Food ELEVATED

Food ELEVATED won a gold medal in the cookbook category of the 2022 CIPA EVVY book awards. The book is a guide to cooking with the seasonal produce of Colorado's Front Range, offering a way to explore the state's food traditions without leaving home.

Alongside historical notes on Colorado farming, the book offers practical advice, such as how to cut a Rocky Ford cantaloupe, and suggestions for bringing more fruits, vegetables, and grains to the table. It also draws on the state's heritage, with dishes such as A Provence Picnic on the Poudre River, Morel Cream Sauce Pasta, Chupe de Elote y Papas, and Kurbis Stumfus.

The recipes follow the four seasons and aim for dishes that look and taste fresh while staying simple and refined. Its 100 recipes draw on seven cuisines, bringing color, spice, and texture to the plate. Each recipe also includes an Elevate This option, which suggests a different cuisine, garnish, or presentation for cooks who want to take a dish further.

The author, Lisa, explores the cooking of Northern Colorado in depth. Her topics include pairing pears with parsnips, the history of the sugar beet industry, and working with herbs, wild and cultivated mushrooms, indigenous beans, and purple carrots.