I have a wish that every family’s kitchen would provide pleasure, joy and health. I believe that all too often this is not the case. It is the cooker from that kitchen that I am particularly anxious to invite into mine.
I believe that sharing my love of our kitchen may help to change the mood in yours. If I can inspire one unhappy or dissatisfied cooker to take a peek behind my curtain, I bet that there would be something worth thinking about.
I enthusiastically invite you into our kitchen and pull up a stool. Come in and stay a while. We’ve just opened up a really nice Malbec. Would you care for a glass?
Things I avoid in my kitchen: Expectations. Recipes. Processed foods.
Things I have in my kitchen: Fresh foods. Wine.
What I’m really good at: Making things particularly tasty.
Things I’m not good at: Doing the same thing twice.
BOOK ONE:
MY 7 PRAIRIE FLOWER KITCHENS
50 photo journal food essays about gathering, preparing and combining the finest and freshest ingredients to make kitchen time a celebration and mealtime a pleasure. No recipes, no measuring devices, no expectations – just inventively delicious and healthful eating.
AN INSPIRATION
From the kitchen window, I’m watching Carol Ann gather flowers from a patch of our spectacular urban prairie that provides refuge and sustenance for almost everything that walks, crawls and flies in West Michigan.
I’m dedicating my first book of essays to this beautiful prairie which has been a treasure for our family and host to an amazing variety of precious and vulnerable residents, large, small and microscopic.
We and all of our creatures are indebted to Esther Durnwald of the Michigan Wildflower Farm, without whom this magical pre-settlement ecosystem would not have been possible. It’s hard to believe that we are in our third decade as dedicated stewards of this magnificent all-season wildlife playground.
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My 7 Prairie Flower Kitchens is a collection of fifty original essays produced on seven individual kitchen sets that are each named for resident indigenous prairie flowers.
• Each of the seven flowers is photographed on its own special color which then becomes the backdrop theme for that kitchen set.
• These wonderful background colors serve to inspire, influence decision making and provide this cooker seven highly saturated and emotionally charged sensory environments from which to work and celebrate kitchen time.
Table of Contents
the seven kitchens:
THE SWAMP MILKWEED KITCHEN
the essays
1. easy garlic
2. arugula pesto
3. an irregular egg sandwich
4. a fine spinach omelette
5. a speedy salmon salad
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THE BLUE VERVAIN KITCHEN
the essays
6. easy reach vegetables
7. peel an egg
8. stretch a chicken
9. chicken stock fundamentals
10. motley salmon
11. crazy pretzels
12. cannellini basics
13. quick chicken soup
14. a dinner surprise
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THE BUTTERFLY WEED KITCHEN
the essays
15. crispy eggs and beans
16. faux polenta
17. a very special chuck
18. a chuck reduction
19. goat cheese & arugula
20. everyday romaine & radicchio
21. nuts!
22. some dry pantry essentials
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THE BERGAMOT KITCHEN
the essays
23. goat ghee wiz
24. what a fermentation
25. mystery thighs & basmati
26. basmati outrageous
27. not your granny’s egg salad
28. salsa roja @ 35k
29. huevos, salsa & cerveza
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THE THIN-LEAF CONEFLOWER KITCHEN
the essays
30. lamb for sous vide
31. lamb stock
32. lamb reduction
33. vegetables with attitude
34. a bean salad dinner
35. left-overs
36. lamb & parsley soup
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THE IRONWEED KITCHEN
the essays
37. lamb & eggs
38. chicken stock from the barbie
39. really risotto
40. bread rules
41. eggs, hash & coffee
42. cannellini soup
43. lemon guacamole
44. smokey salsa verde
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THE NEW ENGLAND ASTER KITCHEN
the essays
45. complicated peppers
46. hubbard’s boat
47. chard pigmeat
48. hail, caesar!
49. big shorty
50. little shorty gets a bonus
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS & VALUABLE RESOURCES
This is a list of names and things which have been vetted in my kitchen and I’m thankful for the integrity, quality and usefulness of each resource. All items mentioned were used during the building of My Prairie Kitchen Essays.
National / International
• Fiber Protector America • https://fpamerica.com
• Cuisinart Food Processor (never stops giving) • https://www.cuisinart.com
• Kirkland’s EVO (always dependable) • https://www.costco.com
• La Panzanella® Artisan Crackers (our favorite cracker) • https://www.costco.com
• Kirkland’s Nuts (highest quality, excellent value) • https://www.costco.com
• Williams Sonoma Immersion Blender® (reliable) • https://www.williams-sonoma.com
• Meyenberg Goat Butter (excellent) • https://meyenberg.com
• Capretta Goat Yogurt (a kitchen staple) • https://www.sierranevadacheese.com
• Corine’s Bonnet Pepper Sauce (wonderful/fantastic) • https://www.corinescuisine.com
• Maldon Sea Salt Flakes (can’t be without it) • https://www.maldonsalt.co.uk
• Snyder’s of Hanover Pretzels (sourdough only) • https://www.snydersofhanover.com
• All-Clad Pressure Cooker – Stove Top (essential ) • https://www.snydersofhanover.com
• Marianne’s Avocado Oil (high temperature) • https://mariannesharvest.com
• Kirkland’s Parmigiano Reggiano/Pecorina Romano • https://www.costco.com
• Le Creuset® cast iron cookware (the best) • https://www.lecreuset.com
• Anova Sous Vide (very dependable) • https://anovaculinary.com
• Kirkland’s Goat Cheese (2 pack – wonderful) • https://www.costco.com
• Organic Basmati Rice (Lundberg Family Farms) • https://www.lundberg.com
• Kadai Indian Cookware (Futura – indispensable) • https://www.hawkinscookers.com
• Arborio Rice (Delallo – vacuum sealed) • https://www.delallo.com
West Michigan
• Field and Fire Artisan Bakery (World’s best baker) • https://fieldandfire.com
• Wine (Kameel Chamelly – Martha’s Vineyard of Grand Rapids) • https://mvwines.com
• Founder’s Brewing Company of Grand Rapids • https://foundersbrewing.com
• Cannellini beans (Carlson-Arbogast Farms) • https://www.carlson-arbogastfarm.com
• E.A. Brady – Artisan Butcher (Grand Rapids) • http://eabradys.com
• Bell’s Brewery of Kalamazoo • http://www.bellsbeer.com
• The Cheese Lady of Grand Rapids (Heather Zinn) • https://thecheeselady.net
• Western Michigan Fruit (world’s best – always buy local)
• Support local food merchants, farmers and markets across our great country.
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A FEW WORDS FROM THE COOKER
Rarely, when I enter the kitchen, do I know what I’m going to do. The session is usually triggered by a particular food item or a hankering and then I just build on it.
My only rules are to avoid doing the same thing twice, avoid measuring ingredients and never read recipes for instructive purposes. Otherwise, it’s all about the joy of eating exceptionally tasty and healthful foods.
I invite you to poke around the kitchen with me, discover some things and have some fun along the way. There ain’t no stress in this kitchen.
My 50th Prairie Kitchen Essay is complete. What fun it’s been. Carol Ann and I thank you so much for sharing some of your time with us and hope that the enthusiasm we have for our kitchen may inspire you to spend more time in yours – and mine.
I will soon begin a second series of 50 essays dedicated to dear old friends and their favorite things to eat. This should be loads of fun and I cannot wait to begin.
Protect yourself, your loved ones, friends, pets and fellow citizens. Eat well. Eat healthy.
Paul V’Soske,
THE SENSORIAL COOKER
KITCHEN NOTES
You will discover that my various kitchen venues are typically constructed of vivid and vibrant textiles. These fabrics become my kitchen work surface and as one would imagine take a hell of a beating and unimaginable abuse.
FAQ. How do I keep everything fresh and clean?
Many years ago while doing business in Germany I became acquainted with a remarkable man with a remarkable product engineered to preserve and protect delicate textiles and carpeting without altering fibers. No aesthetic changes – just amazing performance.
Each textile I use today for my kitchen work surfaces is treated with it and it’s the only reason I can get away with using them for my crazy kitchen sessions. These fabrics could not make it through the first five minutes of wild cooking behavior let alone an entire kitchen session of 20,000 photographs without it.
I have used and promoted this unique and outstanding Norwegian product for seventeen years and helped facilitate establishing it in North America. Fiber ProTector America is included on my resource list.
All rights reserved. Copyright © 2020 Paul V’Soske.