It’s been over 10 years since I wrote my first book “Milwaukee Food: A History of Cream City Cuisine,” a tome that traced the development of Milwaukee’s burgeoning culinary scene through stories about the producers, chefs and entrepreneurs who helped expand the city’s palate and pushed the scene to the forefront of the farm-to-fork movement.
Since then, much has changed in the world of food. Farm-to-table dining has become best practice in restaurants across the country. Farmers have diversified their crops to meet the needs of both creative chefs and increasingly adventurous home cooks. And Wisconsin has transformed itself from a culinary fly-over zone to a destination for food lovers.
This October, I’m excited to share that I’ll be celebrating the release of my second book, “Wisconsin Field to Fork: Farm Fresh Recipes from the Dairy State,” a cookbook that offers up 70 tempting recipes from chefs across the state, plus stories of over 40 farms which provide the wealth of vegetables, dairy and livestock into which local chefs weave their culinary magic.
The book offers home cooks the opportunity to recreate recipes like Goodkind’s Strawberry-Rhubarb Tres Leches Cake with fruit from Baby Mama Botanicals, Gluten-free Tempura Spring Onions from Trixie’s (Door County) with onions from the Wickman House Garden, Lamb Burgers with Tzatziki and Tomato Chutney from The Informalist (Eau Claire) with lamb from Lambalot Acres and refreshing drinks like Siren Shrub Co.’s Watermelon Cocktail Punch featuring lemongrass from Whitefeather Organics.
But it also offers food lovers the opportunity to get to know the intrepid farmers who steward the land, feed and nurture its soil and harness both science and nature to assist in nourishing their communities.
Upcoming Book Events
Join me on Tuesday, Oct. 3 at 6:30 p.m. at Boswell Book Co., 2559 N. Downer Ave. for a lively conversation about the book with food lover and TMJ4 News anchor Steve Chamraz followed by a book signing. The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required to attend.
Can’t attend the Boswell event? There are more in the works. To stay in the know, sign up for my mailing list and keep your eye out at OnMilwaukee for more information on book-related chefs’ dinners, library chats, farm events and more.
Support your local bookstore: pre-order your copy of "Wisconsin Field to Fork" onlinefrom Boswell Book Co.
Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection. Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop, fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with each and every dish. She’s had the privilege of chronicling these tales via numerous media, including OnMilwaukee and in her book “Milwaukee Food.” Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club.
When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or recording the FoodCrush podcast, you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul, traveling, cooking, reading, learning, snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference.
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