Artists and the Food That Inspires Them

Ucross, located on a ranch in northeast Wyoming, houses an artist residency program founded in 1983 and has provided inspiration to such figures as the poet and performer Karma Mayet Johnson, the journalist and novelist Suki Kim and the baritone Nathan Gunn, among many others. Their tenures at the ranch were punctuated by meals from the kitchen of Cindy Brooks, who, with Cree LeFavour, a former resident, has now written “The Ucross Cookbook.” (Sales support the nonprofit.) Worth preparing are caramelized carrots with ras-el-hanout; hard winter spinach soup; soba noodles with coconut, chiles and kale; and Powder River meatballs. “Poet’s Lunch” peanut butter cookies were a big hit, and I was delighted to see that someone beside me simmers jasmine rice in jasmine tea. The recipes do not provide yields, though the authors say one should assume around six servings for many. Experienced cooks would not be daunted. Testimonials by former residents and alluring landscape photos season the book’s pages.

“The Ucross Cookbook: Cooking for Artists on a Wyoming Ranch” by Cindy Brooks with Cree LeFavour (Ucross Foundation, $40, ucrossfoundation.org).

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