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Many thanks to Andrew Coté, David Selig, and the other beekeepers. Willie Morgan and many other gardeners. Classie Parker showed me how to cook handpicked peaches and spike them with bourbon to make magical preserves. Ben Flanner took me from rooftop to rooftop as he developed more ambitious urban farms. Gracias a Juana Cari?o, mujer extraordinaria, quien compartió la cosecha de su jardín conmigo. Ian Marvy, Marlene Wilks, and Kennon Kay offered their thoughts, techniques, and their city farms. Tom Mylan and his butcher colleagues shared knowledge and philosophy, pork and gin drinks. Jake Dickson brought me to a pig roast. Muchas gracias a Jorge Torres quien me abrió las puertas de su casita y me contó su historia. Jon Conner and Josh Fields patiently gave many long-distance brewing explanations. Ben Granger asked me to his yard to snip hops plants. Kelly Taylor shared his beer and his many insights. Jane Borock, Michael Louie, and Ben Sargent took me fishing late at night in Brooklyn, and Naima Rauam took me to the late-night wholesale fish market in the Bronx. Ellen Zachos got me slightly drunk on delicious homemade wines made of amelanchier and linden flowers. Sal Meglio and Latif Jiji both invited me back again and again to share their amazing lives. There are many others, and I’m grateful to them all.
Food people, I’ve learned, are generous. More thanks to Anne Mendelson, Zak Pelaccio, David Rosengarten, Robin Ottaway, Garrett Oliver, Robert La Valva, Baron Ambrosia, Ethan Millrod and Karen Frillman, Vera and Jessica Jiji and their family, Annalee Sinclair, Robert Ambrosi, Karen Washington, Jonathan Bach, Ken Davies, Glenn Evans, Allen Katz, Linda LaViolette, Kathleen McTigue, Owen Taylor, Haja and Cindy Worley, Wendy Kosofsky, Michael Grady Robinson, Joe Crimi, Christopher Nicholson, Charlie Milan, Dennis Richards, Adrian Miller, Rav. Phillip Herzog, Ralph Lelia, Shirley Moss, Frank Prial, Richard Riggio, Lou Venich, Angie Blackwell, and Bert Silk for contributing important bits and pieces that have added up to this book.
Many people read versions of this book and made it better. The gifted editor George Hodgman, with his intuitive sense for the way stories should unfold, and his appreciation for beauty and oddness, pushed me to develop the narrative. The capable Lucinda Bartley always had my back, as she queried facts and carried statements to their logical conclusions. Marjorie Braman dispensed elegant solutions. Tom Engelhardt read several chapters with his X-ray vision for what works and what could work better. Jonathan Cobb kindly helped me to rethink an early draft.
The spectacular writer Cara Hoffman inspired and buttressed me, read many drafts of the manuscript, and showed me how to work toward the soul of the story. For years, I’ve been talking with Megan Hester about this book and everything else, so I know her rare gift for listening closely, and for figuring out both what is wrong and how to make it right. Still she surprised me by proving herself—though not a professional editor—one of the most talented editors I know.
The gifted Lyssa Rome was my first writing partner, setting me on a path toward a book. Writing sessions with Doug Merlino helped put my ideas on the page, then he blazed the trail I followed. Conversations with Annia Ciezadlo in one week in Beirut helped develop this book, and she too led by example, showing me that writing ostensibly about food can be brilliant and funny and powerful enough to tell the story of everything else. Griff Witte read chapters and shared his practical approach to clean, simple, beautiful storytelling. Dan Morrison, Fariba Nawa, and Tracie McMillan proved once again that good books can be written.
My agent, Rebecca Friedman, has been a ray of light and a friend, and she made this book happen. My wonderful editor, Jenna Ciongoli at Crown, believed in this idea from the start and worked patiently and attentively to make sure every part of it came together. The impressive team at Crown put together a beautiful cover and design, came up with great ideas for publicity, and otherwise worked hard to make this book work.
The talent and dedication of my research assistants John Peng, Desmond Cole, Jason Bell, and Nate Blum propelled the project forward. Elena Suslov and Clarissa León also contributed. The skilled journalist Eileen Markey stepped in towards the end to whip up missing facts. My assistant Clara Potter’s intelligence, curiosity, and drive contributed enormously to spot research and sustained fact-checking. Thanks also to Jennifer Alzate, intrepid transcriber.
Mohamad Bazzi made sense of my imperfect oral renditions of Arabic poetry. Katya Pischalnikova got on the phone to Moscow to talk about beekeeping. Andrea and Lucia Bernagozzi translated from the Brooklyn Italian. Ana Campoy investigated obscure horticultural terms of southern Mexico. Marie-Hélène and Alexa Pratley translated nineteenth-century beer talk from the German. Evie Groch translated old Yiddish radio ads. Natalia Agüeros-Macario, Héctor Arce, and Ana Melendez trekked to Bronx gardens to translate the Spanish of rural Puerto Rico.
My extraordinary mentors fed, advised, and encouraged me. Orville Schell gave all kinds of useful nuts and bolts suggestions about bookwriting. Tom Engelhardt, editor beyond compare, made me believe that I could write a book. Michael Powell had a smart idea for every dead end. Mark Danner offered his support by e-mail. Michael Pollan sat me down and brainstormed with me as I conceived the book. Wayne Barrett was always ready to talk shop over pierogies. Thanks to Steve Coll for allowing me to absorb his breakneck brilliance as he wrote his own book, and for believing in me. All of these people elevated my aspirations and it’s hard to imagine this process without them.
Many people who have dedicated their careers to topics I address in this book were kind enough to share their ideas. With some, I had extended and ongoing conversations: José O. Solá, Ismael García-Colón, John J. McCusker, Joshua B. Freeman, Thomas C. Pinney, John Waldman, Kenneth T. Jackson, Mike Wallace, Edwin G. Burrows, Suzanne Wasserman, Roger Horowitz, Jeff Pettis, Kevin Matteson, Dennis Maika, Charlie Gehring, Teresita Levy, Peter Rose, John T. Edge, Jane P. Cleaver, Robert Maass, Norman Brouwer, Charlie Bagli, Jane Weissman, Joe Flood, Caledonia Jones, Basil Seggos, John Calcagno, James Ortenzio.