What do you think?
Rate this book
Edible Wild Mushrooms of Illinois and Surrounding States: A Field-to-Kitchen Guide
Lavishly illustrated with nearly three hundred gorgeous full-color photos, this engaging guidebook carefully describes forty different edible species of wild mushrooms found around Illinois and surrounding states, including Iowa, Wisconsin, Missouri, Indiana, and Kentucky. With conversational and witty prose, the book provides extensive detail on each edible species, including photographs of potential look-alikes to help you safely identify and avoid poisonous species. Mushroom lovers from Chicago to Cairo will find their favorite local varieties, including morels, chanterelles, boletes, puffballs, and many others. Veteran mushroom hunters Joe McFarland and Gregory M. Mueller also impart their wisdom about the best times and places to find these hidden gems. Edible Wild Mushrooms of Illinois and Surrounding States also offers practical advice on preparing, storing, drying, and cooking with wild mushrooms, presenting more than two dozen tantalizing mushroom recipes from some of the best restaurants and chefs in Illinois, including one of Food & Wine magazine's top 10 new chefs of 2007. Recipes include classics like Beer Battered Morels, Parasol Mushroom Frittatas, and even the highly improbable (yet delectable) Morel Tiramisu for dessert. As the first new book about Illinois mushrooms in more than eighty years, this is the guide that mushroom hunters and cooks have been craving. Visit the book's companion website at
232 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2009
7 people are currently reading
77 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
May 24, 2020
my bible rn
January 25, 2023
I've looked at a lot of mushroom identification resources over the last few years. This is THEE best edible mushroom field guide I've come across!
What makes it even more wonderful for me is that I live in the Midwest! I live in Illinois and use it in IL, MO, and IN a LOT. Very comprehensive. Great info on spore printing. Great photography.
Spore printing is easier than I ever imagined! It's so worth trying and stepping out of your comfort zone. If trying to gather edible mushrooms for consumption, I recommend reading this book multiple times and familiarizing yourself with the photos at your leisure, not just when you're out in the woods searching. I have come across new-to-me edible mushrooms while walking my dog in the local park, while doing a bird survey at work from a car with binoculars, while hiking (not mushroom hunting), etc all because of familiarizing myself with this book and many like it.
I do attribute this success to the help of this book mostly, even though I've used a wide variety or resources and other books over the last few years. This book is structured well for those who are tactile and visual learners. Even better is that it is dedicated to edible mushrooms in my area!
This book has an entirely wonderful section on deadly look-a-likes, too. I have stumbled upon those, as well, while not mushroom hunting. As it turns out, the "destroying angel" was fruiting quite well in two of my garden beds for an entire week this last year! Another unique attribute to this book is the recipe section at the back! It really captures the flavor and texture unique to each edible mushroom mentioned--a priceless resource to those trying new edible mushrooms!
What makes it even more wonderful for me is that I live in the Midwest! I live in Illinois and use it in IL, MO, and IN a LOT. Very comprehensive. Great info on spore printing. Great photography.
Spore printing is easier than I ever imagined! It's so worth trying and stepping out of your comfort zone. If trying to gather edible mushrooms for consumption, I recommend reading this book multiple times and familiarizing yourself with the photos at your leisure, not just when you're out in the woods searching. I have come across new-to-me edible mushrooms while walking my dog in the local park, while doing a bird survey at work from a car with binoculars, while hiking (not mushroom hunting), etc all because of familiarizing myself with this book and many like it.
I do attribute this success to the help of this book mostly, even though I've used a wide variety or resources and other books over the last few years. This book is structured well for those who are tactile and visual learners. Even better is that it is dedicated to edible mushrooms in my area!
This book has an entirely wonderful section on deadly look-a-likes, too. I have stumbled upon those, as well, while not mushroom hunting. As it turns out, the "destroying angel" was fruiting quite well in two of my garden beds for an entire week this last year! Another unique attribute to this book is the recipe section at the back! It really captures the flavor and texture unique to each edible mushroom mentioned--a priceless resource to those trying new edible mushrooms!
January 25, 2023
This guidebook helps you to find edible mushrooms out in the wilds of Illinois.
It includes nearly 300 photos to help identify the edible ones.
Each edible mushroom is described thoroughly.
Many of them can be found in neighboring states including, Iowa, Wisconsin, Missouri, Indiana, and Kentucky.
The book also has look-a-like mushrooms and the dangers of eating poisonous ones.
Favorite local varieties include morels, chanterelles, boletes, puffballs, and many others.
Along with identification you learn about preparing, storing, drying, and cooking wild mushrooms.
The book ends with different recipes from some of the best restaurants and chefs in Illinois.
I will definitely have this book with me when mushroom hunting.
It includes nearly 300 photos to help identify the edible ones.
Each edible mushroom is described thoroughly.
Many of them can be found in neighboring states including, Iowa, Wisconsin, Missouri, Indiana, and Kentucky.
The book also has look-a-like mushrooms and the dangers of eating poisonous ones.
Favorite local varieties include morels, chanterelles, boletes, puffballs, and many others.
Along with identification you learn about preparing, storing, drying, and cooking wild mushrooms.
The book ends with different recipes from some of the best restaurants and chefs in Illinois.
I will definitely have this book with me when mushroom hunting.
October 2, 2020
Well written and with some personality. Great book for beginners to help with identification of some of the best edible mushrooms in Illinois and surrounding states. Good, easy to follow descriptions of the highlighted fungi to ensure the mushroom hunter has the correct prey. Nice recipe section too with solid dishes to highlight some mushrooms for dinner. Would recommend this book to everyone interested in getting into this hobby.
February 14, 2010
So, like, I live in central Illinois but I had to go to Portland to see this on a shelf. Go figure. It didn't tell me much that I did not already know, but the photography is good. The best part of the book is the totally awesome recipe section, with contributions from the likes of Charlie Trotter, Paul Virant, and other Illinois chefs. The book is aimed at novice mycophagists, is sparse on academic/technical details, focuses narrowly on the best and easiest mushrooms to identify and eat, and is locally focused, which can be important in a guide to often regionally distributed fungi.
Read
May 16, 2018Very good information
I like the way this book is put together, the author packs it full of a lot of very useful information.
I like the way this book is put together, the author packs it full of a lot of very useful information.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews