You may be starting to become familiar with her recipes each month in Mission Hills City Lifestyle, or perhaps, you already followed her blog, Bev Cooks! No matter how you've heard of her, take a few moments to get to know our local food contributor Bev Weidner!
1. How/when did you discover your love for cooking?
I can tell you exactly when! My friend Laura gifted me a subscription to the little pocket sized magazine Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food. This was like, 2005? Around then. I was freshly married and flipping through the tiny pages, and there was this little tip on how to use trimmed asparagus ends in soups. And my brain exploded. I was equal parts super confused and wildly inspired. The love affair began!
2. What is your favorite food/meal?
This is intensely hard to answer, because it depends on the day, the season, the moon, my hair. However, I can properly sum it up with two go-to foods. Cliché as they may be, pizza and tacos! We have a running gag in my house of me saying, “Let’s just go grab some tacos!,” because I always say that. And I mean always. And then I was called on it. And now it’s the source of humor for my family. I do also appreciate a good grazing board or Indian food. I’m all over the place, and we’re fine with it.
3. Which recipe brings you the most comfort in the cold winter months?
Soups forever and spaghetti with a rich meat sauce. Hands down. The kids always crave it too, so it’s easy to satisfy the crew, while also making me happy. My favorite soup is Italian sausage, kale, white beans, a bit of cream, tons of lemon and parmesan. That will always win my heart. (Crusty bread is an obvious must.)
4. What is your favorite part of blogging and connecting with your community?
Blogging has drastically changed over the last decade plus. That said, the pulse is the same for me. I love the connection, reading comments from readers all over the globe, those who have been with me since the beginning. It’s a special thing, and I’ll always treasure that. Also looking at how my hair has changed over the years is hilarious.
5. How valuable is the support you feel from the Kansas City/Prairie Village community on social media and in person?
It’s always so fun when someone “in the wild” comes up to me and says hi. Or asks for a photo! I’m always so touched. I value the tangible community in PV and KC just as much as the internet family. There’s no way to articulate the value there. It’s just massively special.
Chocolate Ricotta Torte
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- Cinnamon
- Sea salt
- Preheat oven to 350.
- In a bowl, whisk the ricotta cheese and cocoa powder until smooth and blended.
- Grease a small skillet (8-inch) and pour the mix in. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the torte sets.
- Let cool in the skillet for 30 minutes. Carefully loosen the edges and bottom. Transfer to a plate or cake stand.
- Dust with cinnamon and flaky sea salt.
- Makes eight servings.