Amy Thielen

Amy Thielen is a chef, TV cook, and two-time James Beard Award–winning writer. She is the author of "The New Midwestern Table" (2013) and host of Heartland Table on Food Network (2013–2014) and worked for celebrated New York City chefs David Bouley, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, and Daniel Boulud before moving back home to the Midwest.

Thielen speaks widely about home cooking and contributes to radio programs and magazines, including Saveur, where she’s a contributing editor. She lives with her husband, visual artist Aaron Spangler, their son, his dog, and a bunch of chickens, in Park Rapids, Minnesota.

In 2013 I wrote a review of her first book The New Midwestern Table which features over 200 recipes that show Midwestern cooking like our grandmothers used to do but with a modern freshness. Thielen's cuisine is thrifty, intuitive and seasonal. The New Midwestern Table was a cross between a memoir, a travelogue and a cookbook. Thielen is a strong writer who engages the reader with her keen sense of observation. On this posting I embraced Amy's practical side and choose a recipe from the book that I had ingredients on hand and did not require a grocery store run.  
http://sockfairies.blogspot.com/2013/11/amy-thielen.html

Amy has achieved what some might call "rock star status" in our area in central Minnesota. 
She has a devout following. Note: the creative way knives are displayed with the 3 letter I's on the book cover.

Thielen's newest book Give A Girl A Knife is a food memoir that chronicles her cooking journey from her rural Midwestern hometown to the world of New York City fine dining and back again in search of her culinary roots. The book is written in two narratives. One it is an autobiography about how food can define your life, the special moments and the every day ones. The second narrative is a about a young rural Minnesota-born couple who choose Minnesota over all other places, making some extreme but exciting sacrifices to defend and hold their dream of a "living off the land" existence in the north woods. It’s where Thielen really, truly learned to cook and to honor the way her ancestors cooked in the first place.
Amy is a gifted writer who writes vividly about food. the people who cook it and the places that are important in her life. She engages the reader with her descriptive writing as it chronicles her tenure cooking for some of the finest chefs in some of New York's most famous restaurants.

One of the best testimonials of Give A Girl A Knife is from my writing friend Niomi who says "Put this  book on the top of your book pile! It's an adventure, a love story, a quest-a memoir that reads like a novel. One aha metaphor after another. Quirky characters and lovable characters. Descriptions that transport you from the woods in MN to NYC and back. A great read and a perfect escape from TODAY!"     

Recently I had the pleasure of attending the 26th Annual Donor Society Appreciation Luncheon as guest sponsored by the Friends of the St. Paul Public Library. Amy Thielen was the keynote speaker. She delivered a witty, honest and candid presentation that endeared her to the audience. While the focus of the presentation was on her writing experiences she did spend a lot of time addressing the need for supporting libraries and how its presence can strengthen communities and bring people together. After her presentation she signed copies of her book and chatted with the guests.  

Here's what I would consider an Amy approved recipe that speaks to Midwestern cooking, a hot dish (casserole) with chicken and wild rice. I happen to know Amy and Aaron have harvested wild rice and she raises chickens. 

Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole

http://sockfairies.blogspot.com/2015/12/chicken-wild-rice-casserole.html