The Heartland of America, the Midwest, is still the agricultural core of our country, its “pastoral face,” where amber grain waves and the deer and a few antelope still play. Many Midwesterners are only a generation or two removed from the family farm, and their deep roots are reflected in the food they love and share. Heartland: The Cookbook, Judith Fertig’s culinary ode to the Midwestern kitchen, celebrates its farm-to-table traditions, grounded in the bounty of the land and laced with the ethnic accents and pioneering spirit of the settlers. With its beautiful full-color photos of vistas and vittles, the collection also serves as a visual ode to the heart and soul of middle America. The recipes run the gastronomic gamut, from Winterberry Breakfast Pudding, Haymaker’s Hash and Prairie Panzanella to Sunflower Cookie Brittle and Shaker-inspired Ohio Lemon Tart. Judith has made sure that prep techniques and cooking methods are streamlined for our time-challenged lives—Farmhouse Butter is “churned” in a Cuisinart, Rosy Rhubarb Syrup will keep, unsealed (and without canning hassles) in the fridge for a year and No-Knead Clover Honey Dough turns itself into coffee cake, yeast rolls and challah.
Valiant Women is a vital and engrossing attempt to correct the record and rightfully celebrate the achievements of female veterans of World War II.
