Heartland in the Cincinnati Enquirer

The Cincinnati Enquirer ran a story on Heartland on March 29.

Cincinnati native's book promotes Midwestern food

Appetite for Midwestern dishes growing along with local food movement

Judith Fertig's Ohio Lemon Tart updates a traditional Amish recipe.

 Cookbook writer Judith Fertig was born and raised in the Cincinnati area, but she has lived near Kansas City, Kan., since the 1980s. Her two hometowns have in common their location in the great Midwest, but that doesn't mean their food cultures are the same.

From Cincinnati, Fertig remembers smoked pork, great neighborhood butchers, sweet corn and coffeecake; while Kansas City exploits its proximity to wheat with fine artisanal bread bakers and wheat beers and maintains a proud barbecue tradition.

In her new cookbook, "Heartland" (AndrewsMcMeel Publishing, $35), Fertig celebrates what is common to cooking from all of the Midwest, with its rich agricultural heritage and "have a nice day" values. But she particularly focuses on the unique qualities of different Midwestern regions.
She has made Midwestern cooking her special topic over a long career. Her first book, "Prairie Home Cooking," which was nominated for a James Beard and IACP award, set about to define Midwestern cuisine, especially farm cooking. "But a lot has happened in Midwest cuisine since then," she said.

To read the rest of the Enquirer article, go here.