"wild mushrooms" news and stories

If you are a mushroom lover, sometimes the specimens growing in your yard or in the nearby park look quite tasty. The problem is that it is difficult to determine exactly what kind of mushroom it may be - and since mistakes can be potentially fatal, it's not wise to experiment. This week, a Toronto man plucked a few mushrooms that looked harmless, only to end up hospitalized and in grave condition because they were poisonous.

The man's chances for recovery are uncertain.

The particular species of mushroom actually looks very similar to several nontoxic species, and health officials say that they did not realize that it was growing in the area. The director of Ontario's regional poison center said, "You fry them up, they taste great and the symptoms don't come for 12 hours. You may not connect it to the mushrooms, think it's just gastro [gastroenteritis] and think it'll get better. But it gets worse, and all the while it's eating away at your liver."

Play it safe and stick with the mushrooms for sale at local shops and markets, instead of taking chances with ones growing wild.

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I purchased a bag of morel powder during the last day of the Portland Farmer's Market. I asked the adorably wizened man working the mushroom booth what should be done with the stuff. His eyes lit up and he suggested everything from sprinkling it in risotto and soups to rubbing it onto salmon for a particularly Northwest treat.

I'd like to add it to some dish to complement my aforementioned holiday ham. I've been mulling over the possibility of a nice potato gratin with plenty of half-and-half, a lot of minced garlic, salt, pepper and morel powder. When should I mix it in? How much should I use? Or do you have other ideas on what to do with this treasure?

[Photo Sarah Gilbert]