Fat of the Land: Adventures of a 21st Century Forager

Langdon Cook's 'Fat of the Land' is more than a foodie read. His exploration of our region's lesser-known and lesser-loved delicacies, and his travels far and wide in pursuit of them, will provide a sort of shad's-eye view of some of the weirder ways to spend your time in the Pacific Northwest. Aside from the fascinating local lore--apparently, people 'squid jig' about a mile from my house--what I enjoyed most was Cook's sense of humor about himself. He doesn't pretend to be anything other than an urban male learning through trial and error about the natural world beyond (and often within) the city limits. There's no bluffing or jargon-spewing here: he's always ready to see the ridiculous side of his own adventures, and to appreciate the fecklessness of modern man in the wild. Overall, a great book for anyone who loves the outdoors but fears the razor-toothed ling and the deadly Amanita phalloides mushroom.

Fat of the Land is a great read! Lang Cook, in the tradition of John McPhee, has written a collection of stories about places, the ecology, and the people who live and play in them. With foraging as his purpose, Mr. Cook's essays educate the reader about the natural history of his prey with witty prose and wonderful storytelling. I couldn't put it down.

Perhaps a 5-star endorsement from the woman who plays the role of the wife in this book doesn't carry much weight. But consider this: I've been reading and re-reading the essays in Fat of the Land for the last several years, and they continue to engage and amaze me. When Cook refers to the American lawn as a "one-note symphony of righteousness," or to an oyster's shell as rife with "barnacle condominiums," my poet brain is thoroughly delighted. Cook has done his homework. He shares not only the biology of the critters he's going after, but also the extent to which their existences and/or habitats are at stake due to over-harvesting and environmental ruin. Despite all the doom of extinction and toxicity, FOTL manages to be one helluva of a fun read. You'd think by now I'd've stopped laughing at the funny parts, but nooooo--I still laugh my head off each time I get to the part where Ivar gets stuck in his wet suit . . . and again when Josh eyes the huge oyster presented to him by his future brother-in-law, and sucks the thing right down. There are lots of good reasons to buy this book--its poetic prose, the laugh factor, the skinny on how to find, forage, and prepare wild foods for the table, the desire to learn more about the natural and Native American history of the places where Cook forages, to name a few. But most of all buy this book for the likes of Ivar, Dave, Beedle, Josh, Chris & Lori Cora, Steve, Warpo, and Margery--the quirky, endearing, lovable, one-of-a-kind enlistments who assist Cook with filling his bountiful basket. These folks are the driving force of this book. Without them, it's just another how-to with recipes. With them, it's a work of art.

What a great find and a good read. Hailing from the back woods of Al, I picked wild blackberries and poke in the 40's and 50's. Also went frog gigging on Friday nights-Langdon Cook has captured my precious memories in his modern day quest to find good natural food. His stories kept me up past midnight which is late for me. If you like stopping to look at a tree, bird or just being still to feel nature, you will enjoy this book. I am going to be waiting for the next book.

This one of the smartest and most entertaining books on food, nature and cooking to come along. It blew me away. Cook is a great writer. Like a younger, hipper Jim Harrison. A must read.