December 05, 2023 - 6:33 AM
My late Uncle Pepe was an avid mushroom hunter, rising early on late-summer Saturdays, field guide in hand, to head to a local New York City park for his weekly forage. Upon his return, my Aunt Jenny would meticulously wash the hen-of-the-woods, turkey tail or other fungi free of soil and insects, and sauté them with hot peppers or add them to sauces or stews. Then the phone call would come, inviting my family over to share the bounty.