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By David Neilsen Book Reviews in Search of the Perfect Peach By Franco Fubini Franco Fubini wants food to taste better. As CEO of Natoora, a food distributor which delivers fruit and vegetables to some of the world's top restaurants, he has dedicated his career to al- tering the way the world's food system works in an effort to bring more flavor to our tables. In his new book, In Search of the Perfect Peach, Fubini explains his thought process and reason- ing behind the culinary revolu- tion whose flames he has been fanning for over twenty years. For Fubini, it all starts with seasonality. These days, when you walk into a grocery store, you are given no indication as to what fruits and vegetables are in season. Produce is a year-round industry. We want strawberries year-round, not just when na- ture wants to offer them. Over time, the commercial agricul- tural industry has worked hard to create year-round offerings, and it has been to our detri- ment. Fubini makes the case that the produce we eat today has been engineered to last longer, travel long distances, and be available year-round. Lost in this evolution has been true flavor, as well as any actual nutritional value. We are eating bland food six months outside of its proper seasonal window, and our health is suffering. The book dives into the sci- ence of seasonality, touching on seeds and soil and the need for education. Fubini writes with a tangible passion, and it is easy to be swept along on his cru- sade because it just feels right. In the back of our minds, we The Story Behind The extraordinary history Behind ordinary objects By Emily Prokop Some3mes the most ordinary items tell the most fascina3ng stories. This is the concept at the heart of The Story Behind, by author and podcaster Emily Prokop. Prokop researches the o#en-3mes entertaining history of everyday objects for her long- running podcast and has col- lected a number of her favorites to present to readers in this en- gaging collec3on. Divided into categories such as 'food' or 'at the office' or 'technology', the book takes you on a journey know that fruits and vegetables have seasons. Here in the Hud- son valley, we know perfectly well that Octo- ber is apple- picking season. Yet how many of us stop to ques- tion why we're buying apples at the store in mid-February? Where do these apples come from? What was done to them to ensure they lasted long enough to get here? In Search of the Perfect Peach is a wake-up call as well as a call to arms. Fubini claims that we, the consumers, have the power to alter the world's food systems. He wants us to demand seasonal produce, local produce, and produce that actually tastes like something other than cardboard. He writes, "Change needs to come from all an- gles and actors in the food system, from consumers to governments, schools and universities, along with start- ups and the incumbent food producers." We all have a part to play in the revolution. Fubini acknowledges that it is a long road ahead, but he sees a path and dares us to step foot upon the stones he's laying down in the hopes that we will eventually be able to taste a better world. 46 HOOK

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