14 



This fungus is esteemed in Europe, where it is eaten prepared in a va- 

 riety of ways. 



When young and tender it can be sliced and broiled or minced and 

 stewed, making a delicious dish. When too old the stock is rather tough 

 for good eating, but the gravy taken from it forms a rich flavoring for a 

 vegetable stew or a meat ragout. The following recipe for cooking this 

 mushroom has been recommended : 



Slice and macerate it, add pepper and salt, a little lemon, and chopped onions or 

 garlic : then strain and boil the liquid, which makes most excellent gravy, resembling 

 that of good beefsteak. 



The Fistulina hepatica is well known in Europe, and is found in differ- 

 ent parts of the United States, in some places growing abundantly. I 

 have gathered some fine specimens in Maryland and Virginia, but none 

 as large as that described by Dr. Berkeley. 



KECIPES FOE COOKING MUSHKOOMS. 



To Pot Mushrooms. — The small oj)en mushrooms suit best for potting. 

 Trim and rub them ; put into a stewpau a quart of mushrooms, 3 ounces 

 of butter, 2 teaspoonfuls of salt, and half a teaspoonful of cayenne and 

 mace, mixed, and stew for ten or fifteen minutes, or till the mushrooms 

 are tender ; take them carefully out and drain them jjerfectly on a slojjing 

 dish, and when cold press them into small pots and pour clarified butter 

 over them, in which state they will keep for a week or two. Writing- 

 paper placed over the butter, and over that melted suet, will efl:ectually 

 preserve them for weeks in a dry, cool place. 



To Pickle Mushrooms.— Select a number of sound, small pasture mush- 

 rooms, as nearly alike as possible in size. Throw them for a few minutes 

 into cold water, then drain them, cut off the stalks, and gently rub off 

 the outer skin with a moist flannel dipped in salt ; then boil the vinegar, 

 adding to each quart two ounces of salt, half a nutmeg grated, a dram of 

 mace, and an ounce of white pepper corns. Put the mushrooms into the 

 vinegar for ten minutes over the fire ; then pour the whole into small 

 jars, taking care that the spices are equally divided ; let them stand a day, 

 then cover them. 



Baked Mushrooms. — Peel the tops of twenty mushrooms ; cut off a 

 portion of the stalks and wipe them careful!}' with a piece of flannel 

 dipped in salt. Lay the mushrooms in a tin dish, put a small piece of 

 butter on the top of each, and season with pepper and salt. Set the dish 

 in the oven and bake them from twenty minutes to half an hour. When 

 done, arrange them high in the centre of a very hot dish, pour the sauce 

 around them, and serve quickly and as hot as you possibly can. 



Mushroooms with Bacon. — Take some full-grown mushrooms, and, 

 having cleaned them, procure a few rashers of nice streaky bacon and fry 

 them in the usual manuer. When nearly done add a dozen or so of mush- 



