Heartland: The Best of the Old and the New from Midwest Kitchens

by Marcia Adams

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 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.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food

258 pages, Hardcover

Published October 8, 1991

Reviews

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have the Amish cookbooks that this author wrote and I really love them, so when I saw this at a flea market for $3 I snapped it up. Her cookbooks are fun to read. She writes an interesting story at the beginning of each chapter and each recipe is thoughtfully described. You can tell that she takes care in the recipes that she chooses to include. This one featured recipes from Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin, and it had a little backstory about each state at the beginning of their respective chapter. It was interesting!

[A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actually found this surprisingly helpful, and I appreciated that the recipes were divided by state. I wish there had been more dating involved in the recipe explanations, but I still found some really great nuggets of info and recipe ideas.

[Terri Fleming · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book years ago and used it a lot. I must have given it away because I no longer have it. I recently found it in a used bookstore and bought it immediately! Absolutely wonderful. Highly recommended.

[Barbara]

"Heartland" Bought Some + Recipes Midwestern

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful cookbook full of Midwest recipes. Divided state by state, Marcia Adams has complied some of the favorite and tried and true recipes that make the Midwest cuisine unique. Some entries are heirloom favorites, other choices are contemporary and regional specialties but I guarantee there are choices for everyone. Recipes and detailed and instructions concise and easy to follow. Photographs make your mouth water, and prove the Midwest is a beautiful part of our country.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorites.

[angrykitty · Rating 3 out of 5]

thought this cookbook is pretty good, i have to admit that i use a little midwest cookbook more.....

[Janis · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot of current information and history of states in the heartland. Some good recipes and beautiful photographs.