Impossible to classify in a single category, this book combines his reflections from his own life, short selections of traditional writings, and recipes for wild foods. Relatively low-key, this is a pleasant read. Each chapter focuses around a specific food. His experiences may deal with how he learned to gather or harvest it, the role this has within his tribe, activities which include the food, and how he feels about it all. His family's choice of foods was quite pragmatic: they would hunt or gather what was available, what would provide the most food for their effort (getting one sturgeon is more efficient than many small fish), and what would taste best at a particular season.
My favorite section was on maple syrup, which he ends by contrastng Menominee comfort and familiarity in the forest with typical white people's fear of the wilderness. "The woods are more home-like than wooden houses. ..So who is a Menominee person? The woods. We represent that spiritual essence, one and the same..." ( )

It is a very interesting travel into the Menominee culture through food. I won it on Goodreads, and I was not disappointed. ( )

Meno means good, min means grain or seeds. Menominee is a native American tribe of the USA. These Native Americans are surely not only Good Seeds, - like also the title of this book - but part of the Woods.

I don't know you but everytime I read a book written by a Native American in this particular case by Thomas Pecore Weso and published by Wisconsin Historical Society Press my sensation is the one to read a magical book. Surely an absorbing and enchanting reading.

Mr. Weso loves in this book to remember the glorious past of his tribe and his family and I find it fascinating, because it is a trip in his personal story and the one of his family through food. For of course not forgetting and always remembering what it means the past and what it became his reality going on.

He describes a very big family, with a big tradition for....eating more or less as he specifies in various part of the books, all the possible food existing on Earth thanks to the connection her grand mom had established with the Catholic church of his town.
She attended it and so to her canning food, using diversified food, not a problem at all.

But Menominee are also famous for being great Bear Hunters in particular the men of his family and every year remember Weso they organize a big lunch all dedicate at this special meat.

Menominee loves also fishing, and every sorta of other hunting. No one of course hunt for killing but for bringing food on the table so in the past it was a primary necessity for men.
Of course herbs and fruits, like apples but also many many other kind of fruits of interests for this family during the proper seasonal period.

Every chapter Weso remembers some anecdotes of his past. It can be his beautiful moments spent in the family with his granny, it can be the hunting of the bear, or fishing, - better a big fish than not a small ones, he writes at some point because the family big and so... -
At the end of every chapter you will find delicious recipes that you are more than invited of trying for preparing delicious meals.

A chapter I loved the one of maple syrup. I adore maple syrup! I drink it with water it's the only way I use it I confess but I love also to explore the most diversified utilization in the American culture.

I also love the description of the customs of Weso's Native American tribe. I find most of them suggestive, from their religion, - Thomas' grand dad allergic to embracing any kind of other religion apart the Native American one (he was different from his wife but I love to remark he left her wife free to enjoy our religion), superlative, and plus he was a medicine man so it says a lot -, to their living, their days, their traditions, their food.

I know that if I will visit one day the USA I would want to stop by for lunch at the house of Thomas Weso family because I am more than sure that I could eat a good American lunch for sure!

Go for this book if you love to remember the past, as Weso adores to do with great joy and passion and if you want to understand much more the life, compassion and great heart of the Native American tribe of the Menominee that, I discovered thanks to this book.

This book, I am more than sure will enchant you from the first page for its purity, sincerity, story-teller structure and because it is written with the heart and with the desire of leaving an imprint and a good memory in the History, and culinary traditions of this big country: the USA.


For sure this one can be also a perfect gift for Christmas or for a birthday for your children and for let them understands the story and local culture.


The cover: yes, it's beauty but I would have picked up another picture, because to me this one is not strong and happy enough for describing the content of the book.




I thank Netgalley for this book! ( )

This book is a personal memoir of a Menominee Indian youth growing up in a quickly changing world, and it is about the foods eaten or made by his family, and the changes that the white man made on their traditional diet. It is also about the hunting, gathering, and preparing of these different foods.

The parts of the book about their way of life "on the rez" are quite interesting, and the parts that talk about their food are very good as well. There are many recipes in the book (44 to be exact), some of which look quite tasty. I have learned much by reading this book, and I think that it was well worth the read. ( )

The Synopsis

Thomas Pecore Weso shows a cook’s journey through Wisconsin’s woods. He takes each food—beaver, trout, fruit, wild rice, and shows us who taught him these values. Cooks will learn from the recipes, as historians hear firsthand stories about reservation life during the mid-twentieth century.

The Review

This is such a great book! I enjoyed learning about the history of the land and the tribe. I haven’t tried any of the recipes yet, but I’m sure i will soon, as they seem easy enough to follow. This book takes you on a journey and immerses you in a beautiful culture and lifestyle. So many memories and beautiful tales of growing up. You really get a feel for the author as he recounts his life and immerses you chapter by chapter into his life. This book is beautiful inside and out and I loved reading it. Thank you librarything and whspress for sending me this book in exchange for my honest review. ( )