In the classroom this week we watched a short video from the BBC called The Fascinating World of Fungi. We learned that most Indigenous tribes in present-day California use mushrooms for food, medicine, and technology. We learned that mushrooms are neither plant nor animal! And we also reminded ourselves never to pick and eat wild mushrooms unless we are highly educated and experienced mushroom foragers.
In the kitchen we made a fungified take on a classic meat sauce served with pasta with eight different types of mushrooms: foraged chanterelles, white button, cremini, shiitake, maitake or hen of the woods, alba clamshells, brown clamshells, and lion’s mane. Many students were skeptical about mushrooms at the start of the cooking class, but patiently browning them brought out a rich, caramelized flavor. Paired with fusilli pasta and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, the ragout was incredibly popular and helped us appreciate the truly fascinating world of fungi that humans have been in relationship with for thousands of years.
