dsmWeekly: December 6, 2023

From left: "Still We Rise" by Erika Council; "Sweet Enough" by Alison Roman; "Start Here" by Sohla El-Waylly; "Ikoyi" by Jeremy Chan; and "The Clean Vegan Cookbook" by Jackie Akerberg.

FOOD AND DINING

Best cookbooks of 2023, according to 5 local pros

Writer: Karla Walsh

Last year when we asked local chefs and bakers to recommend their favorite cookbooks of 2022, they focused on fundamentals: flour, cornmeal, the workhorse wok and the like. This year, they’re turning a new page. Their new recommendations overflow with inspiration that can transport your taste buds to Atlanta, Africa and Asia — or to the bounty in your own backyard.

So for one of our new favorite year-end traditions, just in time for the holiday gifting season, we asked five local food pros and book experts to dish up their favorite new cookbooks from 2023.

Alisa Woods, owner of Sift n Sprinkle Bakery, swooned over “Sweet Enough” by Alison Roman. After falling in love with Roman’s recipes in the New York Times (chocolate chunk shortbread for the win!), Woods decided to treat herself to Roman’s latest dessert-focused cookbook. “Both the photos and recipes are retro but timeless,” she said. “The ingredients are listed in grams and cup measurements, and most recipes call for staples you most likely have in your pantry. ‘Sweet Enough’ reminded me that good food doesn’t have to be fussy if you use quality ingredients.”

George Formaro, chef-partner of the Orchestrate Hospitality restaurants, confirmed that “Still We Rise” by Erika Council rises to the occasion as both a cookbook and a worthwhile history lesson. “It spotlights the legacy of generations of Black cooks whose achievements are largely unrecognized,” he told us. “The book beautifully honors these culinary artisans, detailing the deep cultural significance of the ‘humble’ biscuit through narrative and scores of recipes.”

Dominic Iannarelli, executive chef at Splash Seafood and director of restaurants for both Splash and Jethro’s BBQ, has a massive cookbook library at home. He pulls out few of the books as often as his top recommendation of 2023, “Ikoyi” by Jeremy Chan. “This has some of the most refined yet bold flavors I have seen in a book in a while,” Iannarelli said. He’s particularly fond of the creamed spinach, which is great as is but also easy to modify based on your mood and the ingredients you have on hand.

Jan Kaiser, marketing and events coordinator at Beaverdale Books, gave a colorful hat tip to “The Clean Vegan Cookbook” by Des Moines’ own Jackie Ackerberg. With a subtitle that promises “60 whole food, plant-based recipes to nourish your body and soul,” this was the bookstore’s top-selling cookbook that debuted in 2023. “Our store is well known for featuring Iowa authors, and it's always great to see their books embraced by our community,” Kaiser said. “The photos in the book are so enticing!”

Keri Jacobson, a librarian at Des Moines Public Library’s north side location, has a reputation among her co-workers as DMPL’s resident cookbook aficionado. For beginning and experienced cooks alike, especially those who loved Samin Nosrat’s “Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat,” she recommended “Start Here” by Sohla El-Waylly. As Jacobson put it, “El-Waylly’s greatly anticipated first cookbook encourages learning basic techniques and building from there and embraces mistakes and substitutions.” (To get specific, start right here: Try the creative pistachio ranch fun dip.)

If you’d prefer to try before you buy, you’re in great company. For a little bonus kitchen inspiration, here are the top 5 most frequently checked-out 2023 cookbooks at the Des Moines Public Library’s six locations:
“Dinner with the President” by Alex Prud’homme
“Love and Lemons: Simple Feel-Good Food” by Jeanine Donofrio
“Magnolia Table, Vol. 3” by Joanna Gaines
“Baking Yesteryear” by B. Dylan Hollis
“Everyday Bread” from America’s Test Kitchen

Luminaries will light up the trail to guide you on your walk. Photo: Filip Mroz via Unsplash

BEST BET

Take a hike! Or just a casual walk

One way to keep the winter blues at bay is to spend some time outdoors. Des Moines Parks and Recreation will host two Luminary Hikes at 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday, before the temps dip too far below freezing. Bundle up and meet your fellow metro residents at Mahaffey Shelter, located at 3230 Easton Blvd., to start the walk. There’s no snow in the forecast (in fact, Friday calls for temps in the 50s) but if you want to play the 1934 hit “Winter Wonderland” while you stroll, nobody’s stopping you. You’ll find hot cocoa waiting for you and a trail of nature-themed illuminated lanterns to lead you through the park.

The Week Ahead

Capital City Pride: Storytellers (6 p.m. Wednesday): Local residents share their stories for this series at the Temple Theater. In the next installment, the audience will learn about the lived experiences of people with disabilities.

“All is Calm,” (through Dec. 17): The Des Moines Playhouse musical tells the true story of the so-called Christmas Truce of 1914, when Allied and German soldiers in World War I emerged from their trenches to share an extraordinary day of camaraderie, music and peace.

“The Nutcracker,”(various times): Ballet Des Moines and the Iowa Dance Theater present two of several area stagings of the classic fairy tale about a girl named Clara, her dream and an enchanted kitchen gadget, all in the gilded splendor of Hoyt Sherman Place and the Des Moines Civic Center.

“A Christmas Carol,” (opening Friday, through Dec. 17): Iowa Stage Theatre Co. revives the classic cautionary tale with help from the award-winning scenic designer Jay Jagim at the Des Moines Civic Center’s Stoner Theater.

Learn to Skate (10:30 a.m. Saturday): Skating coach Darlene Lewis leads a lesson at Brenton Skating Plaza. Classes are available to skaters of all skill levels and ages, from 4 years on up, but attendees need to register in advance. If you can’t make it this week, don’t worry; classes pick back up in January.

Peppermint Trail (10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday): The Avenues of Ingersoll & Grand and the Roosevelt Cultural District ring in the holiday shopping season this weekend. Hop on a trolley for a ride around the blocks, where you can enjoy special sales at local businesses, decorate a gingerbread house, chat with Santa and donate to Toys for Tots. Check out the vendors and trolley map here.

Puppy Yoga (11 a.m. Sunday): Who can help you stretch into a downward dog pose better than some cute puppies? The rescue pups from AHeinz57 and yoga instructors from Power Life lead a 45-minute class this weekend at Paws and Pints. Tickets are $10, and you’ll need to bring your own mat. If you fall in puppy love, you can even take one of the adoptable puppies home.

FOOD AND DINING
New in WDM: Derek Eidson of Django and Pete Faber of Barn Town Brewing are teaming up to bring the flavors and traditions of Northwoods supper clubs to West Des Moines. Their new venture, Guesthouse Tavern & Oyster, will open in January at 9500 University Ave. and serve supper club classics found in Wisconsin and Minnesota with their own Des Moines twists. Barn Town recently hosted a Guesthouse pop-up menu test, featuring fresh lobster rolls, pierogi and oysters. The lobster rolls sold out within an hour, and the pierogi not long after. Stay up to date on opening plans and future pop-ups through Guesthouse’s Facebook.

ARTS AND CULTURE
Art Center talks: Over the years, the Des Moines Art Center has hosted conversations with some of the world’s leading artists. An ever-growing archive of recorded videos offers quite a range of speakers and topics, including two recent additions from Liza Lou, whose mind-boggling, bead-covered kitchen is on display through Jan. 14 in the exhibition “Transform Any Room,” and Hank Willis Thomas, who discussed his monumental public artworks in the 33rd edition of the Fingerman Lecture series, which is underwritten by Lois and the late Louis Fingerman.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS
Shows coming to Des Moines:Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives featuring Country Music Hall of Famer, five-time Grammy winner, and AMA Lifetime Achievement honoree Marty Stuart will perform at Hoyt Sherman Place on Feb. 24. Tickets go on sale Friday.
“Dude Dad Live!” stars Taylor Calmus, a Colorado-based video creator who has become a viral sensation through his family-based comedy videos and in Magnolia Network’s "Super Dad," in which he helps other dads make their kids’ backyard dreams come true. He’ll bring his comedy to Hoyt Sherman Place on March 17.
“MJ,” (pictured) the Tony-winning musical about Michael Jackson’s 1992 “Dangerous World Tour,” gets a tour of its own and comes to the Des Moines Civic Center April 30-May 5.

HOME AND GARDEN
HDA finalists announced: We’re excited to reveal our 2024 dsm Home Design Award finalists in the Architecture, New Construction, and Vacation Home categories. Join us in congratulating ALT Design Studio, Caliber Homes, Design2Build, Hal Davis, Jeid Studio, Kimberley Development Corp., La Bar Properties Inc., MainBuilt Custom Homes, Prairie Provencal Home and Sage Homes Inc. View all the finalist projects online, and look out for the winners to be announced during our Home Design Awards event Feb. 27.

Chiyo Nishida at Funky Finds Vintage & Retro. They often browse through to snag perfect secondhand items. They like to thrift most of their clothing from shops around the metro. Photo: Duane Tinkey.

PEOPLE AND COMMUNITY

Meet Chiyo Nishida, a Ballet Des Moines dancer

Writer: Hailey Allen

Chiyo Nishida was born in San Jose, California, but by middle school they’d made the leap across the Pacific to live with their mom in Osaka, Japan. After coming back to the states to attend college in Indiana, they moved to Iowa to join Ballet Des Moines. Nishida is also nonbinary, and uses they/them pronouns. They shared their favorite places to grab a bite, take a stroll and have fun around the city.

Ballet Des Moines: Nishida said they enjoy working there because of the company’s diversity and the shows it produces with artistic director Tom Mattingly. “Ballet is stereotypically a very gendered sport, but Tom does a good job creating space for me and for everyone to feel safe and welcome.” Nishida will perform in the company’s annual production of “The Nutcracker” this weekend at Hoyt Sherman Place.

Bar Nico: “To me, it feels a little bit hidden,” Nishida said of the Mexican eatery in the East Village. They pointed out that the entire menu is gluten free, which is unusual. Nishida likes to grab a seat at the bar and chat with the bartender.

John and Mary Pappajohn Sculpture Park: On nice days, Nishida enjoys walking around the park and its world-class art collection. “It’s a place in the city where you can just exist and be yourself. There are no expectations,” Nishida said. “I like to get a coffee and read books in the sun.”

Read Nishida’s full list of recommendations and learn more about them in our November/December print issue.