The New Oxford Book of Food Plants

Not enough tables of contents are enhanced by drawings of nuts, herbs, and root vegetables, but the table of contents in The New Oxford Book of Food Plants is, setting the tone for a book that clearly delights in the glories of the world's bounty. Each chapter, including grain crops and fruits, spices and seaweed, legumes and mushrooms among its 19 topics, is a cornucopia of information and beautiful, educational illustrations. Take the chapter on oil crops, for example. Covering olives, sesame, peanuts, soy beans, sunflowers, and the rape plant, the prose describes where they grow and what the fruits look like, what kind of oil is produced and what it's used for, how it's made and how else the fruits may be used. Color drawings of the plants and their fruits are on the facing page. Put together by writers who respect each plant and give them the attention and detail that spell quality, this is a beautiful book and a charming resource. --Stephanie Gold