Bluestem: The Cookbook: Recipe for Pea Soup, Preserved Lemon, Crème Fraîche

Bonjwing Lee

​Tonight, Niche (1831 Sidney Street; 314-773-7755) presents the Bluestem Cookbook Dinner, featuring dishes from chefs Megan and Colby Garrelts of Bluestem, a progressive fine-dining establishment in Kansas City, Missouri, that features reinvented regional flavors from the other side of the state.

The five-course meal will be comprised of dishes from the cookbook as well as dishes created by chef Gerard Craft includes courses such as crispy sweetbreads with roasted radicchio, pickled apple, buttermilk and bourbon pecan molasses; Kansas City strip and short rib with puffed barley, Mienke grits, Thane's kale, pumpernickel and horseradish; and graham cracker pound cake with chocolate-poached pears and tangerine sherbet.

Courtesy of Estes Public Relations

​Megan Garrelts says she's looking forward to being in Craft's kitchen, seeing his food and restaurant, and meeting his guests: "There's nothing better than teaming up and having Missouri chefs working together. It's about time, because there are a lot of cool things we're doing in our state."

(Reservations are very limited and cost $115 per person, which includes a personalized copy of the cookbook. Wine pairings are available for an additional $35 per person. Call 314-773-7755 for reservations.)

Get a preview of the Bluestem: The Cookbook by trying out this light and bright soup recipe, and stay tuned to Gut Check later today for a Q&A session with chef Megan Garrelts.