Excellent! He doesn't just tell us: he shows us… the important parts, growth stages, and preparation steps… photos are of the highest quality found in any wild food book… whether you are a neophyte or a veteran food gatherer — you will find this book fun, interesting, and immensely helpful. (See complete review)
Samuel Thayer author of …
The Forager's Harvest; and Nature's Garden.

This is a true "down to earth", organic book: No matter where our ancestors lived in the world, chances are they were eating many of the foods described in this book. It's almost as if you are sitting there with (John), having him show you what you need to know... You're sharing in his experiences. Accounts of trial and error, discovery and adventure, light-hearted storytelling and serious reflection are interspersed with good, solid botanical descriptions, and well-researched details of the nutrition, phytochemistry and ecology of the plants being discussed. This book lures you out into the fields, woods and swamps. It impels you to don your gumboots and your hat, seize your shovel, shears, baskets, trays and buckets and head out into the weediest part of your garden, or into the yonder countryside in search of those wild gastronomic treasures. And it draws you towards the kitchen, the chopping board, the grater and the grinder, to take that large old wooden salad bowl from the top shelf, rub it with wild garlic and fill it up with green delicacies to serve to your friends and family. (See complete review)
Nancy J. Turner Ph.D., author of …
Food Plants of British Columbia Indians; and Plants of Haida Gwaii.

Savor every page of Edible Wild Plants: Wild Foods from Dirt to Plate. Quite simply, John Kallas harbors more on-ground knowledge of how to sustainably harvest and prepare a wide range of wild foods in the West than perhaps any other person alive. He offers the right level of how-to detail that will bring you pleasure rather than pain. While some other wild food guides are so vague that they may indeed kill you, Kallas will not only help you (AND THE PLANTS!) survive, but thrive.
Gary Paul Nabhan Ph.D., author of …
Gathering the Desert; and Coming Home to Eat.

John Kallas has rebranded foraging from 'alternative roughage' to 'five-star dining.' No other wild foods book has this kind of in-depth text, mouth-watering recipes, or eye-popping pictures of culinary delights, such as wild spinach pizza, pickled purslane, and homemade marshmallows.
Thomas J. Elpel, author of …
Botany in a Day; and Participating in Nature.

I'm amazed! Not only at John's knowledge - probably one of the most comprehensive around, but also at the way he does transmit his love for plants. I would recommend John Kallas' edible wild plants book to every person interested in identifying and gathering wild edible plants for food. I especially liked some details you won't find in any other book, such as pictures of seedlings, comparisons between look-alikes and close-ups of various edible plant parts. (See complete review)
François Couplan, author of …
The Encyclopedia of Edible Plants of North America; and Guide Nutritionnel Des Plantes Sauvages et Cultivées.

Going out with John Kallas on a wild food excursion is a very memorable and educational experience. Kallas' Edible Wild Plants: Wild Foods from Dirt to Plate is the next best thing. If you have never been interested in wild foods you will be after reading this book, and if you know something about wild foods you will learn so much more.
Jean Auel, author of …
Clan of the Cave Bear; and Valley of the Horses.

This is a must-have foraging book with clear, comprehensive, in-depth coverage of some of America's most widespread edible wild greens by a top expert who has spent decades of discovery with them. John goes into his extensive experiences with these plants, including his research of the literature and nutritional content, his own harvesting techniques, how to tell high-quality stands of a plant from inferior versions, and extensive cooking tips plus delicious recipes. … I loved reading this book. (See complete review)
"Wildman" Steve Brill, author of …
Identifying and Harvesting Edible and Medicinal Plants; and The Wild Vegetarian Cookbook.

Review by Samuel Thayer
1/10/2010 (Review of pre-release version)

I await the release of wild food books with the same eagerness that eight-year-olds display in the weeks before Christmas. For three years now, John Kallas' new book Wild Foods: From Dirt to Plate, has been the coveted giant box under the balsam tree. I wasn't disappointed when I finally got to open it.

John's stated goal was to make the book "personal, practical, and fun to use." Beyond that, he wanted to take the readers deep on a journey into "the secret world of plants," and to share his excitement and passion. I know from the consistent quality of John's previous work that he also wanted to be thorough, accurate, and scholarly. He scores on all accounts.

Unlike so many wild food books that list huge numbers of plants with no more than a shoddy photograph or drawing and a few sentences of accompanying text, the plants that John includes in this volume are covered thoroughly, creatively, and expertly. All of the questions that a wild food collector has are answered: where to find the plant, how to confidently identify it, what parts to harvest, when and how to get them, and not least of all, what to do with them. He doesn't just tell us: he shows us—with numerous superb photographs of all the important parts, growth stages, and preparation steps. In fact, John's photos are of the highest quality found in any wild food book.

When I look at a wild food guide, what I value most are the accurateness and originality of the information provided. Does the author write from his own experience? Does he make scientifically sound conclusions and cite the sources from which he has drawn? In this case, An emphatic YES—The research and writing presented in Wild Foods From Dirt to Plate conforms to the highest standards. In terms of accuracy and reliability, John Kallas simply excels. Thankfully, he doesn't see the repeating of untested, unexamined truisms as part of his job. In fact, he delights in relieving us from their burden; even the most well-read foragers will have much to learn here. And I love the way he sought out—and exposed—the origin of the erroneous idea that shepherd's purse root is a substitute for ginger. I also love how he shows us new ways to prepare familiar plants—the myriad uses for mallow were both amazing and clever.

As much as I liked the plant entries at the core of John's book, my favorite part was the beginning, up to chapter four. This awesome introduction lays the groundwork for what wild foods is all about, in a fresh, engaging tone, and introduces us to John's personal philosophy on foraging. Of course, I am biased, since so many of his beliefs and ideas reflect and reinforce my own. The last part of the book, a varied collection of writings under the heading "The Potential of Wild Foods," I find almost as exciting. This section includes a nutritional chart for some wild food plants and also gives us a very thoughtful and realistic discussion of nutrition in general, and certain topics (such as oxalates) in particular.

The only downside to this book is its upside: it is very, very thorough. This means that readers looking for a field guide to all the edible plants in their state, or to all of their favorite edibles, will be disappointed. The book's species accounts are limited to fifteen plants. As one who has made my name and my living being thorough, I can appreciate that. It just can't all fit in one book. That being said, I wish John had mentioned a few of the common and equally useful relatives of the plants he discusses. It would have taken little effort or space to mention Chenopodium berlandieri and C. hybridum along with wild spinach; or water chickweed along with chickweed; or any of the several edible docks along with curly dock. I also think that many readers will wish that, in a book themed toward ubiquitous weedy greens, he had included a few more of them, such as amaranth, wild lettuce, ox-eye daisy, black mustard, or quickweed. There are a few places where the text and photos feel superfluous enough that space could have been made for them.

If you are interested in eating luscious weeds that grow all around you—whether you are a neophyte or a veteran food gatherer—you will find this book fun, interesting, and immensely helpful.

Review by Nancy J. Turner, Ph.D.
4/15/2010 (Review of pre-release version)

This is a true "down to earth", organic book: an informative and fascinating presentation of a diversity of prime edible wild plants from one of the foremost practicing experts on the continent. Both John Kallas' experience and his personality shine through on every page. The book is written in a fun and easily accessible style. It's almost as if you are sitting there with him and having him show you and tell you what you need to knowŠ. You're sharing in his experiences. Accounts of trial and error, discovery and adventure, light-hearted storytelling and serious reflection are interspersed with good, solid botanical descriptions, and well-researched details of the nutrition, phytochemistry and ecology of the plants being discussed. One of the highlights of the book is the abundance of helpful and truly beautiful colour illustrations — sometimes multiples — for each type of plant under discussion, showing its different growth stages and its key features, often together with delectable looking dishes that use it as an ingredient. Imagine, for example, a salad replete with a host of wild greens — baby greens from field mustard, amaranth leaves, wood sorrel, borage — scattered overtop with the bright red-purple flowers of wild sweetpea, and pale pink flowers of marsh mallow; it's hard to imagine any dish looking more tempting.

Following a compelling personal account from John about how he became interested in edible wild plants and ended up making a career from teaching others about through his "Wild Food Adventures," the main body of the book is organized in three main sections. Part I, the introductory section, provides an overview of edible wild plants, general harvesting techniques, and advice for the novice (and not so novice) wild plant gatherer. Part II describes the plants themselves, not in alphabetical or botanical order, but in groups according to taste (which in some cases do correspond with clusters of related species). The third section, Part III, The Potential of Wild Foods takes you beyond the basics, reflecting on some of the philosophical topics around wild foods, like why we should all be out harvesting and eating wild foods — and why we should be bringing our children and grandchildren with us when we do it. (It helps combat the Nature deficit disorder trend that predominates in many parts of North America, where children are increasingly glued to their electronic games and computers and are simply not spending enough time outdoors to be learning about and learning to love the natural world). Also provided are informative sections on various dietary aspects of different wild foods, including discussions of some compounds that we need to watch out for, and of the wide range of beneficial nutrients these wild foods yield: from A (Vitamin A that is) to Zinc. There is also a detailed table, compiled from many sources, of the different nutrient values of 100 grams of various wild greens.

No matter where our ancestors lived in the world, chances are they were eating many of the foods described in this book: what better reason could there be for us to try them out? They give us a sense of personal history and connection to those who came before. Yet, John points out a host of other great reasons, from improving our heath to providing educational opportunities for students, as to why wild foraging should be a national activity. Perhaps my favorite part of the last section is John's proposal for an official new term for The scholarly Study of Wild Food Plants: agriotrophytology. He carefully explains its "greek-ified" derivation: from agrio ("wild"), troph ("food"), phyto ("plant") and logos ("study of"). I'm not so sure this term is going to catch on, but if it does, Dr. Kallas certainly qualifies as an agriotophytologist!

This book is entertaining and enjoyable to read, but it's not intended to be an "armchair" book; far from it. This is a book that lures you out into the fields, woods and swamps. It impels you to don your gumboots and your hat, seize your shovel, shears, baskets, trays and buckets and head out into the weediest part of your garden, or into the yonder countryside in search of those wild gastronomic treasures. And it draws you towards the kitchen, the chopping board, the grater and the grinder, to take that large old wooden salad bowl from the top shelf, rub it with wild garlic and fill it up with green delicacies to serve to your friends and family. It stimulates all your senses: your eyes, imagining searching for the light green colour of succulent young leaves or the bright gold sumptuousness of a dandelion in full bloom; your ears, listening for the sound of running water or maybe the calls of frogs or birds that serve to indicate special gathering places; your nose, detecting those subtle aromas of wild mints or the pungent mustards; your fingers, touching and gently plucking the most tender shoots and buds, and your tongue, receiving new tastes and textures never before experienced. If you need any sort of motivation to get out into the fresh air, to try something new, to get some more adventure into your life, this is a book that will provide that spark and inspiration. This book is indeed, as John intends it to be, "a springboard, a resource that will help you connect to that outdoor world," and, from my experience, that will bring you a life of endless pleasure and fascination.

Review by "Wildman" Steve Brill
1/12/2010 (Review of pre-release version)

This is a must-have foraging book with clear, comprehensive, in-depth coverage of some of America's most widespread edible wild greens by a top expert who has spent decades of discovery with them. John covers 15 major species exhaustively. He includes all their identifying characteristics as they develop through the seasons in the text, and complements this with a great number of first-rate photos. Accurate identification is so important for foraging, and with this kind of info, you're definitely going to get it right.

John goes into his extensive experiences with these plants, including his research of the literature and nutritional content, his own harvesting techniques, how to tell high-quality stands of a plant from inferior versions, and extensive cooking tips plus delicious recipes (the recipe photos make you want to bite through the page into the dish!), all with the same clarity and completeness of his ID info. And his enthusiasm and love of foraging always shines through.

I especially like the way John groups the greens according to flavor. The tart, pungent (mustard family), and bitter categories speak for themselves, while the concept of "foundation" greens includes tasty species with the widest appeal that easily fit into any recipe that calls for leafy greens.

The book also includes general info about foraging, called "Understanding Wild Foods," to help beginners and intermediate-level foragers understand what foraging's all about. I especially liked his take on foraging tools. Every experienced forager develops his own set of implements and methods. Whereas I like cutting plants with a pocket knife, and storing them in tightly closed plastic bags with some water to keep the humidity high and prevent wilting, John carries a mister and sheathed scissors (along with other equipment) in a Batman-style utility belt—very cool!

Another section, "The Potential of Wild Foods," includes fascinating essays of foraging-related issues, such as gardening with wild edibles, the spurious dangers of oxalates and nitrates, social and environmental issues related to foraging, and why people might want to eat wild foods in the first place.

Now for the parts of the book I didn't like: …Duhh!
Sorry, there's really nothing I didn't like here. Some people might object that there are only 15 plants, but this is outweighed by the depth with which these species are covered, and I'm sure John has more books with more species on the way. John boils bitter greens more often than I do, whereas I rely more on sautéing with spices, then simmering in a sauce, to overcome the bitterness. Boiling leaches away the water-soluble nutrients, but sautéing adds calories not everyone needs—again, just a difference in style.

I loved reading this book. If you have any interest in connecting to your local ecosystems through foraging, you'll eat this book up too!

Review by François Couplan
1/10/2010 (Review of pre-release version)

Reading this book, I'm not really surprised: I was aware that John knew the plants like few others do. After all, he's been at it for almost forty years, and that alone leads one to think that what he writes is no other man's stuff. I was definitely expecting to read a good and personal book. So, I'm not surprised: I'm amazed! Not only at John's knowledge - probably one of the most comprehensive around -, but also at the way he does transmit his love for plants. Everything he writes denotes a deep relationship with the vegetable world. Following John, the utmost beginner will soon find himself observing, touching, smelling and of course tasting plants that, he will realize, have been growing all the while around him, but away from his awareness. And all of this, he will do safely, thanks to the author's guidelines. The well-seasoned wild plants gatherer will also find food both for body and for thought. John's "mallowmallows", to name but one instance, reach great heights in the rich landscape of plant experimenting.

I would recommend John Kallas' Edible wild plants book to every person interested in identifying and gathering wild edible plants for food. Thanks to the thorough descriptions and all the practical details the author packed his book with, his lucky reader will be able to get the best out of several of the most common and nutritious plants nature has to offer. The well-chosen photographs are a great help in understanding how all of this plant matter works. I especially liked some details you won't find in any other book, such as pictures of seedlings, comparisons between look-alikes and close-ups of various edible plant parts. I read this book with pleasure and profit, and I'll sure read it again, as I do enjoy sharing John's perception of the spirit of plants.