Eating my first Beefsteak Polypore (Fistulina hepatica) & Identification

I am very excited about Sunday's mushroom find: my very first Fistulina hepatica! Commonly called the beefsteak fungus, beefsteak polypore, or the ox tongue polypore.

I know, it's a strange thing to be excited about . . . but this fungus, though it can be found anywhere in the East, is still pretty uncommon to rare--especially in the northeast, where I live. Despite the fact that this was the first time I found this mushroom, I didn't have a second's doubt as to what it was, this is an incredibly distinctive fungus.

Cheesy Cinnabar Chanterelle Stuffed Zucchini Boats

Boats before being topped with the final layer of cheese and panko

Cinnabar Chanterelles (Cantharellus cinnabarinus) are juuuust starting to come in season, though most we saw were still too small.

Cinnabars are smaller and less popular than their better known cousin, the Chanterelle (Cantharellus cibarius), which is egg-yolk yellow, smells faintly of apricots, and generally considered to be one of the 5 best (and most expensive) mushrooms in the world. Many people consider the cinnabars to be not worth the trouble of gathering, because of their small size, difficult to clean grooves, and their "inferior" flavor.