Kitchens of the Great Midwest

Kitchens of the Great Midwest reflects the American Midwest’s culinary traditions and social dynamics. The Midwest, often depicted as the heartland of the United States, is known for its agricultural richness and diverse food culture. The Midwest, being a cultural and ethnic melting pot, is a hub for diverse gastronomy, drawing influences primarily from Central, Northern, and Eastern Europe, as well as indigenous American culinary culture. The novel encapsulates the essence of Midwestern cuisine, emphasizing hearty and comforting dishes such as burritos, Norwegian lutefisk, spicy chicken, and more, which are rooted in the region’s agriculture, fishing, and livestock heritage. Will Prager explores walleye fish with Eva, a native Midwestern species featured on many local menus. Eva incorporates golden bantam corn into her succotash, an heirloom variety with roots in early 20th-century European migration to the Midwest. Jordy, driven by both tradition and economic constraints, frequently indulges in venison sourced through his hunting expeditions during the hunting season. This practice mirrors the lifestyle of many rural Midwesterners who opt to harvest their own food, valuing its freshness straight from the source.

Kitchens of the Great Midwest delves into the centrality of family and friendships in the American Midwest, exploring of the impact of culinary traditions on social connections. The novel unfolds against the backdrop of Midwestern towns and cities, particularly focusing on rural locations where close bonds are formed within communities. Social gatherings, often centered around food, become a platform for characters to navigate their interconnected lives. From neighborhood potlucks to culinary competitions, Sunday night dinner parties to extravagant suppers, Stradal’s narrative highlights the communal bonds formed through shared meals and the unique role of food in shaping social interactions.

Moreover, the novel explores the evolving food scene in the Midwest, reflecting broader culinary trends in contemporary America. Eva Thorvald and the many other characters navigate various culinary landscapes, from local fairs to high-end dining experiences, spicy wing joints to romantic restaurants, church bake sales to dogmatic national food competitions, providing a lens into the changing tastes and preferences within the region. Stradal highlights both tension between the traditional and the highbrow, such as when Pat’s bars are criticized for their ingredients, but also the potential for harmony, as Eva achieves with her innovative yet regional cooking.

Alongside this tension, Eva Thorvald’s journey from childhood to culinary fame becomes a lens through which Stradal examines the challenges of social mobility in the Midwest, as most of the other characters remain on the edge of poverty. The storyline explores the dynamics of parent-child relationships, exemplified in Jordy, a wandering hunter profoundly affected by the traumatic loss of his mother, leading him into an addiction to oxycodone. This narrative serves as a reflection of the ongoing opioid epidemic, which continues to impact the United States, claiming the lives of hundreds of thousands, especially within the Midwest.