Patrick Harding – författare

The ideal portable companion, the world-renowned Collins Gem series returns with a fresh new look and updated material.This is the perfect pocket guide for nature and foraging enthusiasts keen to identify the most commonly found mushrooms and toadstools in Britain and northern Europe.Authoritative text, beautiful photographs and detailed illustrations show the distinguishing features of each mushroom and toadstool, including details of size, habitat and when it can be found, whether it is edible or poisonous and most importantly, which similar species it can be confused with and why.This new edition builds on the strengths of the unrivalled original, now expanded to include over 240 species of mushroom and toadstool.

The ideal portable companion, the world-renowned Collins Gem series returns with a fresh new look and updated material.This is the perfect pocket guide for nature and foraging enthusiasts keen to identify the most commonly found mushrooms and toadstools in Britain and northern Europe.Authoritative text, beautiful photographs and detailed illustrations show the distinguishing features of each mushroom and toadstool, including details of size, habitat and when it can be found, whether it is edible or poisonous and most importantly, which similar species it can be confused with and why.This new edition builds on the strengths of the unrivalled original, now expanded to include over 240 species of mushroom and toadstool.

This one-stop practical guide will show you how to identify, pick and cook edible mushrooms. To make your progress easier, it comes in a handy format with colour photos and expert advice throughout.From identifying and picking edible mushrooms to growing your own mushrooms, from recipes for seasonal dishes to important information on poisonous species, this book provides all the helpful information you need to relish the exhilarating experience of collecting wild mushrooms.An introduction to what fungi is and where you can find mushrooms (as well as issues of access and trespass, bye-laws etc), it also covers all the equipment you might need and how to dry, pickle and preserve your mushrooms.Over 75 of the best edible species with warnings about poisonous lookalikes are detailed, along with advice on where you will find them and when, and recipes for seasonal dishes.Finally, the book covers growing your own mushrooms (and the kits available), the food value and medicinal uses of fungi, hallucinogenic mushrooms (and the law), and fungi in folklore.

Mushroom collecting is becoming increasingly popular, and while a comprehensive identification guide is essential, the folklore, facts and fables, recipes and stories that have accumulated since ancient times create part of the charm of these strange organisms. Oddly, these facts have never been compiled in one book.Collins Mushroom Miscellany is a compilation of all of the fascinating biological facts – a mushroom holds the record for the largest spreading single organism covering nearly 3km² – the folklore – there is a widespread belief that mushrooms arise from falling stars – the uses – tree moss lichen is found in most modern perfumes – and the history – the Neolithic Ice-Man found in Europe in 1990 carried two types of fungus; one for use as tinder, but another mounted on a leather thong remains undecided.Additionally, the book features the most widely used recipes for cooking mushrooms from around the world.Mushroom Miscellany is a veritable treasure trove of fascinating facts – a perfect introduction to the third kingdom of fungi and an essential companion to every mushroom field guide.