News & Media

From Hannah Crowley of the Burlington Free Press, Nov 6th:

For localvore kitchens

"Diane Imrie and Richard Jarmusz's "Cooking Close to Home, A Year of Seasonal Recipes" (Self-published, 2009, $24.95) celebrates the seasons in an edible way -- from the first verdant shoots of wild leeks in springtime to summer's rainbow of sliced heirloom tomatoes and winter's hearty pumpkin cheddar ale soup. The vibrant photos make this book a feast for the eyes, as well as the stomach.

Recipes are organized by season within a series of categories -- Seasonal Soups; Market Meats, Poultry and Lots of Other Entrees; Pizza and Pasta; Farm Roots; Sweet Endings and Filling the Pantry. In addition to the recipes, the book is smattered with bits of localvore wisdom, such as farmers' market shopping tips, handy lists of cannable, freezable and storable foods as well as definitions of terms like "food miles" and "grass-fed beef." "Cooking Close to Home" would be a good gift for a food-loving newbie to the Eat Local movement.

A series recipes cover the basics, like homemade chicken stock and fresh tomato juice, with others going a bit more in-depth -- like the recipe for homemade black pepper fettuccini and the how-to page on butterflying pork tenderloin.

Directions and ingredients are nicely laid out on the pages, clear and easy to understand. A recipe for oven-braised chicken with wine, mushrooms and onions turned out perfectly and came together quickly -- just right for a chilly fall night.

There are new takes on old standards like barbecue sauce that becomes maple blackberry barbecue sauce and french fries that become garden fries from parsnips, rutabagas, carrots, turnips and potatoes served with a garlicky leek dipping sauce -- each inventive enough to warrant experimenting with some old favorites."

In a recent review of Cooking Close to Home, Bill McKibben, author Deep Economy, proclaims "This is a cookbook for the future--in the world we're building, where local food means both security and pleasure, this will be a companion for many a pioneer! "

Robin McDermott, Co-Founder, Mad River Valley Localvore Project, says "I rotate my cookbooks seasonally but Cooking Close to Home will have a permanent place on my kitchen bookshelf. The recipes and photography make me hungry for the coming season and make it easier to say “goodbye until next year” to asparagus, strawberries and tomatoes. I especially appreciate that authors Diane Imrie and Richard Jarmusz don’t strictly tow the Localvore line by including sensible “wildcard ingredients” such as olive oil, citrus juice and vanilla in their recipes. This book celebrates the true spirit of the Localvore movement – to eat more food produced close to home every day of the year.