Gonna Eat a Lot of Peaches

How to Pick a Peach by Russ Parson
I realize that this isn't the type of book I normally read and review on From L.A. to LA, but when you think about the fact that it's about food it isn't so far-fetched. A few years ago I "borrowed" my parents' copy of Russ Parson's first book How to Read a French Fry (and by borrow I mean I still have it), I really enjoyed his first book and so it's not a surprise that I enjoyed his second as well. As the title suggests the book is about how to pick a peach as well as other fruits and vegetables but it's really a bit more than that.

The book is organized chronologically by season, as the the fruits that are ripe within a certain season. Each fruit has it's own chapter and contained in each chapter is information on what to look for when you buy it, but also where the fruit is generally grown, how to store it once you've bought it, and of course recipes.

But what I liked most of all about the book are all the random tidbits about fruit growing, like the fact oranges were brought to America by Spanish explorers which is why we associate oranges with Florida and California both of which were settled by the Spanish. It's interesting, but shouldn't be that surprising, to read about the consumerism of fruits and vegetables, about how fruit has evolved not necessary to taste better but instead to ship better and stay fresher longer.

It's definitely a book I enjoyed reading. Of course it helped that I was reading a copy of the book my parents had signed by the author!
But now that I've read it, it's a book that's going to be sticking around for reference. That way next time I buy tomatoes I'll remember not to refrigerate (who else had no idea about this?), and there's definitely a few recipes in there that I'd love to test out someday.