Mushrooms A Guide to Fungi and Toadstools

About this book

Mushrooms are one of our planet's most amazing and unusual organisms. Used for millennia as a source of food, medicine, and occasionally poison, mushrooms and toadstools have become part of our cultural histories: for example, a ring of mushrooms was believed to be a magnet for fairies to come out to dance, while in Greek mythology, mushrooms were said to originate from Zeus's lightning because they appeared after rainstorms. Mushrooms is a photographic guide to the world's major species of fungi, from the familiar porcini mushroom, prized for its meaty texture and nutty taste, to the vivid hues of the red-and-white spotted fly agaric, known to cause psychotic reactions if eaten, and the well-named Jelly Ears, its large tan-brown fleshiness found growing on tree branches. Illustrated with 300 photographs and including dimensions and characteristics for each entry, Mushrooms offers a vivid pictorial introduction to fungi for foragers, cooks and all those interested in mycology.

Contents

Introduction: What are Fungi?

1 Field mushroom
2 Button mushroom
3 Flat mushroom
4 Portobello mushroom
5 Chestnut mushroom
6 Scarlet elf caps
7 Orange birch bolete
8 Oyster
9 King oyster
10 Golden oyster
11 Pink oyster
12 Shiitake
13 Enoki
14 Nameko
15 Shimeji
16 Pied bleu/Wood blewit
17 Hen of the woods/Maitake
18 Matsutake
19 Straw
20 Lion's mane/pom pom
21 Black ear
22 Morel
23 St George's
24 Chanterelle
25 girolle/golden chanterelle
26 Mousserson/fairy ring
27 Charbonnier
28 Truffles
29 Lactaire
30 Dryad's saddle
31 Pied de mouton/Hedgehog
32 Parasol
33 Trompette
34 Porcini/ Penny Buns
35 Lobster
36 Cauliflower/Coral
37 Caesar
38 Horse
39 Jelly/wood ears
40 Giant puff ball
41 Common puffball
42 Pear-shaped puffball
43 Beefsteak
44 Chicken of the woods
45 Meadow waxcap
46 The Prince
47 Pavement mushroom
48 Medusa mushroom
49 Macro mushroom
50 Scaly wood mushroom
51 Almond mushroom
52 Blushing Wood mushroom
53 Spring fieldcap
54 Wood mushroom
55 Orange peel
56 Snakeskin grisette
57 Slippery Jack
58 Orange Birch Bolete
59 Orange Oak Bolete
60 Bay Bolete
61 Shaggy Inkcap
62 Cordyceps
63 The Miller
64 Oak Milkcap
65 Velvet Shank
66 Shaggy Parasol
67 Tawny Grisette
68 The Deceiver
69 The Blusher
70 Porcelain fungus

Dangerous/Inedible
71 The Death Cap
72 Fly agaric
73 Destroying angel
74 Deadly webcab
75 Fool's conecap
76 Fool's funnel
77 Funeral bell
78 Angel's Wings
79 Panther Cap
80 The Dapperlings

Customer Reviews

Biography

Food journalist, Liz O'Keefe writes for various business and consumer horticulture and food magazines. She is co-author of the award-winning The Mushroom Cookbook and contributing editor for The Great British Pepper Cookbook. Formerly a chef, Liz is a fruit and vegetable expert and also works as a recipe developer and food stylist. A lifelong fan of the world of mushrooms, Liz delights in the intricacies of horticulture and runs a successful supper club in London.