Botany, Ballet and Dinner from Scratch: A Memoir with Recipes

by Leda Meredith

Written with a profound respect for the earth, Leda Meredith reveals ways of remaining connected to nature, including the sources of her food, while living a busy city life. Nowadays, many urbanites aspire to the locavore lifestyle. Meredith actually demonstrates the joys and travails of living it -- like preserving food in jars that were stored for months beneath her bed, as she described in a New York Times Metro Section article in August 2008 -- or foraging for edible plants in New York City parks. Meredith's journey goes beyond New York to include her own old-world family vignettes and recipes as well as glimpses into other cultures she has visited as a ballet dancer on tour, and as a botanist. Always personal, with dry wit that does not wax "preachy," she explores the ecological losses entailed by transporting food from long distances, as well as the surprisingly delicious power of local cuisine. Her "Why eat local? Because saving the world tastes good."

Genres: Food, Biography Memoir

139 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2008

Reviews

[The Farmer's Wife · Rating 4 out of 5]

This woman's book is why you read memoirs! Such a different life than mine... It was like being an armchair world travelling, foraging ballerina. So fun and so fascinating.

[Alisa Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic book by a woman living in Brooklyn (the hometown of my ancestors, I've just learned), who forages for dandelion weeds and other edibles in the city. She hatches a plan to eat locally (within a 250 mile radius) for one year, and she shares the pleasures and challenges of her experiment with us. As for me, I'm growing lovely tomato, eggplant, squash, and pepper plants in an abundant container garden, and I have plentiful Dandelions growing around the edge of my house....so I'm going to try her suggestion of sauteing the greens and buds for dinner tonight (with a delicious Chickpea Indian dish, found in Linda McCartney's vegetarian cookbook).

[Joanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Leda Meredith offers us a tasting menu of remembrances and food. Don't worry. It isn't Proust. But, it's a slim and lovely volume, complete with Meredith's thoughts on environment, food and sustainability. Questioning the role of food, environment and nature, in our modern, technologically-driven lives, Meredith has stepped off the treadmill to offer us, an almost urban guerilla's manual to living in the present and with one-ness to an Earth we neglect to see. Quite lovely. This book is like sipping lemon tea on an overcast day.

[Rimma · Rating 3 out of 5]

This memoir was written by my foraging instructor. Its part memoir, part response to Animal, Vegetable, Mineral since she spent a year in Brooklyn eating food produced within 250 miles. Lots of recipes and anecdotes.

[Yuki]

Written by a dancer Therese knows.

[Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

Parts were wonderful but the stories did not all carry the same depth of feeling.