The Thrill of the Hunt

I posted recently about the Media Morel Dinner we attended at Eagle Ridge Resort in Galena earlier this month. The magnificent dinner was our welcome that led into a guided morel hunt the following morning. This was my second time heading out to western Illinois for this media trip and until my visit last year, I had never hunted for morel. I had actually never even eaten a morel.

I learned from the hunt that it takes a lot of patience and a really good, experienced eye to come out of it with a good haul. Some naturally have the knack, but not me. I must admit, however, that after spending a while scanning and scanning leaves and ground cover, there is an intense thrill in finding some on your own.

After looking and looking with no success, our hunt time was ending and we started to head back to the van that was waiting for us. As I was in mid-sentence: "I wish I'd just find one before...." and suddenly there was not one, but two, right at my feet.

It was nice that my sister, Becky, was able to attend this year and the two Chicago Foodie Sisters could do the hunt together.

Our hunt was on the property of the Eagle Ridge Resort in the Galena Territory and some personnel from the resort, including the executive chef and sommelier, led us to a secret spot.

After our hunt concluded, we went back to the resort for another fabulous morel-themed meal (that I'll blog about soon.) We finished up our time there with a relaxing massage in the spa before hitting the road. We were in Galena in mere 24-hours, but it's always a tranquil time in beautiful surroundings that takes you back in time and a world away from the hustle and bustle of Chicagoland.