Food for Free (Paperback)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

'Thirty years after its initial publication, the forager's bible continues to inspire and enthral.' Scottish Field 'Still a classic' The Financial Times 'Armed with this guide, this month you could be sampling the simple pleasures of eating a fleshy Hottentot fig straight from a Devon clifftop, making elderflower fritters gathered from the hedgerows, or frying fairy-ring champignons picked off your lawn. With its charming painted illustrations, it is a book to savour in itself.' Devon Life --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Description

Food for Free by Richard Mabey was first published in 1972, and since then it has been reprinted 11 times.  A guide to over 300 types of food that can be gathered in the wild in Britain, Food for Free explores the history and folklore of the foods as well as explaining how we identify them and the best ways to cook and eat them. The new edition will bring the subject right up to date. Organized by season rather than food type, Food for Free will take us through the year. Richard Mabey's fully-revised text will be accompanied by stunning photographs, new recipes and a wealth of practical information on collecting, cooking and preparing. Beautifully illustrated, beautifully written and produced in a new, larger format, Food for Free is designed to inspire us to take more notice of what is around us, how we can make use of it and how we can conserve it for future generations.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins UK (October 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0002201593
• ISBN-13: 978-0002201599
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 7.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,337,615 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent little book, March 24, 2009

By	Michelle Dewberry - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Food for Free (Collins Natural History) (Paperback)

This little gem of a book should be in every backpackers back pocket. Concise, focused and descriptive you'll have no trouble identifying the plants and shellfish. There has been some comments about lack of information on animals to eat, this is probably because rabbits, pheasants and such are classed as game and will belong to the landowner. Whilst it's ok to pick a few plants, mushrooms and shellfish it will probably be frowned on if you start blasting away at the countryside or setting traps!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Connect with Nature, January 3, 2009

By	ArtyNess "Zen Moments" (England, UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Food for Free (Collins Natural History) (Paperback)

Fun and free ways of connecting with the local countryside - it worked for my kids like a dream:
Me: "Let's go for a walk!" - Kids: "Groan..."
Me: "Let's go and collect free things to eat!" Kids: "Yay!"
- and of course I taught them never to eat stuff without checking with me first - so gradually they learned to recognise plants and know where to find them and to care if their favourite hedgerow was being ripped out - a great start to caring about the planet. And this book is small enough to take with you and comprehensive enough to be useful.

5.0 out of 5 stars Food for free, September 7, 2009

By	Natalie Robertson - See all my reviews

This review is from: Food for Free (Collins Natural History) (Paperback)

I found this to be an outstanding book full of lavish photos and colorful text.

I really am amazed how much we, as a nation, have forgotten about what is available on our doorstep!! I highly recommend this to anyone who is curious about food in any way.

A really good buy!!