Searching for Wonderful Food

It all began with a mushroom.

2011-12-25T14:45:00.005-05:00

Merry Christmas to all. Ever wondered what Pine trees, flying reindeer, Santa and his red and white suit have to do with Christmas? There's a very interesting story here, having to do with Siberian Shamans, reindeer, psychoactive mushrooms (fly aminita) and Christmas trees..

http://sagaciousmama.wordpress.com/2010/12/18/the-spiritual-origins-of-santa-claus/

Enjoy...

Flavorful, aromatic Squash Nut Oils from Stony Brook Wholehearted Foods

2011-12-06T11:18:00.006-05:00

Wow -- what a great morning tasting!! Squash Nut Oils from Stony Brook Wholehearted Foods in the Finger Lakes Region in Upstate New York!!

All Natural Squash Seed Oils
From Stony Brook Wholehearted Foods

Stony Brook Wholehearted Foods creates one-of-a-kind specialty culinary oils made from locally grown seeds, gently roasted and expeller pressed at low temperatures to preserve depth of flavor and healthful properties.

Nothing in the bottle but pure, 100% roasted pumpkin and squash seed oils made in small batches and bottled by hand in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York.

Stony Brooks Wholehearted Foods Squash Seed Oils are bottled in 6.3 oz bottles and have a shelf life of one year.

Delicata Squash Seed Oil has a rich tawny color with a taste reminiscent of dried figs or currants.

Butternut Squash Seed Oil has a rich amber color and toasted nutty flavor, that is a versatile alternative to olive oil.

Kabocha Squash Seed Oil is made from the roasted seeds of the kabocha squash. The oil has a deep caramel color with a flavor reminiscent of roasted coffee or cocoa.

Stony Brook Roasted Pumpkin Seed Oil is the homegrown American version of the famed Austrian pumpkin seed oil. The oil has a deep mahogany color and smoky, savory flavor.

For more information on these and all of our other gourmet specialties,
visit us online at www.earthy.com or call (800) 367-4709

Paw Paws Again

2011-08-31T13:25:00.005-04:00

Well, Hurricane Irene did her worst, and I really feel for those folks who are still underwater. Everyone is OK at Deep Water Paw Paw Orchard, but we lost 75% - 80% of what looked to be an awesome crop of Paw Paws. The folks at Earthy Delights were still able to get their hands on a few lbs, and they will be shipping them next week.

Paw Paws are North America's only tropical fruit, with a rich custardy texture and a flavor somewhere between a mango and a banana.

The season only lasts 3 weeks, so ask your local produce supplier if he can get them, or order online from www.earthy.com

2011-03-24T16:30:00.003-04:00

Yesterday I was driving through a white out, and today we're expecting our first ramps!!

Tomorrow our entire warehouse and office will be filled with the aroma of fresh ramps!! Will have to try a ramp and tomato risotto!!

I'll let you know how it goes.

Also hearing rumors from the west coast of some early morels. Gotta love this time of year!

Paw Paws are here again

2010-08-18T17:50:00.005-04:00

I'm so excited. Just spoke to Jim D. and he tells me that he'll be shipping us our first Paw Paws next week!!

Earthy Delights began selling Paw paws over 20 years ago when we were known as Michigan Marketing, and Neal Peterson was on the board. I can hardly wait until next week when our first Paw Paws arrive.

Unlike anything else, Paw Paws are a North American tropical fruit, , with a creamy, custardy texture, and a flavor somewhat like a cherimoya.

Look for details on our website at www.earthy.com (for individuals) or at www. earthydelights.com for commercial sales.

What a week -- Spring and Summers at the same time!!

2010-04-01T12:08:00.014-04:00

What a week!! Ramps (wild leeks) were plentiful from the south. We picked up a load every day this week, and sold them all the same day..

The next couple of days are going to be in the 80's however, so we'll be moving north to Michigan for ramps next week. The Michigan ramps will be a little larger, with a milder flavor than the "little stinkers" from W Virginia.

Ramp Festivals will be coming up in the next couple of months, including the Cosby Ramp Festival in Cosby TN http://www.cosbyrampfestival.org/

There are more festivals in West Virginia and North Carolina. Many are listed at this site

http://www.appvoices.org/index.php?/site/voice_stories/ramp_festivals_a_sure_sign_of_appalachian_spring/issue/532

Meanwhile the Orchard Morels from California have come to a halt, and snow in Oregon has made the NWest morels very very expensive and almost impossible to find. We're hearing stories about Morels from Texas and Oklahoma, and hope they'll be coming to the upper mid-west soon.

We are looking for supplies of fresh morels from the south, the mid-west or the eastern US. True morels only -- no verpas, no caps, no broken pieces, and stems must be trimmed.

If you might have commercial amounts of nice morels, contact us at morels@earthy.com. Let us know where you are, how to contact you, how many morels you may have, and the nearest major airport and we'll get back to you.

And finally, I can't sign off with out saying GO GREEN to Tom Izzo and the MSU Spartans, in their 6th Final Four in 12 years. What a record, what a team. Victory for MSU!!

Morels and it's snowing

2010-02-16T16:07:00.005-05:00

Out the window today there was a strong wind blowing the snowflakes almost sideways. Meanwhile, in our warehouse we had beautiful Morels and Chanterelles from the Central California Coast.

Now if only the Spartans can win on the road tonight, it will be a perfect day.

Fresh Morels are Here!!

2010-02-15T17:01:00.003-05:00

Sometimes even while the snow is piled high, we get a reminder that spring is not far behind.

I got a call today from one our pickers letting us know that tomorrow we'll be getting the First Morels of the 2010 season.

There won't be many, and there will be gaps, but the First Morels!! Before you know it we'll have fresh ramps, the Final Four, baseball, long bicycle rides and warm weather.....

Life is good.....

Paw Paws here today, gone tomorrow

2009-09-14T12:25:00.005-04:00

We had our first paw paws last week, and they were wonderful. Custardy, somewhat like a banana, yet with a unique tropical flavor, somewhat like a mango.

We were happy to see Paw Paws get some attention from the Wall St Journal although they didn't mention that you can get them from Earthy Delights (www.earthy.com) http://ow.ly/pgYZ

They're only available for about 3 weeks, so get yours now.

2009-09-09T17:16:00.004-04:00

Morels in September??

Folks in Michigan love their Morels. Years ago the Legendary Larry "Tree" Lonik worked with people from Michigan State (GO GREEN!) to develop a cultivated morel. Success has been spotty, but we've gotten our hands on a few lbs for the next weeks.

These morels are beautiful, have a great shelf life and are guaranteed bug free. The flavor is not that of the wild morels, but mix them with a few dried morels and POW! You've got a great morel dish in September.

Earthy Delights is now offering these at www.earthy.com

2009-08-31T15:30:00.006-04:00

Paw Paws are here again. Don't wait -- the season will be gone before you know it!!

A truly unique treat -- the only N American tropical fruit -- with a flavor between a mango and a banana.

Kentucky State University (http://www.pawpaw.kysu.edu/) has been working with Neal Peterson and the Paw Paw Foundation to cultivate the best of the Paw paws. The weather this year was perfect for a monster Paw Paw harvest. Available from Earthy Delights (www.earthy.com) for a short time only.

We predict this wonderful fruit will only gain in popularity once people have a chance to try them.

And by the way, Where oh where IS pretty little Suzy?

Cherries and Berries

2009-08-05T13:38:00.007-04:00

FANTASTIC BALATON CHERRIES

It's a great time here in Michigan. My friends up on the Mission Peninsula in Northern Michigan are about to harvest this year's Balaton Cherries. http://www.hrt.msu.edu/balaton.html

Balaton's are a delicious Morello Cherry, grown in only a few places in the US. They are tart with a bit of sweetness, and firmer than most tart cherries, which are generally used just for baking. The Balaton is also great for baking, but also fabulous for eating. They're only around for one week, so order from Earthy Delights right now because the season will be over in just one short week.

WILD HUCKLEBERRIES -- AN AMERICAN TREAT

And from the West Coast we have delicious, scrumptious huckleberries. A wild cousin of the blueberry, the huckleberry grows all over the Northwest. When they grow, they grow in great abundance, but often in remote, hard to get to locations. Some of our harvesters have sent us some and we're happy to have them in house.

If you're lucky enough to find some locally, go out and pick your own. If not try www.earthy.com and they'll send some to you

Mad about Morels

2009-05-05T15:02:00.007-04:00

I think we're on the verge of a tremendous season in the midwest. A few pickers here in Michigan are finding small amounts. Blacks are coming in from the west coast, and a few blondes are coming in from Nebraska.

For the most complete information, you can visit morels.com http://www.morels.com/ where there is a pretty comprehensive list of morel sightings and photos, as well as a list of message boards from all over the country.

The net is full of stories about finding morels, buying morels, eating morels and more;

Here are just a few links:

Megan writes about "The Morel of the Story" http://bit.ly/19XRxM, about watching a "shroom" deal go down.

Ruth Mossock Johnston writes about heading north for the Boyne Morel festival: http://bit.ly/jrVvM

Jason Wiebke writes about the upcoming season in Wisconsin: http://bit.ly/gud26

And Earthy Delights is offering a morel recipe contest at http://bit.ly/6x5as

Let the madness begin!!

Verpa Bohemica

2009-03-31T14:13:00.003-04:00

Just got a call from one of our sources out west offering us the "Early Morel" or Verpa bohemica.

It is also called the "False morel," and the "Half cap."

http://www.mushroomexpert.com/verpa_bohemica.html

I have always stayed away from this mushroom, because it is listed in some sources as toxic.

On the other hand, many people claim to have eaten this for years with no ill effects. David Aurora, one of America's great mushroom experts, advises "Eat with caution."

http://www.rrich.com/msverpabohemica.html

Anyone out there have any experience with this mushroom? Any comments on edibility and
safety?

There's Ramps in those Hills

2009-03-24T13:37:00.004-04:00

What a nice change from being on the computer and phone all day. Yesterday I got in the van and headed towards West Virginia to pick up our first load of ramps.

Now in the past our good friend Jerry brought them up to us, but sadly Jerry passed away last year. So long old friend....

It was about 4 hours through Columbus, and then old flat Ohio got hilly and windy -- kind of like where I grew up around Pittsburgh.

My first trip with a GPS and I'm glad I had it. After a couple of hours driving on 2 lane roads, I found the house, and got out and took a look at the ramps.

They were lined up in the barn in baskets (see above) in little bays, with the roots sitting in water to keep them fresh.

I had my new refrigerated van to keep them cool, but there were too many ramps to fit in the van. We spent a couple of hours building some shelving so we could stack them two high and get them all in the van.

Then, on my way back to Michigan. As I pulled out of the West Virginia hills, Levon Helm and the Band were singing on the radio --- WOUB out of Athens Ohio. A great show called "Crossing Boundaries." Thanks for the great music!!

The sun had just set and the sky was beautifu. Layers of clouds, blue sky, pink sky fading away into more stars than I ever see up here. Orion's Belt followed me all the way home to Michigan.

I have to get out of the office more often.

Are we there yet?

2009-03-18T11:13:00.006-04:00

OK, it was 70 degrees yesterday, even here in Michigan. March Madness starts tomorrow
(Go Spartans!!) We've had our orchard morels for two weeks now, and everyone seems very happy... http://nofearentertaining.blogspot.com/

Next week we hope to get our first Ramps from West Virginia!!

If you haven't had ramps, you are really missing something special. For fun, attend a Ramp Festival, such as the one from Richwood

http://www.richwooders.com/ramp/ramps.htm

We'll start tracking morel sightings tomorrow!!

Go Green!

Spring at Last

2009-03-06T12:30:00.004-05:00

Well I know spring is just around the corner. Here we are, with March Madness just about to start. (So much basketball, so little time) and lo and behold, we get an early pop of morel mushrooms.

This is the earliest I can remember ever having them. There aren't very many, but they are beautiful.

Coming up next -- the first Ramps -- in just a couple of weeks!!

Are we really what we eat?

2009-01-22T10:02:00.003-05:00

Is it really all about what we eat? This morning, while driving to work eating my BK biscuit with sausage, I heard Mark Bittman (http://www.markbittman.com/about.php) on Morning Edition on NPR, talking about his book "Food Matters"

He talked about eating less meat, eating less factory produced food of any kind, and how he lost weight, lowered his cholesterol, lowered his blood pressure, and his knees stopped aching.

I am overweight, I am tired a lot, and my knees hurt. I have all this wonderful food around me all the time, yet I still tend to go for "comfort food." I like fried chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy, spaghetti with meatballs, ham and cheese potatoes, bacon and eggs with hash browns, ice cream with brownies and chocolate sauce.

And I am skeptical of crusaders who want to save the world, especially the food world.

But maybe there's something to all this. I've got the books by Michale Pollan (http://www.michaelpollan.com/), but I haven't read them.

I give lip service to sustainability and local food, but that's not how I shop or how I cook.

So I am going to try something. I'm going to try shopping and cooking and eating differently for a while. I'm going to read about and write about slow food, sustainability shopping locally and associated topics.

Some of this may help my business of selling wild and traditional foods, but that's not the point. The point is discovery, and maybe feeling better and more energetic.

Can't hurt

What the heck is a Pawpaw?

2008-09-15T14:54:00.014-04:00

Well we've been having fun this week. We've gotten to look at, read about and taste something not very many people have had a chance to try -- the Pawpaw.

What the heck is a Pawpaw many of you might ask? The Pawpaw, or(Asimina triloba) is the only tropical fruit native to North America. From the Kentucky State University website http://www.pawpaw.kysu.edu/

"The pawpaw (Asimina triloba) fruit has both fresh market and processing appeal, with a tropical like flavor that resembles a combination of banana, mango, and pineapple...."

Last year I took a trip to Kentucky State University in Frankfort KY, and attended the Pawpaw Foundation Conference and had a delightful time. I was fascinated to meet so many wonderful people who are so passionate about the Pawpaw.

I tried a number of them and the experience was truly unlike anything I've ever tasted. If you get the chance to try one of these, don't miss it! They're only available for a few weeks a year.

Look for these to become more sought after and to begin appearing on more menus in the future. Just don't put 'em in your pocket!!

Food Network finds Food for Thought in Northern Michigan

2008-01-09T14:23:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to our friends at Food for Thought! The Food Network is going to feature this special Michigan company on their "Unwrapped" show program on Monday, January 14, 2008 @ 9:00 p.m. (EST)

Lots of people are jumping on the Organic and Sustainable bandwagon, but for Tim Young and his partners at Food for Thought, it is a way of life, and an integral part of their business.

Tim began making delicious organic preserves in his home in 1995, and has always used only the finest organic or wild ingredients. From the foundation of Food For Thought, he has contributed a portion of his revenues to non-profit organizations "that work to preserve and protect our human and natural environment."

According to their website, " With an emphasis on premium quality, low sugar, organic wine and herb infused preserves; the line has grown to include salsas, mustards, dried fruits, and other condiments."

We've tried many of their products, and have worked with Food for Thought in producing pickled wild leeks among other things.

It's great to see them getting some recognition. It is richly deserved

Detroit Train

2008-01-06T19:29:00.001-05:00

Once or twice a year we have a very special night out and visit a couple of very special people in the small but charming little Michgan town of Chelsea.

About an hour from my East Lansing home, Chelsea lies about 40 minutes south and 20 minutes east of here. Last Friday night 8 of us set out for a couple of special treats. First we headed to the Common Grill for what is always a stellar meal.

Chef Craig Common always manages to be creative without being fancy. Fresh seafood is offered as "simple fish" and it IS simple, but it is not plain. He also offers a nice assortment of steaks and pasta dishes. Again, these meals are always a thoughtful mixture of fresh ingredients, but the flavors are combined with the idea of creating a rich melange of complimentary flavors, not in order to show off how exotic the meal can be. I have always been pleased and satisfied with the meals he creates, and look forward to my next time back. If you're ever in Michigan, The Common Grill is a place you must visit.

After dinner we hustled across the street to The Purple Rose Theatre. The Purple Rose was founded in 1991 by Jeff Daniels, a Chelsea native who had acted in New York and Hollywood, and decided to return home to Michigan to establish a regional theater "dedicated to producing the New American Play and creating opportunities for Midwest theatre professionals."

For the last few years Jeff has been performing "live and unplugged" on stage as a fund raiser for the theatre. Over 30 years he has been playing guitar and writing songs. He's written a selection of clever, moving, funny and entertaining songs which he performs accompanying himself on guitar. His songwriting is very good, and his charm and humor in performance are extraordinary. This is the third year we've attended on or around the New Year.

This year we were seated in the 2nd row, stage right, right about in the middle. Jeff has a way of putting poignant pauses in his songs, right before he delivers a punch line. As he waits to deliver the line, he often peers over to the right, a knowing grin on his face, and nods as if to say "you know what I'm talking about."

Now I'm sure I wasn't the only one, but I was sure all night long that he was looking right at me. So when he broke into a song called "Detroit Train", and started saying "Now every train needs a conductor, and I'm playing the guitar," I wasn't surprised when he looked my way and said "You. Come on down here."

Well, it didn't take me long to get up on stage. I fumbled around a little, and then went back and stood by Jeff's chair as he continued his vamp on "Detroit Train."
He pointed to a wooden whistle on a little table to his right, and then had me sit in the chair with the microphone as he stood up. Well, the train started chugging to the rhythm of his guitar, and as he pointed to me, I was to blow the train whistle. After a bit I didn't need him to point. The train went faster, it went slower, it went up a hill and down in the valley. I was having a blast, getting in to the fun and the rhythm of the song. My wife told me afterward that Jeff was smiling too. I know I sure had fun.

In the lobby after the show, a few people asked me whether we had rehearsed, or whether it was all spontaneous, which made me feel pretty good.

I wanted to talk with Jeff some more after the show, but he was surrounded by a throng of people, so we headed back to the Common Grill for dessert (an absolutely wonderful home made vanilla bean ice cream.)

A night I'll remember for a long, long time.

Thanks, Jeff, for letting me play.

Eating Locally

2008-01-04T12:37:00.000-05:00

In the northwest corner of Michigan is an absolutely beautiful part of the world, known to Michiganders and other mid-westerners, but little known to the rest of the world.

The "big city" is Traverse City, which has exploded in the last 30 years. The winters are cold, but the Lake (Lake Michigan) often keeps this area warmer than the rest of Michigan. Further west is "The County" of Leelanau, with the lovely cities of Glen Arbor, Leelanau, Sutton's Bay, Omena, Northport and lots of cherry orchards. These farmlands, along with the lake, give this area a very special beauty.

As more people (such as Mario Batali)

find this paradise, there are worries that the beautiful farmland which make this part of the world so special, will be developed into condos instead of farmland, as is happening in much of the rest of the country.

This is part of what is driving the "Buy Local" movement in Northern Michigan,
as well as the fact that locally grown food simply tastes better. For several years "Taste the Local Difference" a part of the Michigan Land Use Institute has been promoting the idea of a distribution system to help farmers get their produce in the hands of local chefs.
Funny as it seems, the big distributors had to buy their cherries from Washington.

Along came Eric Hahn, with a background as a chef and experience working with food distribution, all eagerness and energy. Some folks wait for everything to be figured out to the last detail, lots of meetings, spreadsheets, budgets and plans. Not Eric.
He decided that he would just get it done; borrowed a little money, bought a van, and started talking to farmers and chefs. He practically lived in that van last summer -- spending 10, 12, 14 and 16 hour days driving to pick up the produce, then driving to deliver it. NPR ran an excellent story on Eric and Cherry Capital Foods this morning

Cherry Capital Foods now has a warehouse, a second van, and a second driver to spell Eric so he can expand his network of farmers and Chefs. 2008 looks to be a fantastic
year for Cherry Capital Foods and for Northern Michigan

Disclosure: Earthy Delights is getting involved with Cherry Capital Foods as an investor and partner. We hope to expand distribution of Northwest Michigan produce into other areas of Michigan, as well as help CCF supply their chef customers with items such as Aged Balsamic Vinegar, Extra Virgin Olive Oil and other products not grown or produced in Michigan.

My favorite mushroom

2007-08-08T10:46:00.001-04:00

I know it is hard for some of you to believe, but some of us actually have a favorite wild mushroom than the morel.

For many chefs, it is the porcini. I'll admit the porcini has a delightful, spicy flavor, and a rich meatty texture. Unfortunately, a few years ago I breathed in too much dried porcini spore, and became sensitized to the porcini mushroom.

My personal favorite is the Chanterelle. Aromatic, with a smell of fresh apricots, pretty with a beautiful gold color, meaty with a texture of tender chicken, and adaptable to a multitude of dishes -- stir frys, pasta, risotto, or simply sauteed in butter and olive oil, with a little garlic.

We just received our first shipment of Chanterelles from Nova Scotia, also one of my favorite places on earth. We visited there a couple of years ago in search of chanterelles. We not only found chanterelles, we found much more. We found a beautiful countryside, friendly people, a lovely in (the Normaway http://www.normaway.com/) and a lively tradition of celtic music everywhere.

Our favorite find was at the Lunenberg Folk Harbour Festival (http://www.folkharbour.com/). It was a dark and stormy night (I know, but it really was) and we finally found ourselves under a tent, listening to a number of entertaining groups and singers.

Then came a group comprised of two brother and sisters, playing fiddle, guitar, piano, and pipes, and singing and dancing. We knew we were in the presence of something very special as we listened, smiles plastered on our faces, to this incredible young group called the Cottars

Gratitude

2007-06-25T16:59:00.000-04:00

Once in a while we get a call or an e-mail that makes it all worthwhile. We realize that, for at least
some people, we're doing more here than selling food.

Actually we get a call or e-mail about once a year like this one we received today (names removed)

Good morning to you, I'm writing to tell you about my husband, Ted L. He passed away in his sleep last year. He really was appreciative of you people there at earthy delights. Because of his health, he was unable to go out to search for morels in the last few years, and that was his favorite thing to do in the spring! Because of you folks, he was still able to enjoy the taste of them anyway. He really looked forward to the deliveryand we would sit together to sort and clean the morels. A couple ''messes" and he was content till next year. when, of course, there would be bigger and better ones to eat!! Thank you for being there. Sincerely Gayle L

Ted and gayle L.

More on Morel Magic

2007-01-31T12:29:00.000-05:00

What a week! I just spent a week in San Francisco at the Fancy Food Show. Earthy Delights was displaying our retail line of dried mushrooms, chiles and spices. We got a great reaction from those who visited us and saw our products.

I also managed to walk the entire floor and look at every booth at the show. 3 days of standing and walking on cement was a challenge to the legs, but we saw lots of interesting new products, learned a lot from the seminars, and came back charged up. I never did find the time to write, and back now for a week, I'm just getting caught up.

More on the new products later. I need to finish writing about the wonderful sauce you can make with dried morels!!!

It is just so easy to create a dish or a sauce which will simply explode with flavor, and enhance any meal -- for yourself or for guests.

What I'll describe here is a simple morel mushroom sauce appropriate for serving over any meat, or over pasta or rice or noodles for vegetarians.

First start out with a few dried morels and a large bowl of warm water. Remember, an ounce of dried morels will reconstitute as 6 to 8 ounces, so you can make a sauce for up to 4 people using as little as one ounce of dried morels.

Soak the dried morels in a large bowl of warm water; use enough water to completely cover the mushrooms. Allow to soak for 30 - 40 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the rest of your meal -- make a salad, broil your meat (my favorite is maranated flank steak -- recipe to come)

After the dried mushrooms have soaked enough for 30 - 40 minutes, drain the liquid into a bowl and SAVE THE LIQUID!! As I said before, the magic is in the water!!

Depending on the size of the morels, you may want to cut them in half, slice them, or use them whole. Let them drain on a paper towel.

In a large saucepan, over medium low heat, melt 3 tablespoons of butter gently. If you like, you may use 1/2 butter, 1/2 olive oil. When the butter is melted, slowly add in and whisk 3 tablespoons of a good all-purpose flour, and whisk the mixture until it is a smooth consistency.

These portions aren't magic. You may have to add a little butter or oil if the roux is clumped up. On other days, you may have to add a little flour. Let simmer for a few minutes, breaking up any lumps with the whisk.

Then, slowly, slowly, still over medium low heat, add the reserved liquid, one cup for every tablespoon of butter or flour ( in this case 3 cups). Let the sauce heat slowly, until it is an even consistency, then add more liquid. You can speed this process a little by slightly heating the Morel Magic Liquid. The consistency should be that of a good gravy.

Add the reconstituted morels to the liquid and continue to simmer, 10 - 15 minutes. Add salt, pepper or other flavoring to taste. (I often use a nice aged balsamic vinegar)

Serve at tableside over roasted meat, over pasta or rice. I promise, this will be one of the most rich, incredible flavors you have ever tried, and absolutely unlike anything else.

More to come!!

Ed Baker

Dried Morels: The Magic is in the Water

2007-01-17T20:22:00.000-05:00

I'm going to share a secret. OK, it's not really a secret, beacuse many of you do know about it. But I know, from talking with people at tasting demos (even at as wonderful a place as Zingerman's) that a great many people do not know about the utterly fantastic things you can do with dried mushrooms.

As wonderful as fresh morels are, dried morels might be even better. I know there is not the thrill of walking in the woods and finding these elusive treasures, but you can only do that for a couple of weeks a year. And I'll tell you what; even when fresh morels are available, I often supercharge my dishes with the incredible flavor that comes from reconstituting dried morels.

First, what are they? Often wild mushrooms, and morels in particular, come up in such abundance, in such remote, hot places, that it is impossible to get them to market before they start deteriorating. What to do? In places like Montana, the Yukon Territory, and Alaska pickers congregate in large numbers, waiting for just the right time, at just the right spot, for the explosion of morels which takes place in even numbered years, with 2 full moons in July, which have seen rainfall on Tuesdays and Thursdays and dry Wednesdays and frost on 18 of the thirty days of April..... Alright, no one really knows which years are going to be bumper years, but hope springs eternal .

At any rate, when the morel harvest is at its peak, pickers converge and pick hundreds and thousands and tens of thousands of morels a day at times. In the same town (or mountainside or burn site) mushrooms trading companies send in their buyers with cash in their hands, and large commercial dryers in tow. The morels are purchased, the price based on the size of the harvest and the number of buyers bidding.

They are then dried in large commercial dryers and shipped off to the markets of America and Europe. How many lbs of fresh morels does it take to make a lb of dried morels? Therein lies the difference between a profitable year and a losing year. Depending on the moisture content of the morels, it may take as few as 6 lbs of fresh to make a lb of dried. Bingo. If you've paid, say $5.00/lb for the fresh morels, then you've made a lb of dried morels for $30.00 (in addition to the expense of flying equipment and people into some remote area of Alaska, and the expenses of your buyers, the interest on the money you borrowed to make this gamble, and the energy to heat your mushroom dryer.)

On the other hand, if it takes 10 lbs of fresh to make a lb of dried, then you have $50.00 into your lb of dried morels. Now if everyone else has only $40.00 into theirs, you're still going to get the same price the other guy got for his.... bad news.

Well, I meant to talk about cooking with dried morels, and give you some directions and examples of the things you can do, but that will have to wait for another day...

Time to pack, get some sleep, and travel to San Francisco tomorrow for the Fancy Food Show

More later......

Welcome to my blog

2007-01-15T15:39:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the first posting of my blog "Searching for Wonderful Food." Actually, this is my second posting; my first was on December 5, 2005. I think it is general practice to post more than once a year. I intend to do that from now on.

So who the heck am I and why should you care? First, I am not a "Foodie" or any kind of "expert."
I kind of fell into this gig selling specialty produce and other foods about 16 years ago. My first reaction was that someone couldn't really sell food by mail, and that I'd stay until I found a "real" job. This was in 1990, and the company was called Michigan Marketing Association.

It's now 2007, and the company is called Earthy Delights, and for better or worse I am the owner and president. We've been selling specialty foods to some of America's finest chefs for almost 20 years now. As it turns out, the majority of our sales are of wild mushrooms (see previous post) and truffles. We also sell specialty produce, cheese, fine oils and vinegars, exotic spices, dried fruit and honey, chocolate, gift baskets and much more.

During the time I've been here, I've learned some things about food, and about the food business that I think a few of you may find interesting. In particular, I seem to be in a unique place to let you know about the wild mushroom harvest in the US and around the world. Do you want to know when fresh morels will be available, and where they're coming from? Do you want to know about fresh truffles for the holidays?
When can you expect to see fresh fiddleheads?

I've also had the opportunity to taste thousands of wonderful and unique foods, and I would like to share my finds with anyone interested enough to take a few minutes to read my ramblings. I'll be writing about reconstituting dried mushrooms, attending the Fancy Food Show, going out to visit a cheesemaker in Northern California, or a mushroom harvester in Nova Scotia.

I'll also be cooking with many of these foods, and sharing with you the results (successful and not so successful)so you can experience some of these wonderful flavor too.

Tomorrow I'll let you know how my morel sauce goes tonight!!

Stay tuned

Ed Baker

Searching for Wonderful Food: What are Wild Mushrooms?

2005-12-08T22:06:00.000-05:00

Searching for Wonderful Food: What are Wild Mushrooms?

What are Wild Mushrooms?

2005-12-08T16:15:00.000-05:00

When people ask what I do, they often seem unsure what to say when I tell them I sell wild mushrooms. "No, not the funny kind," I tell them. "Where are they grown?" is often the next question, followed by, "Do you have your own mushroom farm?"

So what are wild mushrooms? And does that "Ragout of Wild Mushrooms" you just ordered in your favorite restaurant really pass the "Truth in Advertising" test?

Wild mushrooms grow in the wild. They grow in the forests, on the mountainsides, in the meadows and deep in the brush. They are like manna from heaven, but instead of raining down from the sky, they pop up from the earth after a rain. They grow when and where their nature tells them to grow, and their marvelous flavors let you know that they are NOT the farm-raised, planned, safe little buttons you see in cans at your grocery store.

As to the "Truth in Advertising" of the "Wild Mushroom Ragout," this is one of my pet peeves.

I can't tell you how often I have spotted a "Wild Mushroom" dish on a menu, and asked my server what wild mushrooms were in the dish. More often than I would like to remember I have been told that they were "Oyster, shiitake and cremini." I've learned to smile, and order something else. I used to smile and tell them to please tell the chef that oyster, shiitake, and cremini are not wild mushrooms, but I learned that no one cared but me.

So here's the deal. "Wild" MEANS Wild. No one would sell farm raised beef as wild boar. Wild salmon is different from Farm raised salmon. Farm raised mushrooms are NOT wild mushrooms. If they are commercially grown, planted, harvested, raised, farmed etc they are NOT wild mushrooms.

Examples of mushrooms often portayed as wild which are farm raised:

Cremini
Oyster
Portobello
Shiitake

Examples of Wild Mushrooms:

Black Trumpets
Chanterelles
Chicken of the Woods
Hedgehogs
Lobster
Morels
Porcini
Yellow Foot

More on wild mushrooms and other fine foods to come.

Ed Baker
Earthy Delights
eb@earthy.com
Professional Funguy