The Wheat Foods Network currently features my sophomore foray in chef profiles. Chef Andrew Little was a dream to interview and I found him very inspiring, in both his approach to cooking and his personal demeanor.

To acquaint yourself better with Chef Andrew, I recommend his funny and educational blog, Eat Like You Live Here.

Sheppard Mansion

Hanover, PA

As American as apple dumplings, the cooking of Chef Andrew Little, at Sheppard Mansion in Hanover, Pennsylvania, reflects deep pride in the heritage of South Central Pennsylvania. Land of the Pennsylvania Dutch, barely 50 miles from Baltimore, Philadelphia and Harrisburg, and another stone’s throw from Washington, DC and New York, the undulating hills of this stretch of mid-Atlantic is rich in agricultural and culinary resources. Chef Little is at home, and it shows.

When creating menus, “Presenting an in-depth taste of the area and its rich culinary history is foremost,” says Chef Little. Sourcing local ingredients, researching old recipes, and cooking from the heart all are paramount.

Pennsylvania Dutch cooking, with its roots in the kitchens of 17^th and 18^th century German and and Swiss immigrants, is not known for being light and modern. Chef Little’s interpretations, soundly rooted in tradition, herald an updated direction. Converting outsiders may be an uphill battle, but this man is up to the task. Dinners at Sheppard Mansion are renowned for authenticity, seasonality, freshness, and wonderfully contemporary surprises.

Historically, the economy of the Pennsylvania Dutch community was rural, founded on agriculture and the supporting trades, including millers. Grain and dairy farms continue to abound. Local wheat is still grown, and still milled. Wheat, in its many incarnations, forms the cornerstone of the seasonal, and as-organic-and local-as-possible menu at the Mansion –  Slippery Noodle Pot Pie, Creamed Chicken and Waffles, Sauerkraut Balls, Schnitz und Kneppe, Apple Dumplings and Shoofly Pie are all lovingly featured.

Read on here.