Hot off the presses: Hotdish Zine
Magnifying identity & diversity in Minnesota’s classic food.
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Hotdish. Delicious. Affordable. Midwestern comfort food. The thing is…
as the masthead for Minnesotan food, hotdish anchors Eurocentric identities but usually fails to represent nonwhite communities that call Minnesota home today.
That's why we took a deep dive into hotdish, pulling the string on its ingredients to connect stories of identity and diversity in Minnesota. This isn't just about what's for dinner. It's about inequities in our food system, and we can start by learning from culinary leaders of color.
We teamed up with two incredible chefs- Yia Vang of Hmong Kitchen and Wabbigonikwe Raven of the Sioux Chef- to dive into its layers and rebuild it from scratch.
The result? An orginal and mouthwatering recipe for Mushroom and Wild Rice Hotdish with Sautéed Mustard Greens, Tots, and Warming Cream of Sage Béchamel.
— In Collaboration With —
Yia Vang
Yia is the Chef and Founder of Union Hmong Kitchen. Originally born and raised in a Thai refugee camp until his family resettled in central Wisconsin, he went on to cook at Nighthawks,Borough, and Gavin Kaysen’s Spoon & Stable. His new restaurant, Vinai, will open Spring ‘21 in celebration of his parents’ legacy and family’s story.
Yia is the host of Relish on Twin Cities PBS and has been featured on National Geographic and CNN’s United Shades of America. Among other accolades, he was the cover story of the May 2020 issue of Bon Appétit magazine. Yia was also named MPLS.St.Paul Magazine's “Chef of the Year 2019" and was recently voted “Best Chef 2020” in City Pages Best Of issue.
Waabigonikwe Raven
Waabigonikwe is a member of the Lac Courte Oreilles band of Ojibwe and belongs to the Crane Clan. Trained in the culinary world, she has cooked in several well-known kitchens, including Alma and The Sioux Chef. However, she recently put her dreams of owning a restaurant on hold after the recent racial justice uprising in her hometown of Minneapolis. Waabigonikwe realized that the fight for clean water and upholding treaties must come before her personal goals and is heavily involved in the Stop Line 3 fight.
Cassie Rogers
Cassie is a Filipino-American advocate for sustainability and food justice. She graduated in 2020 from Macalester College, finishing a double major in Environmental Studies and Education with a concentration in Food, Agriculture, and Society. She has worked food production at several urban farms including R&R Cultivation and Frogtown Farm, and as a cook at The Sioux Chef. Cassie served as a Greener Pastures intern and curated this zine as part of her senior environmental practicum.
In our free zine you’ll find …
+ A recipe for Mushroom and Wild Rice Hotdish with Sautéed Mustard Greens, Tots, and Warming Cream of Sage Béchamel
+ Ingredient spotlights that teach you how to intentionally source for this recipe
+ Chef Yia’s memories of mustard greens and how Hmong food communicates a story of hope
+ Chef Waabigonikwe’s personal accounts of wild rice harvesting and how the fight against Line 3 is tied to our local food system
+ Forager, recipe developer and food justice advocate Cassie Rogers’ story of her own experience as a biracial woman growing up in MN and the promise of local mushrooms
+ Choice between an e-book or PDF format
Questions? Want to collaborate? Contact us.