I am in love the with River Cottage Handbook series. Admittedly I originally bought them for my boyfriend, but I am secretly (selfishly) buying them for myself. When a new book is announced I am clicking the pre-order button faster than lightening.
Mushrooms is the first in the series. It’s a fascinating book that begins with a section called “starting out”. It gives you an great overview on the wonderful world of British mushrooms. Then we launch into edible and poisonous Species. John Wright has taken great care in crafting his description to assist you in understanding the variety of mushrooms and the pictures throughout are clear to help you confidently identify the edible mushrooms and their decoys. The perfect handbook.
Once you have finished foraging you can head back to your kitchen with your treasure and open up the recipes section towards the back of the book. Here you can create dishes where mushrooms will steal the show.
Pros:
- I have a new appreciation those that forage for mushrooms, it’s an art.
- The book makes mushrooms more approachable and has made me look at them in a whole new way.
Cons:
- As it’s a handbook I would have liked to have had a few pages for my own notes.
- Once you start buying these books you will be hooked in collecting them all, so you will need to clear more space on your book case.
The Verdict
All cooks that love mushrooms should have this book in their bookcase. It’s a fabulous reference book will aid you in getting a good basic understanding of this diverse ingredient. Next stop (one day) River Cottage HQ for the course…
Leave a Reply