Photo: Lisa Patrin
Lisa Patrin loves food. Her grandfather, Dominic Delmonico, owned Delmonico’s Italian Deli, and her Italian family’s gatherings are always centered around the different dishes everyone brings. It runs in her blood. Now, she gets to share her passion in a unique way through her new book, Eat Your Words: 125 Food & Beverage Themed Puzzles For Hungry Minds.
Each puzzle has a theme, whether it’s a region, type of food or even an event like the Minnesota State Fair. There are five clues to help figure out the five answers for each theme. “I made the puzzles as a fun way to educate people about different foods, ingredients and kitchen tools,” Patrin says.
She originally created the puzzles for the Star Tribune for three years. When it stopped running them, Patrin had lots of unused puzzles, which decided to turn into a book.
Patrin credits her husband, John Patrin, who grew up in the Lake Minnetonka area, with handling most of the formatting of the book. “He was extremely helpful,” she says. “Together, we were able to get this done in about 10 months.”
The book isn’t Patrin’s first stint when it comes to writing; she started her own blog in 2018 called The Empty Nesters Kitchen. There she shares recipes, travel stories and other food experiences. Lately, she’s been writing a lot about food sources and encouraging people to eat local. Most importantly, Patrin wants to inspire people to try new things. “Even when you’re an empty nester like I am, it doesn’t mean your life is empty,” she says. “There’s so many things you can do.”
Purchase the book at The General Store of Minnetonka, The Abundant Kitchen in Excelsior and Buffalo, and Lotus Lakes Gifts in Chanhassen. It can also be ordered online at emptynesterskitchen.com and through Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Walmart.
The Empty Nesters Kitchen
Facebook: The Empty Nesters Kitchen
Instagram: @emptynesterskitchen
Twitter: @lpatrin
