Mushrooms, the fruiting bodies of microscopic organisms that live in the soil or in wood, are found all over the world, and mycologists like Gary Lincoff pick hundreds of them every year. Gary shares a few of his favorite varieties.

Matsutake
A fall mushroom found across northern North America, the Matsutake grows under or near conifers and has a distinctive spicy aroma that makes it recognizable even when blindfolded.

Cooking uses:
Best when cooked in soups or grilled and eaten with dipping sauces, Matsutake are not meant to be prepared in butter or cream.

Maitake (Hen of the Woods)
One of the most treasured edible mushrooms of autumn, the maitake is a polypore, meaning that its underside has a surface made up of tiny pores or holes. Found growing at the base of oak trees throughout northeastern North America, a single maitake can be as large as 2 feet across and more than a foot high. The average maitake, however, is about 1 foot high and weighs 2 to 5 pounds.

Cooking uses:
Maitake mushrooms dry easily and can be rehydrated for use in soups; they can also be sauteed and pickled for use as a condiment.

Honey Mushroom
One of the most popular wild mushrooms, this species can be found just about anywhere on the planet where there are trees. Honey mushrooms grow as a clone, and are known to cover hundreds of acres underground, sometimes causing root rot that can spread from tree to tree if not properly controlled.

Blewits
Blewits are fall mushrooms that usually grow under oak leaves in late September and October in eastern parks and woods.

Cooking uses:
Especially tasty when grilled, blewit caps are solid enough to be stuffed and cooked for an attractive dish.

Silvery Violet Cort
This deceptive mushroom is a poisonous look-alike to the blewit; it has similar coloring and is common in the same oak-populated woods. Look for a cobwebby veil under the cap of a silvery violet cort to distinguish between the two species. While the silvery violet cort does not cause acute poisoning, it can cause kidney damage or failure after continued consumption.