Mexican cooks have long treated huitlacoche and mushrooms as real food, not garnish, and that attitude pays off. A mushroom can carry a soup, a taco or a sauce, and a good cookbook shows you how to get that depth out of it.
The first question is where your mushrooms come from. Some of these books assume a grocery store and some assume a basket from the woods. This guide gives eight books from named authors and established publishers, and says which rest on a named review and which on the publisher’s details.
Julia’s earns a commission on purchases made through links on this page, at no cost to you. Recommendations are based on what a restaurant kitchen looks for in a cookbook, the Amazon listing, publisher and author information and published reviews, which we name where we use them.
Quick verdict: the best mushroom cookbook to start with
For most home cooks, start with Andrea Gentl’s Cooking with Mushrooms, with nearly 100 recipes that use mushrooms as both ingredient and seasoning, per its publisher. For the widest range of varieties, choose Chad Hyatt’s The Mushroom Hunter’s Kitchen. For dishes from home cooks around the world, choose Eugenia Bone’s Fantastic Fungi Community Cookbook.
The other five cover mushroom-by-mushroom profiles, two wild mushroom books, vegetarian cooking and a short book built on common varieties.
Five mushroom cookbooks side by side
Five of the eight, one for each kind of cook. All eight are described in full below.
| Cookbook | Best for | Recipes | Length | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Cooking with Mushrooms, Andrea GentlBest overall
|
Most home cooks | Nearly 100 | Hardcover | View on Amazon |
The Mushroom Hunter’s Kitchen, Chad HyattBest for variety
|
Lots of varieties | 120 | 288 pages, hardcover | View on Amazon |
Fantastic Fungi Community Cookbook, Eugenia BoneBest for global recipes
|
A gift or a browse | Over 100 | 264 pages, hardcover | View on Amazon |
Mushroom Gastronomy, Krista TownsBest reference
|
Learning the varieties | Over 100 | 240 pages, hardcover | View on Amazon |
Wild Mushrooms, Kristen and Trent BlizzardBest for foragers
|
People who forage | 115 | 304 pages, hardcover | View on Amazon |
Cover images from Amazon. Page counts and formats are from the Amazon listings for the editions linked, except where we say Not stated. Recipe counts are from the publisher’s copy.
Our picks for the best mushroom cookbook, book by book
All eight were in stock and new, and sold by Amazon, when we checked. We have not cooked from these books; where we describe a strength, we say whose view it is. None of them is offered here as a guide to which wild mushrooms are safe to eat.
1. Cooking with Mushrooms, Andrea Gentl – Mushrooms as Ingredient and Seasoning
Gentl is a food and travel photographer with a 30-year career, according to her publisher, and this was her first cookbook. The publisher describes nearly 100 recipes that treat mushrooms both as a main ingredient and as a seasoning, running from broths through breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert, and many of them are built on familiar dishes.
The publisher says the book won an IACP Cookbook Award and was named a Best Cookbook of 2022 by Bon Appétit. It also carries a Wall Street Journal line on how beautiful the book is. We read those through the publisher’s copy.
We found no Publishers Weekly review at this ISBN, so this pick rests on the publisher’s and the author’s details. We also leave the page count out, because the figure on the listing looked low to us and we could not confirm it.
Why we like it
- Nearly 100 recipes, per the publisher
- IACP Cookbook Award, per the publisher
- Covers every meal, plus dessert
- Uses mushrooms as a seasoning too
Key specifications
| Author | Andrea Gentl |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Artisan |
| Year | 2022 |
| Pages | Not stated |
| Format | Hardcover |
| Recipes | Nearly 100 |
| Focus | Everyday mushroom cooking |
| Best for | Most home cooks |
Why we recommend it
This suits a cook who likes mushrooms and wants to use them more often, at every meal, without first learning to forage.
Skip it if you want a field guide or species-by-species detail. The publisher’s description is about cooking, and the books below go further on varieties.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Broad range of meals
- Award recognition, per the publisher
- A photographer’s eye for the subject
Cons
- No review at this ISBN that we could read
- No page count we could confirm
2. The Mushroom Hunter’s Kitchen, Chad Hyatt – Wild and Cultivated, With Substitutions
Hyatt is a forager and classically trained chef who has cooked in restaurants and private clubs around the San Francisco Bay Area, says his publisher. The Experiment describes 120 recipes and techniques for dozens of varieties, from button mushrooms to morels and huitlacoche, which is a nice thing for a Mexican kitchen to see on the list.
The practical detail is a Mushroom Substitutions box on each recipe, so you are not stuck when the market has only one kind. Chapters run from preserves and condiments through soups, pastas and hearty entrées to desserts.
Publishers Weekly reviewed it and said “Mushroom lovers will find a trove of inspiration.” It is the only book here with a PW review we could read.
Why we like it
- 120 recipes, per the publisher
- A substitutions box on each recipe
- Works with store-bought or wild mushrooms
- Reviewed by Publishers Weekly
Key specifications
| Author | Chad Hyatt |
|---|---|
| Publisher | The Experiment |
| Year | 2025 |
| Pages | 288 |
| Format | Hardcover |
| Recipes | 120 |
| Focus | Wild and cultivated mushrooms |
| Best for | Curious, confident cooks |
Why we recommend it
Choose this if you already cook mushrooms often and want to know what to do with the unfamiliar ones at a farmers market.
Skip it if you want a short, simple weeknight book. At 288 pages and with this range, it asks for more interest than the shorter books below.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Dozens of varieties
- Substitutions make it flexible
- Named review we could read
Cons
- More than a casual cook may need
- Assumes real interest in mushrooms
3. Fantastic Fungi Community Cookbook, Eugenia Bone – Home Cooks from Around the World
This book is tied to the documentary Fantastic Fungi, and it was edited by Eugenia Bone, a nature and food writer whose work has appeared in The New York Times and Saveur, per the publisher. It collects over 100 mushroom recipes described as family dishes from cultures around the world.
The range runs from appetizers to desserts and drinks. The publisher names a black trumpet and fig pizza and chaga chocolate chip cookies, and adds five essays on subjects including cultivation and foraging.
The copy carries praise from the mycologist Paul Stamets and a Food52 line, both read only as the publisher quotes them. We found no Publishers Weekly review at this ISBN.
Why we like it
- Over 100 recipes, per the publisher
- Family dishes from many cultures
- Five essays alongside the recipes
- An experienced food writer as editor
Key specifications
| Author | Eugenia Bone (editor) |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Insight Editions |
| Year | 2021 |
| Pages | 264 |
| Format | Hardcover |
| Recipes | Over 100 |
| Focus | Community recipes and essays |
| Best for | Browsing and gifts |
Why we recommend it
A good gift for someone who loved the film, and a good browse for anyone who likes a cookbook with many voices.
Skip it if you want one cook’s consistent method. A community book collects many hands, and some named ingredients, such as chaga, are not everyday grocery items.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Wide cultural range
- Includes essays
- Over 100 recipes
Cons
- Some specialty ingredients
- No review at this ISBN that we could read
4. Mushroom Gastronomy, Krista Towns – A Profile for Each Mushroom
Towns is culinary editor of FUNGI Magazine and a recipe developer, according to her publisher, and the book covers foraged and cultivated mushrooms alike. The publisher says over 100 recipes, from appetizers and soups through mains, desserts and cocktails, with guidance on selecting, storing and preserving.
Named dishes include a black trumpet and white bean bisque and a Chicken of the Woods saltimbocca, with options for both vegetarian and meat-eating readers. The publisher’s copy carries a New York Times mention of its mushroom-by-mushroom profiles, plus lines from Sara Moulton and Cynthia Graubart, which we read only there.
We found no Publishers Weekly review at this ISBN. One endorsement on the same page gives 120 recipes rather than the over 100 in the description, so we use the description’s wording.
Why we like it
- Over 100 recipes, per the publisher
- Author is culinary editor at FUNGI Magazine
- Selecting, storing and preserving guidance
- Vegetarian and meat options
Key specifications
| Author | Krista Towns |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Gibbs Smith |
| Year | 2024 |
| Pages | 240 |
| Format | Hardcover |
| Recipes | Over 100 |
| Focus | Foraged and cultivated mushrooms |
| Best for | Learning the varieties |
Why we recommend it
A good pick if you want to learn the mushrooms themselves, one kind at a time, and cook from what you find at a good market.
Skip it if you only ever buy white buttons and creminis. Much of the value here is in the wider range of mushrooms.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Variety-by-variety approach
- Storage and preserving covered
- Vegetarian and meat dishes
Cons
- Recipe counts differ in the publisher’s copy
- No review at this ISBN that we could read
5. Wild Mushrooms, Kristen and Trent Blizzard – Recipes Arranged by Species
This is a book about what happens after the hunt. The publisher describes a guide to finding, storing, preserving and cooking wild mushrooms, with 115 recipes organized by species and tips from more than 20 foragers. Named dishes include maitake beef stew and yellowfoot mushroom tart.
The Blizzards write the Modern Forager blog and hold wild mushroom identification certifications in several states, per their publisher. The copy says the book covers safety and edibility, and carries a Star Tribune line calling it a worthy addition whether your mushrooms come from the supermarket or the forest floor. We read that line through the publisher.
We have not read the safety material, and we make no promise about it. Nothing here should be taken as advice on what is safe to pick or eat. We found no Publishers Weekly review at this ISBN.
Why we like it
- 115 recipes, per the publisher
- Organized by mushroom species
- Preserving methods included
- Tips from more than 20 foragers
Key specifications
| Author | Kristen Blizzard and Trent Blizzard |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Skyhorse |
| Year | 2020 |
| Pages | 304 |
| Format | Hardcover |
| Recipes | 115 |
| Focus | Cooking and preserving wild finds |
| Best for | People who already forage |
Why we recommend it
This is for someone who already forages and wants to do more with the harvest.
Skip it if you have no access to wild mushrooms. A species-by-species layout is less useful if you shop only at a grocery store.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Strong on preserving, per the publisher
- Authors hold identification certifications, per the publisher
- Named dishes by species
Cons
- Assumes access to wild mushrooms
- No review at this ISBN that we could read
6. Cooking with Wild Mushrooms, Ingrid and Pelle Holmberg – Fifty Recipes for the Basket
The publisher aims this at the person standing in the kitchen with a basket of chanterelles, porcini or boletes and no plan. It promises fifty recipes with photographs, including chanterelle soup with gorgonzola, porcini focaccia, mushroom pie and lasagna, along with tips on drying and preserving.
Pelle Holmberg is a Swedish biologist and educator who has written books on plants, berries and mushrooms, and he received a silver medal from Sweden’s Gastronomic Academy in 2003, per the publisher. Ingrid Holmberg is described as a mushroom expert in the kitchen.
We found no Publishers Weekly review at this ISBN, and the copy we read carries no outside praise, so this pick rests on the publisher’s and the authors’ details.
Why we like it
- 50 recipes, per the publisher
- Drying and preserving tips
- Author has a long background in the subject
- Paperback, 144 pages on the listing
Key specifications
| Author | Ingrid Holmberg and Pelle Holmberg |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Skyhorse |
| Year | 2019 |
| Pages | 144 |
| Format | Paperback |
| Recipes | 50 |
| Focus | Porcini, chanterelles and more |
| Best for | A small wild mushroom book |
Why we recommend it
Buy this if you want a small, focused wild mushroom book and do not need the 115 recipes of the Blizzards’ book.
Skip it if you need species detail. The publisher presents this as a recipe book, and it assumes you already have your mushrooms.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Short and focused
- Swedish point of view
- Photographs with the recipes
Cons
- Narrower than the larger books
- No review at this ISBN that we could read
7. Shroom, Evie Harbury – Vegetarian and Full of Savor
Harbury trained at Le Cordon Bleu London and works as a food stylist and recipe developer, according to her publisher, with credits including Mary Berry and Tom Kerridge. This collection is vegetarian, and it uses mushrooms for their savory, umami-rich flavor, from tempura and tacos to burgers and broth.
The publisher names a buttermilk fried mushroom burger, king oyster biryani and a confit garlic mushroom mac and cheese. It speaks to longtime vegetarians and to newcomers alike. Those tacos are the part we would look at first.
This is a 2026 book, the copy carries no outside praise, and we found no Publishers Weekly review at this ISBN. It rests on the publisher’s and the author’s details.
Why we like it
- 60 recipes, per the title
- All vegetarian, per the publisher
- Author trained at Le Cordon Bleu London
- Familiar formats such as burgers and tacos
Key specifications
| Author | Evie Harbury |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Headline Home |
| Year | 2026 |
| Pages | 160 |
| Format | Hardcover |
| Recipes | 60 |
| Focus | Vegetarian mushroom cooking |
| Best for | Meat-free dinners |
Why we recommend it
A good choice for a household cutting back on meat that still wants hearty dinners. Our vegetarian cookbook guide covers the wider field.
Skip it if you want meat dishes with mushrooms in them, or foraging advice. The publisher describes vegetarian recipes only.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Vegetarian throughout
- Approachable dish formats
- Recent book
Cons
- Shorter than the big books
- No review at this ISBN that we could read
8. Mushrooms: 50 Tried and True Recipes, Julia Rutland – Common Varieties, Simple Format
Rutland has written more than a dozen cookbooks and was senior food editor at Coastal Living, per her publisher. This short book uses commonly available varieties for appetizers, sides, soups and entrées, with an introduction to mushroom types and basic cooking tips.
It has a lay-flat binding, which helps on a counter, and full-color photographs. That is about as practical as a mushroom cookbook gets, and it asks little of you beyond a trip to the store.
We found no Publishers Weekly review at this ISBN, and the copy has no outside praise, so this pick rests on the publisher’s and the author’s details.
Why we like it
- 50 recipes, per the publisher
- Lay-flat binding
- Uses commonly available mushrooms
- Experienced food editor as author
Key specifications
| Author | Julia Rutland |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Adventure Publications |
| Year | 2025 |
| Pages | 136 |
| Format | Paperback |
| Recipes | 50 |
| Focus | Commonly available mushrooms |
| Best for | Grocery store shoppers |
Why we recommend it
This suits a cook who wants more ways to use the mushrooms already at the supermarket, and nothing more complicated.
Skip it if you want depth or wild varieties. At 50 recipes, it is one of the two smallest collections here, along with the Holmbergs’.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Easy to use on the counter
- Common ingredients
- Short
Cons
- Limited range
- No review at this ISBN that we could read
How to choose a mushroom cookbook for your kitchen
Four questions will narrow this list quickly.
- Where will your mushrooms come from? Gentl, Harbury and Rutland suit store-bought shopping. Hyatt and Towns cover both. The Blizzards and the Holmbergs write for people who already have wild mushrooms.
- Do you want meat in the recipes? Shroom is vegetarian. Several of the others mix, and our vegetable cookbook guide is a good next step if vegetables are the point.
- Is preserving part of the plan? Drying and pickling matter if you buy or find mushrooms in quantity. The Blizzards, the Holmbergs, Towns and Hyatt all mention preserving or preserves in their publishers’ copy.
- How many recipes will you really cook? A 50-recipe book that gets used is worth more than a large one that sits on a shelf. Be honest about whether you want a project or a dinner.
How we chose these mushroom cookbooks
We searched Amazon’s book listings first and kept print editions from named authors at established publishers, plain in stock with a new lead offer sold by Amazon. We checked every other book page on this site so nothing repeats. Author, year, format and page count come from the Amazon listing. Recipe counts and descriptions come from the publisher’s copy, as carried by booksellers or the publisher’s own site.
Here is what stands behind each pick. The Mushroom Hunter’s Kitchen has a Publishers Weekly review that we read ourselves. The other seven rest on the publisher’s and the author’s details, and any praise for them is quoted only as the publisher carries it. We found no PW review at their ISBNs, which does not mean no other review exists.
Stock ruled out one familiar name. Jack Czarnecki’s Joe’s Book of Mushroom Cookery was leading with used copies when we checked. Books on the science or culture of mushrooms, and pure identification guides, were left out because this is a page about cooking.
Cooking with mushrooms book questions, answered
What is the best book on cooking with mushrooms for a beginner?
Gentl’s Cooking with Mushrooms for range, or Rutland’s short book if you want to stay with common varieties.
Is there a good wild mushroom cookbook?
The Blizzards’ Wild Mushrooms is the larger of the two here, with 115 recipes. The Holmbergs’ book is shorter. Both are about cooking, and we do not offer either as a guide to what is safe to eat.
Which book has vegetarian mushroom recipes?
Shroom is vegetarian throughout, per its publisher. Towns also offers vegetarian options alongside meat dishes.
Can I use these books with supermarket mushrooms?
Yes for Gentl, Harbury and Rutland, going by their publishers’ descriptions. Hyatt’s substitutions box is meant to help when you can’t find a named variety.
Do any of these cover huitlacoche?
The publisher of The Mushroom Hunter’s Kitchen names it among the varieties. We have not seen how many recipes use it.
Which mushroom cookbook should you buy first?
Buy Cooking with Mushrooms if you are starting out. Choose The Mushroom Hunter’s Kitchen for range and the Fantastic Fungi Community Cookbook for many voices. If mushrooms lead you toward broth, our soup cookbook guide can help with the next step. For the wider meat-free field, go back to our best vegetarian cookbook page.
And if you would rather let someone else cook tonight, see the menu or call to order.