This spectacularly colored Russula has a dry, pink (sometimes reddish-brown) cap 2-3/8 to 5 inches wide, convex to flat, often depressed in the center, with faint radial lines along the edge. The brittle flesh is white to yellowish.

The broad white (sometimes tinged with yellow) gills, which attach to the stalk, sometimes branch near the stalk. The spore print is white, sometimes tinged with yellow.

The smooth or roughened, white stem, sometimes tinged with pink or yellow, is 2 to 2-1/2 inches long, 3/8 to 3/4 inches long, sometimes tapering toward the base.

This mushroom grows on the ground in deciduous and mixed deciduous/coniferous forests throughout eastern North America in the summer.

Uncommon in my area, I only found it once in quantity, totally fresh and insect-free. It was quite a spectacle seeming a familiar woodland dotted with large, pink mushrooms.

Simply sautéed in olive oil with garlic, salt, and pepper, it was quite good, with the sweet, delicate flavor typical of the best Russulas. Add it to soups, casseroles, stews, or vegetable dishes. Any cooking method works -- just don't overpower it with spices or strong-flavored ingredients.

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