alien footprints

 

so apart from running amok & falling in love with aliens lately i've been 'shrooming. the mountains at this time of year with the cooler nights & snappy mornings provide perfect parameters for fungi heaven. if only there was more cow poo... but perhaps the power of the digestion process of the wombat or kangaroo shouldn't be overlooked quite yet. and i could always introduce it.

australia has a number of native edibles & hallucinogenic fungi which precede the introduction of agricultural animals like cows which are traditionally viewed as essential to provide the appropriate conditions for certain mushrooms. still it's easy to see why the cow is considered sacred in indian culture -- those trippers with their blue deities. india is one giant cow paddock...

fungi are an indelible mystery which provide gateways to either mind or flavour expansion. that's without even getting into their industrial or biological applications, their uses are practically endless. food for thought.

limited mycology repositories in australia make absolute ID of species difficult. there are some books & as my research takes me closer to unveiling alien life beneath my toes more information is surrendered, but there's no one real centralised index. still based on information gleaned, next time i go to the mountains i'm going to make my first spore print which is one method to ensure correct species identification.

some wonderful resources do exist online to aid the mycologist in trainer-wheels/wings.

my personal faves are:

erowid

shroomery

fungal biology

the fungi bank

bill leithhead

mushroom expert

i tried to join the australasian mycological society but their online subscription application is from 2008, and who sends cheques in the mail anymore? i guess they don't get too many queries... the NSW arm doesn't seem too active either. if anyone can direct me to other local mushroom lovers your input is welcome.

this speciman [i think] is suillus luteus although typically it grows in pine forests and these are all growing in eucalypt woodland in forest litter. it is an introduced species being native to the northern hemisphere. and is edible. i haven't eaten it yet but will try next visit if there's stll some about.

i recently bought some at marrickville markets which i frequent on sundays, where the mushroom man often sells freshly gathered fungi. they look the same: the pores underneath are granulated as opposed to open gills & old gold meets orange/brown sponge. it is recommended to peel the skin as it does give some people stomach upsets.

originally i thought it was suillus granulatus which deviates only slightly but there seems to be a visible ring which makes this specimen commonly known as slippery jack a popular edible known to be found in the southern highlands around easter. ching ching.

Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slimes and swallows of outrageous fungi,
Or to take arms against a sea of Suillus,
And, by opposing, end them.

forest foragers

whilst clare & i collected rocks and filmed on the river over long weekend we came across a plethora of life. or evidence of where it had once [recently] been...

temple of chuang mu

neil perry's latest joy-striking string to the bow for any eastern love deity's heart is spice temple. located beneath bligh street in the CBD [right under rockpool bar & grill], this oriental oasis will appease the most fussiest of cult goddesses.

overseen & beautifully crafted with meticulous care by old friend [ex longrain] the ever lovely crimson-framed baci moore, the expansive basement at the base of the stairs solicits secret fu manchu-like corners where dark mystery shrouds the mixed corporate crowd who visibly lurk beneath the compartmentalised shadows. but stay awhile & marvel at the william gibson-esque street door which harkens of cyberpunk neo-tokyo in heavenly waves of silken eroticism before making the descent into this modern day opium den where food is sacrilegious porn.

no province is left unturned and scant attention & research with visits to sichuan, yunnan, hunan, jianxi, guangxi and xinjiang results in a traditionalist philosophical approach blending exquisite & distinctly specific produce into a distinctly modern yet harmonious fusion which is a one way road to the altar of the deliciously divine with red signposts en route to highlight the spicier routes.

under baci's gentle direction we chose a simple path & started with pickles: cucumbers with smashed garlic & ginger. despite the implied violence of the dish the overall result was a delicious subtlety that i could never have guessed that any garlic had been abused in the making of this dish. somewhere after we ate stir fried scallops on a bed of minature square velvet noodles & chilli paste.

steamed flathead, jiangxi style with pickled mustard greens and turnip with chilli followed as a reluctant compromise to my ubiquitous lunch date john as his palate isn't quite as fiery as mine. this came to complement the piece de resistance which was the incredible hot pot of fresh shiitake, oyster, enoki and wild mushrooms, yunnan style which was cooked at the table before us.

i ordered this dish in homage to new friend ron, whom i met recently in sydney for the possible worlds canadian film festival, when he was here to promote his wonderful documentary know your mushrooms [these shrooms are for you, and fantastic they are]. this dish was highlighted red but i didn't find it particularly spicy at all so next time i'm definitely exploring the more vibrant components of the menu. and there will be plenty of those occasions.

i should say something about the wine -- there's lots of them [list of 100 on revolution], the chinese astrological cocktail menu [being a monkey i ordered one, it was delicious but the snake won the eye candy award]. then the complimentary rickshaws that we were treated to with perfect glaced cherries & lychee reflected rum lapping the rim of ice-filled tumblers but then there was dessert and that's why there are so many photos & other eye candy today... even the green tea was sublime.

the goddess spent, the people can rule for another day.

to the ruler, the people are heaven; to the people, food is heaven - chinese proverb

spice temple from punk monk propaganda on vimeo.

magic mushroom bowl from punk monk propaganda on vimeo.

rattling convergent realities

so... still rendered almost incapable of speech & motion by my chocolate alchemy skills for last night's punk monk propaganda mushroom party at possible world's canadian film festival screening of ron mann's "know your mushrooms" & the incredible fusion of forces led by punk monk producer, kate taylor as she led our wonderful tribe most notably clare, dermot, ky, davey, alex, michelle, raen, andy and barry on a magical mystery sensory adventure through the red rattler playground for the night.

an incredible spectacular featuring a street carnivale & magical enchanted spaces the immediate entry vibe of the event was infused with a warm technicolor chill. specific events to note: liquid light show, street projections, fluro hoola hoop girls, fire twirlers, handmade zines and that minature luminescent world... not to mention the wonderful film AND the 'shroom crepes.

i am still at the fireplace in space warming my marshmallows slowly. but am happy to remotely post these pics by fellow punk monk, andy finn after he went happily AWOL with my camera into the pulsing red & yellow womb of the night.

the chocolate tin is now empty. but the hole in the roof of the corner shop [punk monk HQ] remains.

urban epiphany

sometimes one just needs a different view of the city for once hidden avenues to be revealed. a change of perspective can have a magnimonious impact on the entire macroverse.

for more street philosophy, astra taylor's documentary examined life which follows a series of contemporary philosphers wandering modern metropolises & providing their own bent on modern culture is playing at this year's possible world's canadian film festival, one night only, this saturday.

there's a Q & A + screening of canadian short film frog [dir. austin andrews] with guest appearance by sydney screenwriter, matthew clayfield. i will be there, amongst others to soak up the gutter spawned wisdom.

later at the red rattler, our punk monk propaganda tribe in conjunction with the canadian film festival in honour of counter culture doco, know your mushrooms are also creating an installation & overall ambience for the event.

come dance in the fly agaric mushroom circle with us crazy conciousness traversing faeries & soak up the magical projections... cult director rod mann is also flying out from canada for the screening.