Book Notes | ‘In Winter’s Kitchen’
In Winter’s Kitchen, first published in 2016, is part memoir and part guidebook. It explores the local food movement in the Upper Midwest, winter eating, cultural and environmental awareness, and the farm-to-fork journey. It is a story about discovering community-based agriculture and finding delicious, healthy food even during winter.
The book’s chapters are loosely organized around the contents of a Thanksgiving dinner: apples, wheat, potatoes, beans and carrots, sweet potatoes, cranberries, chestnuts, corn, cheese and butter, turkey, and wild rice.
Each chapter visits a local producer or producers of a food item, and delves into the production and challenges faced to produce a quality and healthy item. Each chapter also contains autobiographical information about Dooley that is woven into the fabric of the book.
At the end of the book there are recipes for that could be used for a Thanksgiving dinner.
Dooley is the author or co-author of numerous books. She collaborated with chef, author, and educator Sean Sherman to create The Sioux Chef’s Indigenous Kitchen, which won the 2018 James Beard Best American Cookbook award.
She was the guest speaker for the September 2025 UMRA forum, when she talked about her personal journey in thinking about food.
The members of UMRA’s Book Club I generally enjoyed In Winter’s Kitchen, and came away with a greater appreciation for choosing to buy organic and locally sourced food.
—Kathryn Sedo, UMRA Book Club I
‘In Winter’s Kitchen’ by Beth Dooley
Fri, Jun 19, 2026, 2pm
UMRA’s Book Club I will discuss In Winter’s Kitchen by Beth Dooley when it meets via Zoom at 2 p.m. on Friday, June 19. Kathryn Sedo will lead the discussion.
Dooley is a food writer who has published six cookbooks and has often appeared as a guest on Minnesota Public Radio. Her emphasis is on local food sources in Minnesota and western Wisconsin. Each chapter focuses on an ingredient for a Thanksgiving feast, from apples to wild rice (and, of course, the turkey).
The author obviously loves cooking, and she makes a convincing argument that it is more satisfactory to use local products than it is to use quick and easy prepared food.
Dooley was the guest speaker for the September 2025 UMRA forum, when she talked about her personal journey in thinking about food.
In Winter’s Kitchen: Growing Roots and Breaking Bread in the Northern Heartland was published by Milkweed Editions in 2016 and was a finalist for the Minnesota Book Awards.
Email Pat Tollefson to learn more.
Upcoming Events
Kayaking at Lake Bde Maka Ska.
UMRA Book Club I will discuss The Silent Patient, a psychological thriller and debut novel by Alex Michaelides, when it meets via Zoom on Friday, July 17.
Two major conferences, one organized by the Association of Retirement Organizations in Higher Education (AROHE) and the other by the Big Ten Retirees Association (BTRA), will take place this year. The AROHE conference will be held in Florida and the BTRA conference will be hosted by UMRA on the UMN campus.
The AROHE conference invites all interested retirees and university faculty and staff to reimagine retirement. You are invited to register if interested at https://www.arohe.org/2026-Conference.
The BTRA is being hosted by UMRA this year. Leadership of retiree organizations around the US will convene to share competencies. Attendance is restricted.
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10:30 a.m. check in; 10:45 boarding; cruise from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Join UMRA friends and colleagues for a summer cruise and lunch aboard the Paradise Destiny II on beautiful Lake Minnetonka. Paul Maravelas, sailor, historian, and author of The History of Big Island, Lake Minnetonka will join us to share stories from 200+ years of lake-dwellers. Come early or stay after the cruise to explore Excelsior, a charming small town on the big lake.
Ticket price includes lunch: chef's sandwich, garden salad, fruit, chips, and cookies. Coffee, iced tea, and lemonade are complimentary and there will be a cash bar for other beverages. A vegetarian sandwich can be selected during registration.
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