>> HE WANTS YOU TO TAKE MIDWESTERN FOOD SERIOUSLY AND SAYS THIS REGION IS MORE THAN JUST CROCKPOT MEALS LOADED WITH CREAM OF MUSHROOM OR SALAD, MOSTLY MADE OF MARSHMALLOWS AND COOL WHIP.

THEY UNDERESTIMATE THE INFLUENCE THAT THE MIDWEST .

HE IS THE CHEF AND CO-OWNER OF THE RESTAURANT BIG JONES IN ANDERSONVILLE AND IS AT WITH HIS SECOND BOOK LATER THIS WEEK.

IT IS AS MUCH A COLLECTION OF RECIPES AS IT IS A TOUR THROUGH THE FOOD HISTORY OF OUR REGION.

>> I'M GOING TO PUT SOME FRIES OVER HERE.

>> THESE DAYS HE IS MOSTLY COOKING UP CAJUN FOOD AT HIS RESTAURANT.

>> I'M GOING TO BE WORKING ON THESE AND BASED THEM AND THEN WE ARE GOING TO PLATE THEM HERE .

>> HIS EARLIEST CULINARY MEMORIES ARE NOT FROM INDIANA, THEY ARE FROM INDIA.

>> MY GRANDPARENTS HOUSE ON THE OLD FARM WHERE THE DAIRY COW WAS AND THE SMOKEHOUSE, THEY STILL DID HUG KILLINGS.

I'VE JUST NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT.

>> WHEN HE WAS TRAVELING AROUND THE SOUTH LEARNING THE CUISINE THAT HE NOW MAKES FOR A LIVING HE WAS IMPRESSED BY THE ARRAY OF REGIONAL FOODS AND WHEN HE WENT HOME TO VISIT HIS FOLKS, >> I STARTED TO REALIZE WE HAVE A LOT OF COOL AND INTERESTING REGIONAL FOODS HERE THAT WHEN I WAS GROWING UP I TOOK FOR GRANTED.

I WANTED TO WRITE ON THE DOCUMENT, AND DOCUMENT A LOT OF THOSE TRADITIONAL FOODS BECAUSE FOODWAYS CHANGE AND DISAPPEAR.

>> ON THE MORNING WE VISITED HE WAS COOKING UP SOME MIDWESTERN BARBECUE.

I CELEBRATING THESE RECIPES HE ALSO WANTED TO DISPEL SOME OF THE SMALL MINDED VIEWS THAT PEOPLE MAY HAVE OF MIDWESTERN COOKING.

>> IT'S MEAT AND POTATOES, RANCH DRESSING, WHICH WE ALL LOVE THAT THERE'S A LOT MORE TO IT THAN THAT.

HERO, THROUGHOUT THE HISTORY THE MIDWEST HAS BEEN THE MOST CONSEQUENTIAL REGION IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF AMERICAN FOOD AND DRINK CULTURE.

I CAN'T POSSIBLY GO INTO DEPTH ABOUT WHY IT IS SO IMPORTANT, BUT THE MIDWEST HAS BEEN SORT OF THE INDUSTRIAL HUB OF THE COUNTRY THAT WAS HOW IT DEVELOPED.

IT HAS BEEN THE BREADBASKET FOR THE COUNTRY AS WELL.

>> THE MEATPACKERS OF CHICAGO, FLOUR MILLERS OF MINNESOTA , BUT THE MIDWEST WAS NOT JUST MAKING FOOD .

IT WAS INFLUENCING HOW PEOPLE COOKED.

BETTY CROCKER WAS CREATED BY THE MINNESOTA-BASED COMPANY THAT WAS CREATED BY GENERAL MILLS.-- THAT BECAME GENERAL MILLS.

>> I'M BETTY CROCKER AND I PROMISE YOU A PERFECT CAKE EVERY TIME YOU BAKE.

>> SHE HAD MORE LISTENERS IN THE SOUTH FOR HER RADIO PROGRAM THAN SHE DID IN THE MIDWEST.

>> THEY WERE A HUGE PART OF RESEARCH PARTICULARLY COMMUNITY COULD LOOKS AND MANY OF THEM WERE GERMANS BROUGHT BY IMMIGRANTS TO THE MIDWEST.

AMONG HIS FINDINGS?

THE OLDEST FRIED CHICKEN RECIPE.

>> YOU HEARD IT.

FRIED CHICKEN, MIDWESTERN, NOT SOUTHERN.

HE ALSO SAYS ALL BEEF HOT DOGS WERE INVENTED BY CHICAGO'S JEWISH COMMUNITY.

>> NATHAN'S DIDN'T, IT WAS ACTUALLY DECADES EARLIER.

>> WHILE IT IS NOT ORIGINALLY SOUTHERN A LINE OF MIDWESTERN COOKING ARE SHAPED BY PATTERNS FROM THE GREAT MIGRATION AS MEAT PROCESSING WAS TAKING OFF.

JAMES P LEMMON SAW MEATPACKERS CUTTING THE TIPS OFF OF SPARERIBS AND PUT THEM TO USE FOR HIS CHICAGO STYLE BARBECUE.

>> CHICAGO STYLE.

WE ARE DOING A LITTLE BIT HIGHER HEAT AND FOR NOT AS LONG.

>> WHAT ARE YOU BASING IT WITH?

>> THIS IS A CHICAGO STYLE BARBECUE SAUCE WHICH IS SIMILAR TO MEMPHIS.

TRAVELING UP AND DOWN THE DELTA REGION.

>> THERE ARE ALSO MULTIPLE PROFILES OF CHEFS ACROSS THE REGION.

HE HOPES TO HIGHLIGHT THE FOODWAYS OF PEOPLE OF COLOR IN HIS BOOK AND SAYS IT'S TIME THAT BLACK, LATINO, AND INDIGENOUS MIDWESTERNERS GET THEIR DUE IN THE WORLD OF FOOD AND BEYOND.

>> WE NEED TO SUPPORT WHAT THEY ARE DOING BECAUSE WE ARE ALL GOING TO BE RICHER BY HAVING THEM AS PART OF OUR COMMUNITY.

>> IT COMMUNITY THAT HE HOPES STARTS GETTING LOUDER ABOUT CONTRIBUTIONS.

>> ME IN THE MIDWEST MAYBE NEED TO THINK ABOUT TOOTING OUR HORN AND HAVING A LITTLE BIT OF PRIDE ABOUT WHAT WE'VE DONE FOR THE COUNTRY .

>> AS FOR WHAT I GOT TO EAT THE DAY OF THE CONVERSATION?

>> HELP YOURSELF.

>> NOT MY USUAL BREAKFAST.

THIS IS DELICIOUS.

>> ENOUGH SAID.

CHICAGO TONIGHT .

>> HARD TO WATCH THIS ON AN