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June 21st Recipes Start Here
June 21st Podcast
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From Professional Kitchens to Family Tables
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In this episode of Food for Body, Mind and Spirit, we are delighted to welcome two-time James Beard Award-winning chef Gavin Kaysen and founding Mentor and President of Team USA in the biannual Bocuse d’Or competition in Lyon, France. Celebrated for his acclaimed restaurants including Spoon and Stable and Demi, Chef Gavin has built a stellar reputation. He known both for exceptional fine dining, for his deep commitment to mentorship, and bringing professional techniques into everyday home cooking.
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At Home – by Gavin Kaysen
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Book Cover Courtesy of Gavin Kaysen
“At Home” features more than 100 recipes ranging from quick weeknight dinners to show-stopping weekend projects, as well as utilitarian pantry staples, kid-friendly meals, and family favorites all organized by season.
Each recipe goes deeper and wider than the typical cookbook, offering step-by-step photography as well as tips and insights Gavin has collected during his years of running fine-dining kitchens and cooking with the world’s best chefs, marrying his Midwestern roots with the elevated French cuisine that has earned the chef many awards and countless fans.
The book “At Home” is available online through Amazon.
Photo Courtesy of Gavin Kaysen – Photo Credit Erin Kincheloe
Gavin Kaysen is the award-winning founder and chef-owner of Soigné Hospitality Group, known for transforming the Minneapolis dining scene with acclaimed restaurants including Spoon and Stable, Demi, Bellecour, and Mara Restaurant and Bar. Since returning to his Midwestern roots in 2014, he has redefined dining in the region while mentoring the next generation of culinary talent. He continues to broaden his impact with new partnerships and openings, including the first outside of Minnesota: The Merchant Room opened in late 2025 in collaboration with Naples Beach Club, a Four Seasons Resort, in southern Florida.
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Recipe Excerpts from “At Home”
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The Perfect Pot Roast
Pot Roast works as a meal by itself, but Chef Gavin likes to pair it with a salad.
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About the Recipe: Chef Gavin Kaysen’s Perfect Pot Roast is a deeply personal family recipe inspired by his Grandmother Dorothy. She would prepare it for him whenever he visited. This hearty braise was also one of the very first recipes Gavin cooked from start to finish as a child; a foundational experience sparking his lifelong passion for cooking.
Years later, it became the first dish he put on the menu at his acclaimed restaurant Spoon and Stable, where it remains a beloved offering. As Chef Kaysen has noted, pot roast holds a special place in Midwestern culinary tradition. Every time he makes Dorothy’s version, it feels like a warm hug from his grandmother. While it stands alone as a complete meal, he loves pairing it with a bright, textured salad (he recommends this Kale and Squash Salad with buttermilk vinaigrette) for contrast.
Recipe from: Chef Gavin Kaysen, pages 58-61.in his cookbook “At Home”
Cooking Tip from the Chef: The cut of meat you use for pot roast is very important. Top blade comes from the chuck area of the cow, with a beautiful line of collagen running down the center, it’s very forgiving and tender when braised, so if you substitute another cut, your results may vary.
Cook’s Note: I added more carrots and celery. When I added the meat, I tucked vegetables around it for added moisture. Also, I checked the temperature of the meat several times so it wouldn’t overcook or dry out. Our roast cooked quicker than the suggested time.
Serves: 3 to 4
pdf for Copy of Recipe – The Perfect Pot Roast
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Kale and Squash Salad
Contains contrasting textures of raw and roasted kale.
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About the Recipe: This Kale and Squash Salad partners well with Perfect Pot Roast above. It brings contrasting textures and bright, tangy flavors complementing the braised meat. The crispy roasted kale chips, tender kale, warmly spiced roasted acorn squash, and crunchy almonds, all blend well with the creamy, tangy buttermilk vinaigrette.
The salad showcases Chef Kaysen’s philosophy of thoughtful, balanced home cooking: simple techniques that elevate everyday ingredients into something special. Massaging the raw kale tenderizes it, while the low-temperature roasting creates a crisp, chip-like texture that adds excitement to every taste.
Recipe from: Chef Gavin Kaysen; cookbook “At Home” p. 62
Cooking Tip: Massaging raw kale is an important step anytime you’re going to use it in a salad. It helps to break down the leaves; tough fibers and makes it easier to chew.
Yield: 3 to 4 large servings
pdf for Copy of Recipe – Kale and Squash Salad
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Crispy Chicken Thighs with Roasted Fall Vegetables
Light vegetable-centric braised chicken dish.
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About the Recipe: This recipe is a light, vegetable-centric dish made in one pan. It balances crispy, spice-rubbed chicken with sweet and earthy roasted produce. Fragrant toasted coriander, fennel, and red pepper flakes create a warm, aromatic crust on the chicken, while apples, acorn squash, fennel, and shallots bring bright, seasonal sweetness and depth.
This is one of Chef Gavin’s frequent weeknight go-to meals because it comes together in about 45 minutes (yeah!) with minimal hands-on time. The high-heat sear followed by roasting delivers professional-level crispy skin while the vegetables braise gently in chicken stock. It’s highly adaptable. We enjoyed swapping in our favorite vegetables or fruits in our recipe testing, adjusting the spices to suit our family’s taste.
Recipe from Chef Gavin Kaysen pp.192-193 cookbook, “At Home”
Cooking Tip: Toasting whole spices before you crush or grind them is absolutely necessary, even when recipes don’t call for the step. It’s a shame that most don’t; heat helps the spices release much more flavor and aroma than their untoasted counterparts.
Yield: 2 to 3 servings
pdf for Copy of Recipe – Crispy Chicken Thighs with Roasted Fall Vegetables
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Summer Risotto
Delicious Risotto is flavored with corncobs and corn, peas, and squash.
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About the recipe: This risotto bursts with the bright flavors of peak-season produce. It features sweet corn, tender peas, and summer squash, all gently infused with the essence of corncobs simmered in the vegetable stock. This creamy risotto showcases how professional techniques translate beautifully to your home kitchen: building layers of flavor with careful sweating of vegetables, proper risotto stirring technique, and finishing with butter, mascarpone, and Parmesan for luxurious texture.
It is hearty enough to serve as a satisfying main course on its own. Leftovers (if you’re lucky enough to have any) make fantastic arancini the next day.
Recipe from Garvin Kaysen, “At Home” cookbook, pp. 156,159, 160. He suggests serving this with Lobster Tails and provides the recipe.
Cooking Tip: You can simplify the flavor of your vegetable stock by adding the corncobs (after you’ve removed their kernels) and letting them gently simmer in the stock until you’re ready to make the risotto.
Cook’s Note: Recipe can also be used with frozen corn.
- Yield: 2 to 4 servings
pdf for Copy of Recipe – Summer Risotto
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Cottage Cakes
Riff on pancakes with pockets of melted soft cheese within.
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About the Recipe: We found these Cottage Cakes to be a delicious riff on classic pancakes, featuring delightful pockets of melted soft cheese within each fluffy cake. Made with buttermilk for tenderness and a generous scoop of cottage cheese for extra protein and those irresistible stretchy cheese pulls, these have become a weekend breakfast favorite in our household too.
Quick to mix and cook, they’re ideal for busy mornings or leisurely brunches. Serve them warm with butter, jam, or maple syrup for a dish that feels both nourishing and fun.
Recipe from Chef Gavin Kaysen, p. 129 in his cookbook “At Home”
Yield: about 6 cakes
pdf for Copy of Recipe – Cottage Cakes
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Sunbuckle Cookies
These cookies are crispy around the edges and soft in the middle.
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About the Recipe: Sunbuckle Cookies are a treasured family recipe passed down from Chef Gavin Kaysen’s Grandmother Dorothy. As their name suggests, these charming little cup-shaped cookies were a holiday highlight which everyone in the family looked forward at Christmas. The kids especially loved using the cooled cookies as miniature edible bowls for scooping ice cream.
True to Dorothy’s preference, Sunbuckles are crispy around the edges with a soft, slightly doughy center, giving them a wonderful contrast in texture similar to a tender sugar cookie. Simple to make with just a handful of pantry ingredients, they showcase how Chef Gavin brings professional precision (consistent sizing, proper chilling, and molding technique) into relaxed, joyful home baking. We really enjoyed trying this recipe and serving them at our summer weekend celebrations. They are a great anytime recipe.
Recipe from Chef Gavin Kaysen; p. 105 “At Home” Cookbook
Cook’s Note: I used lightly greased and ungreased fluted brioche roll molds; both worked for me. It is important to place the dough in the mold, push down in the center, and then ease the dough up the sides. I found that I had to hit them upside down with some force to remove the cookies from the mold.
Yield: 16 to 20 cookies
pdf for Copy of Recipe – Sunbuckle Cookies
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