In Damn Good Food, Mitch Omer reveals the recipes that have made his restaurant
a pleasure seeker's destination,
including inventions like his tart, ethereal Lemon-Ricotta Hotcakes; dark, wild Bison Sausage Bread; and sweet,
creamy Mahnomin Porridge. These dishes have the hungry and eager queued up out the doors of Hell's Kitchen,
often for hours, and now you can make them at home. Food writer Ann Bauer also gives us a glimpse behind the
scenes, revealing Omer's darker side, the side responsible for the decor of Hell's Kitchen, described as the
"nightmare side of Sesame Street." Bipolar, obsessive-compulsive, and a former addict, Omer's roller-coaster
ride of a life has taken him through many towns and love affairs, numerous jobs, and even more controlled
substances. But through it all, there has been food—recipes inspired by places and people, including Omer's
own close-knit family, reworked and made his own.
REVIEWS
“I started out wanting this book for Mitch Omer’s Sausage Bread recipe, that would be worth the price.
Then I dug into his story as told by Ann Bauer. Expecting same old, same old warm fuzzy little chef’s
memoir, instead I got the story of a man living life full blast, wrestling with reality, compulsively
open hearted, and cooking for all he is worth. Nothing about this book is what you’d expect—from recipes
that defy fashion and taste great, to writing that literally keeps you flipping the pages.”
—Lynne Rossetto Kasper, host of The Splendid Table, from American Public Media
Mitch Omer's life makes Anthony Bourdain's look like he was an altar boy. Mitch's individualistic, personal, and idiosyncratic cooking is that of a man who is larger than life, big-hearted, generous, and wild. It's evident that he genuinely loves life and nature.
—Jacques Pèpin
Damn Good Food is personal, forthright, rambunctious, and overwhelmingly delicious. Nothing is held back, no kitchen secrets are concealed. Within are recipes for all of Hell's Kitchen's wonders, along with notes that range from the useful to the provocative. This is a book to treasure for the sheer joy of reading as well as for the incomparable recipes, like Lemon-Ricotta Hotcakes, Mahnomin Porridge, and Mitch's World-Famous Peanut Butter.
—Michael Stern, Roadfood.com
Damn Good Food is a totally original book; it's like sitting on a bar stool and listening while Ann Bauer and Mitch Omer, the Boswell and Johnson of Minnesota haute diner cuisine, present the tales of remarkable lifetimes. Actually, it's even better than that because, instead of just hearing about the food, you get the exact recipes!
—Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl, Minnesota Monthly
"If the `same old' food is haunting you, turn up the heat and put the sizzle back into your cooking! You won't have to sell your soul to the devil to get your hands on these damn good recipes. Award winning chef/owner Mitch Omer of Minneapolis' own Hell's Kitchen has assembled his most requested concoctions and potions in his new cookbook. `Heaven's Just A Sin Away!' I love the food in this cookbook--it is so sinfully tasty you'd swear it's almost heavenly. Buy this cookbook now or you'll go straight to hell!"
—"Famous Dave" Anderson, Founder of Famous Dave's of America
Legendary Real Pit Barbeque!
