Mushroom Foraging and Feasting: Recollections and Recipes from a Lifetime on the Hunt

by Victoria Romanoff

A beguiling invitation to the world of mushroom hunting―combining practical advice and recipes with tales and photographs from a lifetime on the hunt Victoria Romanoff picked her first mushroom―a brown-capped butterpilz or sticky bun―at the age of four, at her family’s summer dacha on the shores of the Baltic Sea. Little did she realize that her newfound interest in mushrooming would soon become an essential survival skill, as she and her mother spent eight years in displaced persons camps in the aftermath of World War II, foraging wild foods to supplement their diets. Resettled in the United States, Romanoff has continued to pursue her mycological passion ever since, deploying her considerable culinary skills to convert friends and strangers to the joys of wild mushrooms. Now, in this marvelously written book, rich with anecdote, she shares the wisdom gathered from a lifetime on the hunt.   Romanoff introduces readers to twelve of the most easily foraged and delicious mushrooms, including the chanterelle, the morel, and the oyster. She describes the appearance, habits, and lore of each variety, and provides a recipe for each; her recipes include both refined kitchen creations and rustic dishes meant to be prepared over an open fire at the end of a successful hunt. Romanoff also shares personal stories from her eight decades of mushrooming. From serendipitous discoveries while canoeing to habitual hikes with Piglet (in fact a terrier, not a truffle pig), her detailed accounts bring alive the sensory experience of the hunt, and the particular connection with nature that a forager enjoys. Illustrated throughout with photos by Romanoff’s partner Sarah Adams―which are instructive and sometimes whimsical― Mushroom Foraging and Feasting  will be a friendly primer for novice mushroom hunters and an unexpected delight for veteran mycophiles.

Genres: Cookbooks, Nonfiction, Cooking

128 pages, Hardcover

Published June 14, 2022

Reviews

[Rachael Marsceau · Rating 5 out of 5]

So fun reading about several of the species we often forage in the summer. Lovely, instructional photographs, and easy recipes that use common ingredients. Her journal entries were beautifully written, too!

[Abby Hastings · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful

[Kathy]

A good little intro to foraging for wild mushrooms. It makes me want to get out there.

[Karina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this to look for ideas of what to make with mushrooms. It has a decent number of color illustrations. Not to be used for mushroom identification. But it does include tips on what month of the year to look for them and in what type of forest…

[Rene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute great gift for a mushroom enthusiast. Nice memoir of a mushroom hunter with some recipes and great photos.

[Laura Eggen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not to be used as a field guide, but definitely a beautifully written memoir!