Delight among the duff: Mushrooms offer texture, unique flavor to any dish

SANTA CRUZ -- Mushrooms for dessert? To local fungus expert Bob Wynn, slipping in a few shrooms is the ultimate treat.

"A lot of times, people will joke and say, 'Oh are there mushrooms in the dessert?' " said Wynn, who has been part of the Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz since 1985. "They can't believe it. Candy cap mushrooms have a very intense maple syrup flavor, and when they taste it, that's all they have to do. There's no going back."

Wynn will be serving up his famous candy cap mushroom cookies and cheesecake this weekend at Santa Cruz's 39th annual Fungus Fair. In addition to sweet and savory wild fungus dishes, the event will feature mushroom exhibits, kids' activities, a raffle, vendors and mushroom identification.

While the event will provide a plethora of edible mushrooms, fair organizers warn that novices should never eat wild mushrooms they've harvested without getting an expert's opinion. Dozens of cases of people eating poisonous mushrooms, which can lead to death, are reported annually. And while Dominican Hospital in Santa Cruz is currently leading the first U.S. clinical trial of a European antidote for poisoning from mushrooms, it's better to leave mushrooms alone if you're unsure.

Still, the event is a celebration of the stuff among the duff, and mushrooms have an essential and ubiquitous presence in Santa Cruz County.

"We have the most diversity of anywhere in the country because we go from the ocean to the mountains in a few short miles," Wynn said.


After harvesting the mushrooms (local foragers remain hush-hush on where they score), it's important to know how to properly clean the boomers. The top picks right now are chanterelles, porcinis and candy caps, which have had a moderate season this year.

Wynn recommends gently scrubbing them with a brush, then sauteing them in a pan without oil.

"It produces a firm texture," Wynn said.

Paul Geise of Ristorante Avanti also emphasizes the importance of properly cleaning mushrooms. He's been harvesting mushrooms in Santa Cruz for more than 25 years, using them in various savory dishes at the local Italian restaurant.

Despite the initial task of cleaning, Geise said mushrooms become an easy food to incorporate into dishes.

"I don't think there are any challenges working with them. From a chef's point of view, they're another local ingredient we can use that's fresh and sustainable," Geise said. "Some people are just like, 'Nope, no wild mushrooms for me.' It's not really a part of our culture."


Jozseph Schultz of India Joze looks to mushrooms to add a meatless option in any dish. The local chef has hosted a booth at the Fungus Fair for numerous years, but he won't be at this year's event.

"Basically, mushrooms stand in for meat," Schultz said. "They're called 'god's flesh' in the Aztec language, and they're more closely related to animals than plants if you look at genomes."

Schultz carefully scrutinizes his fungi's texture when cooking, making sure to properly highlight the appropriate selection.

"Mushrooms are mostly water, and water is the enemy of interesting cooking," Schultz said. "Things that happen with food, especially with protein, is that you have to cook it about 300 degrees to have enough heat to transform it."

Geise also tries to highlight texture in dishes, especially when working with his favorite: the Aminati calyptoderma, otherwise known as coccora.

"It has somewhere between an egg and a fish flavor; it just has a really strong flavor," Geise said. "It also has a great meaty texture and it's really firm. We usually serve it in a pasta."


Once you've mastered the art of enhancing a mushroom's texture, you can move on to featuring the unique flavor in an array of dishes.

While Wynn is known for his desserts featuring candy caps, he also enjoys incorporating mushrooms into classic dishes including lasagna and soup.

"The lasagna is a good one; I just love preparing the mushrooms themselves," Wynn said. "I'll collect porcini mushrooms and dry them to intensify the flavor until they're potato chip crisp."

Phil Carpenter, the Fungus Fair's co-chair who will teach Introduction to Mushroom Identification at the event, said he often lets the mushrooms dictate the dish.

"It depends on the mushroom because each mushroom has a different flavor," Carpenter said. "You typically design a dish around the mushroom. For instance, chanterelle has a mild, delicate flavor, so you don't want any overpowering, heavy sauces."

Schultz said from the flavor to the texture, he simply enjoys all that mushrooms have to contribute to a meal.

"They give integrity to dish; they don't fall apart and mush out like most other foods," Schultz said. "They're also beautiful. They're interesting shapes, sometimes interesting colors, and they're inherently decorative."

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If You Go

39th Annual Fungus Fair

What: Hosted by the Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz, this annual event will feature mushroom exhibits, kids activities, a raffle, food booths, vendors and mushroom identification.
When: 3-7 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday
Cost: $10 Friday; $10 general, $5 seniors/students Saturday and Sunday

Linguine and Coccora

1 pound sliced Coccora, or other wild mushrooms
Olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
2 tablespoons chopped tomatoes
4 ounces pasta water
1 tablespoon chopped flat parsley

1. Wipe and clean the mushrooms. Slice and sauté the mushrooms with olive oil until they start to brown.
2. Add the chopped garlic, chopped tomatoes and pasta water. Reduce the water until almost gone.
3. Add the chopped flat parsley.
4. Add the linguine to the pan. Stir and toss well.
5. Serve and garnish plates with Reggiano-Parmigiano.
-- Recipe from Paul Geise, Ristorante Avanti, Santa Cruz

Wild Mushroom Ragu

4-6 ounces porcini mushrooms
4-6 onnces of chantrelle mushrooms
4-6 onnces of oyster mushrooms
4-6 onnces of button mushrooms, or other wild mushrooms
1 tablespoon chopped shallots
1 pinch fresh thyme
1/2 cup white wine
1 tablespoon butter

1. Wipe clean all mushrooms. Slice all but keep separate.
2. Sauté mushrooms with a little olive oil in the order of cooking time needed: oysters first, then chantrelle, porcini and buttons as oysters need more time than the others. 3. When they start to brown, add the shallots and fresh thyme and slowly cook.
4. Add the white wine and cook until reduced.
5. Add the butter to finish. Serve over polenta or over a baked potato or as a pizza topping.
-- Recipe from Paul Geise, Ristorante Avanti, Santa Cruz

Candycap Mushroom Cookies

1 cup butter
2 cups light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon candycap mushroom powder
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Cream together the butter, light brown sugar, eggs and vanilla.
2. In a coffee mill, grind dried candycap mushrooms to produce a tablespoon of fine powder.
3. Add the mixture to the flour, baking powder and salt. Mix thoroughly.
4. Blend everything together. using small scoop or tablespoon portion onto parchment lined sheetpan.
5. Bake at 375 degrees until golden brown. They will smell of intense maple syrup.
-- Recipe from Bob Wynn, Santa Cruz Fungus Federation

Candycap Mushroom Syrup

1. Powder dried candycap mushrooms in a coffee grinder to produce 1 teaspoon.
2. Add to 1 cup boiling water. Allow to steep for 15 minutes.
3. Add 1 cup sugar cook until becomes desired thickness.
4. Serve with pancakes, waffles or ice cream.
-- From Bob Wynn, Santa Cruz Fungus Federation

Tips for cooking Mushrooms

1. Wash mushrooms thoroughly before slicing.
2. Heat a dry saute pan very hot; do not add oil.
3. Add sliced mushrooms. The dry heat will evaporate any liquid from washing as mushrooms dry out. There will be less sizzle.
4. After mushrooms dry out, usually in 2-3 minutes, add salt, pepper and other herbs of your choice.
5. Add butter or olive oil and saute as usual. This technique will produce a firm textured and nicely browned mushroom. The flavor is greatly enhanced and doesn't create the slimyness that is off-putting to a lot of people.
-- Bob Wynn, Santa Cruz Fungus Federation