Chanterelle Dreams, Amanita Nightmares (eBook)

The Love, Lore, and Mystique of Mushrooms

Greg Marley (Autor)

eBook Download: EPUB

2010
288 Seiten
Chelsea Green Publishing (Verlag)
978-1-60358-280-3 (ISBN)

Infos

*2011 Winner, International Association of Culinary Professionals Jane Grigson Award*2011 Finalist, International Association of Culinary Professionals in the Culinary History categoryThroughout history, people have had a complex and confusing relationship with mushrooms. Are fungi food or medicine, beneficial decomposers or deadly "e;toadstools"e; ready to kill anyone foolhardy enough to eat them? In fact, there is truth in all these statements. In Chanterelle Dreams, Amanita Nightmares, author Greg Marley reveals some of the wonders and mysteries of mushrooms, and our conflicting human reactions to them.With tales from around the world, Marley, a seasoned mushroom expert, explains that some cultures are mycophilic (mushroom-loving), like those of Russia and Eastern Europe, while others are intensely mycophobic (mushroom-fearing), including, the US. He shares stories from China, Japan, and Korea-where mushrooms are interwoven into the fabric of daily life as food, medicine, fable, and folklore-and from Slavic countries where whole families leave villages and cities during rainy periods of the late summer and fall and traipse into the forests for mushroom-collecting excursions.From the famous Amanita phalloides (aka "e;the Death Cap"e;), reputed killer of Emperor Claudius in the first century AD, to the beloved chanterelle (cantharellus cibarius) known by at least eighty-nine different common names in almost twenty-five languages, Chanterelle Dreams, Amanita Nightmares explores the ways that mushrooms have shaped societies all over the globe.This fascinating and fresh look at mushrooms-their natural history, their uses and abuses, their pleasures and dangers-is a splendid introduction to both fungi themselves and to our human fascination with them. From useful descriptions of the most foolproof edible species to revealing stories about hallucinogenic or poisonous, yet often beautiful, fungi, Marley's long and passionate experience will inform and inspire readers with the stories of these dark and mysterious denizens of our forest floor.

Inhalt

Tales from the forest floor

Part 1. Mushrooms and culture

Passionate about mushrooms : the Russian and Slavic experience

Overcoming distrust : mushrooming in America

Part 2. Mushrooms as food

Leading with our stomachs

The Foolproof Four : updated for a new millennium

Chanterelles

Boletus edulis

The Agaricus brothers

Part 3. Dangerously toxic, deadly interesting

poisonous mushrooms : not as bad as you fear

Mushroom poisoning : not as bad as you fear ; Mushroom poisoning : the potential risks and ways to avoid them

Amanita nightmares : the Death Cap and Destroying Angel

False morels : the Finnish Fugu

A fallen angel

The poison pax : a deadly mystery

Part 4. Mushrooms and the mind : the origin of religion and the pathway to enlightenment

Entheogens : a new way to view hallucinogenic mushrooms

Amanita muscaria : soma, religion, and Santa

Psilocybin : gateway to the soul or just a good high?

Part 5. Mushrooms within living ecosystems

Honey mushrooms : the race for the world's largest fungus

Fairy rings and fairy tales

Fungal bioluminescence : mushroom nightlights

Who's eating the truffles?

Woodpeckers, wood decay fungi, and forest health

Part 6. Tools for a new world

Growing mushrooms in the garden : a how-to story

Rezensionen

lt;p>Publishers Weekly-

By following a few basic guidelines, readers interested in foraging for their food will find themselves with a wealth of culinary opportunities courtesy of longtime amateur mycologist Marley (Mushrooms for Health). An enthusiastic guide, Marley introduces foragers to the most common wild edible shrooms - morels, puffballs, chicken mushrooms, and shaggy mane - as well as their more recognizable cousins in the market, such as chanterelles. Basic recipes for preparation (risottos, simple pastas, and the like) are included, enabling readers to get the most from their bounty. But Marley spends equal time with their more toxic and psychedelic brethren, describing key characteristics, common regions, and potential side effects, ensuring that initiates spend more time in the woods than the ER. While the book does have a set of color slides to aid in identification of edible and poisonous varieties, the sample pales in comparison to the many species Marley mentions.

Booklist-

Mushroom lovers who can only get their fix by sampling the often paltry array that appears in their grocer’s produce section may be sorely tempted to indulge their mycophilia when they encounter some choice fungi in the wild. Unlike many Asian and European cultures, however, most Americans are hesitant to just pluck one off the forest floor and eat it on the spot. Perhaps such evocative names as the “Death Cap” mushroom has something to do with this mycophobia. Yet, says Marley, armed with proper background, this culinary caution can turn into complete confidence. From the fabled psychedelic “magic mushrooms” to the duplicitous appearance of “false morels,” Marley examines these fungal fiends and provides thorough descriptions of their habitat, appearance, and toxic properties to ward off potential misadventures. An avowed mycophile, Marley offers an entertaining and inquisitive look at both the heroes and villains of the kingdom Fungi in an enlightened guide that comprehensively examines their nutritional benefits, undesirable properties, and diverse cultural history.

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 9.9.2010
• Zusatzinfo: 8 pages of color illustrations
• Verlagsort: White River Junction
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Sachbuch/Ratgeber ► Natur / Technik ► Natur / Ökologie
• Themenwelt: Naturwissenschaften ► Biologie ► Mykologie
• Schlagworte: Black Forager Alexis Nikole • cultivate • Cultivation • Ecology • edible • edible mushrooms • entangled life • foraging for food • foraging for mushrooms • hallucinogenic mushrooms • in search of mycotopia • Merlin Sheldrake • morels • mushroom • Mushroom cultivation • Mushrooming with Confidence • mushrooming without fear • Mushrooms • Mushrooms for Health: Medical Secrets of Northeastern Fungi • myco • mycoprotein • Peterson Field Guide to Mushrooms of North America • poisonous • poisonous mushrooms • puffballs • shaggy mane • sulphur mushroom polypore
• ISBN-10: 1-60358-280-0 / 1603582800
• ISBN-13: 978-1-60358-280-3 / 9781603582803