40 Guide to the Mushrooms 



To gather mushrooms for the table, se- 

 lect only the fresh specimens, remove the 

 cap from the stem thus avoiding the eartii 

 that is liable to cling to the base of the 

 stem. If possible, never wash a mushroom, 

 wijDe it with a dry flannel cloth. If it is 

 necessary to wash them, place in a colland- 

 er so that thev will drain well. The mush- 

 room itself contains such a large percent- 

 age of water that any addition serves to 

 dilute the flaA^or. 



Never eat mushrooms until vou are cer- 

 tain of their identity. The simplest andmost 

 satisfactory method to cook Coprini Agari- 

 ci, Russulae, Clavariae, is as follows : Place 

 a piece of butter in a sauce pan and after 

 it is melted add the mushrooms, season 

 with salt and pepper, cover closely and let 

 cook eight to ten minutes ; serve hot on 

 toast or l)eef steak. If the caps are very 

 large, break in pieces. The large caps are, 

 however, more satisfactory broiled. But 

 ter the broiler before placing the mush- 

 rooms on it then broil for live to eight min- 

 utes* season and serve very hot. 



The Chanterelles and Lactarii demand 

 longer cooking than the above species. 



