The Foraging Gourmet [Paperback]

Katie Letcher Lyle (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 1997

Edible plants grow wild along roadsides, in country fields, and in urban parks. All manner of leafy greens, mushrooms, and herbs that command hefty prices at the market are bountiful outdoors and absolutely free for the taking. But to enjoy them you must know how to recognize, when to harvest, and how to prepare and eat them. The Foraging Gourmet concentrates on the most commonly found of these wild comestibles, going beyond a field guide's description to provide folklore and mouth-watering recipes for each entry, such as wild asparagus pizza, fiddlehead soup, blackberry mousse, and elderberry pie. This fully illustrated guide is the perfect companion for hikers, campers, and anyone who enjoys eating the good food of the earth. With The Foraging Gourmet in hand you'll never walk through a field again without casting your eyes about with dinner in mind. (5 1/2 X 8 1/4, 224 pages, color photos, illustrations)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

As Katie Letcher Lyle says, "The thrill of foraging is getting something for nothing." And, as she points out, it often does take you to beautiful places, from sandy beaches to wild flower-filled meadows and cool woods. Lyle crams a substantial amount into this field guide and cookbook. For 55 edibles, you learn what to look for, supported by drawings and some color photos, plus history, lore, and a recipe or two for each wild treasure. This book seems sturdy enough to survive many seasons in your backpack. Written for an American audience, it can also serve foragers in Canada and, to some degree, Europe, as it includes mushrooms, fruits, and greens found in this milieu as well.

From Booklist

Lyle's twelfth book is an illustrated guide to common edible wild plants of North America. It is divided into chapters on green things (such as asparagus, chicory, dandelions, milkweed, mustard, watercress, and wild onions and garlic); mushrooms; fruits; flowers and herbs; nuts; and what she calls miscellaneous foraging (Indian corn, Jerusalem artichokes, wild rice, horseradish, sassafras, ginseng, etc.). Each of the 51 listings of wild plants contains a description of the plant and information on where and when it can be found, along with plant history and lore. Each entry also presents a black-and-white drawing and recipes. George Cohen

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: The Lyons Press; 1st edition (April 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1558215298
• ISBN-13: 978-1558215290
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,292,897 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Foraging Fourmet, August 9, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Foraging Gourmet (Paperback)

Dear Reader,

If you enjoy outdoor cooking, and foraging for your own food then this is a very good book to own. "The Foraging Gourmet" has ten chapters including fungi: mushrooms, green things, nuts, flowers & herbs. This book has black and white drawings for almost every plant that is used in the recipes. It also contains 16 pages of color photos. Every plant in this book is given a description, habitat, season, history, and lore. A description of how it looks, tastes, and smells (if there is a smell). The author describes the habitat of where each plant grows. This book teaches what the best seasons are for each plant. It also tells of what different minerals each plant contains. The history describes who first started eating it. The lore tells about cures (if any) it was used for. Other helpful uses of plants are talked about such as dyes. Throughout the book there are educational side notes about a variety of subjects that I found very interesting. This book contains 195 pages and is a very good investment.