FoodReference.com (since 1999)
BOOK REVIEW SECTION

 You are here > Home > 

Next

Home Grown Indiana:
A Food Lover's Guide to Good Eating in the Hoosier State

by Christine Barbour and Scott Hutcheson

Description
Home Grown Indiana is an essential guide to the foremost sources of local foods in Indiana. Highlighting more than 400 producers, restaurants, farmers' markets, winemakers, brewers, and food festivals, this book is not only an enjoyable read, but an excellent companion during a weekend drive in the country, a day out with the family, or a holiday food-shopping expedition. Recipes from chefs who put local foods at the heart of their cooking provide inspirational ideas for what to do with the bounty you bring home.

In addition to the 177 lively profiles of Hoosiers who produce fabulous food in Indiana, Home Grown Indiana discusses topical issues such as grass-fed beef, raw milk, and pastured poultry and eggs. Indiana residents who love flavorful food will want to own this insightful and entertaining guide.

Review
I have been eagerly awaiting the release of this book for a few months. My copy arrived this morning and I can enthusiastically say, "The wait was worth it and the book is even more than I had hoped it would be!"

The book is divided into seven regions. For each region Christine Barbour and Scott Hutcheson introduce the reader to Indiana places where food is produced with a personal and local touch. They go far beyond the basic facts (e.g., address, website URL, hours, etc.) and introduce the reader to the people that put heart and soul into their product and the places that make that food homegrown.

The book feels polished and complete in large part because of the way it is indexed. The book closes with a list of recipes, an index by county, and an index by product.

The paper is crisp and the clarity of the typeface is clear and easy to read. The text fills the pages but with adequate space in the margins for making notes. The page edges are coded to make it easy to locate the section pertaining to a specific region of the state. Within each region the main entries are arranged alphabetically making it easy to look up the hours of a favorite producer.
S Keeton, NW Indiana (Amazon.com)

About the Authors
Christine Barbour teaches American politics and the politics of food at Indiana University, Bloomington. She is food editor of Bloom Magazine and founding member and co-director of Slow Food Bloomington. She is author (with Scott Feickert) of Indiana Cooks! (IUP, 2005). Barbour lives in Bloomington, Indiana.
     Scott Hutcheson, a senior associate for economic development at Purdue University, writes for Indianapolis Monthly, is author of an award-winning syndicated newspaper column, The Hungry Hoosier, and is a writer and producer for Across Indiana. He lives in Lebanon, Indiana