Passing on traditional skills like foraging, cooking from scratch and living well on less
Looking for information on foraging in Japan, or just interested in learning about traditional Japanese wild foods? Eating Wild Japan is a fascinating read, with a few caveats. First of all, it has to be said that I read this book as an American forager. Our family forages hundreds of pounds of wild foods a […]
You’ve heard of the Japanese art of kintsugi, where broken pots are repaired with lacquer mixed with gold so they’re more beautiful than they were to begin with. We can do the same things with our clothes, blankets and other belongings with darning, embroidery, patching and other techniques. It’s wonderful to learn simple mending techniques, […]
I have a new favorite mushroom foraging book. How to Forage for Mushrooms without Dying: An Absolute Beginner’s Guide to Identifying 29 Wild, Edible Mushrooms was released this month and I can’t recommend it enough. I was lucky enough to receive a digital Advanced Reader’s Copy of the book last spring, and I have been […]
James Beard Award winning Southern chef Sean Brock released a new cookbook this week that I was lucky enough to preview. It was a fantastic read with stunning photography and mouth-watering, authentic recipes from all regions of the South — with a few caveats for some home cooks. This is a gorgeous, wonderfully written book […]
I have a new favorite book that I’ve been having a lot of fun using for my garden dreaming. The Everyday Sanctuary workbook is a companion book to Jessi Bloom’s popular Creating Sanctuary. I was able to read a digital advance copy of that book and loved it, so I was thrilled when the publishers […]
I read The Joy of Foraging: Gary Lincoff’s Illustrated Guide to Finding, Harvesting, and Enjoying a World of Wild Food while vacationing at a friend’s house, courtesy of her library book pile. It’s a good book to get from the library before purchasing it to get a feel for whether it will be a good fit […]
A somewhat nerdy looking new book was quietly published this year that has the potential to not just greatly improve your life, but greatly improve the world. I admit that sounds like a bit of hyperbole, but Trees of Power offers a really inspirational look at how the trees that are all around us can […]
There’s a fantastic new book that focuses on foraging with kids. Family Foraging: A Fun Guide to Gathering and Eating Wild Plants was released last month and it’s my new favorite book on foraging with kids. The book, by David Hamilton, features 30 commonly found wild edible plants of North America. The plants covered in the […]
A new foraging book is sure to help folks in Eastern Canada and the Northeast United States find all kinds of fabulous wild foods. Eating Wild in Eastern Canada: A Guide to Foraging the Forests, Fields, and Shorelines provides photos, stories, cooking suggestions and recipes for all kinds of wild foods, from lobster mushrooms to […]
2018 was an unbelievable year for fantastic new foraging books. There was something for everyone, from vegans to hunters, new foragers to seasoned experts, whether you live down south, in the desert or in New York City, and whether you want to learn about creating wild beer and wine, how to teach your children to […]
A new cookbook has the perfect solution for that supper time rut. The Make-Ahead Sauce Solution: Elevate Your Everyday Meals with 61 Freezer-Friendly Sauces by Elisabeth Bailey offers a wonderful variety of sauces to use in all different ways that can help take simple meals to the next level. Anyone who’s ever eaten at a […]
A well-known Instagram star’s popular new foraging cookbook has been pulled by its publisher, thanks to the fact that some actual foragers got a hold of it and alerted readers to some dangerous (and seriously unpalatable) recipes inside it. Tales from a Forager’s Kitchen: The Ultimate Field Guide to Evoke Curiosity and Wonderment with More […]
When I received a digital ARC of Sara Bir’s The Fruit Forager’s Companion, the only thing I didn’t like about it was the fact that it was deleted after the review period and I didn’t get to keep a copy. I absolutely loved this book and plan to purchase a copy of my own. […]
I have experience with pressure canning but I’m always happy to find new recipes and learn more. When I got an opportunity to read a temporary digital Advanced Reader Copy of the new book, Modern Pressure Canning by Amelia Jeanroy, I was happy to check it out. While this book has basic information to get […]
As an avid home brewer of wines and ciders, I was excited to read an ARC copy of Modern Cider: Simple Recipes to Make Your Own Ciders, Perries, Cysers, Shrubs, Fruit Wines, Vinegars, and More, by Emma Christensen, through Net Galley. I am always looking for more recipes and for ideas to simplify the process. […]
Looking for some upcycling inspiration for your yard and garden? Upcycling Outdoors: 20 Creative Garden Projects Made from Reclaimed Materials, a new book by Max McMurdo, is a fun, inspirational and educational read. I read a temporary digital ARC of this book through Net Galley. I really enjoyed it, but found it had limited use […]
The world of essential oils has become increasingly complicated since the rise of multi-level marketing EO companies in the past couple of decades. I started using essential oils regularly about 15 years ago, when a trusted friend in a natural parenting forum posted about how wonderful lavender oil was for healing wounds. It really was […]
If you’ve always wanted to compost but didn’t know where to start, or if you’ve been composting for years but want to switch up your methods, a great new book has you covered. Michelle Balz’s Composting for a New Generation: Latest Techniques for the Bin and Beyond is a phenomenal book to answer any questions […]
I was able to read a digital copy of The Berkeley Bowl Cookbook: Recipes Inspired by the Extraordinary Produce of California’s Most Iconic Market this week through Net Galley. I was excited to read it, not because I have access to an elaborate produce market like the famous Berkeley Bowl, but because some of the […]
If you’re gluten free, you know the bread you buy in the stores tends to be hard, tasteless, overpriced and basically awful. The good news is that you can easily bake gluten free bread that is soft, tasty and easy — and it’s much healthier than the stuff you buy in stores! Here’s one of […]
Here’s a wonderful free booklet to help you use permaculture principles to harvest rainwater and put it to use in your yard and gardens. The wonderfully-illustrated 8-page primer was created by by Joe Linton (of LA Creek Freak) to accompany a workshop he did in 2008. The guide draws heavily from Brad […]
Samuel Thayer’s foraging books Nature’s Garden and The Forager’s Harvest are well loved by foragers, and his upcoming book, Incredible Wild Edibles, promises to be another great resource. Thayer doesn’t cover the same wild edible foods in any of his books. Each book goes into great detail about a few dozen wild foods to forage, […]
I was able to read an advanced reader copy of the upcoming book, How to Instant Pot, recently and thought I’d share my review here in case it helps any readers. How to Instant Pot might be better named “The Meat Lover’s Instant Pot Cookbook,” as meat features quite predominantly. As someone who cooks vegetarian, […]
As many readers know, I have been writing an acorn foraging guide and cookbook. My research led to a fascinating bit of history this week when I stumbled upon a reference to Racahout des Arabes, which was apparently once a very popular hot drink or hot cereal (depending on how much hot milk you used) made […]
Daryl and I have been faithfully checking our elder patches for the past few weeks and he brought home a bag of our first elderberry bounty for the year this week. This particular clump of elders is bordering a nursing home that has given us permission to pick their pears and elderberries. He harvested them […]
My elderberry book is now available in a paperback edition! We heard from many people who wanted a physical copy of the book, especially to make use of it while foraging and for the cookbook section. I worked over the past couple of months to create the best possible paperback version, with black and […]
Elderflower season is coming to an end and that means elderberry season is coming soon! Make sure you use some of this year’s elderberry crop to make some elderberry jam and elderberry pie filling, because they’re so wonderful in recipes like elderberry cream cheese cupcakes (and elderberry thumbprint cookies, and elderberry fluff, and elderberry frosting….). […]
I’m a big fan of square foot gardening and I use it in my own gardens quite a lot so I was excited to read the recently released Square Foot Gardening: Growing Perfect Vegetables (affiliate link). There are lots of things I liked about this book but also some major drawbacks. PROS: The book […]
Here’s another easy recipe from my new book, Elderberries: The Beginner’s Guide to Foraging, Preserving and Using Elderberries for Health Remedies, Recipes, Drinks and More (available now on Kindle and in paperback). This is a beautiful, deep purple schnapps that is so simple to make with either fresh or frozen elderberries. See the directions at […]
Here’s a quick, easy and delicious recipe to make use of elderberry jam that you may have put up. I featured it in my new book, Elderberries: The Beginner’s Guide to Foraging, Preserving and Using Elderberries for Health Remedies, Recipes, Drinks and More, which went live on Amazon at the Kindle store on Friday and […]
I have a new favorite craft book. I just got Tree Craft in the mail yesterday and already I’ve read it cover to cover and am planning projects to do with my kids. Tree Craft, by Chris Lubkemann, offers “35 rustic wood projects that bring the outdoors in.” From salt and pepper shakers to coat […]
Note: This post contains affiliate links. Purchases made through our links earn us a small commission at no extra cost to you. RATING: ***** Wild Berries & Fruits Field Guide of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan by Teresa Marrone is by far the most indispensable foraging book I have ever owned, or even seen. It is […]