Kitchens of the Great Midwest

Eva is left to be raised by Lars Thorvald alone when his wife Cynthia falls in love with wine and a handsome sommelier. He's resolved to instill in his daughter his passion for cuisine, beginning with puréed pork shoulder. As Eva becomes older, the tastes of her home Minnesota provide her comfort and redemption. Every component, from hydroponically grown chocolate habaneros to Scandinavian lutefisk, symbolises a phase of Eva's career as the head chef of a storied and clandestine pop-up supper club, ending in a sumptuous and poignant feast that is a monument to her fortitude and passion.

J. Ryan Stradal's astonishingly unique debut explores how food shapes society and identity by telling the tale of a single dish and character in each chapter. This approach captures the Midwest's zeitgeist and the emergence of foodie culture at the same time. Kitchens of the Great Midwest is an unusual mother-daughter tale about the bittersweet essence of life—its squandered possibilities and its wonderful discoveries. It is at times eccentric, humorous, and profoundly sensory. It heralds the arrival of an outstanding new talent.