Kitchens of the Great Midwest: A Novel

by J. Ryan Stradal

“A sweet and savory treat.” —People

“An impressive feat of narrative jujitsu . . . that keeps readers turning the pages too fast to realize just how ingenious they are.”—The New York Times Book Review, Editor’s Pick

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Lager Queen of Minnesota, Kitchens of the Great Midwest is a novel about a young woman with a once-in-a-generation palate who becomes the iconic chef behind the country’s most coveted dinner reservation. 
 
When Lars Thorvald’s wife, Cynthia, falls in love with wine—and a dashing sommelier—he’s left to raise their baby, Eva, on his own. He’s determined to pass on his love of food to his daughter—starting with puréed pork shoulder. As Eva grows, she finds her solace and salvation in the flavors of her native Minnesota. From Scandinavian lutefisk to hydroponic chocolate habaneros, each ingredient represents one part of Eva’s journey as she becomes the star chef behind a legendary and secretive pop-up supper club, culminating in an opulent and emotional feast that’s a testament to her spirit and resilience.
 
Each chapter in J. Ryan Stradal’s startlingly original debut tells the story of a single dish and character, at once capturing the zeitgeist of the Midwest, the rise of foodie culture, and delving into the ways food creates community and a sense of identity. By turns quirky, hilarious, and vividly sensory, Kitchens of the Great Midwest is an unexpected mother-daughter story about the bittersweet nature of life—its missed opportunities and its joyful surprises. It marks the entry of a brilliant new talent.

• ISBN10: 0143109413
• ISBN13: 9780143109419
• Publish Date: 7 June 2016 (first published 28 July 2015)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Penguin Putnam Inc
• Imprint: Penguin USA
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 336
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780143109419

Reviews

Went into this book without knowing much about it and most of the time it’s a good thing but not in this case. Don’t get me wrong I enjoyed it but I didn’t care for the structure. It introduces a snippet of a character with each chapter that somehow crosses Eva’s path but then you don’t know what happened to most of those characters. At the end a few come back but I didn’t t care for the second half as much as the first. It was well written, and I enjoyed it but I was hoping for something more.

[Terri M. LeBlanc]

I loved the start of this novel and Eva’s culinary journey, but once the story moved on to other, seemingly unrelated characters, I lost interest.

Loved the descriptions of life in the Midwest and the food. I will have to make those bars. Everyone loves bars.

[Beth C.]

Food is, of course, what we eat to keep our bodies going. But for Eva, it is more. It is how she communicates her life, and is often the window through which she sees life in general. Her life takes a variety of twists and turns to help mold her into the person she is, and "Kitchens of the Great Midwest" does a wonderful job of showing how food can be the anchor in a chain of a life that has had its share of storms.

While this book is billed as a novel, it felt more like a series of stories whose commonality happened to be Eva and her love of food. Each section went to a very different place (the kitchens of the title), and sometimes Eva was barely attached. Eventually, though, all the stories circled back to the beginning of...Eva. It's hard to write too much more about it without giving spoilers (and I *hate* spoilers), so just be prepared for this book to not necessarily flow like a regular novel. However, it's not disconcerting and it works very well, so don't let that keep you from giving this book a chance, either. Just keep an eye on the characters, because they have a tendency to show up again when you least expect them to!

I did not try any of the recipes in the book - frankly, they felt sort of thrown in almost as an afterthought. And since there are only a few, and not really necessary to the story as a whole, I didn't feel it necessary to make them. I may, at some point, but the story is whole without them.

J. Ryan Stradal has created a unique work of fiction in this title. It starts out a bit slow, but each character is fully fleshed out and the story is well-paced and thoughtful. Certainly a unique take on a novel and worth spending the time to read.