sparassis crispa

Kim said: The identification would go much smoother if you would just tell me where you found it and whether or not it's still out there for, um, "study". :-)
Just kidding.
Looks like a nice young sparassis crispa to me.
Please tell me it's sitting in your kitchen. :-) Given your title,
I thought you might have already known. One of my favorite ways to eat Sparassis Crispa is, indeed, as a pasta substitute. I like it as stroganoff noodles, personally - Kim

Fred said: From Matchmaker Sparrasis crispa TASTE pleasant, of walnut, (Lincoff(1)), mild and pleasant (Miller) EDIBILITY edible and exceptional: thorough cooking needed to render it tender,
for instance gentle sautéing or parboiling followed by baking or stewing, (Arora), leave the base when collecting for food, so that it will fruit the next year, (Ammirati) HABITAT usually single at or near the bases of conifer trunks and stumps,
fruiting usually in the late fall or winter, (Arora), single, typically within 2 meters of the base of a living coniferous tree (Pseudotsuga, Pinus), fall, (Castellano), fruiting in late summer and fall (Miller) fred

Don said: Don't use a shovel. just cut it off and leave the rest..... It will likely appear in the same spot next year. - show quoted text -