Edible Mushrooms

I live in a pine and redwood forest on the Northern California Coast. The fall(right now) is when many mushrooms are out. In places like Mt. Shasta it is slightly earlier usually depending upon moisture, rainfall and temperature. My favorite mushrooms there are called Morels and are very unusual looking and unmistakable.

However, the reason I'm writing this is that I was worried about some poor fool mistaking Amanita Muscaria(a very large red mushroom with white spots) as something edible. IT IS NOT. IN FACT IT WILL KILL YOU PRETTY quick. The only thing that eats them and survives is Banana slugs that I know of. Somewhow they can process it and not die(Go Figure). So, since you have a computer type in: "Edible mushrooms" at Google IMages so at least you know what you can eat. But don't go pick them unless you have someone very experienced with you!

I can remember when I was still young and stupid(reckless). I was about 22 and a very intelligent friend (a straight A student from UCLA) said, "These mushrooms growing on our friends front lawn are edible. And like a young reckless person I was I picked them with my friend and then we washed them and added them to our salad. But, I remember being scared after I did it and feeling very uncomfortable for the next 24 hours wondering if we had made a mistake and would die. Luckily, they were edible but many, if not most mushrooms are deadly. So just picking some and eating them is a really bad idea unless you are experienced. So be careful.

 http://www.allposters.com/-sp/Champignons-Posters_i4193109_.htm
Also, on this chart there are both edible and inedible mushrooms. So, this chart is only to identify mushrooms. You need another chart to find only edible ones.
There is an enlarge button and you don't have to buy the poster unless you want to.

If you call up this poster I believe the Morels that I loved fried in butter are at the bottom right of the chart. They are a very unusual looking mushroom but are excellent to eat. There is also a purple mushroom that a friend of mine that was good at finding in the Mt. Shasta forests as well that is very good sauteed in butter as well. They both can be used in Salads or as a butter mushroom garnish on baked potatoes or you can just be creative.