Check out Lori Writer’s rave review of “Come One, Come All: Easy Entertaining With Seasonal Menus” by Taste editor Lee Svitak Dean. It’s at heavytable.com, the local food- and dining-obsessed website.

“Dean understands the soul of the Upper Midwesterner,” Writer writes, and she’s absolutely right. Writer, along with fellow Heavy Table staffer Emily Nystrom, went the extra mile, test-driving four of the book’s 150 recipes (nearly all are culled from back issues of Taste). During their research they discovered what I already know: the recipes work, they’re easy to make and they’re delicious.

Writer became a fan of Lee’s Pumpkin Ice Cream Pie, and then tweaked the basic formula to create a blueberry/yogurt version that sounds equally swell. “The Dean family favorite is destined to become a Writer family favorite,” Writer concluded. Nice.

I have plenty of go-tos from Lee’s well-organized opus (a cabbage salad from Alex Roberts’ Brasa and chocolate meringues from Salty Tart owner Michelle Gayer, to name a few). When friends came over last week for dinner, I turned to the book for advice, and, like Writer, I was not disappointed. I’ll be making this one again, and I won’t be omitting the horseradish.

SMOKED SALMON SPREAD
Makes about 3/4 cup.

Note: “My mother often served salmon spread at parties,” writes Lee Svitak Dean. “I tweaked her recipe, and added horseradish and capers to make it more flavorful. Leftovers are great on toast.” From “Come One, Come All,” by Lee Svitak Dean (Minnesota Historical Society Press, $29.95).

4 oz. smoked salmon, cut up
4 oz. Neufachatel cheese (light cream cheese), at room temperature
2 to 3 tsp. prepared horseradish, optional
1 tbsp. chopped green onion
1 tsp. lemon juice
Dash salt
2 tbsp. or more capers, optional

Directions
Remove any skin from the salmon and discard. With an electric mixer or by hand, mix together salmon, Neufchatel cheese,
horseradish (optional), green onion, lemon juice and salt. (Can be made ahead and refrigerated overnight.) Stir in capers, if using. Serve with crackers, or in mini-phyllo cups or atop toast points. (To make toast points, slice crusts off lightly toasted bread. Cut each slice into 2 or 4 triangles, depending on how big you want the toasts to be). Spread the salmon mixture on the toast and top with one of a variety of garnishes, such as slices of radish, diced smoked salmon, or sprigs of fresh dill or watercress.

Check out what Raghavan Iyer of Eden Prairie has to say in “The Daily Beast.” Raghavan is the author of “600 Curries” and “The Turmeric Trail” and more, as well as the restaurant consultant behind the not-yet-opened OM restaurant in downtown Minneapolis. (He expects the restaurant to open in early August.)

For example: What are the five things he always has in his refrigerator or kitchen? Chiles, cilantro, potatoes, cumin seeds and fresh curry leaves.

Here’s a terrific seasonal Iyer recipe:

SPINACH AND MUSTARD GREENS WITH CHEESE
Serves 6.

Note: “I like to combine spinach and mustard greens in this classic Punjabi curry, the mellow and bitter-tasting greens providing a nice balance with the creamy, protein-rich cheese,” writes Iyer. “In many homes and almost all restaurants, this is made solely with spinach. You will notice that I use two garam masalas here in different ways. Initially, you add the untoasted blend early on, soon after the onion browns, to make sure the raw spices cook, providing the first spice layering. Then you swirl in the toasted garam masala toward the end, after the curry has cooked. This blend is a finishing spice (and does not need to cook since you toasted it before grinding it), yielding a second tier of flavors that are aromatic, smooth, and assertive. Both blends contain similar spices, but what you did with them at various stages creates a complex-tasting sauce. To prepare mustard greens, cut out and discard the tough rib that runs through three-quarters the length of each leaf. Stack 2 or 3 similar-length leaves and roll them tightly into a tube shape. Cut the tube into thin crosswise slices and unfold them to yield ribbons (called a chiffonade). Place them in a large bowl. Once all the greens are sliced, cover them with cold water. Dunk the leaves briefly under the water. Grab handfuls of the leaves to lift them out of the water. The sand or grit will sink to the bottom. Repeat once or twice to ensure that the leaves are completely clean and grit-free.”

2 tbsp. canola oil
1 medium-size red onion, cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced
6 medium-size cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
4 lengthwise slices fresh ginger (each 2 inches long, 1 inch wide, and 1/8 inch thick), coarsely chopped
2 tsp. Bin bhuna hua garam masala
1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
2 tablespoons tomato paste
8 oz. fresh spinach leaves, well rinsed and coarsely chopped
8 oz. fresh mustard greens, wellll rinsed and finely chopped (see Notes)
1 1/2 tsp. coarse kosher or sea salt
1 1/4 lbs. Doodh paneer, cut into 1-inch cubes and pan-fried
1/2 c. heavy cream
1/2 tsp. Punjabi garam masala

Directions
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger, and stir-fry until the onion is light brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat, and stir in the Bin bhuna hua garam masala and the turmeric. (The heat from the browned onion will be just right to cook the spices without burning them.)
Transfer the mixture to a blender jar, and add the tomato paste and 1/4 cup water. Puree, scraping the inside of the jar as needed, to form a smooth, reddish-brown paste. Return the paste to the skillet. Pour 3/4 cup water into the blender jar, and whir the blades to wash it out. Add this to the skillet.
Place the skillet over medium heat. Pile handfuls of the greens into the skillet, cover it, and let the steam wilt them. Stir, and repeat with the remaining greens. Once they are all wilted, cover the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until the greens are broken down to a sauce-like consistency and are olive green in color, 10 to 15 minutes.
Stir in the salt, paneer cubes, cream, and Punjabi garam masala. Continue simmering the curry, covered, stirring occasionally, until the cheese and cream are warmed through, 5 to 8 minutes. Then serve.