Limited Edition Zine: Hotdish

continue to enjoy foods from my Filipino culture. Foods like chicken adobo, pork sisig, and
chicharon (fried pork belly) are meat-heavy staples that I can now enjoy meat-free without
compromising the flavors I grew up loving.
During my pursuits in food studies, I have gotten the chance to work at two different
mushroom farms: a more traditional rural outdoor farm called Northwoods in Clayton,
Wisconsin and an urban indoor farm in Roseville, Minnesota called R&R Cultivation. I also
dabble in foraging, largely thanks to my summer working at The Sioux Chef. Through these
connections, I’ve learned that mushrooms teach us much about rebirth, recycling and
community. Their mycelial networks work hard beneath our feet to break down dead plants
and animals and to return nutrients to the soil. We need decomposers like fungi to break
down organic material, so we can continue the cycle of life.
E X C L U S I V E
And, if you’re looking for a sustainable (and if foraged, free) meaty-texture alternative to a factory-farmed
ingredient, mushrooms may be your new best friend. Though mushrooms don't offer the same protein levels
as meat, they come with a wealth of flavor and texture that add depth to plant-based dishes.
Mushroom cultivation and sourcing:
Unlike crops and livestock, mushrooms were not
cultivated until the industrial period and even then,
only a handful of species have been successfully
“tamed” since our hunter-gathering period.(21)
Your typical grocery store only sells one variety of
mushrooms. But wait, you might say, I’ve seen white
button, baby bella, cremini, and portabella!
Actually, those are all the same species, Agaricus
Bisporus, just at different stages of growth.(22) They
have a mild flavor and can be cooked nearly
interchangeably.
In reality, the Midwest has hundreds of edible
mushrooms, each with unique textures and flavors.
Some mushrooms native to the Midwest are even
named after meat counterparts like lobster, chicken
of the woods, and oyster.(23) Here are some ways
you can ethically source your mushrooms: