John KallasReseñas

This is such an amazing reference book. The color photos are great and the amount of information about each plant is impressive. I've added the first volume to my wish-list, so I can complete my set. The recipes all look interesting. Can't wait to take it on my next hike and see what plants I can identify.

Is a very informative book. He dosen't cover a lot of plants in the volume but the ones he dose he clearly breaks down into categories. He gives you an indepth look at the plant and all it edible parts, all long with lots of pictures showing them clearly. He also includes section with look a like plants to help you identify the plant correctly. This was a library thing give away

As a Master Naturalist, I can say that John Kallas' Edible Wild Plants is an amazing resource for anyone learning to identify wild plants. The numerous color photos of plants and plant parts in different life stages, along with detailed descriptions on how to forage them are incredibly helpful. Added to that the fact that the book is full of recipes for all of the plants you forage, and I can't imagine how it could be a better guide.

One of the things I particularly liked about it was Kallas' inclusion of non-native, sometimes invasive species like Japanese knotweed. It's incredibly important that we remove these plants from natural areas, and finding ways to use them as food seems like a wonderful way to encourage more people to take part in invasive species removal. A great addition to both a field guide and a recipe book collection.

I am not quite sure where to begin or how to review this joyful book that has opened my eyes to the culinary delights that can be created from the likes of thistle, nettle and knotweed to the more seemingly friendly pea, fennel, and carrot. I was enamored with the chapter on cattails (guacamole and pancakes!) and appreciated the backstory of today's marshmallow (having been shamefully oblivious to the existence of the "marsh mallow" plant). The book is a delightful blend of botany, ecology, and history. Personally I would be apt to try the recipes with plants harvested by someone else who really can identify these plants in the wild (or grow them myself from sustainably harvested seed). There are plenty of photos and also key information on poisonous knockoffs to be aware of. Kallas' gift and passion for foraging and feasting on edible wild plants is palatable!

The first thing that stands out about Edible Wild Plants vol. 2 is the density. This is a book printed on glossy, heavy paper. While that does make it a little hefty to carry around on your hiking adventures, I think that adds to the outdoorsy nature of it overall. I'm impressed with the build quality. Styled like other nature guides, John Kallas has done a wonderful job with this book. There are numerous photos to go along with the text, so much of the mystery is taken out of finding the plants in the wild. I have a few 'Country Wisdom' books that just make folksy sketches of plants that gives no indication of color or texture. Not so in this book. The recipes included look great as well and photos show different prep stages, so you can get the idea of whether or not you're following along correctly. There's a plethora of knowledge here covering a very wide range of the titular edible plants. Anyone who wants a general resource or something to put into practice would do well to check this out. I may well pick up volume 1 now that I've seen the quality of volume 2.

Edible Wild Books by John Kallas is the second volume. What stands out to me about this book is the beautiful photographs of the plants that can be foraged. This will be helpful in identifying which plants are edible out in the wild. The pages of the book are on quality paper. Even though it is a trade size paperback the book is on the heavy side and might to heavy to carry around in a backpack. There are some interesting recipes that I am wanting to try out but have yet to try out. Thanks to LibraryThing and the publiher for providing me an ARC to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Sometimes you get an amazing gift in a book - something that is a pleasure to read and provides you with knowledge that you didn't even know was out there.

I received this book as part of the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program and I feel so grateful that I was chosen to get a copy.

This is the second volume of a series of wild edibles being written by John Kallas. I have a lot of books on this topic and I can honestly say this is the best of the bunch. I've already added Volume 1 to my wish list for Christmas.

When you are learning about wild edibles the best thing to do is go out hunting with someone who knows what they are talking about. The next best thing is to have an accurate and thorough guidebook written by someone who knows what they are talking about. Edible Wild Plants is that guidebook!

Dividing food items by flavor was the first thing that set this book apart from others. Setting it up this way gives you and idea of what you might want to look for first - your favorite flavor profile or the one you want to add to your dinner menu tonight.

The book contains wonderful photographs that give a view of the plants not seen in other books. The maps are accurate enough to see if you are close to the known region of the plants - no maps are ever 100% accurate.

But best of all is the information given by the author and his method of delivery. Dry wit and honest criticism of human activity are sprinkled into detailed accounts of the food item and its uses. It doesn't read like a dry non-fiction book at all and you will be very happy to have it by your arm chair when you need something entertaining to read. You might even learn some stuff in the process.

I give this book my highest marks and I congratulate John Kallas, PhD on creating the wild edibles series we have needed for a long time. Thank you!

I'm so happy that I received this for Early Review. An excellent book! This is Volume 2 and I plan to get Volume 1, and I hope for additional volumes. Some of the plants featured in this volume: Knotweed, Stinging Nettle, Pokeweed, and Marsh Mallow. All plants that are growing in abundance around me, and that's true for all of the plants featured. Photographs and descriptions are effective for making accurate identifications. These are also really great for learning about maturity of plants, harvesting tips, and leaves/bark/flowers. The author's treatment of Poison Hemlock and Wild Carrot is the best that I've read. I've stayed away from this plant for fear of misidentifying, but I'm actually confident about identifying Wild Carrot now. There are some other helpful features, e.g., nutrient values and cutting & cooking guides along with several recipes for each plant. Nothing but great things to say about this book!

I received a copy of this book from LibraryThing Early Reviewers. Based on the description, I had high expectations of this book and I was still blown away!

When I am learning something new, I have many, many questions and I appreciate that the author doesn't take anything for granted. Everything is covered with detail and thoroughness, with both words and COLORED pictures! In the front matter, he shares his process in learning about a new plant and experimenting with it, which was not only interesting background, but an excellent pattern to follow for learning more about plants not previously covered. In the plant profiles sections, he shares what he knows and how he knows it, as well as clearly stating what he does not know. He also shares his trials and errors so the reader can learn best practices in advance and how to avoid common or frustrating mistakes. I appreciated his focus on plants with a wide range and high useability with minimum processing.

This book is clear, readable, and at times humorous. I am looking forward to future installments of this series!

I have read a number of foraging books, but none have been as detailed as this one. This book, that I received as part of the Early Reviewers program, breaks down the plant to its parts and how exactly you use, or should not use, each part. It's high quality with thick glossy pages and vivid photographs that you could also bring with you foraging (though it may be a bit heavy in a bag on a long hike). There are multiple recipes for each wild plant, and they are things that folks would actually eat. Some foraging books can be a bit unrealistic, but this one is not in that regard. I have a lot of tawny daylily, cattail, purple sweet nettle and plantain that I will try using this book.

This is a great book for anyone starting out with wild food.It focuses on a few of the most common plants and has multiple pictures of each stage of growth, making identification really easy.Would highly recommend.

Why hike your local woods when you can eat them too? Om nom nom...

Both a field guide and a cookbook! Great photos, has plants in different stages of development as well as lookalikes to beware of, easy to use. Recipes are simple. Full of hints and tips from a seasoned forager

Oh, this is splendid! It has photos of many variations of leaves for each plant, and lots of interesting digressions on each sort of plant. This is the book you want to have in your library after the war. Or after peak oil. Or after the government collapses. Pick your dystopia, but buy this book first.

Well-photographed, well-explained, well-written- this is one for the permanent collection.

Edible Wild Plants: Wild Foods from Dirt to Plate has become a very valuable resource in my ongoing journey of learning about the edibility of native and non-native plants in the Pacific Northwest and beyond. This guide is an outstanding source of plant descriptions for complete stages of growth, ranges, growing environments, harvesting and processing tips, recipes, and nutritional information such as phytonutrient content and some caveats such as oxalates, all accompanied by relevant, clear photographs of each plant covered. I liked the approach of organizing the plants into four "flavor" sections and appreciated more extensive nutritional information in the last section of the book, which includes a clear, easy to reference chart packed with information on individual wild edibles.

I've taken a couple of day workshops with Dr. Kallas in Seattle and thoroughly enjoyed the experience from this warm, down-to-earth and easily approachable man. I appreciate the fact that he has a PhD and years of practical real-life and research experience. He is a wealth of knowledge and I hope to take more courses in the future such as a multi day workshop offered in southwest Washington state near Mt. Adams, on the coast of Oregon or at the Wild Foods Summit in Minnesota. If you have a chance to take one of his workshops you should leap at it.