DiningWild

02/27/2019

After a few days with the flu ... a real meal ... venison fried in bear lard, Breakfast of Kings and Champions. WeatherWool is about Weather, and is what got us into wool. . . . . . . . . .

01/28/2019

Super Bowl Sunday Brunch/Open House at WeatherWool ... Sunday, 3 February, 10AM ... Join us for Bagels, Lox, Venison, Wool and Football ... 144 Ralston Avenue, South Orange, NJ ... just West of NYC. Full info on website.

12/10/2018

Our love for Wild Foods is what led us to create WeatherWool, our main thing! WeatherWool is the best pure-American All-Purpose Outerwear we can figure out how to make.

Wild Food enthusiasts are more than welcome to join us for Open House at WeatherWool ... Sunday, 16 December in New Jersey ... Come for brunch, stay all day ... 144 Ralston Avenue, South Orange, NJ ... just West of NYC. Full info on website. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

10/18/2018

Wild, semi-wild and farmed. The large apples are BLACK TWIGS from my own backyard, just outside New York City; the ASIAN PEARS and small apples (BLACK OXFORDS) are feral, from Northeast Pennsylvania -- and I planted them about 15 years ago, but we've never tended them; the three LION'S MANE MUSHROOMS in center are from our little backyard mushroom farm, planted by Dan . At lower right, a wild GIANT PUFFBALL MUSHROOM. The small CHESTNUTS are a gift from Advisor ... they are growing in an abandoned orchard in Indiana. Randy doesn't know who planted the trees, but he enjoys the nuts every year. The larger chestnuts are from an American/Chinese tree planted years ago by Billy and I. The CHILIS are a gift from a man in New Mexico. He phoned me weeks ago to talk about WeatherWool, and then sent a box of perfect local chilis and a bag of wonderfully aromatic coffee blended with pinon nuts gathered by a friend of his. There is no telling whether the peppers are HOT or SWEET until you bite, which makes things interesting for sure ... I've been eating them like candy. The VENISON, from our own little SWAMP SPOT in Jersey, will be fried in the bear fat shown in the gravy boat. MANY THANKS to my friend Tom for gifting us a beautiful blackie last fall! Photo by . Love for Wild Foods led us directly to create WeatherWool.

Loc: South Orange New Jersey

09/23/2018

Want to learn about Wild Foods from a Professional Naturalist? Join my bud David Alexander tomorrow at the Essex County Environmental Center! This is an official offering of the ECEC, where David is the Senior Naturalist. He's an Ace! -- Ralph

WILD EDIBLE PLANT IDENTIFICATION WALK
September 24, 2018 - September 24, 2018
6:30pm - 8:00pm
WILD EDIBLE PLANT IDENTIFICATION WALK
Monday, September 24 6:30pm to 8pm
For adults and children ages 10 and up. Take a walk along our trails with a naturalist to identify and discuss the wide variety of forest groceries available for harvest around our local landscape. As we walk and talk, we’ll discuss proper identification, seasonal harvest, growing environment and methods of preparation. Advance registration and minimum number of participants required; call 973.228.8776. required. Fee: $10 per child, $12 per adult.

Pictured are some Gourmet Mushrooms that David foraged in the last few days from the Essex County vicinity.

09/14/2018

Last night I had a great talk with Dr John, "Merriwether's Foraging Texas" ... He has great material on Facebook and Instagram and is well worth following, even if you live nowhere near Texas! ... I really enjoyed our talk, John, and look forward to your posts!! -- Thanks -- Ralph

On this page you will find information on the edible and medicinal plants of Texas. Because plants don't follow government-imposed boundaries most of these plants grow all across North America.

09/08/2018

We've been very quiet on this page recently ... sorry about that. Almost all of our time and energy is devoted to WeatherWool, woolen outerwear of our own manufacture.

BUT ... we are getting to PRIME TIME for Wild Foods ... so much is coming into season now ... Here in the Northeast, as summer ends, life seems to quicken ... all the animals and the plants KNOW big changes are coming quickly now!!

Pictured here are Meadow Mushrooms from North Jersey and Pronghorn Antelope steak from a hunt in Wyoming ... a fantastic combination!!

08/12/2018

Reading about it in a book isn't good enough ... check another book or two ... consult other local foragers ... and even then, proceed with real caution. Some authors will rewrite/recycle other people's work without independent verification. WHEN IN DOUBT, THROW IT OUT. Here's an item in the news now:

Recipes called for raw, foraged mushrooms and elderberries.

05/04/2018

There will be more and more events like this!!!!

04/18/2018

It's getting to be that time of year!! Thanks to Hank for this ...

Fried morels: https://honest-food.net/fried-morels-recipe/ Classic. Simple Amazing. There are many ways to enjoy morel mushrooms, but at least one meal a year ought to be this. (And no, I haven't been able to get out yet for them.)

04/16/2018

Every post from the ForagerChef is a pleasure!!

I've been working as a consultant on a new restaurant project: it's cozy and intimate, but with limited staff and a teeny-tiny kitchen where 3 cooks behind the line seems crowded. One of the first things I started to think about was how to have some extra offerings and things I can cross-utilize on....

02/11/2018

This is fantastic!! Thank You Forager Chef!!!

When I first started to be interested in mushrooms I remember reading somewhere that pioneers, out of desperation, would make a sort of bread from puffballs. Ever since then, I've wanted to make, or just taste, bread made with wild mushrooms. There was only problem: I had no idea how to make bread.....