Summer Reading, for foodies and historians!

[elleng]

An EDIBLE HISTORY of HUMANITY

Chapter One
THE INVENTION OF FARMING
* * *

I have seen great surprise expressed in horticultural works at the wonderful skill of gardeners, in having produced such splendid results from such poor materials; but the art has been simple, and as far as the final result is concerned, has been followed almost unconsciously. It has consisted in always cultivating the best-known variety, sowing its seeds, and, when a slightly better variety chanced to appear, selecting it, and so onwards. -CHARLES DARWIN, The Origin of Species

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/books/chap1/anediblehistory.htm?sid=ST2009071002226

FROM

Cooking Up a Pot of Civilization
Washington Post

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/10/AR2009071001680.html?hpid=features1&hpv=local