Comments on: Sulphur Shelf aka Chicken of the Woods aka Yummy http://www.birdchick.com/wp/2007/07/sulphur-shelf-aka-chicken-of-the-woods-aka-yummy/ Not your typical birder! Mon, 13 Feb 2012 06:47:08 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Anjana http://www.birdchick.com/wp/2007/07/sulphur-shelf-aka-chicken-of-the-woods-aka-yummy/comment-page-1/#comment-9386 Anjana Fri, 31 Oct 2008 03:55:00 +0000 http://www.birdchick.com/wp/2007/07/sulphur-shelf-aka-chicken-of-the-woods-aka-yummy/#comment-9386 My first fungus find which I dared to eat. What a treat this was as well as a challenge. I am a vegetarian and sometimes I miss my non veg days. This was perfect. I found my Chicken of the Wood at the base of an old oak tree. It caught my eyes immediately, so beautiful it was. All this happened while my husband was getting his tires fixed at a gas station. As soon as I got home that day I looked up my specimen. My instinct was right. This marvel was edible. Next day I left the house with bags and knives in hand to go capture my chicken. I told my husband he said doesn’t eat it, I told my friends, and all said don’t eat it. However I had faith in my education as a horticulturist at NC State, and felt my research was sufficient to support my conclusion. I took the plunge, next day I washed the fungus which filled up 3 shopping bags and boiled in batches just like cubed chicken breast. I made a wonderful stew with vegetable stock, olive oil, lots of garlic and onions, carrots, potatoes, and Brussels sprouts and my chicken. Dinner was absolutely delicious. My husband didn't eat it. That leaves more for me. The rest of the Chicken I put in freezer for my next meal. Thank you for all the suggestions for recopies I can’t wait to try them all. I did find somewhere that if this fungus is growing on a conifer that it can be slightly toxic… so be careful where you harvest yours. Funguses do grow on rotten trees which may be diseased, but think about it like this. The soil on which all our produce grows is nothing but dead and decaying plants even the excrements of other animals such as earth worms, cows, chickens, horses etc. Good to be cautious but do try to experience new things in life. My first fungus find which I dared to eat. What a treat this was as well as a challenge. I am a vegetarian and sometimes I miss my non veg days. This was perfect. I found my Chicken of the Wood at the base of an old oak tree. It caught my eyes immediately, so beautiful it was. All this happened while my husband was getting his tires fixed at a gas station. As soon as I got home that day I looked up my specimen. My instinct was right. This marvel was edible. Next day I left the house with bags and knives in hand to go capture my chicken. I told my husband he said doesn’t eat it, I told my friends, and all said don’t eat it. However I had faith in my education as a horticulturist at NC State, and felt my research was sufficient to support my conclusion. I took the plunge, next day I washed the fungus which filled up 3 shopping bags and boiled in batches just like cubed chicken breast. I made a wonderful stew with vegetable stock, olive oil, lots of garlic and onions, carrots, potatoes, and Brussels sprouts and my chicken. Dinner was absolutely delicious. My husband didn’t eat it. That leaves more for me. The rest of the Chicken I put in freezer for my next meal. Thank you for all the suggestions for recopies I can’t wait to try them all. I did find somewhere that if this fungus is growing on a conifer that it can be slightly toxic… so be careful where you harvest yours. Funguses do grow on rotten trees which may be diseased, but think about it like this. The soil on which all our produce grows is nothing but dead and decaying plants even the excrements of other animals such as earth worms, cows, chickens, horses etc. Good to be cautious but do try to experience new things in life.

]]> By: JoshuaJon http://www.birdchick.com/wp/2007/07/sulphur-shelf-aka-chicken-of-the-woods-aka-yummy/comment-page-1/#comment-9157 JoshuaJon Mon, 06 Oct 2008 22:53:00 +0000 http://www.birdchick.com/wp/2007/07/sulphur-shelf-aka-chicken-of-the-woods-aka-yummy/#comment-9157 I just discovered one of these a couple days ago, and what a treat! It was fairly small maybe 1-2 lbs, and the entire thing was quite edible and delicious. I think they have in fact surpassed hen of the woods as my fav.<br/><br/>Mycophages of the world gotta unite to combat this mycophobia. I just discovered one of these a couple days ago, and what a treat! It was fairly small maybe 1-2 lbs, and the entire thing was quite edible and delicious. I think they have in fact surpassed hen of the woods as my fav.

Mycophages of the world gotta unite to combat this mycophobia.

]]> By: Olga http://www.birdchick.com/wp/2007/07/sulphur-shelf-aka-chicken-of-the-woods-aka-yummy/comment-page-1/#comment-8433 Olga Mon, 21 Jul 2008 15:38:00 +0000 http://www.birdchick.com/wp/2007/07/sulphur-shelf-aka-chicken-of-the-woods-aka-yummy/#comment-8433 Chicken of the Woods, yummy!!!! My fiancee and I, we own a mushroom farm in SC - Mushroommountain.com, and we go mushroom hunting very often, almost every weekend. Yesterday we found 13 lbs of Chicken of the Woods. <br/><br/>Chicken of the woods is a very tasty mushroom, but it can cause some gastrointestinal issues in a lot of people. My best advice is before you actually prepare your chicken of the woods, cook it in water, and discard that water. the it is ready to be integrated into your recipes.<br/><br/>To comment on Yoga Gal, mushrooms use wood to feed on, they actually break the wood down, without mushrooms, we would have lots of wood debris on Earth and barely any soil. while the mushrooms are breaking down the wood, they metabolize lots of different goodies from trees, and if you make extracts out of lot of different species of mushrooms, they are very good for you. <br/><br/>For example Reishi mushroom, which is also called the Mushroom of immortality, it is anti-bacterial, anti-candida, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-tumor, anti-viral, it lowers blood pressure, it is a blood sugar moderator, great for your cardio-vascular system, a colesterol reducer, immune enhancer, kidney tonic, liver tonic, nerve tonic and a stress reducer. <br/><br/>I don't get sick anymore, been super healthy ever since I started taking my mushroom extracts, and eating lots of veggies and fruits.<br/><br/>This is just one of the awesome fungi out there, not to mention ones that we can use to biremediate our environment. <br/><br/>Bon apetit, Olga Chicken of the Woods, yummy!!!! My fiancee and I, we own a mushroom farm in SC – Mushroommountain.com, and we go mushroom hunting very often, almost every weekend. Yesterday we found 13 lbs of Chicken of the Woods.

Chicken of the woods is a very tasty mushroom, but it can cause some gastrointestinal issues in a lot of people. My best advice is before you actually prepare your chicken of the woods, cook it in water, and discard that water. the it is ready to be integrated into your recipes.

To comment on Yoga Gal, mushrooms use wood to feed on, they actually break the wood down, without mushrooms, we would have lots of wood debris on Earth and barely any soil. while the mushrooms are breaking down the wood, they metabolize lots of different goodies from trees, and if you make extracts out of lot of different species of mushrooms, they are very good for you.

For example Reishi mushroom, which is also called the Mushroom of immortality, it is anti-bacterial, anti-candida, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-tumor, anti-viral, it lowers blood pressure, it is a blood sugar moderator, great for your cardio-vascular system, a colesterol reducer, immune enhancer, kidney tonic, liver tonic, nerve tonic and a stress reducer.

I don’t get sick anymore, been super healthy ever since I started taking my mushroom extracts, and eating lots of veggies and fruits.

This is just one of the awesome fungi out there, not to mention ones that we can use to biremediate our environment.

Bon apetit, Olga

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.birdchick.com/wp/2007/07/sulphur-shelf-aka-chicken-of-the-woods-aka-yummy/comment-page-1/#comment-5294 Anonymous Fri, 12 Oct 2007 13:55:00 +0000 http://www.birdchick.com/wp/2007/07/sulphur-shelf-aka-chicken-of-the-woods-aka-yummy/#comment-5294 Just a comment to Yoga Gal...I happen to be a REAL chef and yes you can eat these mushrooms and they are quite delicious. And NO they dont mean that the tree they come from is diseased! Also as far as the soup goes as long as you keep the soup OUT of the temperature danger zone 41-140 F you can have it cooking for weeks!! I dont know what mail order school you are getting your degrees from but you better go back and ask for a refund cause you have no idea what you are talking about! Just a comment to Yoga Gal…I happen to be a REAL chef and yes you can eat these mushrooms and they are quite delicious. And NO they dont mean that the tree they come from is diseased! Also as far as the soup goes as long as you keep the soup OUT of the temperature danger zone 41-140 F you can have it cooking for weeks!! I dont know what mail order school you are getting your degrees from but you better go back and ask for a refund cause you have no idea what you are talking about!

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.birdchick.com/wp/2007/07/sulphur-shelf-aka-chicken-of-the-woods-aka-yummy/comment-page-1/#comment-5139 Anonymous Thu, 04 Oct 2007 22:23:00 +0000 http://www.birdchick.com/wp/2007/07/sulphur-shelf-aka-chicken-of-the-woods-aka-yummy/#comment-5139 Great info! I've been a moderate fungophile for years, but living in the Yakima Valley, Washington (in the dry 2/3s of the state) I only ever found small puffballs (none of the morel hunters would ever take me hunting with them--wah!). <br/>A year ago I moved to Sonoma County, CA, just north of San Francisco. I've found such delicacies as matsutake and various boletes, but just yesterday I discovered a good-sized sulphur shelf growing on my neighbor's oak and asked if I could harvest some (in exchange for some of the spoils). I love David Aurora's "Mushrooms Demystified", but there were no real directions for preparation of this mushroom; great pics and very detailed descriptions, though...I highly recomend it for those who are just getting started mushrooming.<br/>A word on fungophobia...it's very prevalent. Most of the hype is just that: hype. There are some very, very poisonous mushrooms out there...even some that are easily confused with prized edible ones. However, a serious mushroomer will study his books, be careful in IDing his mushrooms, and follow the suggestion to limit his initial trial to a few bites of properly cooked mushroom. Even after, he will limit his intake of mushrooms (overindulgence is one of the prime causes of "mushroom poisoning"). After all, anything in excess can be harmful. Great info! I’ve been a moderate fungophile for years, but living in the Yakima Valley, Washington (in the dry 2/3s of the state) I only ever found small puffballs (none of the morel hunters would ever take me hunting with them–wah!).
A year ago I moved to Sonoma County, CA, just north of San Francisco. I’ve found such delicacies as matsutake and various boletes, but just yesterday I discovered a good-sized sulphur shelf growing on my neighbor’s oak and asked if I could harvest some (in exchange for some of the spoils). I love David Aurora’s “Mushrooms Demystified”, but there were no real directions for preparation of this mushroom; great pics and very detailed descriptions, though…I highly recomend it for those who are just getting started mushrooming.
A word on fungophobia…it’s very prevalent. Most of the hype is just that: hype. There are some very, very poisonous mushrooms out there…even some that are easily confused with prized edible ones. However, a serious mushroomer will study his books, be careful in IDing his mushrooms, and follow the suggestion to limit his initial trial to a few bites of properly cooked mushroom. Even after, he will limit his intake of mushrooms (overindulgence is one of the prime causes of “mushroom poisoning”). After all, anything in excess can be harmful.

]]> By: dguzman http://www.birdchick.com/wp/2007/07/sulphur-shelf-aka-chicken-of-the-woods-aka-yummy/comment-page-1/#comment-4043 dguzman Mon, 23 Jul 2007 21:02:00 +0000 http://www.birdchick.com/wp/2007/07/sulphur-shelf-aka-chicken-of-the-woods-aka-yummy/#comment-4043 Birdchick: as an addition to your migas recipe, try this for topping:<br/><br/>1 big tomato, sliced or chopped up<br/>cilantro (to taste)<br/>cumin (a little shake--like a 1/4 tsp)<br/>salt and pepper to taste<br/><br/>Put the tomato pieces in a saucepan with a little water; cook them until they're soft enough to mash with a fork (just a few minutes), then add the rest of the stuff. Simmer while you finish the migas. Use more or less water in this, depending on whether you'd like a watery salsa or dry salsa on your eggs. Then put on top of the cooked migas, then add some grated cheddar (the sharper the better!). Enjoy! Courtesy of your hispanic birding pal. Birdchick: as an addition to your migas recipe, try this for topping:

1 big tomato, sliced or chopped up
cilantro (to taste)
cumin (a little shake–like a 1/4 tsp)
salt and pepper to taste

Put the tomato pieces in a saucepan with a little water; cook them until they’re soft enough to mash with a fork (just a few minutes), then add the rest of the stuff. Simmer while you finish the migas. Use more or less water in this, depending on whether you’d like a watery salsa or dry salsa on your eggs. Then put on top of the cooked migas, then add some grated cheddar (the sharper the better!). Enjoy! Courtesy of your hispanic birding pal.

]]> By: Blue http://www.birdchick.com/wp/2007/07/sulphur-shelf-aka-chicken-of-the-woods-aka-yummy/comment-page-1/#comment-4038 Blue Mon, 23 Jul 2007 20:01:00 +0000 http://www.birdchick.com/wp/2007/07/sulphur-shelf-aka-chicken-of-the-woods-aka-yummy/#comment-4038 Neil, the author of "Babycakes," eats chicken now? Since when?<br/><br/>"Babycakes"<br/>http://ljconstantine.com/babycakes/page1.htm Neil, the author of “Babycakes,” eats chicken now? Since when?

“Babycakes”
http://ljconstantine.com/babycakes/page1.htm

]]> By: Patrick Belardo http://www.birdchick.com/wp/2007/07/sulphur-shelf-aka-chicken-of-the-woods-aka-yummy/comment-page-1/#comment-4033 Patrick Belardo Mon, 23 Jul 2007 18:27:00 +0000 http://www.birdchick.com/wp/2007/07/sulphur-shelf-aka-chicken-of-the-woods-aka-yummy/#comment-4033 Very cool! I never knew there was such thing as the "Foolproof Four" and thanks for the book recommendations. I've been looking to get a 'shroom book. Very cool! I never knew there was such thing as the “Foolproof Four” and thanks for the book recommendations. I’ve been looking to get a ‘shroom book.

]]> By: Kitt http://www.birdchick.com/wp/2007/07/sulphur-shelf-aka-chicken-of-the-woods-aka-yummy/comment-page-1/#comment-4032 Kitt Mon, 23 Jul 2007 14:43:00 +0000 http://www.birdchick.com/wp/2007/07/sulphur-shelf-aka-chicken-of-the-woods-aka-yummy/#comment-4032 "Cal Ploy." Yep.<br/><br/>I don't think I've ever seen a sulfur shelf, just the ordinary toadstools on trees in the North Woods. But maybe I just wasn't looking for them, or recognizing what I was seeing enough to remember them now. <br/><br/>I'll be up there next month and will be sure to keep my eyes open for dinner potential! “Cal Ploy.” Yep.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a sulfur shelf, just the ordinary toadstools on trees in the North Woods. But maybe I just wasn’t looking for them, or recognizing what I was seeing enough to remember them now.

I’ll be up there next month and will be sure to keep my eyes open for dinner potential!

]]> By: bluesaffron http://www.birdchick.com/wp/2007/07/sulphur-shelf-aka-chicken-of-the-woods-aka-yummy/comment-page-1/#comment-4030 bluesaffron Mon, 23 Jul 2007 12:44:00 +0000 http://www.birdchick.com/wp/2007/07/sulphur-shelf-aka-chicken-of-the-woods-aka-yummy/#comment-4030 What a idyllic weekend, being one with nature that way!<br/><br/>It sounds almost like camping, but without the irritating sand invasion or uncomfortable sleeping arrangements.<br/><br/>Of course things from nature are good to eat, or our ancestors would have starved to death. Knowing what your doing helps of course and it seems that you do.<br/><br/>Also, I've always thought soup and stew was better the next day after the flavours have mingled...I've cooked that way for years.<br/>I guess we're lucky to be alive. What a idyllic weekend, being one with nature that way!

It sounds almost like camping, but without the irritating sand invasion or uncomfortable sleeping arrangements.

Of course things from nature are good to eat, or our ancestors would have starved to death. Knowing what your doing helps of course and it seems that you do.

Also, I’ve always thought soup and stew was better the next day after the flavours have mingled…I’ve cooked that way for years.
I guess we’re lucky to be alive.

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