Midwestern food is more than casserole

“Midwestern food” may call to mind a casserole, but Paul Fehribach, an author of a new book about the region’s dishes, goes beyond the basics to talk about the history of local food.

Reset with Sasha-Ann Simons

Midwestern food is more than casserole

Chef Paul Fehribach of the Andersonville restaurant Big Jones charts the history of the region’s recipes in a new cookbook.

“Midwestern food” may call to mind a casserole, but Paul Fehribach, an author of a new book about the region’s dishes, goes beyond the basics to talk about the history of local food.

By Lynnea Domienik

Paul Fehribach argues that European immigrant food traditions met industrialized food production in the 1800s, leading to things like the mass produced hot dog, which he says wasn’t invented at Coney Island, but here in the Midwest. He also says the region’s food reflects the working class history of growing, slaughtering and processing much of the nation’s meat and grain.

Reset learns more about this history and how the recipes and traditions of the Midwest influenced American cuisine.

GUEST: Paul Fehribach, chef, author Midwestern Food: A Chef’s Guide to the Surprising History of a Great American Cuisine, with More Than 100 Tasty Recipes