The secret to learning to cook in college isn’t buying endless amounts of Top Ramen. It’s learning how to cook lentils, garbanzos and legumes according to Jamie Callison, Washington State University executive chef for the School of Hospitality Business Management.
“If they want to learn how to cook, the best thing to learn how to cook, which is misunderstood, is your lentils and your garbanzos and your legumes and stuff like that,” Callison said. “They are really simple to cook, they are very inexpensive and they taste great and have good nutritional value.”
Callison was in front of Book People of Moscow on Saturday, Oct. 26, signing copies of his cookbook, “The Crimson Spoon: Plating Regional Cuisine on the Palouse.” The book was co-written with Linda Burner Augustine, a WSU alumna.
Callison said he uses locally made ingredients originated from the Palouse such as lentils, garbanzos, flour, peaches, apples, pears, tomatoes, garlic, squash and zucchini in his job and in the book. By using these ingredients, he wrote 105 recipes in the cookbook.
“One of the things that I always say — that is quoted in the book — is that you start with quality ingredients, apply simple techniques and magic happens.”
Callison said the idea to write the book came during a dinner when he cooked for WSU Board of Governors. When the guests overhead him talking about WSU and regional products, he said it was suggested to him to write a cookbook.
It took him about one year to finish the cookbook, including writing, photography, food design and page layout.
“Everything is usually about a two year project and we did it in under a year.” Callison said. “And part of that was because the project was sponsored by WSU and there was this time line that they wanted to follow. Part of it was having an incredible team.”
The initial idea for cookbook may have come from the dinner, but he said the recipe inspirations themselves are more personal.
“All recipes are inspired from somewhere. So you can say that you came up with them yourself, but really they are from your childhood, from different parts of your life. They were inspired from something,” Callison said.
Callison also has a high opinion of locally grown Palouse foods.
“Peaches from around here are some of the best peaches that I think are grown in the world,” Callison said.
Aleya Ericson can be reached at [email protected]