I have a few different mushroom compound butters on this website, but shaggy mane ink butter is different. If you’re unfamiliar, shaggy manes / Coprinus comatus (also known as lawyer’s wig mushrooms or shaggy inkcaps) turn into an inky black substance as they mature. The transformation from mushroom to goo might look unappetizing, but it’s…
Wild Mushroom Recipes
Wild mushrooms recipes are the backbone of this site, and what I started writing about years ago. I find it helpful to separate them into the categories of cooking fresh and dried mushrooms and mushroom preserves, so there's links to those below, followed by all of the recipes on this website in post format. Many recipes can be adapted for fresh or dried mushrooms, so think of the titles as a suggestion. Expect some overlap in the organization.
Huitlacoche Elotes
Huitlacoche elotes, or corn brushed with black mushroom puree with cheese and hot chili is my heartfelt, smutty love letter to Mexican street food and mushrooms. Sweet corn season is in full swing here in the Midwest: stands filled with green spears of golden kernels dot the roadsides, parking lots of neighborhood watering holes, private…
Huitlacoche Quesadilla
A simple quesadilla with huitlacoche / corn mushrooms / corn smut is probably a contender for one of the best quesadillas I’ve had, especially if you’re new to cooking with huitlacoche, or, you like it and you want to sneak it into a meal to convert people. A traditional meat substitute Huitlacoche is a traditional…
Huitlacoche Choriqueso
Choriqueso, the ultra-rich appetizer/dish of chorizo sausage baked with cheese or cheese sauce on top is good on its own, but it’s incredible with huitlacoche / corn mushrooms thrown in the mix. It’s a really unique appetizer for feeding a crowd, and a great way to introduce people to huitlacoche. Grated cheese or sauce? Order…
Puffball Jerky
Cooked puffball mushrooms have a soft texture that some people don’t like, but there’s a lot more that you can do with those giant white orbs than toss them in a pan or bread and fry them. Jerky is one of the best things I’ve made with puffballs for people that don’t care for the…
Hen of the Woods Barbacoa
Mushroom barbacoa? As in vegetarian barbacoa? *dodges tomatoes* Absolutely. It might seem odd at first glance, but mushrooms, especially in Mexico, have been eaten as a substitute for meat in some areas for a long time, so simmering them in spicy chili broth and eating with tortillas or stuffed into a burrito isn’t really that much…
Mushroom Taco Meat (Vegetarian)
Faced with a couple bags of frozen hen of the woods mushrooms this year, I set out to come up with some trusty ways to eat through large hauls of mushrooms quickly. These mushroom tacos were one of the winners, and they’re a great way to use up that winter stash before the season comes,…
Smoked Shank Stew with Huitlacoche and Tepary Beans
Venison shanks (any shanks, really) make great soup and stews, and this one, with Mexican flavors of dried beans and huitlacoche, is fantastic. Originally I was trying to recreate a soup my mother described to me from a trip to Mazatlan, but, instead of the brothy soup I intended, it turned into a more stick-to-your…
