Books & Media

As a society, we have tried to encourage kids to eat healthy foods by hiding them, disguising them as something else, or pouring processed cheese sauce on them, and I think that we do a disservice to children by doing so. Children don’t come into the world eating only chicken nuggets, pizza, and french fries. They will eat the food that they are given. That’s the food that they will become used to and like.

So, if we feed them only “kid” food, those are the tastes they will develop. If, however, we feed them all sorts of foods, they will eat them as well. Our daughter, Shorey, eats almost everything. Now, though, at ten years old, she doesn’t like asparagus, tripe, polenta, sweet potatoes, or head cheese. We’re okay with that — and her grandfather says that she will change anyway.

In honor of an upcoming Twin Cities visit by world-renowned chef Francis Mallmann, we provide this selection from his new book. Behold, the power of fire. 

This is one of the few fresh vegetable salads you can put together all through the winter. It is a favorite at my restaurant in Garzón, even in the summer. Very crunchy, very fresh. The eggs make it a complete light meal. I first had it on a trip to Australia with a number of other chefs, including David Tanis. If you don’t know David, he has had a very interesting life: For many years, he spent half the year as the chef at Chez Panisse and the other half of the year as a private chef in Paris. Now his recipes appear every week in The New York Times Dining section, and they are a highlight of my Wednesday morning reading. 

On a chilly October morning, a stroll through my favorite farmers market yielded a large sack of winter squash from a lone man in the last row, his cheeks cherry red from the harsh wind. Unsure what to do with these odd-shaped ugly ducklings, I knew I was yearning for comfort food, seeking solace from a constant internal roar brought on by a chaotic job. Winter squash were not part of my cooking routine, but I sank into a rhythm as I peeled away the sandy brown rind of a butternut squash. As I revealed its gorgeous burnt-orange flesh, appreciation for the beauty of this squash struck me. 

If you love cookbooks as much as I do, you’re always looking for more to add to your (already abundant) collection. As summer draws to a close, I’ve rounded up some of the most exciting cookbooks from the season, which I’ve been cooking from (and just reading) all summer and all of which I’m super happy to add to my shelves.

For your cookbook-perusing pleasure, I’ve given each book a likely fan category, but many of the books include a wide variety of recipes. Here is Part II; you can check out Part I here.

I have enough trouble just remembering to write down a recipe after I create or adapt one for my tastes. Then, when I do, there is always the question of accuracy, as all too often I come back to it a month or year later and it just doesn't turn out. So, I find it more than just a little miraculous that barely a year has passed since I received and reviewed the Northern Heartland Kitchen cookbook by Dooley, and already, I am receiving emails asking me if I was interested in her newest piece of work, Minnesota's Bounty: The Farmer's Market Cookbook.

Elissa Altman started her food blog, Poor Man's Feast, in 2008 after years as a cookbook editor, food columnist, personal chef, and caterer.

For me, there’s no better gift than a cookbook. A great cookbook is so much more than a collection of recipes; it can teach you lasting techniques, educate you on confusing sustainability issues, and give you a window into another way of life. These eight cookbooks are some of the best published this year, and would make a great present for any home cook (or budding home cook). For other gift ideas, check out this year’s SGT Local Gift Guide. (And make a cookbook a local present by supporting an independently-owned bookstore in your city.)

For the pork lover:

This is part 3 in a series about running a craft services table for a film shoot here in Minneapolis for the Independent movie, Stay Then Go. Read part 1 here. 

This is part 2 in a series about running a craft services table for a film shoot here in Minneapolis for the Independent movie Stay Then Go. Read part 1 here. 

It's been a long time since I've done anything more than plan a dinner party for four. Hell, it's been a long time since I've even done that. Maybe 20 years. Most of my  cooking now revolves around the challenges of cooking for just one, such as how to make the most of vegetables before they go bad in the bin.

We've all gotten this question or a variant of same...

"My mother-in-law... my former high school sweetheart... my old college roommate... my parole officer... an IRS auditor... (insert your favorite)... is coming for a visit. What should I serve them? Or where should I take them to dinner... or breakfast... or lunch, for drinks... or a snack... or for brunch?"