Glacier Institute Class and Raven Tavern Tasting

 By: 6 intrepid tasters, 3 staff and 3 customers at the Raven (including myself). The standard rules of the taste test were meticulously applied; each participant had a scorecard to rate each dish. 

Preparation: each was prepared under the cook's inspiration of the moment, which proved to be in excellent taste. The Imperial gray cat was sauteed in butter with green onions and a splash of Fez Parker Chardonnay. The Fairy Rings were cooked up with red bell peppers, which accentuated their spicy nutty flavor.  Clitocybe dilitata, affectionately named "Dili" by the tasters, was sauteed in a butter and wine sauce, as was the woodland Agaric. All were cooked al dente, and none were browned in cooking. This served to accentuate the flavors of the mushrooms themselves.

 The results: The Imperial Gray Catathalesma was the winner with 10 points.

 Comments: "the best preparation I've tasted of this mushroom" "like an excellent piece of fish" "great texture" "yum!"

Second was the woodland Agaric, Agaricus sivicola only a modest sampling of this fine fungus, with 12 total points. Comments: "best flavor" "MORE!" "Like almonds or anise" "texture like a button mushroom"

Third past the post, the Fairy ring Marasmius got 13 points, stressing the closeness of this competition and the competing excellence of flavors. Comments; "wonderful counterpointing of tastes. We need to have a wine and mushroom sampling event!"  "Nice sharp nutty taste" "wonderful aroma"

Last among these heroes of fungal flavors, Clitocybe dilitata, aka Dilly, gathered 21 points. Comments: "not my favorite" "it tastes JUST like asparagus!" "Nice preparation, but not a flavor I expect in my mushroom."

Agaricus silvicola

Auricularia auricularis

Boletus piperatus

Calvatia booniana - giant puffball (rather puny specimen)

Clitocybe dealbata
gibba
nebularis group
inversa group
gigantea group
dilitata

Collybia (Gymnopus) dryophila
acervata
tuberosa

Coprinus comatus - Shaggy Mane

Chlorocyboria aeruginascens

Clavariadelphus ligula

Cryptoporus volvatus

Clavulina cristata

Cystoderma fallax
amianthinum

Cortinarius glaucopus gp
sp. bulbopodium
"bigloweii" bulbous with copius cortina and pronounced fragrant aroma

Cortinarius cinnamomeus
sp violet gill yellow cap
sp orange
telamonia, brown
telamonia: collinatus-like

Echinodontium tinctorium

Fomes annosum

Fomitopsis pinicola

Fuligo septica (yellow/black slime mold)
(also the Lycogala epidendrum "pink balls" in dry, dusty gray puffball stage) 

Gomphidius glutinosus
subroseus (Egan picked it and it stained blue. Pattern here?)

Gallerina autumnalis

Geastrum saccatum

Hebeloma crustuliniformis

Herpetricia niger (snow mold)

Hygrophorus agathusumus (nee. pacificus, with almond over naptha smell)
olivaceoalbus grey stalked
purpurascens
sp.

Hygrophoropsis aurantiaca

Hydnellum aurantiacum

Hypomyces on Polyporus elegans

Inonotus hirsutus

Inocybe lacera
geophylla

Lactorius deliciosa
rufous

Laccaria laccata

Lentinus lepidius (train wrecker)

Lepista nuda

Leucopaxillus amarus
albissimus

Lycoperdon perlatum (pedicellatum)

Lyophyllum decastes
semitale group: smoky gray black stain

Nolanea/Entoloma sp? compressed stalk, round cap, like stricta otherwise

Naematoloma capnoides
fasciculare

Mycena maculata red brn stains
sp
monticola salmon colored
epipterygia gray
pura

Panaeolus foenisecii

Paxillus atrotomentosus (from Bigfork)

Pholiota destruens on cottonwood
squarrosa group
reddish terrrestrial, shreddy veil

Pluteus cervinus
sp. small

Pleurotus ostreatus group (tiny, on hardwood)

Phlogistis hellvelloides

Ramaria stricta
rasilispora (old and brownish by now)

Russula cyanoxantha (red stem, multicolor cap)
occidentalis
emetica
mariae-fragilis group

Stereum striatum

Thellophore on burned wood

Spathularia sp. and Cudonia circinans, two terribly charming and tiny ascomycetes

Stropharia semiglobata
hornemannii

Suillus tomentosus
brevipes gray-cap form
grevillei

Tremella foliaceae brown witches butter
mesenterica yellow witches butter

Tricholoma aurantium orange and smelly
pardinum red brown fibrils, small units

Tricholomopsis rutilans

Trametes versicolor - turkey tails

Xeromphalina campanella
cauticinalis

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