Here we have an awesome book far more than a mere cookbook; a travelogue including a large collection of good recipes. Dishing Up Minnesota by an excellent food/travel writer Teresa Marrone ought to be in the collection of every Minnesota cook, yet every cook outside this state will love this cookbook. Conveniently, Marrone starts with a location map to orient us then divides her book into chapters, each of which deals with a separate area of the local cooking: fish, the products of orchards, of pastures and prairies, foods of the wilds (mushrooms, berries, maple syrup) and multicultural specialties. Then she continues with foods of fairs, festivals, and special events. Her recipes are very good, the informative head notes are worth reading. She even goes into back country cooking, and unusual recipes like making huge quantities of potato sausage, making your own bacon and what to do with the infamous lutefisk. We have scores of a page or two food-related local information such as a honey producer, a fish market, ice fishing and collecting wild mushrooms, each with recipes. She teaches using the unusual cooking technique of sous vide. Many beautiful photo illustrations, both food and scenery, nicely complement this book.
