The Learning Chef is proud to bring you the January 2021 Contest “Art of the Mushrooms”.

One of the oldest foods in existence; the humble mushroom has been a keystone to our humble diet for as long as we could source them. Make mushrooms the star of a plate and take home a Learning Chef’s Winner’s Pack!
Edible mushrooms are the fleshy and edible fruit bodies of several species of macrofungi. They can appear either below ground (hypogeous) or above ground (epigeous) where they may be picked by hand. Mushrooms reproduce asexually through spores; mushrooms don’t rely upon photosynthesis to grow instead sourcing their nutrients from their growing medium and humidity. Mycelium, or actively growing mushroom culture, is placed on a substrate—usually sterilized grains such as rye or millet—and induced to grow into those grains. This is called inoculation.
Edible mushrooms include many fungal species that are either harvested wild or cultivated. Easily cultivated and common wild mushrooms are often available in markets, and those that are more difficult to obtain may be collected on a smaller scale by private gatherers. Some preparations may render certain poisonous mushrooms fit for consumption. Mushrooms, especially dried shiitake, are sources of umami flavor from guanylate.
Mushroom cultivation has a long history, with over twenty species commercially cultivated. Mushrooms are cultivated in at least 60 countries with China, the United States, Poland, Netherlands, and India being the top five producers.
Mushrooms are as plentiful as useful; they’ve become a clear staple to many cultural diets used for culinary, medicinal, and spiritual reasons.
Happy Cooking!

The Learning Chef Winner’s Pack Includes:
TLC Water Bottle: Double Walled, Foam Insulated, & Vacuum Seal Cap.
TLC T-shirt: Tri-blend Material ensuring a comfortable, durable shirt that can stretch and breathe as needed for activewear clothing.
TLC Vinyl Stickers: The Learning Chef is proud to offer our very first series of die-cut stickers. Sourcing only the best quality; they are dishwasher safe because a thick, durable vinyl laminate protects your stickers from scratches, water & sunlight. Ensuring that sticker remains as beautiful as the day it came to you. Dimensions 3″×2.25″
Happy Cooking!

Details of entry —

All entries must be entered into The Learning Chef’s photo album January 2021 —
“Art of the Mushroom”
One (1) entry per contestant.
All entries must be plated or plattered.
All entries must have a description.
Voting will take place on the 25th of January 2021 at 12:00 AM PST
Semi-finals will be voted on the 27th of January 2021 at 12:00 AM PST
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