The Kansas Wheat Commission annual recipe booklet has been a tradition that has gone on for the past 58 years, representing Kansas as the wheat state and Breadbasket of America.
Although the state fair was canceled this year, books are still available. If you would like the physical copy, you may request it at nationalfestivalofbreads.com. There will be a direct link on the home page for you to easily access. If you would like to view the book online, you may visit nationalfestivalofbreads.com/2020recipes. This will bring you to the page showing all 18 recipes, as well as a link to download the book itself. Your local extension office may also have a supply that you may pick up.
While many people are excited to get their book, we love to hear some of the reasons behind their excitement. For some, it’s adding it to a collection that they’ve had for many years, and others it’s using the recipes from the book to get a purple ribbon at the county fair baking contest. We hope everyone who gets their hands on a book enjoys the recipes as much as the two ladies behind the book enjoyed creating and testing them.
Cindy Falk, Kansas Wheat Nutrition Educator, and Julene DeRouchey, Kansas Wheat Nutrition Educator Assistant, spend endless hours testing recipes, some several times each, to make sure they will be successful.
"We take pride in knowing our recipes are well tested," said Falk. One of their favorite parts is pulling vintage recipes that are meaningful and testing them to change a few ingredients to make them flavorful, more nutritious and easier to prepare. That was one of the main goals this year, as they found their inspiration from recipe archives.
The success of this book has been the dedication of past and present home economists, nutritionists and part-time assistants working in the Kansas Wheat Commission test kitchen. For the last several years, Falk and DeRouchey have been creating the book, with this being Falk’s 33rd, and DeRouchey’s sixth consecutive year. Not only did they master the recipes, they also did the baking, food styling and photography that you see in this year’s book and several of the past recipe books.
"From appetizers to desserts, we want these recipes to become family favorites," said DeRouchey. That’s what motivates them to make the book perfect each year.
While some of the recipes come from an old family favorite or a recipe book blast-from-the-past, every other year features winning recipes from the National Festival of Breads. This is where finalists’ talents are showcased and shared with others. We invite you to request the free 2020 recipe book and enjoy the variety of recipes made from flour and ingredients produced by Kansas wheat farmers. To get your book, visit nationalfestivalofbreads.com.
