Book Review: "Whole Foods Companion"

By Shannon Nixon, Health & Body Care Dept.

Did you know that pumpkins generally range in size from under a pound to over one hundred pounds, but that the National Geographic World reported an 816 pound pumpkin in Novia Scotia in 1990? Or that spinach originally comes from or near Persia and that it was a favorite snack of Persians' long haired cats? How about the surprising fact that the water in coconuts is identical to human blood plasma, and that it was actually used for emergency plasma transfusions in soldiers during the Pacific War? Interested readers can learn more about the compelling fantastic wonders of our food in a book that is now being sold at the Wedge. Many have been anxiously awaiting the current reprinted edition, Whole Foods Companion, by Dianne Onstad.

As the book buyer for the Wedge Co-op, I have had to inform several sad customers that the book was out of print, but now this useful and eclectic read is once again available. The book touts itself as a "guide for adventurous cooks, curious shoppers, and lovers of natural foods," and between its covers there is an abundance of information on fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, seeds, oils, herbs, spices and a variety of other miscellaneous food stuffs which will delight and intrigue readers from all walks of life. Each food has information on its history, the origins of its name, a general information section, buying tips, culinary uses, health benefits and occasionally even a nutritional composition listing.

This is a great and endlessly practical resource where one could find how much potassium is in a raw rutabaga (337 mg) or how to choose the best nonbitter eggplant for the ratatouille dish you will be making. The information about each food's culinary use also offers up a lot of useful tidbits, such as the fact that Chinese broccoli can be prepared the same way as regular broccoli, but because it is a less dense vegetable, it cooks faster. Also the stems of this plant require longer cooking than the leaves, and the leaves need to be cooked longer than the blossoms. I found the discussion of the herbs that the author touched upon to be full of fun facts, too.

Aside from being a swell source of useful information I found myself thoroughly entertained and fascinated by many of the things I read. I often felt as thought I were reading a book of folklore or non-fiction instead of a reference book. For instance the section on apples taught me that apple trees are a member of the rose family that most likely originated from the mountains of wester n Asia or a section of Turkey where carbonized apples dating back to 6500 B.C. have been discovered. This now commonplace fruit first appeared in Massachusetts in the early 1600's and then was spread throughout the Midwest by an odd, driven man named John Chapman (who we know as Johnny Appleseed). The health benefits of apples range from the ability to activate the intestine's beneficial bacteria to the action of apple pectin to bind with radioactive and toxic heavy metals in order to flush them out of the body. There follows an exhaustive listing of over 40 varieties of apple species and the unique characteristics of each.

I know that I often take the vastness of my food choices and their origins for granted because I live in a wealthy, developed, modern country and no longer grow or forage most of what I eat. Spending time with a book like Whole Foods Companion, helps me to remember that our food can truly be our medicine and that we are so lucky to be surrounded by these precious and delicious resources that nourish and sustain us.