The Practical Mushroom Encyclopedia: Identifying, Picking and Cooking with Mushrooms [Illustrated] [Paperback]

Peter Jordan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2000

The complete guide to identifying, picking and using mushrooms -- a photographic A-Z and 100 original recipes -- Photographic A-Z of the most popular mushrooms, seen both in situ and in close-up identification shots

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Anness (September 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1842152432
• ISBN-13: 978-1842152430
• Product Dimensions: 11.7 x 9.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,328,940 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WONDERFUL, May 12, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Practical Mushroom Encyclopedia: Identifying, Picking and Cooking with Mushrooms (Paperback)

This is only book that mushroom lovers need. It has over SIX HUNDREDED fully colored AMAZING photos!! The chapters are organized beautifuly as well. It goes from propper tools needed and locations of mushrooms, to storing and drying mushrooms. Then there are the two glorious sections of edible and posionious mushrooms. Then the final section is the cook book! It has sections for "wild mushroom breakfast", "soups, starters and salads", "poultry and game dishes","beef pork and lamb", "fish and shellfish", and "vegitarian dishes". Each section has well over 20 fully pictured recipies! Then it concludes with a glossary at the end of the book. What a wonderful book! It is excellent for and artist referrence book as well!!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good but not a complete guide, October 5, 2007

By 

Richard L. Elias (Delaware, OH United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Practical Mushroom Encyclopedia: Identifying, Picking and Cooking with Mushrooms (Paperback)

This is a lovely book, but it is not a substitute for a good field guide. It isn't meant to be carried around. It lacks a key to help identify mushrooms. It include separate chapters on edible and poisonous mushrooms . . . which means a lot of paging through to attempt an identification.

Also, the book is from the UK, and the recipe section at the end has a UK slant. It also lists a few ingredients under the name used in England: aubergines, etc.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very enjoyable, but foraging on your own is still risky, August 20, 2007

By 

Darby - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Practical Mushroom Encyclopedia: Identifying, Picking and Cooking with Mushrooms (Paperback)

[Review written Apr 2005]

This is a nice book that offers an overview of the many varieties of edible, and not-so-edible mushrooms. The photos are excellent, and there's a decent section in the back on mushroom handling and recipes.

HOWEVER, contrary to what the cover implies, there isn't really enough information present for people to just read this book and then expect to be able to go traipsing off into the woods for some impromptu mushroom picking with any degree of confidence. Not recommended !

People should only pick wild mushrooms if they truly know what they're doing - or better still, go in the company of a trained expert (mycologist) who knows what they're doing.

All it takes is a search of the internet, a flip through the phone book, or perhaps a few phonecalls to areas colleges or culinary clubs, in order to find the name of a local mushroom expert who's willing to take people on picking forays.

In any case, this is still an enjoyable book, and if nothing else it'll whet your appetite for dishes like risotto w/porchini, cream of mushroom soup, etc.