These plants are not as common as the X. polymorpha, but are found in habitats similar to those of the other plant, particularly around maple stumps or upon decayed maple branches.

_Stemonitis. Gled._

Stemonitis is from a Greek word which means stamen, one of the essential organs of a flower. This is a genus of myxomycetous fungi, giving name to the family Stemonitaceae, which has a single sporangium or aethalium; without the peculiar deposits of lime carbonate which characterize the fructification of other orders, and the spores, capillitium, and columella are usually uniformly black, or brownish.

_Stemonitis fusca. Roth._

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 497.--Stemonitis fusca. Natural size.]

Fusca means dark-brown, smoky. The sporangia are cylindrical and pointed at the apex, peridia fugacious, exposing the beautiful net-work of the capillitium. The reticulate capillitium springs from the dark, penetrating stem.

This is a very beautiful plant when studied with an ordinary hand-gla.s.s.

I have frequently seen an entire log covered with this plant.

_Stemonitis ferruginea. Ehrb._

Ferruginea means rust color. The sporangia is very similar to that of S.

fusca, cylindrical, peridium fugacious, exposing the reticulate capillitium, but instead of being dark-brown it is a yellowish or rusty-brown color.

CHAPTER XVIII.

RECIPES FOR COOKING MUSHROOMS.

STEWED MUSHROOMS. NO. 1.

Choose them as nearly as possible of uniform size and free from insects.

Drop them in salt water for five minutes to free them from any insects that may be hidden in the gills; drain them and wipe dry and clean with a rather rough cloth; cut off the stems close to the cap. Put them into a granite or porcelain saucepan, cover closely and stew gently fifteen minutes. Salt to taste. Rub a tablespoonful of b.u.t.ter into about a tablespoonful of flour, and stir this into the mushrooms, letting boil three or four minutes; stir in three tablespoonfuls of cream, mixed with a well-beaten egg, and stir the whole for two minutes without letting it boil, and serve either on toast or as a vegetable.

STEWED MUSHROOMS. NO. 2.

Clean mushrooms as directed above and stew in water ten minutes; then drain off part of the water and put in as much warm milk as you have poured off water; let this stew for five to ten minutes; then add some drawn b.u.t.ter, or veal or chicken gravy, and salt and pepper to taste.

Thicken with a little corn starch wet in cold milk. Serve hot.

In cooking mushrooms they should always be kept as closely covered as possible in order the better to retain the flavor, and they should never be subjected to too great heat.

BAKED MUSHROOMS.

Be sure your mushrooms are fresh and free from insects; cut off the stems close to the caps and wipe the tops with a wet cloth. Arrange them in a pie dish with the gills uppermost, laying a little bit of b.u.t.ter on each; sprinkle pepper, salt, and a very little mace upon them. Put them into a hot oven and bake from fifteen minutes to half an hour, according to the tenderness of the mushrooms; if they are in danger of getting too dry baste them occasionally with b.u.t.ter and water. Pour over them some _maitre d'hotel_ sauce and send to the table in the dish in which they were baked.

BROILED MUSHROOMS.

Select the finest and freshest you can get and prepare as for baking; put into a deep dish and pour over them some melted b.u.t.ter, turning them over and over in it. Salt and pepper and let them lie for an hour and a half in the b.u.t.ter. Put them, gills uppermost, on an oyster gridiron over a clear hot fire, turning them over as one side browns. Put them on a hot dish, having them well seasoned with b.u.t.ter, pepper, and salt and with a few drops of lemon juice squeezed upon each, if liked.

MUSHROOM AND VEAL RAGOUT.

Take equal quant.i.ties of cold veal steak or roast veal and small puffb.a.l.l.s or other mushrooms, and mince all fine; mince a small onion and put with the mushrooms and meat into a pan with some cold veal gravy, if you have it, and water enough to cover the mixture. Add a tablespoonful of b.u.t.ter, pepper and salt well, and let the mixture cook until it is almost dry, stirring it frequently to keep it from scorching; it should cook fully half an hour. When almost done, add a large tablespoonful of good catsup, or Worcestershire sauce if preferred. Serve hot.

MUSHROOM PATeS.

Wash mushrooms well, cut them into small pieces and drop them in salt water for five minutes. Have ready in a pan upon the stove about two ounces of b.u.t.ter to each pint of mushrooms, having pan and b.u.t.ter very hot but not scorching; dip the mushrooms from the salt water with a skimmer and drop them into the hot b.u.t.ter; cover them closely to retain the flavor, shaking the pan or stirring them over to keep them from scorching or sticking. Let them cook with moderate heat from fifteen to thirty minutes, according to the tenderness of the mushrooms. Remove the cover from the pan, draw the mushrooms to one side and lift the pan on one side so that the gravy will run down to the opposite side; stir into the gravy a level tablespoonful of sifted flour, and rub this smooth with the gravy; then add a half a pint of rich milk or cream; stir the mushrooms into this and allow it to boil for a minute. Have ready in the oven some pate sh.e.l.ls, fill them with the mushrooms, seasoned to taste with salt and pepper, and set back in the oven for a few minutes to heat before serving. These are especially fine when made of Tricholoma personatum or Pleurotus ostreatus, but many other varieties will answer well.

BAKED BEEFSTEAK WITH MUSHROOM SAUCE.

Have your sirloin steak cut an inch or more thick, put into an exceedingly hot baking pan on top of the stove, in one minute turn steak over so that both sides will be seared. Put the pan into an exceedingly hot oven and allow it to remain for twenty minutes.

Have ready in a saucepan two tablespoonfuls of melted b.u.t.ter, heat well and add two cupfuls of fresh, clean mushrooms which have been allowed to stand in salt water for a period of five minutes; cover closely and cook briskly without burning for ten minutes; set on the back of the stove (after having seasoned them properly with salt and pepper) to keep hot until ready to use. Place the steak upon a hot dish, pour the mushrooms over it and send to the table at once. It is a dish fit for a king.

STUFFED MORELS.

Choose the freshest and best morels; cleanse them thoroughly by allowing the water from the faucet to run on them; open the stalk at the bottom; fill with veal stuffing, anchovy or any rich forcemeat you choose, securing the ends and dressing between slices of bacon; bake for a half an hour, basting with b.u.t.ter and water, and serve with the gravy which comes from them.

FRIED MORELS.

Wash a dozen morels carefully and cut off the ends of the stems. Split the mushrooms and put them into a pan in which two tablespoonfuls of b.u.t.ter have been melted. Cover closely and cook with a moderate heat for fifteen minutes. Mix two teaspoonfuls of corn starch in a half a pint of fresh milk and pour into the pan with the mushrooms, allowing it to boil for a minute or two; salt and pepper to taste and serve hot, upon toast if liked.

TO COOK BOLETI.

Cut off the stems, and remove the spore-tubes, after having wiped the caps clean with a damp cloth. They may be broiled in a hot b.u.t.tered pan, turning them frequently until done, which will be about fifteen minutes.

Dust with salt and pepper and put bits of b.u.t.ter over them as you would on broiled beefsteak.

They may be stewed in a little water in a covered saucepan, after being cut into pieces of equal size. Stew for twenty minutes and when done add pepper, salt, b.u.t.ter or cream.

Or they may be fried, after being sliced as you would egg plant, and dipped in batter or rolled in egg and cracker crumbs.

In preparing Boleti the spore tube should be removed unless very young, as they will make the dish slimy.

MUSHROOM CATSUP.

To two quarts of mushrooms allow a quarter of a pound of salt. The full grown mushrooms are better in making this as they afford more juice. Put a layer of mushrooms in the bottom of a stone jar, sprinkle with salt; then another layer of mushrooms till you have used all; let them lie thus for six hours, then break them into bits. Set in a cool place for three days, stirring thoroughly every morning. Strain the juice from them, and to every quart allow half an ounce of allspice, the same quant.i.ty of ginger, half a teaspoonful of powdered mace and half a teaspoonful of cayenne. Put it into a stone jar, cover it closely, set it in a saucepan of water over the fire, and boil hard for five hours.

Take it off, empty it into a porcelain kettle and let it boil slowly for half an hour longer. Set it in a cool place and let it stand all night until settled and clear, then pour off carefully from the sediment, into small bottles, filling them to the mouth. Cork tightly and seal carefully. Keep in a dry, cool, dark closet.