The Forager Chef’s Book of Fauna

“Alan Bergo has several talents. One is his inexhaustible love of foraging, another is his ability to make what he finds into incredible food, and yet another is his skill to write about it in a way that makes people very, very hungry.
“The Forager Chef’s Book of Fauna shows all this to full effect, from Alan’s discussion of native North American truffles to his Chicken with Sorrel Sauce to a real showstopper—Wild Cherry Pork Belly with Bronze Fennel and Black Walnuts. Add to this that Alan also has the talent to showcase his recipes with his own stunning photography, and this will become a book that you don’t only look to for recipes and advice, but one you cherish.”
—Simon Majumdar, Iron Chef judge; host, Eat My Globe podcast; author of Fed, White, and Blue

“Alan Bergo’s writing and recipes are endlessly fascinating adventures into the familiar. He proves over and over the rewards of looking deeply into the world that immediately surrounds us and simply asking questions about it. He manages to combine scientific precision and obsessive erudition with sheer boyish delight in the wonders available to anyone willing to establish a reciprocal relationship with nature. I refer to his writing, his accessible scholarship, and his precise, thoughtful recipes as much as any other North American food writer. There is no one else like him. He has earned my trust, my admiration, and my gratitude, and his new book, Fauna, will be one of those few cookbooks that lives not on a bookshelf but in my kitchen. Thank you, Alan.”
—Steve Hoffman, James Beard Award–winning food writer; author of A Season for That: Lost and Found in the Other Southern France

“In the context of generations-deep separation from our food sources, Fauna is an invaluable guide for those who are looking for a deeper connection. It’s a practical coach for the grown-up kid who stayed curious and a gentle mentor for the experienced cook ready for new adventures, particularly with proteins. Bergo’s accessible and technically excellent instruction truly meets us where we’re at and opens the door to a richer, more vibrant world of exploration through meat cookery.”
—Karyn Tomlinson, two-time James Beard Award–winning chef; chef and owner, Myriel

“Alan cooks the way the best Midwestern chefs do. He’s resourceful, unpretentious, and deeply connected to the land. Fauna is a master class in respecting the whole animal and a love letter to cooking where we live.”
—Gavin Kaysen, chef and founder, Spoon and Stable

“Fauna is pure joy to read. A quirky combination of high culinary art, truck-stop nostalgia, esoteric wild ingredients, and supermarket standards, Bergo’s book can send you down rabbit holes and take you home—a perfect, lushly photographed follow-up to his wonderful book Flora.”
—Hank Shaw, James Beard Award–winning author, chef, hunter, and wild foods expert

“The Forager Chef’s Book of Fauna brings together the curiosity of the forager and the discipline of the chef. There is a generosity in Bergo’s teaching that invites us to look at an animal much as we might look at the forest, with the understanding that the closer we look, the more there is to discover.”
—Lane Regan, author of Burn the Place and Fieldwork; chef-owner, The Milkweed Inn bed and breakfast