On Wed, 29 Apr 2009 12:20:53 -0400, Dave Smith
> wrote:

>I have been reading a book that some of you might be interested in,
>Botany of Desi A Plant's-Eye View of the World. It is about the
>domestication of four different plants and how they have been
>genetically altered to suit humans. The first section of the book is
>about the apple and the author talks a lot about Johnny Appleseed and
>how this eccentric character spread apples through the US. As he points
>out, people didn't eat apples back then. Since sugar was very expensive,
>they were often used to provide sweetness in various dishes. The main
>use for apples was cider.... hard cider.
>
>The rest of the book is about tulips, marijuana and potatoes. I have
>more good reading to go with this one.

DH loved that book. I am reading "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle- A Year
of Food Life" by Barbara Kingsolver. Non-fiction about her and DH and
child, moving to VA farm, from AZ, and deciding to eat local, grow
their own and be "green", etc.. Interesting as she is a great fiction
writer, imho, also.

aloha,
Cea