Heartland: The Best of the Old and the New from Midwest Kitchens Review
This 258 page book is generous with color photographs of food, local people and regional scenes. There are ample recipes and plenty of information about many of the recipes, and all sorts of background material that gives one a richer "taste" of the bounty of the eight Midwestern states covered in this book. I am from the East coast, and much of this is new to me...so I'd happily rely on a true Midwesterner to really rate the recipes.
I'm picky about giving 5 star ratings, and this is over a 4 rating for most people, as some of the true 5 star books can be breathtakingly beautiful and/or informative.
From gamebird pie to snickerdoodles, Amish friendship bread to blackberry jam cake with sherry sauce, and "newcomers" such as Asian-American slaw with peanuts and jalapenos, this instructs about comforting foods, and leaves you more knowledgeable about delicious food that doesn't rely on "stacking", "foams", mismatched cuisines and spices (stretching the intent of "fusion") or other trendy artifice to satisfy your palate.
Learn about the Spoon River Anthology, Sinclair Lewis, Polish Pierogis, Poticia and antique apples...learn the best times to plant root vegetables, corn or apples while flipping the pages...this is a book to be savored, whether next to a wood burning stove or from a 24th story balcony overlooking a sunset...
Heartland: The Best of the Old and the New from Midwest Kitchens Overview
America is coming back to basics, and nowhere is the art of transforming fresh, seasonal ingredients into appealingly homey dishes practiced with more flair than in Midwestern kitchens. A lifelong resident of the Midwest, award-winning author Marcia Adams celebrates this diverse and bountiful region with more than 200 recipes that capture the spirit of Heartland cooking.
Heartland food conjures up delightfully nostalgic memories of pies cooling on a windowsill, silky preserves canned for the long cold winters, soft white sugar cookies bursting with raisins, generous breakfasts of farm-fresh eggs and country sausage, and hearty soups simmered to savory perfection. The region boasts unparalleled culinary diversity: tender Iowa lamb, Minnesota wild rice and salmon, Michigan morels and fiddlehead ferns, Wisconsin cheese and ducks -- the list goes on and on. And each generation of immigrants has preserved its cultural heritage in the form of a flourishing ethnic cuisine.
Adams has traveled throughout the Midwestern states in search of the very best recipes the region has to offer, from near-forgotten family favorites to the exciting new creations coming out of the Heartland's professional kitchens. She includes classics like Snicker-doodles, Wilted Country Salad with Bacon Dressing, and Stewing Hen with Cornmeal Parsley Dumplings; regional favorites like Cincinnati Chili and Frango Mint Cheesecake; plus a selection of innovative new dishes that make the most of indigenous Midwestern ingredients, such as Pork Pot Roast with Couscous and Sauteed Perch Fillets with Fresh Cucumber Relish.
With dozens of color photographs and Marcia Adams's warmly evocative text, Heartland presents an unforgettable portrait of the people, places, and food that, epitomize American regional cookery.
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*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Jul 24, 2010 18:45:09
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