Last year, 2007, was the first time I seriously investigated eating wild mushrooms other than puffballs and morels. It was the day I was walking along a woodland trail when a bright pinkish-salmon color caught my eye. I walked over to examine what it could be and discovered an amazingly beautiful mushroom whose type I had never seen.

After scrutinizing a number of mushroom books, then sending pictures to several mushroom aficionados, it was determined to be one of the variants of Chicken-Of-The-Woods, a much sought after favorite of " 'shroom hunters", although one person contended it could be nothing other than "Beefsteak Mushroom", in spite of looking nothing like the pictures of Beefseak Mushroom in any of my books. Chicken-Of-The-Woods it was.

The decision was made to sample it, and sample it I did. Wow! It was one of the best meals I've ever eaten in my life. This thing grew daily, and grew a lot, but not wanting to be greedy, and also wanting to spread pieces of it throughout the woods, I only harvested part of it--enough for 2 weeks' lunches.

Sliced into thin pieces and lightly stir-fried with sliced, homegrown onion in olive oil, it is a meal made in heaven.

OK, this is not an endorsement for anyone to dash out to gather and eat pretty looking mushrooms right and left, because as we all know, that could be deadly. However, with some study, and with help from experts, there is MUCH FREE FOOD in the forest for those who want to expend a little time and energy. Eat local and eat often.

The attached photo was one of the earliest ones before it spread laterally.