Manhattan Lobster (Mushroom) Chowder with oyster crackers
Mushrooms Seafood Soups & Stews Wild Foods

Manhattan Lobster (Mushroom) Chowder

Lobster mushrooms are one of the most distinctive of edible wild mushrooms. Some say that they get their unusual name from their flavor, which is reminiscent of shellfish. It seems more likely that their bright orange-red exterior and snowy white flesh (which looks a lot like cooked lobster) are the source of their colorful appellation. The lobster mushroom is something of an oddity in the mushroom world, which certainly has more than its share of unusual characters. The lobster mushroom …

Stir-Fried Pork with Cucumber and Asian Mushrooms on a big plate
Asian Meat Mushrooms Vegetables Wild Foods

Stir-Fried Pork with Cucumber and Asian Mushrooms

We’re big fans of dried mushrooms here at Earthy Delights. After all, we’ve been in the mushroom and wild foods business for almost 40 years. While a lot has changed, with the rise of new technologies and new ways of doing business (remember life before the internet or even personal computers?), our genuine love of fresh and dried mushrooms has remained steadfast. Why should anyone care about dried mushrooms? To start with, edible mushrooms are a wholesome and healthy package …

Poached Eggs & Ham with Mushroom Sauce
Eggs Any Style Meat Mushrooms Sauces & Condiments

Poached Eggs & Ham with Porcini Mushroom Sauce… on a Bagel

It’s often said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  Mostly, we agree with that statement, except on weekends, when brunch is the most important meal of the day. Go ahead and have your coffee whenever you roll out of bed, then take your time and whip up something special – like this recipe for Poached Eggs & Ham with Porcini Mushroom Sauce on a Bagel. Why a bagel, you ask?  Why not?! We like the firm, …

Farro, Wild Mushroom and Chestnut Salad with Sherry Vinaigrette
Appetizers Mushrooms Salads Wild Foods

Farro, Wild Mushroom and Chestnut Salad with Sherry Vinaigrette

Farro, an ancient relative of modern wheat, was once called “pharaoh’s wheat,” since it’s been around since the pyramids were still under warranty. It’s kept its appeal across much of the world through the intervening centuries, especially in Italy and the Middle East, but it’s only caught on in North America relatively recently. Once considered rather exotic, delicious farro now pops up regularly on restaurant menus and can usually be found in well-provisioned grocery stores. Farro’s wholesome grain-like flavor makes …

Polish Holiday Mushroom Soup
Mushrooms Soups & Stews Wild Foods

Polish Mushroom Soup (Zupa Grzybowa)

This simple, much-beloved soup, made with the large, meaty mushrooms called “borowik” in Polish, is traditionally served on Christmas Eve. Of course, there are as many different versions of this soup as there are Polish cooks (and their numerous descendants). Here is our recipe, which we think is a very nice version indeed. Here in the U.S., the borowik is most commonly known as the boletus edulis, king bolete or porcini mushroom. Mushroom lovers at home and around the world …

Double Mushroom and Cheese Strata
Breads & Baked Goods Cheese Eggs Any Style Mushrooms Wild Foods

Twice-the-Flavor Savory Double Mushroom and Cheese Strata

What’s a “strata?” Think savory bread pudding, only better. It’s an easy make-ahead meal that can be prepared the night before and baked just before you’re ready to serve it. While Double Mushroom & Cheese Strata is the perfect centerpiece for a lazy weekend brunch, it’s substantial and satisfying enough for a weeknight dinner too. Featuring savory cheeses, eggs and both fresh and dried mushrooms, this is rib-sticking comfort food at its finest – and a guaranteed hit with the …

Desserts Wild Foods

Pawpaw Mousse

Pickin’ Up Pawpaws, Way Down Yonder in the Pawpaw Patch… Some of us may still remember this song from childhood, but few of us have ever tasted a real pawpaw. Pawpaws have become a curiosity, little known to most of us, even though they have a long history in North America. The largest edible fruit native to the United States, pawpaws are most commonly found near riverbanks and in the understory of the fertile forests of the eastern United States. …

Cool & Creamy Pawpaw Cheesecake with Pecan Crust
Desserts Eggs Any Style Wild Foods

Pawpaw Cheesecake with Pecan Crust

The pawpaw (Asimina triloba) is a curious fruit. Until recently, few Americans were even aware of its existence, which is unusual, since it’s the largest fruit native to North America and once was a valued food source for both Native Americans and early European settlers. Of course, the pawpaw never really went away, but continued growing quietly in the background here and there; along riverbanks, near rusty, disused train tracks and on old abandoned homesteads across the eastern U.S., as far …

Ripe pawpaws, ready to eat
Beverages Desserts Wild Foods

3 Super Easy Ways to Enjoy Pawpaws!

While you’ve probably heard of pawpaws, you may not be quite sure of what they are or where they come from. Let’s just put it this way: if you’ve never experienced the flavor of this amazing fruit, you owe it to yourself to give it a try.  If you need more convincing, here are three reasons why pawpaws should be on your shopping list. 1. Pawpaws Taste GreatFirst, and most importantly, pawpaws are simply delicious. While often described as a …

Pawpaw chutney with goat cheese
Sauces & Condiments Wild Foods

Pawpaw Chutney: the Tangy Condiment Major Grey Wishes He’d Invented

We’ve been looking for a good pawpaw chutney recipe for a long, long time. As large, sweet and tasty as it is, the North American fruit with the scientific appellation Asimina triloba would seem to be the perfect candidate for the tangy and spicy Indian condiment. Sure enough, a quick internet search will turn up many likely recipe candidates, but a closer read will reveal most of them to actually be papaya chutneys (apparently, the word “pawpaw” is synonymous for …