The Bookshelf: Notes from a Maine Kitchen

by JBF Editors on January 17, 2012

During the winter months, when the days are chilly and the earth yields little, we're always forced to stretch our larders and imaginations in the kitchen. Who better to turn to for inspiration during these barren timesthan a hardy Maine cook? Kathy Gunst, a food writer and former Manhattanite who relocated to Maine years ago, has captured the state's tough and resourceful way of life in her latest cookbook, Notes from a Maine Kitchen. Presented in twelve chapters that represent the months of a year, the book illustrates how Maine's seasonal ingredients can be prepared in simple and creative ways. Gunst's resourceful approach to cooking is most valuable during winter, when darkness falls several hours before dinner and the temperature plummets to negative-digit territory at night. Her excellent recipe for roasted balsamic-glazed turnips and baby greens has recently become one of our own wintertime staples. Learn more about Notes from a Maine Kitchen when Gunst speaks at tomorrow's Beard on Books.