When Tama Matsuoka Wong looks out at her backyard meadow, where others may see an unruly mess of weeds gone wild, she sees a treasure trove. It contains over 225 native and non-native plants, which she observes, identifies, and forages daily. “I have to do foraging,” she said. “It gets me out, rejuvenates me. After…
From Meadow to Michelin-Starred Tables, Forager Tama Matsuoka Wong Brings a Different Perspective to Wild Weeds
Chef Alan Bergo Is Unlocking the Forgotten World of Wild Foods
When you work with wild food, says Alan Bergo, “you learn about a lot more than food.” For the Minnesota professional chef turned full-time forager, foraging expanded his horizons beyond what he even thought possible—and possibly saved his life. Take the results of a recent rabbit hole of research: isirgan salatasi, a traditional Turkish salad…
Why I Forage: Langdon Cook, the Outdoorsman
Wild foods found me in my mid-20s. I’ve always been a nature buff—a birdwatcher, hiker, and so on—but it wasn’t until I moved to Seattle and fell in with a crowd of outdoorsy folks who liked to eat well that I recognized the specific charms of foraging. I was hanging around with a bunch of…
Why I Forage: Alan Muskat, the Mushroom Man
On riches in plain sight: I was always into treasure hunting. Treasure is usually prized because it’s difficult to obtain because it’s rare and/or hidden. Wild foods, at least the common ones I focus on, are none of those things, yet they are even more of a treasure, much for the opposite reasons. I run…
Why Forage? To Eat ‘The Best Stuff You’ve Ever Had,’ Says Sam Thayer
“I added up a list of all the things I collect within walking distance of my house, and it was 346 species,” says renowned forager Sam Thayer. A count of plants (excluding spices) in all the products at his local grocery store? 124. For more than two decades, Thayer’s been touting the bounty of readily…
William Penn’s Quaker Colony: Pennsylvania
March 31, 2023
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"First Frame of Government""The Great Treaty"American EssenceArts & CultureBrightHistoryPennsylvaniaWilliam Penn
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William Penn became famous for founding the English province of Pennsylvania in the 1600s, which many call America’s original melting pot society. Penn stood out in American history for several things that he did differently than most colonists, including his unique way of dealing with Native American tribes. Penn was also known to be a champion…
Gateway to the West: Eero Saarinen and the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial
The Gateway Arch majestically dominates the skyline of St. Louis, Missouri, and has come to symbolize the great city in the heartland of America. Reflecting St. Louis’s role in the nation’s westward expansion, the monument was constructed to memorialize the few hearty souls that set out to explore a new frontier. Thomas Jefferson sent his…
George C. Marshall: A Man of Duty, Honor, and Humility
March 29, 2023
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American EssenceArts & CultureBrightGeorge C. MarshallHistoryMeuse-Argonne offensiveVirginia Military Institute
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Fans of the movie “Saving Private Ryan” will recollect the scene where General George C. Marshall, U.S. Army Chief of Staff, orders a search-and-rescue mission for a paratrooper in Normandy whose three brothers were killed that week in combat. George Marshall is no longer a household name in the country to which he gave a…
How Theodore Roosevelt Saved the Grand Canyon: ‘Keep It for Your Children’
What makes the United States special? Not everyone agrees. A growing number of people think that it is not special at all. But in at least one respect, they are dead wrong: America is home to unique land formations of unparalleled beauty. These sacred spaces used to embody the essence of what it means to…
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Profiles in History: Henry Knox: War by the Book
When Henry Knox (1750 –1806) was a child, his father left for the West Indies in search of financial stability. His career as shipbuilder and family provider would come to an end with his untimely death. His wife and ten children would be left without a father and would have to toil on their own to…