Book: A Guide to Wild Food Foraging

Foraging can be intimidating, especially when starting off on your own. Getting to know the local edible flora and fauna takes a lot of practice, and is particularly important considering that your life—or at least your stomach—is at stake. A Guide to Wild Food Foraging: Techniques for Finding and Preparing Nature’s Flavorful Edibles (Fox Chapel, $15) by David Squire has helped me feel more prepared, should I ever need to survive off the land. This guide outlines 100 different types of wild foods found in the West—including mushrooms, nuts, fruit, herbs, and even shellfish. Thanks to photos of every edible plant listed, I now know exactly what to look for on the side of the trail (while keeping an eye out for evil twins). The book also features detailed descriptions of each plant’s distribution, in addition to practical uses such as herbal remedies, homemade spirits, and various kitchen recipes. Dandelion coffee, anyone?