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Being really demanding, claiming the best in my kitchen, not accepting defeats … and living luxuriously, I can easily and instantly discern the positive side of ingredients. In this case, because of the autumn season…. the mushrooms, which thrive in the mountains around Kastoria during the fall.
Many of those mushrooms that lie ahead of us in our afternoon strolls are the only ones found in Greece, many others are rarely seen in Europe and some are listed as endangered species. Fried, in soups or in pies, local traditional dishes with mushrooms feature on the local daily table and revive local restaurant lists. In Women household hands, they are transformed into pickled mushrooms, dried mushrooms, mushrooms’ oil, mushroom spirits, pasta, even as syropy sweets, though for many others, (if not nearly for all) wild mushrooms are a man’s job. And even meticulous, diligent, and especially dangerous for the ignorants, the less or more ones.
In Kastoria, mushroom collection is a daily and collective affair for the locals, on a sunny autumn day and in the kitchens of the area, mushrooms are the favorite ingrediens.
Whether Boletus edulis or otherwise known in Greece under the common name “basilomanitaro” and at an early age as “kalogeraki”, what the Italians call “porcino” and which is the mushroom found in abundance on the slopes of Vitsi.
Whether for Cantharellus cibarius or otherwise Kitrinousca, Pernarites, Kaitsa, Galetta, Otakia, Neratzaki… .. the mushroom makes the difference, without any kitchen experimentations, but with familiar – comforting flavors.
What about the Morchellas, one of the most delicious and sought-after mushrooms in French cuisine and not only, at a very precise price, extremely tasty but only after good cooking. Easy mushroom to recognize, due to its unusual (not to say ugly) appearance.
The Amanita Caesarea, popularly known as “Caesarean” while also known by the popular names “Avgoulomoulatko” (in Holomonta mt), “Kokkinushka” (in Grevena area), “Aygo”, Kokkinomanitaro or Neratzaki.
I never wouldn’t forget, leaving without any refernce to the Lactarius deliciosus, the famous milk cup, or Gematas, or Krasoulitis, or Kokkinitis a tasty mushroom with thick and tough flesh, sweet and slightly peppery taste.
Fresh, clear and nutty, the autumn mushrooms point the way, from the mountains of the area, to the kitchen.
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