Spoonriver chef shares recipes for making at home

"THE SPOONRIVER COOKBOOK"
by Brenda Langton and Margaret Stuart (University of Minnesota Press, 257 pages, $34.95)

Brenda Langton may have been the first chef to show the Twin Cities that "organic" can be elegant. She's bringing her message home in "The Spoonriver Cookbook," which she wrote with Margaret Stuart. The book shares recipes for the bright, flavorful dishes from the award-winning restaurant and the authors give a serious nod to the local growers and producers who provide its food. The collection weaves new recipes with updated favorites from their earlier collaboration, "Cafe Brenda Cookbook."

But make no mistake, "this is not a chef-y book," says the energetic Langton, who is the embodiment of her message that eating well makes you feel and look good.

A culinary pioneer for nearly 40 years, Langton and her restaurants -- Cafe Kardamena (1978), which was renamed Cafe Brenda (1986-2009), and Spoonriver (2006 to present) -- have been ahead of the curve. To bring fresh local ingredients even closer to urban kitchens, Langton founded the Mill City Farmers Market the same year she opened Spoonriver. Tucked between the Mill City Museum and flour mill ruins and the Guthrie Theater, it's a veritable garden of great local eats.

"Peggy and I wanted these recipes easy and accessible," notes Langton, a senior fellow at the University of Minnesota's Center for Health and Healing, where she also teaches classes on healthful food. "My style of food is a commitment. Sure, it requires some thought and a little time. It's also about being willing to create relationships with yourself, with the ingredients and the people who provide them.

"That's why the Mill City Market is so important to us. It's an extension of what we do," Langton said.

Her passion and profession have shaped her family's life. Husband Timothy Kane partners with her in these businesses. Their daughter, Celina, who grew up in Cafe Brenda, is a student at the University of Minnesota and often works shifts hosting at Spoonriver.

"We want people to understand how simple and good-tasting healthy eating can be. Peggy and I tried to keep it real, but that doesn't mean boring," Langton said. The recipes come to life with pictures by Minneapolis photographer Mette Nielsen.

Recipes include Wakame Cucumber Salad, Moroccan Chickpeas With Tomatoes, and combinations such as Braised Yams, Onions and Broccoli or Black Cod in Asian Broth.

"There's real energy in good food. You can feel the excitement when asparagus comes into market, or when the corn is here," Langton said.

She's not afraid to experiment with dishes. "Though fusion has gotten a bad name, I like to mix things up. We walk in so many different cultures at once, why not play with the flavors the world offers up? For example, we'll stuff Italian ravioli with an Indian spiced potato mixture and finish it with a curry sauce. Why not dabble and delight?" asked Langton.

Throughout her recipes, she offers the perspective of one who insists that food is more than taste.

"Isn't health the most important gift of all? Years ago, people understood food is medicine, they knew how to use its healing properties. There's happiness and health in fresh, delicious food," Langton said.

Beth Dooley is the author of "The Northern Heartland Kitchen."