They Can't Ration These

I bought this because I thought it would be interesting to see what a wartime foraging book would include, particularly a wartime foraging book written by a French aristocrat. It is.I can however, start by saying that I won't be trying every recipe. I've already tried pike, rook and frog's legs over the years and I'm not that bothered about trying them again. That's the 2016 me talking, of course, if it was 1940 again they'd soon be back on the menu. I'm certainly not intending to try roast sparrow, wild birds' eggs or roach. Apart from the legal aspects, which have changed over the years, sparrows are now quite rare and I've recently seen roach described as "cotton wool stuffed with pins". (by W.M.W. Fowler in Countryman's Cooking).The rest of the book is more to my taste, though some of them are a bit elegant - trust a Frenchman to bring foraging up to a different level! Sorrel Bourgeoise, cardoons mornay and truffles all make an appearance.There are also good sections on substitutes (home made baking powder, pepper from nasturtiums and bacon made from mutton) and Wines, Beers and Syrups. I'm not quite so sure about the section on medicines, because I'm so used to seeing disclaimers these days, and because I'm not keen on any herb called "weasel-snout" (there are two I can find but the one listed appears to be Lamium Gaieobdolon - yellow archangel or dummy nettle).Finally, after an informative chapter on making charcoal, preserving eggs and trussing poultry we end up with health and beauty tips, including how to rid yourself of freckles with horseradish.It's a great read, with much to offer the modern forager, though I'm not sure I'd trust it as a guide to what people actually ate in the war. I know the Victorians ate small birds, and I know the French still do but my mother never spoke of it, she merely told me never to buy a rabbit unless it had the skin on. It seems that's the only way to ensure you aren't being sold a cat.So, in summary, an excellent book which has stood the test of time and spans a variety of subjects with a range of food from basic to fine dining.

Arrived on time. This book was a Christmas gift for my Husband and he loves it.

Perfect thanks

I bought this for my husband as he had requested it and he thinks it is great and well written.

Intresting recipes had a few failures though.

Blackberries, nettles, figs, mushrooms, apples, wild herbs - these are easy to find, however most of us are not so adept at catching a trout or killing a rabbit. They Can't Ration These (a wonderfully subversive title) was written at the beginning of the war and consists of recipes for food that can be gathered without the men from the ministry demanding tokens or ration books. Then it was forgotten for sixty years until Persephone rediscovered it. Like Persephone's Good Things in England by Florence White, which has helped later generations of English cooks an immeasurable amount, this book was the inspiration for all subsequent writers about food for free; and in some ways it remains the best book there is. This is also a beautifully-produced edition with an exquisite endpaper.