BOOKreviews
How to Forage for Mushrooms Without Dying: An Absolute Beginner’s Guide to Identifying 29 Wild, Edible Mushrooms Author: Frank Hyman Publisher: Storey Publishing List Price: $16.95 Order Link: https://amzn.to/3DmwQT8 Reviewer: Charlotte Crook Frank Hyman’s newest book, How to Forage for Mushrooms Without Dying, is a comprehensive field guide to foraging for mushrooms. Hyman wears many hats. He works as a stonesman, a gardener, and a writer. He is a certified mushroom forager who teaches mushroom identification to chefs, arborists, organic farmers, and the general public. Hyman lives in North Carolina, but the information in this book is applicable to anyone, especially beginners. How to Forage for Mushrooms Without Dying, released in early October, is a true field guide. Hyman makes it clear that this book is meant to help people identify fungi while they forage. He writes, “My goal is to teach you to clearly identify mushrooms in the field rather than wait to take a spore print at home.” Hyman gives the readers the tools to actually do this, too. The first section of the book defines terms used by foragers and describes commonly used identifiers so even those just starting to forage can understand. The book is colorful and visually engaging, with multiple photos for each species of mushroom. Including these
photos makes it even easier to identify while in the field, especially because each picture looks a little different. You can actually see how these fungi look in the wild. Each mushroom gets a few pages of photos and information. There’s even an entire section dedicated to mushrooms to completely avoid. The details for each mushroom are broken down in “digestible” ways. Each section gives you information about where and when you can find them; how to identify them; how to eat, preserve, and farm them; and even some common lookalikes. This is especially helpful for beginners. Because the sections and information are divided up, it’s easy to flip to the page you need and get the details quickly. Hyman also uses tables and charts in such a smart way. He compares and contrasts visually similar mushrooms, but describes each point of how they differ. This is helpful with specific mushrooms in providing an at-a-glance guide. You do not want to mix up the Velvet Foot mushroom with Funeral Bells, so this is where you would turn to identify them. Want an easy way to determine if a mushroom is a delicious morel or a toxic false morel? Slice it in half—“if it’s hollow, you can swallow,” Hyman says. Hyman weaves in a few anecdotes to give the book some humor and personality. Each story teaches you a lesson about foraging and ends with a positive flair. How to Forage for Mushrooms Without Dying ends with a description of how to use your mushrooms in the kitchen. Hyman doesn’t outline specific recipes—this is not a cookbook. He instead highlights techniques to prepare mushrooms, which is a helpful. Hyman’s book provides an in-depth guide for every step of the foraging process. Foragers of all skill levels can use this guide, even in the field, to bring them success the next time they hunt for mushrooms.o Charlotte Crook is a senior journalism major minoring in history at the University of Maryland, College Park, MD. She is an intern this fall with Washington Gardener and is passionate about raising house plants (to varying degrees of success).
The Hidden Histories of Houseplants: Fascinating Stories of Our Most-Loved Houseplants Authors: Maddie and Alice Bailey Publisher: Hardie Grant List Price: $19.99 Order Link: https://amzn.to/3HosFbW Reviewer: Melena DiNenna The Hidden Histories of House Plants by Maddie and Alice Bailey is a collection of intriguing houseplant profiles that explores exactly what is said in the title: Hidden Histories. Houseplants, as they say in the introduction, are a hot trend recently. But what does the general public really know about these little (or big) organisms sitting in their living room, or window sills, besides how to care for them? The Bailey sisters examine 20 houseplants and tell their stories—not only as pot-bound features for indoor decor, but also as a part of a larger ecosystem when grown in the wild. The book has six chapters: Leaves, Flowers, Inside Plants/Medicinal, In Culture, Interesting Adaptations, and Carnivores. Because of this wide variety, readers learn about plants ranging from the interior design staple String of Pearls to Charles Darwin’s favorite carnivore, Drosera. With each profile, the authors provide its origin and the Latin and common names. The Bailey sisters often delve NOVEMBER 2021
WASHINGTON GARDENER
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