This is one of the first mushrooms I remember picking as a kid. The mountainside behind our place growing up in western Maryland was littered with them every fall. My whole life I have always called them Aborted Entolomas, until for some reason about a year ago I googled them and discovered that people called them Shrimp of the Woods. Having never heard that, I naturally concluded that “Shrimp of the Woods” sounds a hell of a lot more appetizing than “Aborted Entolomas”.
There are a lot of different Entolomas out there and a lot of them are poisonous. Luckily for us, Entoloma abortivum is easy to recognize. These mushrooms grow and look like normal mushrooms until the the mycelium interacts with the mycelium of the Honey mushroom (Armillaria mellea).
After their mycelia interact, the Entoloma abortivum curls up into a ball and makes them easily identifiable. When picking them, look for the nice firm ones, the softer ones would be over saturated or past their prime. When the conditions are right, they tend to grow in huge clusters that can go on and on so you will have the luxury of being discerning.
My Girlfriend likes to bread them and fry them. I usually just saute them with a little salt, pepper, MSG, vegan butter and love. Any way you choose to cook them, their sure to turn out delicious. Learning about this mushroom and adding it to your mushroom hunting repertoire will not disappoint.
I was hoping to find a chicken of the wood, but this will do. Chanterelles for me have always been hit or miss, but after a week of rain the conditions were just right. We have had a few cool days but it definitely feels as it is, late summer rather than early fall. I didn’t weigh my haul, but it was enough to have a huge meal with my girlfriend and have plenty to share with friends.
The ingredients are simple and the execution is as easy as drinking. First, freeze a can of coconut water in an ice tray with or without pulp. Personally, I like chewing on the bits of pulp at the bottom of the drink. Second, pour your favorite dark rum over a couple of cubes as if it were whiskey on ice. And lastly, enjoy life! My go-to dark rums are Pampero Aniversario or Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva. If I want something a little different, I might go for Patron’s Pyrat. If I’m on a budget, I’ll go for some good ol Kracken.
To make it, you’ll need a few things. A Pressure cooker and a yogurt maker (or an Insta-pot) and a culture starter. You can find a culture starter on Amazon or get some ready-made natto packets at your local Asian grocery store. If you don’t have a yogurt maker you can use a heating pad or an oven on a low setting with the door ajar. They will be in the frozen food section in little styrofoam packets. I paid $3 for a 3-pack. Put one in the fridge to thaw and save the rest in the freezer for another batch.
Next, you will fill your pressure cooker with water up to the canning rack. Then put the beans in a temperature-proof bowl on top of the rack along with a spoon that you will use to mix the starter in. This will ensure that everything is nice and sterile. I use a 15 psi ball on top and put the heat on high. When the steamer starts to hiss I know it is up to temperature and set a timer for 45 minutes. After which, kill the heat, pull off the psi ball and let it rest for at least a half hour before moving on to the next step.
While your natto is cooling you’ll want to sanitize your yogurt maker. I use star san because I am a brewer and a few drops go a long way, but If you don’t have any on hand, you can use rubbing alcohol to wipe the inside and sanitize a washcloth.
After your pressure cooker has cooled, go ahead and take the lid off. Pull the starter natto out of the fridge and set aside any condiments that might have come with it. Pull the plastic off the top of the beans and mix them with the spoon that you put in your pressure cooker. Be careful not to contaminate your natto after you already have it pasteurized. Mix the starter until it is slimy and stringy. Then add it to your cooked beans mixing it until a little of the slime covers all the new beans.
After the fermentation, you should see a nice wrinkly film over all the beans. This means it was a success, but you’re not done. You then need to cover it with plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator for another day or two. Then you’re done. Don’t forget to set some aside in the freezer for your next starter.
Every year I make an Irish Red beer to help celebrate the holiday. I usually base this beer on a 
