22.02.12

Beth Selanders&#x92; cooking stays true to her Midwestern food roots. </p><p>A non-fussy foodie, Selanders has an appreciation for the simple pleasures in life, such as eating dinner with her family.</p><p>As her children grow, Selanders savors making meals for Albert, 21; Ellie, 16; and Mary, 12. No matter where they end up in life, Selanders hopes her children never outgrow their need for her home cooking and the sweet taste of home.</p><p> <span class="leadin">Residence: </span>Overland Park</p><p> <span class="leadin">Occupation:</span> Bank assistant vice president</p><p> <span class="leadin">Special cooking interest: </span>Making mealtime memories.</p><p> <span class="leadin">Do you have humble culinary beginnings?</span> I grew up in a family of four siblings, and we moved a lot throughout the Midwest. I consider Kansas City home but was blessed to have grandmothers and a mother who instilled a love of food and cooking in me at an early age. </p><p>My mom, Joan (Biermann), would always let me cook and make a god-awful mess in the kitchen, but it&#x92;s where my love of food really started. It&#x92;s like I really grew up in the kitchen.</p><p> <span class="leadin">And what about your grandmothers&#x92; influence? </span>Visiting my Grandma (Eleanor) Biermann&#x92;s house in Wichita holds some of the best food memories for me. When we would arrive at her house, she would have at least seven different kinds of cookies for us to eat. Every night, we would sit down to an elegantly set table with a beef or chicken dish, fresh vegetables and fabulous desserts. </p><p>I loved Grandma&#x92;s old kitchen, and she proved that you didn&#x92;t need a big, fancy one to cook well. I can still remember the warm aroma that always greeted us when we came to her house. </p><p>My Grandma Susie (Hageman) lived on a 300-plus-acre farm near Dayton, Ohio. All the food was from the garden and homemade. She had a canning kitchen filled with beautiful jars of corn, tomatoes and green beans. </p><p>These experiences really shaped how I view food.</p><p> <span class="leadin">So what is your food view? </span>I love fresh, uncomplicated food. Eating meals around the table as a family is so important to me. Even though my son is in college, he still makes it home to share family meals.</p><p>I enjoy preparing simple, satisfying meals that may feature a beef tenderloin stuffed with sun-dried tomatoes and mushrooms, white cheddar potatoes and a creative green salad. </p><p>You won&#x92;t find a wedge of iceberg lettuce covered in Catalina dressing on my table. In fact, there aren&#x92;t any store-bought dressings in my house.</p><p> <span class="leadin">What sparks your culinary creativity?</span> I have more than 300 cookbooks that I love to read. When I travel, I enjoy getting regional Junior League cookbooks, which I think really capture the flavor of an area. I love to take cooking classes, and cooking instructor Ann Lund and I have become good friends, bonding over food. </p><p>The original recipe for these pumpkin bars came from my sister Sharon (Hanes) in Colorado, but I&#x92;ve tweaked it along the way, using pumpkin pie spice and mini-chocolate chips. </p><p>My children inspire me, as they are fearless and make anything they want in the kitchen. </p><p>My motto is that progress isn&#x92;t made unless there&#x92;s a mess or two along the way. Food doesn&#x92;t have to be difficult, it just has to be delicious.

Source: Kansas City Star

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