We were honored to host Cook’s Country from America’s Test Kitchen in Minneapolis this past summer to tape a segment featuring North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems and our Owamni and Indigenous Food Lab spaces. We were included as part of Cook’s Country’s journey to explore and celebrate regional cuisine and culinary practices across the United States.

The visit began in the Owamni kitchen, where Sean Sherman and Bryan Roof, Cook’s Country’s editorial director, dove in to do some cooking. First Sean showed Bryan how to make Grilled Sweet Potatoes with Maple Chile Crisp, then they discussed Indigenous cuisine over a meal in Owamni’s light-filled dining room.

In the afternoon, the team visited NATIFS’ Indigenous garden, where they met with NATIFS’ education and outreach director, expert forager Linda Black Elk. Linda provided an insightful tour and a demonstration of Indigenous gardening methods, shedding light on the importance of preserving Indigenous food traditions.

The first day concluded at NATIFS Indigenous Food Lab (IFL) in the Midtown Global Market, where the team learned about how the Lab is working to preserve and revitalize Indigenous food systems.

On day two, Bryan and Sean were joined by Cook’s Country host Toni Tipton-Martin, a renowned culinary expert, at Owamni for a second day of tasting all that Owamni has to offer on the menu.

Our episode is set to be released on Cook’s Country’s YouTube channel on November 20, 2023, with a shorter segment airing on Cook’s Country on PBS in November 2024.

NATIFS is so grateful to be featured on Cook’s Country, and we all look forward to seeing the segments air!  In the meantime, here’s a link to Sean’s Grilled Sweet Potatoes that NATIFS also shared with Food and Wine Magazine earlier this year. Makes a perfect fall festival dish!