Synopses & Reviews
"A dazzling display of humanistic erudition, wit, and practical culinary advice. Ballerini's living
herbarium reinitiates modern readers living in the concrete manswarm into the joys of foraging, gathering, and savoring herbs, flowers, and berries. Its wide-ranging historical context, a veritable documentary of poets and chroniclers of past and present, is a learned celebration of nature's bounty. Practical and flavorful recipes for each plant transport the 'weeds' from the field to the palate and enhance a narrative enriched by splendid complementary footnotes."and#151;Albert Sonnenfeld, Series Director,
Arts of the Table"Weeds indeed. A guide as witty as he is erudite, Luigi Ballerini has given us a remarkable compendium of the wild greens, along with their flowers and fruits, that people have foraged and eaten for millennia. Once the food of the poor, such ingredients are now in high demand. Gathering greens both familiarand#151;such as mint or borageand#151;and obscureand#151;milk thistle and wallrocketand#151;Ballerini draws upon a diverse cast of authors to attest or dispute their real or alleged medicinal powers. Just as important, he never neglects to suggest how they taste or to present fine recipes so that we can savor them for ourselves."and#151;Carol Field, author of The Italian Baker
"The scholar and poet Luigi Ballerini has given us a mouthwatering treasure of inventive Italian recipes for foraged wild plants adapted for the American locavore kitchen (including ten for borage alone, as well as nettle and purslane frittatas, and prickly pear risotto). This elegantly illustrated volume is peppered with humor and tastefully seasoned with a wealth of cultural, historical, and scientific sources and information. A Feast of Weeds is food for both the palate and the mind."and#151;Jean-Claude Carron, University of California, Los Angeles
Synopsis
The primal experience of gathering is inscribed in every humanand#8217;s DNA, and this book invites us to look beyond the refrigerator and cupboard to the abundance of wild edible plants that can be found and harvested everywhere. Part reference guide, part cookbook,
A Feast of Weeds encourages readers to forage diverse natural environments for food, even in our city parks and streets.
Luigi Ballerini shows tremendous breadth and depth of knowledge in an opening literary and historical analysis that explains how we have come to eat and cultivate wild plants. Each chapter that follows is devoted to a single ingredientand#151;greens such as nettles, fennel, mint, chicory, and dandelion; and fruits such as berries, pomegranate, and prickly pear. Balleriniand#8217;s delightful commentary helps foragers recognize, gather, and cook their harvest. Delicious and straightforward recipes from Southern Italy bring out the flavor and wholesomeness of each ingredient, highlighting the peasant roots of each dish.
Synopsis
"A dazzling display of humanistic erudition, wit, and practical culinary advice. Ballerini's living herbarium reinitiates modern readers living in the concrete manswarm into the joys of foraging, gathering, and savoring herbs, flowers, and berries. Its wide-ranging historical context, a veritable documentary of poets and chroniclers of past and present, is a learned celebration of nature's bounty. Practical and flavorful recipes for each plant transport the 'weeds' from the field to the palate and enhance a narrative enriched by splendid complementary footnotes."--Albert Sonnenfeld, Series Director, Arts of the Table, Columbia University Press
About the Author
Luigi Ballerini is Professor of Italian at the University of California, Los Angeles. Among his many books are The Art of Cooking: The First Modern Cookery Book, published by UC Press.
Table of Contents
Preface: Instructions for Using This Book
Introduction: Eating Greens Does Not Mean Grazing
Bay Leaves
Blackberries
Blueberries
Borage
Capers
Chamomile
Cipollini
Crested Wartycabbage
Daisy
False Acacia
Mallow
Milk Thistle
Mint
Myrtle Berries
Nettles
Pine Nuts
Pomegranate
Prickly Pear
Purslane
Red Poppy
Samphire
Sow Thistle
Strawberry Tree/Arbutus
Thyme
Wallrocket
Wild Arugula
Wild Asparagus
Wild Chicory
Wild Fennel
Wild Raspberries
Wild Strawberries
Notes
Recipe Index