"Tasting Minnesota" Cookbook

Betsy Nelson, a native Minnesotan, has degrees in psychology and art from the University of Minnesota. After forging her way through college working food service jobs as a student, she sought her career in the restaurant industry. She spent ten years working throughout the Twin Cities at a variety of restaurants, including Cafe Brenda, Azur, Tour de France, and the Aveda Spa and Retreat. She then made a natural transition to food styling, calling upon her art background and experience with food. She also works as a recipe developer and has written recipes for a variety of commercial clients and magazines including Target, Experience Life, Renew, and The Viking. She is married to Tom Thulen, who took the amazing photographs in Tasting Minnesota, and has two children. They live in Minneapolis in a home they call "the Urban Farmstead," where they grow much of their own fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs.