"Cook of the Week" Rumwolf

Rumwolf is a multidisciplinary visual and performance artist based in Northwest Arkansas. He currently lives in Bentonville with his 17 year-old daughter Lyric, who is also a musician and artist. Rumwolf works out of a studio at Backroom Social Club in downtown Bentonville — a designated space shared with several members of an unofficial art collective.

Rumwolf was a 2023 artist in residence at the Momentary Museum and he recently completed a solo show in New York City. His next big project is the annual Rumwolf's Howling Party — a popular event that is part concert, part art exhibit, part Halloween party, and held at the Momentary.

The first thing Rumwolf learned to cook was eggs. One of his favorite foods to cook today is an omelette. "I love to cook omelettes in the morning for people. I really enjoy using leftovers from last night's dinner to make interesting or unique omelettes for loved ones," shared the artist. Rumwolf's artwork similarly incorporates elements saved from days gone by — vintage tv sets, vhs tapes, and a family portrait from his childhood which serves as the centerpiece for a multimedia exhibit and performance, "The Big Free Picture."

Rumwolf shared that he uses onion in nearly every meal he prepares, "Onion pretty much goes with everything." The versatile ingredient reflects his versatile cooking skills as well. He worked at a restaurant that served Italian, Mexican, and American food in high school and learned about a variety of ways to cook there.

When asked if he has any "secret recipes" he will not share, Rumwolf laughed, "Nah. I share it all. Plus, I usually make them up as I go along anyway." He shared that his most useful kitchen tools are a knife and a “zoodles” gadget — a tool for vegetable spiralizing, slicing, and more.

About the recipe he is sharing here today, Rumwolf said, "Obviously we’ve all had green bean casserole. Of course it’s a holiday staple. I like this 'elevated' version of it. My family loved it so much for holiday meals that they started asking me to make it year round. Using real ingredients and taking a little more time with the dish rather than throwing a lot of canned goods into a pan and baking it. I also really enjoyed “snapping” and preparing the raw green beans with my daughter when she was little."

Rumwolf recommends adding more mushrooms and onions than the recipe calls for if those are something you enjoy, and adding crushed red pepper because if you like things on the spicier side.

Green bean casserole

INGREDIENTS

1 / 3 cup butter

1 / 2 cup diced onion

1 / 2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

2 cups sliced fresh green beans

3 cups chicken broth

1 (10 1/4 ounce) can cream of mushroom soup

1 (2 7/8 ounce) can French fried onion rings

1 pinch salt, black pepper, and garlic powder

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Bring the chicken broth to a boil in a saucepan.

Boil the green beans in the broth for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt the butter and saute the onions and mushrooms.

Drain the green beans and add to the mushroom and onions mixture.

Add the mushroom soup, onion rings, and seasonings to this mixture as well.

Stir until well combined and pour into a greased 1 1/2 quart baking dish.

Bake for 20 minutes, then top the casserole with Cheddar and more French fried onions bake for another 15 minutes, or until the casserole is hot and the cheese and onions are brown and crispy.

READY IN: 50 mins

SERVES: 6