"James Beard-nominated chef Colby Garrelts and his wife, pastry chef Megan Garrelts, worked in notable restaurants in Chicago, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles before opening Bluestem in Kansas City, Missouri. Written with lawyer-turned-food writer/photographer Lee (the formerly anonymous gourmand behind the Ulterior Epicure blog, ulteriorepicure.com), the Garreltses' debut is a beautiful restaurant cookbook that makes it easy for advanced home cooks to construct an upscale, multicourse menu with wine pairings. Each seasonal section is divided into eight courses featuring elegant, contemporary dishes like Nettle Soup, Whipped Lemon Ricotta; Rack of Venison, Pickled Lady Apples; and White Coffee, Passion Fruit Parfait." --<I>Library Journal</i><P>"The volume's as handsome as our first crush, but don't just judge this book by its cover (blue, of course). We all have those pretty volumes that sit uncracked near our well-worn, food-spattered cookbooks. But Bluestem's recipes, while ambitious, can be tackled by the humble home chef." --VIVmag<P>A repeated nominee for the James Beard Award for "Best Chef Midwest," chef Colby Garrelts and highly respected pastry chef Megan Garrelts offer their culinary techniques inside <I>Bluestem: The Cookbook</i>. From Warm Eggplant Salad and Potato-Crusted Halibut with Herb Cream to delectable desserts such as Honey Custard and Peanut Butter Beignets with Concord Grape Sauce, the Garreltses showcase local, Midwestern ingredients and artisanal producers through 100 seasonally driven recipes.<P>Including a full-meal lineup of recipes, from amuse-bouche to dessert, <I>Bluestem</i> offers helpful tips from a professional kitchen alongside seasonal wine notes and 100 full-color photographs that capture the simple beauty of Bluestem's composed dishes. Guided by their childhood memories and inspired by the world around them, the Garreltses offer a Midwestern sensibility inside <I>Bluestem: The Cookbook</i>, while enabling cooks of all experience levels the opportunity of replicating Bluestem's contemporary taste and signature dishes at home.