruiting. For most of us, having a mushroom expert (mycologist) handy is really helpful because we find so many mushrooms we don't recognize. The previous paragraphs point out why the mushroom walks Come to the Mid Atlantlc Foray to pick mushrooms, during the club's Gary Lincoff Mid-Atlantic Foray in September Come to the Mid AUantic Foray to learn about wild are so close to being ideal. It is headquartered in Allegheny mushrooms. Come to the Mid Atlantic Foray to eat wild County's North Park and surrounding areas. lhere are a wide mushrooms! Kim Plischke has assembled a team of variety of scenic walks from which to choose. With normal gourmet cooks for the event. You know, anyone who weather. September is an ideal time to hunt mushrooms. Even cooks with wild mushrooms is a gourmet cook! If you when we have had droughts or copious rain (Hurricane Ivan), want to help, just contact Kim at [email protected] well over 100 different types of mushrooms were found during these forays. Also, a truly outstanding array of mycologists are Our mushroom tasting has been called a mushroom present at this event. (See John Plischke's article on the feast. Last year we had 34 wild mushroom dishes for you mycologists coming this year.) They will be able to identify to sample. This year we should have some new exciting almost all the mushrooms found . dishes plus some old favorites. Come join us for a wonderful day of fungi, fun, friends, and food! Because we have over 120 people looking for mushrooms at over a dozen different sites. fruiting mushrooms are sure to be found! You may not be lucky enough to find basket-filling Here are some of the dishes served last year at the Gary quantities of mushrooms on your specific walk, but our walk Lincoff Mjd Atlantic Mushroom Foray. leaders are experienced enough to find some interesting specimens on nearly every walk, Furthermore, you can see the Chewy Cherry Tremena Delight results of the other walks. Having these mushrooms available to Creamed Oyster Mushrooms inspect, touch, and smell is reaUy helpful in learning new ones. If Sheephead Pasta Salad you have a camera, you can photograph interesting mushrooms Chicken Pasta Salad for later study. My earliest photogs of Hen of the Woods (Grifola Beets & Mandarin Oranges with Chantereties frondosa) were taken of specimens at one of the early Lincoff Chanterelle Zucchini Bread Forays. I hadn't had much luck finding them on my own. Stuffed Mushrooms Italian Marinated Criminis The people attending this foray are another valuable resource for Chicken Mushrooms in Sherry Sauce learning mushrooms, for mushrooming inspiration, and for just Couscous, Tomatoes, Spinach & Mushrooms plain entertainment. Mushroomers are fun people to talk to! Candy Cap Carrots They Wilt tell you about their favorite mushrooms, give you tips Stinkhorn and Rice Casserole on finding specific mushrooms, and tell you some great stories Bolete & Truffle Risotto like how they once got lost, etc Honey Spaghetti Wild Mushroom Log If you are a beginning or slightly expenenced mushroomer, you Vegetarian Hot & Sour Soup may be overwhelmed by the day's events. However, this IS a good and pleasant way to b.e overwhelmed because you wilt see ChantereHe Corn Bisque so many new , eXCiting, and interesting areas of mushrooming to White Truffle Salad IOvestlgate. For regular attendees of this foray, you can pick a Oyster Ham Roll Ups speCific set of mushrooms. i,e. amanitas, boletes, or honey Candy Cap Cake mushrooms, etc. on which to focus. Teriaki Marinated Crimin; Sulfur Shelf Snack I encourage you to come to this year's Gary Lincolf Mid-Atlantic Buffalo Chix Dip Mushroom Foray on Saturday. September '5!~ , You'll be glad Chanterelle Dip you did Please come and see me at the foray to share your experiences. Page 2 WPMC News Items 1n WPMC Mushroom Items For Sale October 16 : Election of Officers & Open Forum Officers A number of mushroom-related items are sold at our for nexl year will be elected. Club members ...viII be meetlngs: caps and I-shirts, mushroom cookbooks, Icupes, encouraged to share mushroom stones, experiences and waxpaper bags, and Field Guides to Mushrooms (both slides. Results of the dub's photography conlest will also be lincoffs and Russell's) See Mary Ellen Dougall at the presented. sales table at our meetings. November 20t": " lichens and Fungi". Speaker to be WPMC Yahoo Groups determined Most of us knQIN a lichen when we see it on a Yahoo Groups is a great resource for our dub members tree or rock .