The Great Morel Hunt

In Michael Pollan's manifesto for local food, The Omnivore's Dilemma, one of the most memorable scenes was a misty morning search for wild morel mushrooms. If you're eager to try your own hand at mushroom hunting, you should know that the Morel season will start soon in most parts of the United States.

The Great Morel is a startlingly complete resource for would-be fungus hunters, featuring plenty of information ranging from a live map of morel sightings to a "stories and tales" page for the armchair hunter. Of course, there's a FAQ if you just want to get a quick overview of the topic.

If the idea of hunting your own doesn't appeal to you, you can order spores to grow your own, check out your local market for seasonal morels, or consider some wildcrafted organic dried morels.

Got your morels but don't know what to do with them? They're a traditional ingredient in French cooking, but that's certainly not your only option. Check out Epicurious.com for plenty of luxurious recipes.