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Books

THE DANE COUNTY FARMERS' MARKET COOKBOOK:

LOCAL FOODS, GLOBAL FLAVORS

Hundreds of Wisconsin growers and thousands of shoppers gathering weekly around the white-domed State Capitol in Madison. An ever-growing diversity of farm-fresh crops, world-class cheese, pastured meats and specialty products. Heartfelt stories and dishes from the vendors, customers and chefs who build cultural and community bonds at one of the nation's largest, most renowned farmers markets. It all comes together in this collection of bold-flavored, internationally focused recipes cooked up from local ingredients.

The book includes a history of the DCFM, a foreword by James Beard Award-winning chef Tory Miller of L'Etoile and page after page of colorful market shots. All proceeds benefit the Dane County Farmers' Market.

The Midwest is lucky to claim Terese Allen as keeper of our culinary heritage and advocate for locally grown, seasonal cooking and eating. Now, in this eagerly awaited DCFM cookbook, Terese takes us on a foodie’s tour of that beloved market as only she can, warmly welcoming us in to the circle of growers, makers, chefs and home cooks who for 50 years have been transforming how we cook, eat and think about food. In sharing their stories and favorite recipes, she enriches our appreciation of our region’s diversity and expands our definition of ‘community.’ In the intro, Terese refers to DCFM as ‘a unique merger of taste and place’—a perfect description of this remarkable book!”
KATE THOMPSON, Director, Wisconsin Historical Society Press

"Ingredients, recipes and stories that invite us to fall in love with the market and the food of the Upper Midwest all over again, and to truly live the connection between land, people and table.”

LUKE ZAHM, host of PBS’s “Wisconsin Foodie” and
chef-owner of Driftless Café

“A  apacious, diverse exploration of the beauties of the Dane County Farmers’ Market. Allen captures the ever-changing array of growing and cooking traditions with the joy and care befitting this beloved gathering spot for cooks, eaters, farmers. Now how am I supposed to do anything but plan my next meal?”
MICHELLE WILDGEN, author of Wine People, Bread and Butter, and You’re Not You

THE FLAVOR OF WISCONSIN

 

This authoritative history of Wisconsin's culinary traditions is a remarkable exploration of "the taste of place," pairing fascinating essays on state food history with recipes from Wisconsin kitchens past and present. In the long-awaited second edition, regional food specialist Terese Allen widens the lens of Harva Hachten's classic, introducing new topics, expanding on others, and connecting the historical dots of the state's magnificently rich food history.

 

Allen weaves the story to the present and sheds light on newer aspects of food and cooking, including the explosion of farmers' markets; organic farming and sustainability; artisanal cheeses and other fare; and how relatively recent immigrants have contributed to Wisconsin's food scene. Along with the book's original recipes, new recipes reflect the continually evolving nature of the our food culture, offering an intriguing guide to "how Wisonsin eats," from lefse to free-range chickenss, wild rice to heirloom tomatoes, and Cornish pasties to microbrewed beer. 

Published by the Wisconsin Historical Society, and with a forward by James Beard award winner Odessa Piper, the book received a starred review by Publishers Weekly and was lauded in Gastronomica magazine as and "incredible compilation [that] ought to be in every home, library, and classroom in the state, and in the hands of culinary historians and other foodies everywhere."

"I wish there were a law requiring each of our fifty states to have a book about its life and food--and I would offer as a model The Flavor of Wisconsin. . . an American book that should be of more than local interest."

  -NACH WAXMAN, Kitchen Arts and Letters, New York

"A wondrous array of kitchen stories, some hidden, some classic....A page turner, a book you'll want to cook."

  -DAVIA NELSON & NIKKI SILVA,

    NPR's Kitchen Sisters

"I have long trusted Terese Allen's observations about what defines, stimulates and sustains Wisconsin's cuisine. . . .This delicious documentation celebrates who we were, who we are and why we shouldn't forget."

  -MARY BERGIN, Author and columnist

THE FLAVOR OF WISCONSIN FOR KIDS

 

Winner of the Midwest Independent Publishers Association

Midwest Books Awards

 

What are some food favorites in Wisconsin, and why are they special to us? How have our landscape and the people who have inhabited it contributed to our food heritage? This unique blend of history book and cookbook gives kids a real taste for hands-on history by showing them how to create and sample foods that link us Wisconsin resources and the heritage of those who produce them.

 

Designed for kids and adults to use together, "The Flavor of Wisconsin for Kids" is a fascinating and authoritative document of the history and traditions of food in our state, presented in a colorful, kid-friendly format that's both instructional and fun. Each chapter examines a different food source -- forests; waters; meat and dairy farms; orchards and fields; gardens; and communities -- and includes recipes that are written for modern kitchens but use many traditional ingredients and techniques. The book is richly illustrated with both historical and contemporary photos.

"Kids love food. Kids love stories. They'll find an ample diet of both in this charming, informative book.

   -NANCY J. STOH, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

CAFE WISCONSIN COOKBOOK

 

Crispy corned beef hash. Roast pork and a mound of mashed potatoes smothered in homemade gravy. Puckery-sweet lemon pie with a crown of foamy meringue. Sound good to you? Of course it does. This combination cookbook-travel guide is your ticket to the heartwarming home-style cooking of Wisconsin's best small-town cafes and diners. More than one hundred cherished recipes showcase the distinct culinary and cultural traditions of Wisconsin. From classic pot roasts and country-style pies to long-simmering soups and heritage specialties, the whole soul-satisfying spectrum of Wisconsin cafe fare is here.

 

"Recipes of the people, by the people, and for the people fill Cafe Wisconsin Cookbook with good things to eat, along with a generous--and equally delicious--portion of heartland character. In a time of overbearing celebrity chefs, such culinary democracy  is food for the soul."

  -JANE & MICHAEL STERN, Roadfood

"As this cookbook proves, delicious recipes can come from the most unexpected places."

  -PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

Also By Terese Allen

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