What do you think?
Rate this book
Uncommon Fruits & Vegetables : A Commonsense Guide
“A truly invaluable trove of culinary historical and botanical knowledge.”
— Gourmet
“The timeliest and most truly helpful book of the year.”
— Time
“If there were Emmys or Oscars for cookbooks, Elizabeth Schneider would surely receive one.”
— Boston Globe
— Gourmet
“The timeliest and most truly helpful book of the year.”
— Time
“If there were Emmys or Oscars for cookbooks, Elizabeth Schneider would surely receive one.”
— Boston Globe
544 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1986
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
February 21, 2026
The fruits and vegetables that we see available for sale in supermarkets throughout the U.S. and Canada are usually the species of fruits and vegetables which are either the easiest for farmers to grow on a large scale, or the species which are the most cost effective for farmers to grow commercially.
While there has been an increase in the variety of species of fruits and vegetables which are now available in many of the supermarkets throughout the U.S. and Canada in recent years, there are still quite a few species of fruits and vegetables that are only available in specialty stores, health food stores, gourmet markets, and in the grocery stores in ethnic neighborhoods.
In "Uncommon Fruits and Vegetables: A Common Sense Guide," Elizabeth Schneider describes a number of fruits and vegetables which until relatively recent years were not usually found in most of the supermarkets throughout the U.S. and Canada, and Ms. Schneider also describes some species of fruits and vegetables which are still relatively unknown to people who are not culinary experts.
Elizabeth Schneider is a professional wine critic, she is very familiar with numerous species of fruits and vegetables which are not widely used in cooking throughout the U.S. and Canada.
In "Uncommon Fruits and Vegetables: A Common Sense Guide," Elizabeth Schneider describes numerous species of fruits and vegetables which are still not widely used, and she offers ideas and suggestions for how we may opt to include these fruits and vegetables in our salads, soups, entrees, side dishes and in our desserts.
If you're interested in expanding your recipe collection, and if you're interested in attempting to experiment with fruits and vegetables that you've not previously tried, you will enjoy this book.
While there has been an increase in the variety of species of fruits and vegetables which are now available in many of the supermarkets throughout the U.S. and Canada in recent years, there are still quite a few species of fruits and vegetables that are only available in specialty stores, health food stores, gourmet markets, and in the grocery stores in ethnic neighborhoods.
In "Uncommon Fruits and Vegetables: A Common Sense Guide," Elizabeth Schneider describes a number of fruits and vegetables which until relatively recent years were not usually found in most of the supermarkets throughout the U.S. and Canada, and Ms. Schneider also describes some species of fruits and vegetables which are still relatively unknown to people who are not culinary experts.
Elizabeth Schneider is a professional wine critic, she is very familiar with numerous species of fruits and vegetables which are not widely used in cooking throughout the U.S. and Canada.
In "Uncommon Fruits and Vegetables: A Common Sense Guide," Elizabeth Schneider describes numerous species of fruits and vegetables which are still not widely used, and she offers ideas and suggestions for how we may opt to include these fruits and vegetables in our salads, soups, entrees, side dishes and in our desserts.
If you're interested in expanding your recipe collection, and if you're interested in attempting to experiment with fruits and vegetables that you've not previously tried, you will enjoy this book.
September 17, 2014
A fascinating collection of recipes--truly some of the most imaginative combinations of foods I have encountered. Unfortunately, the book is not comprehensive--there are numerous "exotic" (to me) favorites (rambutan, mangosteen, gingko nuts) that do not appear in these pages; her principle of selection is unclear. Also, her info is solid, but sometimes incomplete. She seems unaware that certain vegetables can be eaten raw as well as cooked for example, making it limited as a resource. Still, it remains one of my favorites to pull off the shelf and graze through.
October 3, 2015
Another winner which no doubt has been eclipsed by time. Great for reference and substance. After getting this one then you will be more then ready to branch out to more specific items in other books.
April 14, 2013
very good reference guide for unusual fruits and vegetables
April 9, 2014
I do not see many of the fruits and veggies discussed in the book but the information is fascinating!
November 11, 2008
i couldnt live without this book.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews