Mushroom Mania: Part I

I have decided to put together a little guide of some incredible edible mushrooms, that shockingly, not many people know about. I have to admit that a mere 2 years ago I had never tried or even heard of these marvels of nature. (just to clarify, the mushrooms i am going to describe below are not the "magic" kind. Any euphoric experiences from eating these are from their flavor alone)

Im going to start off with a shocker, and introduce you to... the....

Trumpet of Death Mushroom
(oooohh, aaaahhhhh, so scary!)

Dont run away just yet. This mushroom also goes by some more friendly names, such as "Horn of Plenty" or "Black Trumpet".
This mushroom is very popular in french cuisine because of its unique flavor and texture. Fresh specimens are said to smell like apricots. Although they are hard to find in the wild, growing mostly under Oaks in the woods, you can also find these (depending on the season and location) at some health stores and farmers markets. If you live in SF there is an amazing store at the Ferry Building called Far West Fungi, who carries a wide variety of local wild mushrooms. Also there is Rainbow Grocery (13th@Folsom) who has a nice selection too.

These mushrooms are delicious and can create a dramatic looking meal with their glossy black presense. To prepare them from fresh (this is what they look like fresh). Clean them by splitting them in half and rinsing under cool water. you can leave them in large chunks or rip them into smaller strips. My favorite way to prepare them is to sautee them in a little bit of butter till they release their juice and are soft, then i mix them into a Risotto or Toasted Cous Cous dish.

If you have found them dried (this is what they look like dried), you can reconstitute them in warm water, leaving them to soak for approximately 30 minutes. The dried mushrooms will release a lot of flavor into the water, which after soaking you can strain and use it to cook pasta or rice. Once the mushrooms are reconstituted you can cooked them as if they were fresh.

Coming soon, the mysterious and evasive Morel Mushroom. Stay tuned.