Madison County Cookbook is a taste of cooking from the 'heart' of the Heartland -- Madison County, Iowa. Madison County is also the birthplace of John Wayne and the home of the picturesque Covered Bridges, the locale for the popular Bridges of Madison County by Robert Waller. Madison County Cookbook is an effort spearheaded by the members of St. Joseph's Parish and friends in Madison County, offering a unique look at a small community where the simple values of faith, family, and friends have not been forgotten. Madison County Cookbook was written to celebrate food, families, friends, and festivals. Here you will find recipes that are family favorites reflective of the heartland, an amalgam of different nationalities which have been passed down from one generation to another and evoke warm and happy memories when served to family and special guests. Over five hundred different recipes are featured, often with a story behind them. Many are old fashioned down-home country recipes starting from scratch; others come from ethnic backgrounds. A wide spectrum is included: applesauce cake to marinade for pork chops, meatless main dishes, decadent desserts, homemade breads...many of them used in family festivals and on holidays. Book jacket.

Two Des Moines women, Courtney Work and Jane Hemminger, an illustrator and food consultant respectively, were selected for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to become food prop caterers for the food scenes in the Warner Brothers film, The Bridges of Madison County. Knowledgeable in the culinary habits of Iowans, Courtney and Jane chronicle their experiences in Madison County on these pages. The authors present here each of the recipes they prepared, along with Courtney's illustrations depicting intimate scenes from the film. The dishes that Francesca prepared for Robert and the "comfort foods" she made for her family are juxtaposed with menus updated for today. These appealing, innovative, kitchen-tested recipes will tempt the palate of all who seek passion in their own lives. Whether it's 1960's cuisine from a steamy Winterset, Iowa, or quicker, more healthful fare from today, you can create delectable flavors and entrancing scenes - and maybe even turn up the heat in your own kitchen.