Saturday, December 31, 2011

2011 Books

Growing up I didn't like to read. I still don't like to admit I like to read. It was my goal this year to read 12 books. I just might have done it. I want to share the books I have spent time with this year. Some are field guides and cookbooks so I can't say I read them cover to cover, but I used them well.






Top to bottom...due to size:

Folk Medicine- D.C. Jarvis.
I will save you from reading this one. He basically says that one drink will make your health a ton better. Seriously, if you have any heath problems- try it. The drink is: 1 cup good water, a tablespoon of raw honey and a tablespoon of raw apple cider vinegar. Drink it regularly for at least a week.  I have the apple cider vinegar and honey on hand at all times and use it when I feel like I should.

Peterson Field Guides- Medicinal Plants and Herbs AND Edible Wild Plants.
These books go hand in hand. I've gotten some good recipes and ideas from these books. Every time I read from them I become a more educated forager.

The Forager's Harvest- Samuel Thayer.
Samuel has two books and a dvd. Dude-is-it! He lives in Wisconsin and he forages. He has a ton of knowledge and experience.

Stalking the Wild Asparagus- Euell Gibbons.
This is a classic foraging book. He is a old dude that has a lot of practical information. A must read for foragers. The first copy came out in 1962.

Farm City- Novella Carpenter.
Super funny book! Novella lives in the hood in Oakland, CA. She squats on land and made a true urban farm. Wonderful book!!! I had to re-read this book this year, it was too good. I made Kristina read it too.

Stealth of Nations- Robert Neuwirth.
I haven't gotten all the way through this one, I'm reading it now. It's about the informal economy.

Healing Secrets of the Native Americans- Porter Shimer.
This is a pretty basic book of Native American healing herbs and healing traditions. We have a lot to learn from Native Americans.

The Revolution Will Not Be Microwaved: Inside America's Underground Food Moments AND Wild Fermentation- Sandor Ellix Katz.
The first book is a must read for anyone reading my blog. Must read! Title says it all.
The second book is a 'cookbook' for live cultured foods.

Guerrilla Gardening: A manualfesto- David Tracey
Practical ideas on how and why to guerrilla garden.

Hunt, Gather, Cook- Hank Shaw.
This book has a lot of hunting, foraging and cooking information. It's a good book to expand your food horizons.

Nourishing Traditions- Sally Fallon.
Buy it!

The Herbal Medicine-Makers Handbook- James Green.
Herbal Medicine.

Seed to Seed- Suzanne Ashworth.
Shows you how to save seeds from your vegetable garden. This is knowledge we all should have.

The Locavore's Handbook AND Botany, Ballet and Dinner from Scratch- Leda Meredith.
Leda is a locavore that lives in New York City. The first book is a good guide to being a locavore. The second book has stories and recipes- I really enjoyed this book! After reading 'The Locavore's Handbook,' I did a search for locavores in Minnesota and found: mnlocavore.com. This is a great blog for practical resources and recipes on local Minnesota food. 


A website worth putting out there. Daniel Vitalis is a very good looking guy that lives in Maine. He gained popularity from youtube. He has started a few projects the past couple of years. He does a lot of talking about rewilding yourself- becoming closer to nature. Almost a step past foraging. He is a little different but I like hearing him talk. He has a lot of videos on youtube and interviews at oneradionetwork.com. He does sell a few products, so I keep that in mind when he is talking...


Here are a couple books I want to get for 2012.

Novella Carpenter has a book that just came out called 'The Essential Urban Farmer.' I think it's more how-to than stories, but I will support anything Novella does.

Daniel Klein has a movie out! 'What Are We Doing Here?' Watch the trailer. Dude is awesome! The more I find out about him... he blows me away. A must see movie. Daniel also does The Perennial Plate

I am looking for suggestions on books or documentaries about food related stuff. What are some of your favorites?

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