Louisiana mushrooms

[davebr]

A very, very, very long time ago I remember reading a cookbook by Kevin Graham (ex long time chef of the Windsor Court) that called for Louisiana chantrells. Where are they located and how do I get them?

[Mayhaw Man]

This company is based in Dallas and is run by Susan Spicer's brother Tom. He occasionally lists them on his produce list and would be a good source to start. All of this stuff is available by air and would be an excellent resource for anyone looking for interesting and hard to find items-he carries a huge variety of mushrooms and during th e summer has the Louisiana ones.

Incidentally, Louisiana Chanterelles are a summertime product (result of quick and heavy afternoon rains and extremely high humidity in the wooded areas where they are found.

Hope this helps.

I remember when Kevin Graham ran Windsor Court. It was a great place (15 years ago)

[lafcadio]

In the 1960's and early 70's the French Market in New Orleans sold "tree mushrooms" from across the lake. Irregular in shape and much thicker in the middle than at the edges they were very meaty and delicious. They varied in size (from 6" x 6" to more than 14" long by about 10" wide). The color was a light greyish brown in the middle, shading to lighter grey/beige at the edges.

The owners of the produce stands always avoided saying exactly where the mushrooms grew. The season was usually about 3 to 4 weeks starting near 12th Night. I usually cooked them in the oven with chicken, thyme, oregano and lots of garlic. No one seemed to know what the real name was, they were just "the tree mushrooms".

[fifi]

Many years ago, an elderly friend of my FIL would soak a log in the pond at his country place and it would grow some kind of fungus. I wonder what that was and if it was the same thing as the tree fungus. I think he called it "cepes" but I don't think that is correct. I always thought cepes was the same thing as porcini.

[FistFullaRoux]

Many years ago, an elderly friend of my FIL would soak a log in the pond at his country place and it would grow some kind of fungus. I wonder what that was and if it was the same thing as the tree fungus. I think he called it "cepes" but I don't think that is correct. I always thought cepes was the same thing as porcini.

In Cajun French, "un cipre" or "une ciprière" means "bald cypress" or "cypress swamp".

I think he was talking about the wood, not the mushroom.

[fifi]

Hmmm... Will cypress wood grow fungus? I thought it was resistant. I don't know. He was an old Italian guy and lived in the Covington LA area.

[Mayhaw Man]

My entire house is framed (and was once roofed in) cypress. It was built as a rooming house/hotel in 1895. It does not rot, and does not grow fungus. I believe that the shittake mushrooms grow on oak. There are several growers in Northern St. Tammany and one of these guys regularly sells at the Covington and at the Mandeville Farmer's Markets (which incidentally are really served by the farmers-the Covington one is by far the best). Couldn't find the link to the Covington Market but-

here is a link to the Mandeville Farmer's Market

[davebr]

There is a guy here in Shreveport that sells shiitake and he grows it off of saw dust. But I have seen them use oak in Virginia.

OK, the cookbook is called Simply Elegant The Cuisine of the Windsor Court Hotel. The recipe that has stirred my curiousity for the past 13 years is Sauteed Snails with Folsom Chanterelles. Once I did have a converation with John Folse about 6 years ago who said he had a friend in Alexandria that would give them to him for free because nobody wanted them. My friend Neal who runs the NOLA kitchen has told me about a mushroom guy on the Westbank.

[Mayhaw Man]

There are at least two different guys who grow them in Folsom/Covington. Both occasionally sell them (I suppose when they have them available) at the Covington and Mandeville Farmers Markets. I believe one of them is also the guy that seels the awesome golden bamboo. I am going to Covington this morning (to buy shrimp, butter, and camellia bushes ) and will try to get you some more info and a name and address.

[Richard Kilgore]

Here's a link to Tom Spicer at SpiceAirUnlimited.com in Dallas. He has been supplying the highest quality produce to the top restaurants in Dallas for years. You can email him or give him a ring. He actually prefers the phone. Although last time I checked most items on his site are listed in fairly large quantities for most home cooks, he will ship smaller quantities...just ask.

[Mayhaw Man]

I was about to post and say that I already put a link above, but of course I failed to do so. DOH!

Thanks Richard.