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Growing up, whenever I heard the words “herbal medicine,” it sent shivers down my spine. They reminded me of the intensely bitter herbs that my Chinese relatives encouraged me to take when I couldn't hunker down and escape, sick or not. I was as disgusted by them as I was convinced of their effectiveness. Something that tastes so bad must be good for you.
Christine Buckley's Plant Magic: Herbalism in Real Life will help you reset your relationship with plants that are good for you. Her medicinal tea recipes ask readers to add honey, sugar, or milk if desired, because “medicine can be a reward, not a punishment.” Plant Magic is a crash course, field guide, and reference primer that is sure to please anyone already interested in the healing properties of plants. Thankfully for those of us who don't know about Linden Nettle, it's also a cookbook and has a good reputation on the street.
Before focusing on herbalism, Ms. Buckley cooked at the popular Prune and Trissi in New York, baked at Sister Pie in Detroit, and worked as a food stylist for 10 years. (Watch her snip a dandelion leaf with Joyce Chen scissors on page 7, a staple in every food stylist's arsenal.) I'm lucky to count Buckley as a friend. Yes, she cooked me a lot of healthy meals, but I was never satisfied. The price of deliciousness. Although she frequently uses terms such as “analgesic” and “anticatarrhal,” her herbalist practice is built on a deep interest in food, flavor, and the pleasure that comes from eating something delicious. You can see that they are layered.
Buckley lays the foundation for home herbalism practice, explaining what it is (a healing system supported by plants and food), what it is not (a new thing invented by white people on blogs), and what it is. Explain how they can coexist. Western medicine (drink red clover tea and get a flu shot). She explains how to make balms, ointments, and facial steams, but the real highlights are the recipes for things you can eat and drink. There's garlic-flavored chicken stock to boost your immune system, cinnamon latte to boost circulation and soothe stomach cramps, and rose petal toast smeared with cultured butter so thick it leaves “a tooth imprint on every bite.” . Written by people who speak the language of food, these recipes would feel right at home in a cookbook that has nothing to do with herbalism. With so many delicious plants, it's easy to forget that they're also good for your health.
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