From The Denver Post:
Denver Post Editor’s note: We asked Michele Morris, author of “Tasting Colorado,” to share her experiences with the state’s chefs as she wrote and photographed her new cookbook.
While it’s easy to point to some iconic Colorado ingredients — lamb, bison, peaches and chiles — it’s more difficult to put your finger on exactly what defines the exciting food scene that has blossomed in our state over the past decade. But with an assignment to write a cookbook showcasing the best of what Colorado has to offer, that was precisely my mission.
The first thing I discovered in writing “Tasting Colorado” is that while, in many ways, our food scene has evolved quite dramatically, it has also held firm to its roots.
Cowboy Corn Cakes. (Michele Morris, “Tasting Colorado”)
You can still experience the Old West at a dude ranch here, but chances are you’ll be treated to some upscale cuisine after trail ride.
Colorado’s mountain resorts still lure skiers to their slopes for fun in the snow and sun, but instead of simple cafeteria food, you can choose to dine at the Alpenglow Stube, an elegant restaurant at the top of North Peak at Keystone Resort.
Restaurants like The Fort in Morrison and The Buckhorn Exchange in Denver are still popular for bison and game. However, alongside these classics you can now find world-class Italian food at Frasca in Boulder and Panzano in Denver, innovative Latin-influenced food by chef Richard Sandoval at Tamayo and creative fusion cuisine from ChoLon.
Mahi Mahi Ceviche. (Michele Morris, “Tasting Colorado”)
Perhaps what left the biggest impact on me during my research for the cookbook was not what defines our cuisine, but how we feel about our food. Coloradans care deeply about where their food comes from. And when it comes to featuring locally grown food, Colorado chefs shine.
I met chefs who have forged strong ties with local farmers and discovered restaurants that tout those relationships on their ever-changing seasonal menus. In the summer along the Front Range, elaborate farm dinners in the field happen right down the street from restaurants offering fine dining.
Buffalo Redeye Stew. (Michele Morris, “Tasting Colorado”)
Many of the chefs who contributed to the book — like Hosea Rosenberg of Blackbelly and Alex Seidel of Fruition — have launched their own farm operations and built a synergistic relationship between their farm and their restaurant. And although Seidel joked that “doesn’t all food come from a farm and end up on a table?” clearly our chefs are quite serious about their food sources.
I began my own culinary career alongside the evolving Colorado restaurant industry. Wanting to do something with my passion for food and wine, I launched Cooking with Michele in 2006 to provide private cooking lessons and lead cooking dinner parties. I also began writing for local magazines Edible Front Range and Colorado Homes & Lifestyles, and began a food blog ( cookingwithmichele.com), learning how to style and photograph food along the way.
While I had always dreamed of writing a cookbook, it’s actually quite hard to break into that market today without some element of celebrity. So when Farcountry Press approached me to write “Tasting Colorado,” I signed on immediately.
Chocolate Cherry Mousse. (Michele Morris, “Tasting Colorado”)
I first spent three months researching chefs from restaurants, hotels, B&Bs, ranches, and resorts across the state to include in the book. As I ventured around the state to meet with chefs, I was consistently struck by how open they were to sharing their creations.
After gathering the recipes came the detailed process of editing. Every chef has his or her own way of writing a recipe, but I needed to make the recipes consistent for the book, as well as adjust things like reducing banquet volumes to a typical family serving size, or addressing high-altitude issues. In the process I had to ensure that the ingredients and recipe instructions would be accessible for the average home cook.
Once the recipes were edited, it was time to cook. For three months, enthusiastic volunteers joined me in the kitchen to test four to six recipes in a day.
As we finished a dish, it was moved to my “studio,” where I styled the food and photographed the dish. That studio was actually the sunny southwest corner of my family room where I set up a card table, tripod, various pieces of wood backdrops, and a vast array of dishes, fabrics and other props.
During the final phase of production, I spent months working with the publisher to edit the manuscript, design the cookbook layout, and prepare the photos for the book before sending it out for printing.
My sister, photographer Janine Fugere, shot the Colorado scenery photos in the book. And to round out the family experience, my daughter Jenny, a graduate from the Escoffier culinary school in Boulder who is interning at The Modern, a Michelin-starred restaurant in Manhattan, contributed the Tequila Lime Salsa recipe.
Creating a cookbook is always a labor of love. But for me, this cookbook is much more than that; it’s my love letter to Colorado and to the inspiring chefs who keep turning out interesting and original food. I feel lucky to live and dine in Colorado.
Michele Morris is a Denver-based cooking teacher, caterer and food writer. She may be reached through her website, cookingwithmichele.com.