Last summer I had the opportunity to teach summer school cooking classes for grades 3 through 6 (cancelled this year due to COVID19). I wanted my classes to be about cooking and healthy food, AND I wanted it to be an experience the kids would remember. Food has a way of bringing people together, I thought it would be fun to learn about different cultures and the foods they eat along with cooking skills. I encourage people to eat local so one of the cultures we learned about was Native American food from the Minnesota area. In doing my research, I came across the book The Sioux Chef’s Indigenous Kitchen by Sean Sherman with Beth Dooley. I first found it at our local library, but my mom actually blessed me with my own copy last Christmas.
For me cookbooks are more than recipes. I enjoy reading cookbooks like novels, studying the ingredients, and admiring the photos. I like to learn about the author, why they wrote the cookbook, and tips to improve my own cooking skills. The Sioux Chef’s cookbook does exactly this. The author shares his journey to writing this cookbook which is a very important connection to understanding the culture and the foods that were prepared and eaten. He also has a section on “how to use the book” that includes tools you will need and essentials for stocking an indigenous pantry. There are over 100 recipes, helpful tips, and information to guide you through your Native Indian indigenous food journey. You can learn about wild greens, squash, and beans. Sean has created authentic recipes from the Native American culture using local foods. He has also included a section called “Feast of the Moon”. This section has several menus to celebrate these traditional festivities.
For my summer school class, we made the wild rice pudding (page 145) topped with blueberries. It was great the kids tried something none of them had ever eaten. I also learned about ramps from the cookbook, which are a wild leek grown in our area. They are available here late spring; I actually found some at a local cooperative – so of course I had to try them. I just sautéed them in coconut oil and served as a side to our dinner, they were delicious.
I tried a couple of other recipes thus far too. Amaranth Crackers (page 60) turned out great. I especially like them as they are gluten free. I avoid processed food as much as possible but I love chips and crackers; it can be difficult to meet that “crunch” satisfaction. These crackers provide that “crunch”. They taste similar to Chex cereal. I baked one batch and dehydrated another batch; I liked the baked version better. I had mine with a bowl of chili.
I also tried the Wild Apple Sauce (page 151); I added fresh chopped mint leaves from my mint plant. It also was yummy, and I like the fact that not a lot of extra sweetener is added.
If you are looking for a fun cookbook to learn about Native American indigenous food and recipes to try, I would recommend checking out The Sioux Chef’s Indigenous Kitchen.
Do you experiment in your kitchen with foods from other cultures? Do you have a favorite culture of food you enjoy making? Have you tried any Native American food?
Be blessed and be a blessing,
Heather
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