Shares traditional midwestern recipes for breakfasts, appetizers, soups, salads, meat, poultry, fish, noodles, dumplings, side dishes, breads, and desserts When the "back-to-the-land" movement first struck, a number of country cooking/ heartland cookbooks appeared, but that was more than a few years ago. Fertig's (Pure Prairie: Farm Fresh and Wildly Delicious Foods from the Prairie) latest cookbook includes dozens of enticing recipes for both homey comfort food and more contemporary fare, from St. Louis Gooey Butter Coffeecake to Smoked Goat Cheese on Field Greens. Many of them reflect the diverse ethnic backgrounds of the immigrants to the Midwest; others come from early American cookbooks. Readable sidebars cover a variety of topics, including the location of Laura Ingalls Wilder museums and "historic sites," and quotations from writers such as Willa Cather and Mark Twain are scattered throughout. Highly recommended. [Good Cook/BOMC main selection.] Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. Judith M. Fertig is a well-known cookbook author and food writer and a recognized authority on regional Midwestern cuisine. The author of Pure Prairie: Farm Fresh and Wildly Delicious Foods from the Prairie and Que Queens: Easy Grilling and Simple Smoking , Fertig is a regular contributor to numerous distinguished magazines and newspapers, including the New York Times , the London Sunday Times , the San Francisco Chronicle, Saveur, Santi, Country Living, On the Grill , and Country Home . Her weekly Come Into My Kitchen column appears in the Kansas City Star . A Midwest native and Kansas resident, Fertig studied at the Cordon Bleu in London and La Varenne in Paris before returning to her Prairie roots. Blue Cheese Potato Gratin serves 4 This sublimely simple side goes handsomely with grilled steaks, burgers, or sirloin tips. For a variation on this classic dish from the midwestern repertoire, use 2 tablespoons of chopped morels instead of the blue cheese. 2 to 3 large russet potatoes, peeled and sliced as thin as possible 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese, such as Maytag Blue from Iowa 1 cup heavy cream 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 1/2 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil or butter a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. 2. Rinse the potato slices in cold water, then drain them and pat them dry. Layer 1/3 of the potatoes in the bottom of the pan, and top with 1/3 of the blue cheese followed by 1/3 of the cream and 1/3 of the salt and pepper. Repeat the process with 2 more layers. 3. Bake the gratin, uncovered, for 45 to 55 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and the top is browned and bubbling. Serve hot. Chicken and Corn Pudding serves 4-6 This fragrant dish might just be the very essence of midwestern home cooking. In the 1930s or 1940s, it would have been made with a poached whole chicken, but today we use readily available chicken breasts. When you smell and taste this dish, you think of zinc-topped tables, cherry-printed tablecloths, pale green enamelware utensils, and milk in glass bottles. Homemade breadcrumbs and fresh shoepeg or sweet corn make all the difference. 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts 1 bay leaf 1 rib of celery, chopped 1 small yellow onion, chopped 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley 2 cups chicken stock 2 cups milk, scalded 3 eggs, lightly beaten 4 cups corn kernels, preferably fresh 1 teaspoon dried tarragon 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon white pepper 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the chicken, bay leaf, celery, onion, parsley, and stock in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes to poach the chicken. The chicken should feel firm to the touch. Remove from the heat. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and cut it into bite-size pieces. Drain and discard the broth and discard the bay leaf. 2. Lightly butter a 1-quart baking dish. Place the cooked chicken, vegetables, and parsley in the dish. Beat together the milk and eggs in a bowl, and stir in the corn, tarragon, cayenne, salt, and white pepper. Pour over the chicken, and stir once or twice to distribute evenly. Melt the butter in a small skillet and stir in the breadcrumbs. Spoon the buttered breadcrumbs over the pudding. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the pudding is bubbling and golden brown. Serve hot. Used Book in Good Condition