Washington City Paper: Contents for May. 12

Breakfast of Champignons
At heart, Kirk Smith is just a fun guy who likes to collect fungi.

Cover Story

On a warm May afternoon about ten years ago, Kirk Smith was preparing for a photo shoot near Georgetown’s Dumbarton House. As he lined up vintage Victorian costumes on a retaining wall next to the estate’s service entrance, he happened to glance under a stand of pine trees behind the wall. It was late in the season and an atypical habitat, but Smith noticed more than a half-dozen perfectly formed, choice black morels poking up from the mat of fallen pine needles. He exclaimed with such excitement that he spooked his model.

At the P Street Whole Foods, a pound of fresh morels from Pennsylvania goes for $44.99. They’re dark, the largest is about 2 inches from tip to toe, and many bear traces of mold. Except for their wrinkles, they have little resemblance to the photographs in field guides. Whole Foods also offers packages of dried “Pointed Morel Mushrooms,” priced at $109.99 per pound.

Next to truffles, morels are perhaps the most desired type of fungus for mushroom lovers. “It’s probably their rarity—they’re only available for a couple weeks,” says Terri Cutrino, head chef of Jaleo in the District. “And their flavor, obviously. They’re very earthy and very mushroomy, and steaky so you can really get your teeth in them. They don’t taste like water, like a lot of mushrooms do.”... Continued

Issue of May. 12 - 18, 2006

News and Features

Breakfast of Champignons
At heart, Kirk Smith is just a fun guy who likes to collect fungi.
Cover Story By Huan Hsu
Gone With the Vend
Langley Park authorities hope to send most of the town's pupusa vendors to Montgomery County--or anywhere else.
Cover Story By Ryan Grim
I didn't do it.
Does D.C. have more Edward Greens sitting in federal prison?
The City By Dave Jamieson
Seoul-Washington Forum
The City By Rob Tierney
KFC
220 Riggs Road NE
The City By Rachel Beckman
Sushi Sushi
3714 Macomb St. NW
The City By Rachel Beckman
Westminster Presbyterian Church
Southwest
The City By Mike DeBonis
Washington, Dixie
The Mail By Andrew Nowicki
Census Working Overtime
The Mail By Dan Gamber
Census Working Overtime
The Mail By Fernando Rodriguez
Census Working Overtime
The Mail By William Brenner

Columns

Live and Lerner
Nats ownership scoop kick-starts sportscasting tiff.
Cheap Seats By Dave McKenna
ANY GIVEN SUNDAY
Loose Lips By James Jones
Savage Love
Savage Love By Dan Savage

Eats

Meal Once Removed
Where the repast hits the road
Young & Hungry By Anne Marson

Movies

Compassion Play
Film Review By Tricia Olszewski
Australian for Leer
Film Review By Louis Bayard
All the World's a Sage
Film Review By Mark Jenkins
Goal! The Dream Begins
Directed by Danny Cannon
Film Review By Huan Hsu
Wah-Wah
Directed by Richard E. Grant
Film Review By Justin Moyer
Army of Shadows
Directed by Jean-Pierre Melville
Film Review By Mark Jenkins

Music

The Black Dove
Christian Kiefer and Sharron Kraus
Music Reviews By Pamela Murray Winters
The Animal Years
Josh Ritter
Music Reviews By Mario Correa
Snapshots
Shirley and Dolly Collins
Music Reviews By Pamela Murray Winters
As I Live and Breathe
The Starlingtons
Music By Rachel Beckman

Theater

Arts and Events

Beat Science
Musicologist William E. Smith dissects hip-hop syllable by syllable.
Arts By Sarah Godfrey
All Eyez on Uke
Artifacts By Rachel Beckman
Weary of Evolution
Artifacts By Patricia Murret
Culture Vultures
What does it take to get an arts grant from the D.C. government?
Culture Vultures By Rachel Beckman