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FORAGER | CHEF

Award-winning chef, author and forager Alan Bergo. Food is all around you.

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Polypore Mushrooms

White pored chicken of the woods or Laetiporus cincinatus mushroom

A prime white-pored chicken of the woods.

Polypores like chicken and hen of the woods are mostly tree parasites, and are some of the largest-fruiting mushroom bounties I've come across. There's a number of species, and you'll find recipes and information here for a number of them.

Grilled Hen of the Woods with Ginger-Soy Vinaigrette

Grilled hen of the woods mushroom with ginger soy vinaigrette recipe

  There’s something so primal about a big hen of the woods and breaking off giant clusters to cook whole like a piece of meat, there a great entry level mushroom too, easy to identify, big in size, typically worm-free, delicious. I don’t know any cooking technique more raw than cooking over burning wood, so…

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The Black Staining Polypore

Black staining polypore or Meripilus sumstinei

A number of years ago I got an envelope in the mail, ground dried powder of Meripilus sumstinei, the black staining polypore or rooster of the woods. it the first time someone sent me mushrooms in the mail I’d never met, which, is now a pretty regular occurrence (currently I’m waiting on honey truffles to…

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Meatballs with Ischnoderma Gravy

Venison meatballs in Ischnoderma mushroom gravy

Everyone likes meatballs in gravy, and there’s nothing crazy or out of the ordinary here, except that I’m using Ischnoderma resinosum (resinous polypore) instead of more commonly used mushrooms, and some nice ground whitetail that I helped my friend butcher. The Ischnoderma is really the focal point here-the meatballs could be whatever you want. I…

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Ischnoderma Kimchi

Ischnoderma resinosum or wild mushroom kimchee recipe

Ischnoderma resinosum is a great all-around mushroom, and I managed to snag a few at the end of the season before it got too cold. I’d made a note to ferment some up to see how I liked them. Sure, There’s plenty of mushrooms you could ferment like this, but some are better than others….

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White Risotto with Cauliflower Mushroom Ragu

white risotto with cauliflower or sparassis mushroom ragu

I love cauliflower mushrooms / Sparassis, but, honestly I think I like the texture more than the flavor. Don’t get me wrong, they taste excellent, but, it’s hard to find another mushroom with a similar texture. They’re just so unique. With that in mind, when I have access to some fresh cauliflower fungus, I cook…

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Hen of the Woods Roast with Leeks and Black Walnuts

Maitake mushroom roast with frizzled leeks (13)

Since hen of the woods can have such a large size, I love swapping them out for meat in recipes. With the maitake coming up in earnest in late September/October right now I’ve had more than my share of them hanging out in the fridge waiting to get cooked, so big ol’chunk of hen has…

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Simple Roasted Hen of the Woods

Easy roasted hen of the woods mushroom recipe

Mushrooms are one of the most perfect ingredients for minimalist, less is more cooking, and these simple roasted hen of the woods / maitake are a great example. Sure, you can make them into pasta sauce, jerky, and all kinds of things, but probably the simplest, and one of the most delicious hen of the…

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Beefsteak Mushrooms with Sorrel

Beefsteak mushroom salad with olive oil and wood sorrel recipe

Here’s a study in how a dish can be completely different in a short time after it’s been composed. I was thinking about how to eat a beefsteak mushroom / oxtongue fungus (Fistulina hepatica) I had the other week, those shelf fungus that give red juice when cut, have a slightly tart taste, and, that…

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Alan Bergo
Oeufs de Gaulle is a classic morel recipe Jacques Oeufs de Gaulle is a classic morel recipe Jacques Pepin used to make for French president Charles de Gaulle. 

You bake eggs in a ramekin with shrimp topped with creamy morel sauce and eat with toast points. 

Makes for a really special brunch or breakfast. Recipe’s on my site, but it’s even better to watch Jacques make it on you tube. 

#jacquespepin #morels #shrimp #morilles #brunchtime
Morels: the only wild mushroom I count by the each Morels: the only wild mushroom I count by the each instead of the pound. 

Good day today, although my Twin Cities spots seem a full two weeks behind from the late spring. 2 hours south they were almost all mature. 

76 for me and 152 for the group. Check your spots, and good luck! 

#morels #murkels #mollymoochers #drylandfish #spongemushroom #theprecious
The first time I’ve seen fungal guttation-a natu The first time I’ve seen fungal guttation-a natural secretion of water I typically see with plants. 

I understand it as an indicator that the mushrooms are growing rapidly, and a byproduct of their metabolism speeding up. If you have some clarifications, chime in. 

Most people know it from Hydnellum 
peckii-another polypore. I’ve never seen it on pheasant backs before.

Morels are coming soon too. Mine were 1 inch tall yesterday in the Twin Cities. 

#guttation #mushroomhunting #cerioporussquamosus #pheasantback #naturesbeauty
Rain and heat turned the flood plain forest into a Rain and heat turned the flood plain forest into a grocery store. 

#groceryshopping #sochan #rudbeckialaciniata #foraging
Italian wild food traditions are some of my favori Italian wild food traditions are some of my favorite. 

Case in point: preboggion, a mixture of wild plants, that, depending on the reference, should be made with 5-23 individual plants. 

Here’s a few mixtures I’ve made this spring, along with a reference from the Oxford companion to Italian food. 

The mixture should include some bitter greens (typically assorted asters) but the most important plant is probably borage. 

Making your own version is a good excercise. Here they’re wilted with garlic and oil, but there’s a bunch of traditional recipes the mixture is used in. 

Can you believe this got cut from my book?!

#preboggion #preboggiun #foraging #traditionalfoods
Oh the things I get in the mail. This is my kind Oh the things I get in the mail. 

This is my kind of tip though: a handmade buckskin bag with a note and a handful of bleached snapping turtle claws. 😁😂 

Sent in by Leslie, a reader. 

Smells like woodsmoke and the cat quickly claimed it as her new bed. 

#buckskin #mailsurprise #turtleclaws #thisimylife #cathouse
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