Shroom Room: Part Deux

The little town of Comptche is tucked into the county of Mendecino, California and was this weekend added to my official list of "Places That Feel Like God's Country". Hosted by my friend Jenais, who was born on a window seat in the log house her parents built and we stayed in, and her older brother Elijah, I got to know the land. At times the wind wrapping around green craggy hills felt like the moors of Scotland must feel; other moments brought me back to summer camp in Maine lake country.

The trip afforded a day hike involving an activity I've only read about before now: mushroom hunting! Some of our findings:

Look closely to see these tiny buggers fighting their way out of a mossy rock:

The "seaweed in your miso soup" mushroom:

Like a poisonous snake, signalling me to stay away:

The Shrieking Mermaid Corpses in Ursula the Sea Witch's Cave mushroom:

Nothing caps off a day of mushroom hunting like Hot Toddies with the perfect amount of lemon, honey and water.

Other highlights of the weekend included Mr. Zarlin's homemade marmalade, chock full of puckery candied orange peel; leftover chilled cottage cheese pancakes turned blinis wrapped around my morning turkey sandwich; and the best thing I tasted on the trip: Berkeley Bowl walnuts and dates, served out of a ziploc bag- ratio of 4 to 1, of course.