Culinary Historians: Revelations from the Weird World of Mushrooms

Shrooms enthusiasts won’t want to miss this fungi lecture by the current head of the New York Mycological Society, Eugenia Bone. She’ll cover the three main types of mushrooms (mycorrhizal, parasitic and grocery-store-friendly saprophytic), explaining why some end up in your risotto and others metabolize into LSD. She’ll also school you on the meaning of fairy rings (fungal growth patterns that have influenced folklore over the years), the history of American white-button cultivation and the medicinal functions of various fungi. Arrive at 6:30pm for a prelecture reception where you can snack on mushroom-based snacks.