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    Kitchens of the Great Midwest: A Novel
    Unavailable
    Kitchens of the Great Midwest: A Novel
    Unavailable
    Kitchens of the Great Midwest: A Novel
    Audiobook10 hours

    Kitchens of the Great Midwest: A Novel

    Written by J. Ryan Stradal

    Narrated by Amy Ryan and Michael Stuhlbarg

    4/5

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    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    Kitchens of the Great Midwest is a novel about a young woman with a once-in-a-generation palate who becomes the iconic chef behind the country's most coveted dinner reservation. It was selected as a best book of the year by Amazon, BookPage, LibraryReads, and NPR. 

    When Lars Thorvald's wife, Cynthia, falls in love with wine--and a dashing sommelier--he's left to raise their baby, Eva, on his own. He's determined to pass on his love of food to his daughter--starting with puréed pork shoulder. As Eva grows, she finds her solace and salvation in the flavors of her native Minnesota. From Scandinavian lutefisk to hydroponic chocolate habaneros, each ingredient represents one part of Eva's journey as she becomes the star chef behind a legendary and secretive pop-up supper club, culminating in an opulent and emotional feast that's a testament to her spirit and resilience.

    Each chapter in J. Ryan Stradal's startlingly original debut tells the story of a single dish and character, at once capturing the zeitgeist of the Midwest, the rise of foodie culture, and delving into the ways food creates community and a sense of identity. By turns quirky, hilarious, and vividly sensory, Kitchens of the Great Midwest is an unexpected mother-daughter story about the bittersweet nature of life--its missed opportunities and its joyful surprises. It marks the entry of a brilliant new talent.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateJul 28, 2015
    ISBN9780698402973
    Unavailable
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    Reviews for Kitchens of the Great Midwest

    4/5

    313 ratings57 reviews

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    • 3/5
      Enjoyable book, very well written. Might not have been so confusing if it wasn't an audiobook.
    • 5/5
      Absolutely fantastic. Will definitely be seeking out Stradal's future work. A favorite, for sure!
    • 3/5
      I had mixed feelings about this one. It was the story of people connected to the life of a chef that you never really get to know. There were a few moments of cringe, but it was fun to listen to anyway.
    • 5/5
      I liked this until I finished it and then I loved it! Unique, quirky, and very Minnesotan this book screams upper Midwest. If you live here you’ll see all the people you know in this clever novel. Loved how the author poked fun at today’s ultra foodie scene and especially how wonderfully he wrapped this story up. Looking forward to his new book.
    • 4/5
      I really enjoyed this novel. It started slow, with an interesting premise, which turned into a different sort of novel entirely. I especially loved the setting - all the references to different placesEach chapter is written as a separate story. Only the second chapter, The Chocolate Habanero, is from Eva Thorsvald's perspective. All the other chapters are written from people she encounters and touches. The book manages to sit at that point of being overly sweet, but always staying grounded in reality. I feel like the characters could be people I know in real life. The ending of the book, while a bit over the top, does bring closure to all the people from Eva's life.
    • 5/5
      This was very fun to read. Nicely put together and well-written with clear Midwestern tones throughout, for better and for worse. A lovely lot of intertwined character sketches that captured a variety of types of people in varying stages of life.
    • 4/5
      Dieses Buch beschreibt die Lebensgeschichte der einzigartigen Köchin Eva Thorvald. Die Erzählweise ist interessant, denn jedes Kapitel wird aus einer völlig anderen Sicht geschrieben. Plötzlich taucht dann eine Person auf, die man aus einem früheren Kapitel kennt und es ist, als würde man unerwartet einen alten Freund treffen. Allerdings führt die Erzählweise auch dazu, dass man weniger Beziehung zu den einzelnen Personen entwickelt, als es eigentlich in der Regel der Fall ist. Ich mochte das Buch definitiv sehr und es ist zudem eine wunderschöne Liebeserklärung an das Kochen.
    • 4/5
      Eva Thorvald grows up in the American Midwest, poor and confused as to why her parents do not share her subtle palate or joy in cooking and eating. The book charts her story out of poverty and into the stratosphere of famous chef, and the family and friends that surround her.It took me two years, and multiple tries to finally get into this book and read it, though it did eventually grow on me. Though too self-conscious of its 90s setting (lots of forced references to bands and labels thrown in, though I did smile in spite of myself at Manic Panic hair dye mention) and foodie credentials (a detailed 5-course menu with wine pairings, really?) for my taste I did eventually come around to Eva and her motley crew of friends and relatives. Stradal shows promise as an author, and with a more ruthless editor, this could have been a better book.
    • 4/5
      A fun read. A lot of characters that were all woven in at the end. Made me hungry.
    • 5/5
      fiction. [reviewed from uncorrected galley] Excellent; the recent attention/raves are well deserved.
    • 4/5
      Oh, literary fiction, you are so not my bag any more. However, this book has engaging characters, a habit of cliffhanger endings that pull the reader along, and a food focus that isn't afraid to test assumptions. Very well done.
    • 3/5
      When Eva Thorvald was a baby her mother walked out, and then her father died.. she was raised by her Aunt Fiona (who died when Eva was 14) and her Uncle Jarl. Eva has a thing for chili peppers and the hotter the better, which she grows in her closet. She loves good food & eventually becomes a chef with her own exclusive private dining venue...Lives come together & diverge... and at last Eva is destined to meet her mother; or is she?The book was a very interesting premise and held my interest. What it didn't do was endear me to any of the characters except, Pat, of the prize winning Peanut Butter Bars... Everyone else meant little to me, including Eva, as she was mostly an enigma.
    • 4/5
      As a displaced Minnesotan, this book hit all my homesickness buttons. As other reviews have noted, the book is not told from its 'protagonist's' point of view. It was a little disconcerting at first because the narration and POV jumped around so much, but I just got so invested in the stories of everyone whose lives intersected with Eva's, that after a while it didn't matter. It's almost as though the author sat down with her friends and family and said, "So, how do you know Eva?" and the chapters that follow are the result of that question. It's quite a novel (ha!) way to write a story, and if you can get on board with it, you'll probably like it. Also, as noted, it probably helps if you've spent time in Minnesota. I didn't like this one as much as his second book (The Lager Queen of Minnesota) but it was still really good.
    • 4/5
      By chapter, different members of a family and friend group have their intertwined stories revealed. All end up centering on Eva. The daughter of a chef father and sommelier mother, she's effectively orphaned as an infant when her mother leaves and her father dies. Raised by her aunt and uncle, she grows up to be a fabulous, sought-after and unusually creative chef. In and out of her story are cousins, friends and strangers, all of whom supply important elements of her story. Pleasant and well-paced, I think this could also be a good choice for book clubs.
    • 5/5
      Best novel i have read in a long time...i cannot wait to read his new novel.
    • 5/5
      One woman's journey from infancy to becoming a famous chef is told in a unique way. We see her story through the eyes of the people she meets, a teenage crush, a parent, etc. The descriptions of food are mouthwatering!
    • 4/5
      This was a very good read, it was well written but you really had to pay attention to the details at the beginning of each chapter. It purposely jumped ahead in time without letting you know where or with who. The only thing I disliked was the chapter with Adams brother, it was sad and if I could have avoided reading that part of the book I would have!! I also have a new recipe for succotash.
    • 4/5
      Audiobook narrated by Amy Ryan and Michael StuhlbargFrom the book jacket: Midwestern chef Lars Thorvald has three loves in his life: his kitchen; his wife, Cynthia; and his newborn daughter, Eva. He devotes his life to sharing his passions with his only child, starting with pureed pork shoulder. Eva is blessed with a once-in-a-generation palate, and ultimately becomes the mysterious chef behind the most sought-after dinner reservation in the country.My reactions:A debut novel that shows the writer’s promise. The story is told in roughly chronological order, but each chapter is told from the perspective of a different character. Each of these characters has some connection to Eva, though sometimes the connection is barely mentioned within that chapter. Still, through all these characters we get to know Eva: resilient, talented, intelligent, private, loyal to her friends, a nurturer, and amazingly well-grounded despite her somewhat chaotic upbringing. All these different storylines converge in the final chapter: The Dinner, in which Eva uses her creative cooking to share the story of her life. I look forward to Stradal’s next work. I listened to the audiobook, which was capably performed by Amy Ryan (voicing the female narrators’ chapters) and Michael Stuhlbarg (voicing the male characters’ chapters). This certainly helped this listener feel a little less disoriented with the shifting perspectives. However, while I’d rate their performance on audio at 4****, I think this style of storytelling is best enjoyed in a text format.
    • 4/5
      Nicht berührende nur eine Geschichte über das Leben, sondern auch über die Küche. Die Hauptprotagonistin Eva Thorvald verliert ihre Familie. Nach vielen Jahren macht sich ihre Mutter auf die Suche ...
    • 4/5
      Being from Minnesota this book had me from the first chapter, "Lutefisk." The combination of the Midwest setting and all the food descriptions and recipes made it hard for me to put this book down. I enjoyed the unusual structure of the novel in which each character narrated a different chapter to tell the story of Eva Thorvold. I would highly recommend it.

      Thank you Netgalley for giving me an advance reader copy in exchange for a review.
    • 5/5
      J. Ryan Stradal's novel Kitchens of the Great Midwest received a great deal of buzz at last year's Book Expo of America (BEA) and for good reason: it's one terrific book.It's also hard to describe, there is not a lot I can compare it to. His voice is unique, and the way in which he tells the story of young Eva, a girl with an incredible ability to be able to eat the hottest, spiciest foods imaginable, is spellbinding.When you read Kitchens of the Great Midwest, you think you know where it is going, and then Stradal takes the reader on a detour. For awhile, you are not even quite sure whose story he is going to be telling, but you sit back and enjoy the ride.The story is set in Minnesota, where a mixed race marriage is considered one between a Norwegian and a Dane. We think the story is about Lars, a chef who falls in love with Cynthia, who wants to be a sommelier. They have a daughter, Eva, whom Lars absolutely dotes upon.Then we skip ahead eleven years to find Eva on the brink of adolescence. She grows hot peppers at home and gets a job working in a restaurant. She doesn't really fit in with her peers.You just get comfortable with Eva, and we jump ahead to Braque, Eva's single-mindedly athletic cousin. Will this be Braque's story then? It doesn't really matter, the book is that consuming.Each chapter has the name of a food- Chocolate Habanero, Walleye, Sweet Pepper Jelly-culminating with the Dinner chapter where the story comes full circle. There are some terrific recipes in the book, including some for county fair dessert bar contestants like Mississippi Mud Bars and Pat Prager's Peanut Butter Bars which had won five times. (I will be trying both of these.)For someone who only knows Minnesota from The Mary Tyler Moore Show, I like how this novel immerses you in the culture, the language, the people and the food of the region. It's Stradal's love letter to his home.We get to know Eva's story through the people around her, much like we got to know Olive Kittridge through the stories of the people in her orbit in Elizabeth Strout's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. Eva is somewhat inscrutable, but also incredibly interesting.If you are willing to try a book that is a little bit different, you will be rewarded with fascinating characters in a story that stays with you for a long time. I highly recommend it.
    • 4/5
      This is a kind of unique novel, with each chapter from a different POV. The first chapter is from the perspective of a chef whose wife has left him, along with their baby girl, for a sommelier and a life not tied down by family. The second chapter is from the perspective of that baby girl, Eva, who is now an eleven-year-old.Even though Eva truly is the main character of the book, that's the only chapter we see through her eyes; the rest of the chapters are about people who encounter her, sometimes in profound but sometimes in only tangential ways. Each chapter (aside from the last, which brings things together) also focuses on an ingredient or food item that will prove important to Eva in some way during her journey from an awkward misfit to a highly sought after but elusive celebrity chef.I enjoyed this. It's uneven in a way, as I quite disliked a few of the viewpoint characters, so reading their POV was not as enjoyable as I would have liked. But I very much admire the way the author put this story together, and it's quite satisfying.
    • 4/5
      A pleasant and entertaining book, but a bit too whimsical for my taste. (The problem may be that I don't care enough about food.)
    • 4/5
      Great series of interconnected stories set in Minnesota, Iowa, and ending on a hill top in South Dakota
    • 5/5
      KITCHENS OF THE GREAT MIDWEST by J. Ryan Stradal revolves around Eva Louise Thorvald, the only child from the brief marriage of a chef and a sommelier. The reader meets Eva as an infant, follows up with her as a preteen, catches a glimpse of her during her teen years, and then finishes the reader's relationship with her as Eva settles into her 20s. Stradal tells Eva's story in a manner reminiscent of a short story collection, and with each chapter she is viewed largely through the eyes of people whose lives she touches as she navigates the world. As one would expect from a character with a "once-in-a-generation palate," Eva's interactions with others are largely food-focused, and the author happily includes a few recipes for those inclined to try out the food that sounds so delicious on the page.KITCHENS is a beautifully written bit of fiction that manages to make the reader pause and think about the meaning of family, the importance of community and friends, and the role food plays in our lives. It somehow does all of that without being overbearing and stuffy. For a time I wanted the entire book to be completely from Eva's perspective, but I think something would have been lost if the author had gone that route. Twenty-something-Eva is a mysterious and elusive character, and the author's method added to that. As I finished KITCHENS, I was left wanting more of Eva and her food--much like the characters in the book.
    • 3/5
      This book chronicles the life of Eva Thorvald, a woman who becomes one of the greatest chef's in the country that runs a pop up dinner night. Only one short part of the story is told from Eva's point of view; most of the story is told from the point of view of people she interacts with and not always people she interacts with in a very direct way, like the mother of an old high school boyfriend that enters a baking contest where Eva is a judge. This allows the book to make some statements about food and dining as well.

      To me the most interesting things in the book are the day to day lives of the characters. The author does a great job showing all the different personalities and lives of various characters. I wanted to know more about everybody and sometimes was sad that I didn't get to learn more about what happened to various characters. The character that remains the most elusive by the end is Eva herself as the narrators become further removed from Eva's day to day personal life. I know this book is supposed to be all about the food and there is definitely a lot said here about foodie culture and cooking and it's definitely interesting in that respect, but what really made this an enjoyable for me was the people.
    • 4/5
      This is a series of short stories, or vignettes that all feature a central character, Eva Thorvald, from infancy to adulthood. The stories are all told from a different point of view and many characters in one story, might not appear again in the book. None of the stories are told from Eva's point of view, so it's interesting to gradually develop a character through other people's eyes. As many people have commented, there is much that goes unsaid in this book. If you want a story without loose ends then this is probably not the book for you. But if you want a book with humor, a little bit of pathos, and a foodie focus, then this is a great read. I loved the stereotypes around midwestern comfort food and the ultra hip foodie crowd. Definitely entertaining!
    • 4/5
      I loved this book. I so love books about food.
    • 5/5
      Really enjoyed this - better than the title (and the cover) implies! There are delicious food descriptions, but I think the strength of this story lies in the beautiful character development and Midwest roots. We meet Eva as a baby who experiences early loss but grows from a somewhat awkward child to a magnificent chef. Colorful family members, interesting cultural references. J. Ryan Stradal executed pivoting chapters and shifting points of view very gracefully. This is a great "palate cleanser" novel when you just don't know what to read next.
    • 4/5
      This book was on my radar because I enjoy books with a foody theme. In Kitchens of the Great Midwest, Eva Thorvald is the main character and yet she features very little in the book. It's an interesting plot device as Eva is, essentially, the link that brings together a series of stories. We start the book when Eva is a baby and is introduced to food by her father, Lars, and move through her life via people who come into contact with her, such as her cousin, her boyfriend's brother etc.I started this book not feeling at all sure it was going to be my kind of thing but then I got drawn into it and ended up loving it. I wished at the end that I had paid a little more attention to who everybody was as the final chapter is a bit of a masterpiece of plotting. Although I was always looking for Eva in each chapter, I got pulled into each individual story to the point where it was hard then to move onto the next. I thought this was a great book.