Made in America: A Modern Collection of Classic Recipes

A take on American culinary classics by two James Beard Award honorees, fresh from the Midwest. 

A take on American culinary classics by two James Beard Award honorees, fresh from the Midwest. 

Kansas City chef and James Beard Award winner Colby Garrelts and his wife, Megan, a James Beard semifinalist for Best Pastry Chef, celebrate the history of the American kitchen table with fifty heirloom recipes.

Redefined by easy, chef-inspired techniques, quality ingredients, and a love for regional flavors from their Midwestern roots, Made in America features fifty handcrafted recipes sorted by cooking method, from breakfast to the bakeshop. Many begin with a childhood memory from Colby or Megan that describes the roots and journey of the recipe.

Made in America also includes suggested menus for festive occasions like Mother’s Day, Fourth of July, Back to School Night, and Christmas. Sidebars throughout showcase handcrafted cocktails such as the Bloody Mary, The State Fair, and the Pimm’s Cup that pair well with the recipes within. Woven through with love and pride, this collection defines the comforts of home.

Recipes include:

• Spicy Tomato and Burnt-Ends Hash with Fried Eggs
• Strawberry, Lemon, and Thyme Jam
• Yukon Gold Potato Salad with Summer Corn, Country Ham, and Garlicky Lemon-Chive Dressing
• Cornmeal-Fried Catfish
• Lemon Cake with White Chocolate Buttercream
• Corn Cookies with Milk Jam and Strawberries
• Cherry Limeade

Colby and Megan Garrelts are the chef-owners of Bluestem (Kansas City, MO) and Rye (Leawood, KS) restaurants. They met in Chicago at Tru where they worked under chefs Rick Tramonto and Gale Gand. Following work in Las Vegas and Los Angeles, they returned to Kansas City and opened their first restaurant, bluestem, in 2004. Colby is a 2013 James Beard Foundation winner, Best Chef: Midwest and 2005 Food & Wine magazine Top 10 Best New Chef. Megan is a James Beard semifinalist for Best Pastry Chef. They opened Rye restaurant in 2012, which celebrates regional Midwestern cooking. The Garrelts live in Leawood, Kansas with their children, Madilyn and Colin.