Category Archives: Journal

On mine and Lily’s morning walk today I found a nice surprise.

Chicken of the Wood mushrooms, or Sulphur Shelf. (Laetiporus sulphureus)

I didnt have my knife but these were tender so I broke off a handful.

Quite a plate full.

And easy to clean.

I cut them up with some yellow squash.

And broke out some cooking supplies.  I am going to make soup.
Some spray Canola Oil, Tony Chachere’s Creole Spices, Powdered Garlic, Hot Sauce and condensed Cream of Mushroom soup.

First I fried up the squash and the mushrooms.  Chicken of the Wood mushrooms do not cook away to nothing like some mushrooms.

At this point you know where the mushrooms get their name.  They taste almost exactly like chicken strips.  But I want to make them into soup.  So I added a can of Cream of Mushroom soup and spices and cooked for a while.

Boy, does it look good.

I am not exagerating.  It is delicious.  Like something you would get at a fancy restaurant.  My only cost, 50 cents for condensed soup and a few spices.  The Creole spices make it almost taste like a seafood bisque.

What’s that?  Oh.

Lily says she doesn’t think those mushrooms were chicken of the wood.

She always makes comments like that before she flies away.

Just kidding.  The Chicken of the Wood mushroom is one of the easiest to identify.  I am no mycologist.  But once you have POSITIVELY identified this you will always be able to find it.

But I am writing for entertainment, not as a field guide.  Be sure to get a good field guide to take with you, either a book or a wise older person.…