Mushroom picking grows in popularity
By JASON DEAREN Associated Press Writer
Article Last Updated: 03/26/2007 04:56:18 AM MDT

LOS GATOS, Calif.- Mushroom fanatics brave poisoning, death and the long
arm of the law to gather gourmet fungi that thrive in the damp coastal
forests of Northern California.

The Santa Cruz Mountains, west of Silicon Valley, are home to an array of
prized mushrooms, including chanterelles, morels and porcini, that can
command up to $50 a pound at gourmet markets.

But they also harbor poisonous varieties with sinister names like "death
cap" and "destroying angel" that can cause liver failure and death when
eaten