In a combination of Greek and Latin the name realistically means “ Tear Crispy ” - Not very helpful, even if quite descriptive of the texture? So some common names are - Cauliflower Fungus, Wood Cauliflower, Brain Fungus - Any one of those will do!
I’ve foraged this in Yorkshire and eaten it. But it seems to be a bit of a bug magnet and is a bit of a pain to clean. These were from a local Chinese supermarket and were bug free and dried. Which made them much more appealing!
We soaked them in cold water for a couple of hours before quartering and cutting the dense central core out.
This was a stir-fry with home made Gluten Free battered Chicken ( The Batter recipe is here ) and Sue’s home made Black Bean Sauce. ( Recipe here )
The Brain Fungus work just like a flavour sponge, absorbing and intensifying the sauce.
We're not really doing Christmas this year. We don't have the money to buy lavish presents, which would probably not be appreciated. Also it seems perverse knowing , as we do, that folk are out there living homeless and often dying.
We have bought gifts for Sue's daughters and my nephew and sent cards to our nearest family and friends. We are however celebrating the fact that we have a roof over our heads and we're not in a tent in The Ings worrying about the rising water level.
We are doing everything we can to help the homeless and the charities and groups who are supporting them. Mostly we do this in the background and as much as possible out of sight.
So this Christmas we would like to invite our friends to make a donation. 1p would be great, a few more pence would be even better. But please don't feel obliged. All proceeds go directly to The Salvation Army and a select group of homeless charities. If it wasn't for the work and assistance of The Salvation Arm we would still be in a tent and Sue would most likely be dead. Without her I'd be dead anyway.....