The Native American Side Of The Thanksgiving Menu

Mon, 23 Nov 2015 13:48:32 -0500

Everyone knows the schoolhouse version of the first Thanksgiving story: New England pilgrims came together with Native Americans to share a meal after the harvest. The original menu was something of a joint venture, but over the years, a lot of the traditional dishes have lost their native flavor.

For those who want to create a feast that celebrates the flavors that Native Americans brought to the table, Chef Richard Hetzler put together an entire menu of options from his award-winning cookbook, The Mitsitam Cafe Cookbook.

The recipes are drawn from the Mitsitam Native Foods Cafe at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, where Hetzler was lead chef until summer 2014. Since opening the cafe, he told NPR's Celeste Headlee he observed a growing interest in native cooking.

Hetzler attributes it to Americans wanting to know more about their history, and to the health benefits of native foods. (Look no further than the "Sioux Chef's" forthcoming restaurant in the Twin Cities, too.) He tried to stay true to that tradition by keeping his recipes simple.

"There's not a lot of stuff put into them to change those flavors or manipulate what you're tasting," Hetzler said. "You're getting the true healthiness of that dish." Hetzler also took indigenous foods and ingredients from different regions throughout the Western Hemisphere, and adapt them to today's palate.

Sherman is still experimenting with the type of food he'll serve in the restaurant. Recently he made this walleye filet with sumac and maple sugar, a white bean and smoked walleye croquette and toasted hominy.

THE SALT - The 'Sioux Chef' Is Putting Pre-Colonization Food Back On The Menu

"If you think about the history of food," said Hetzler, "a lot of that dates back to Native Americans and what they were doing." Those methods include cooking dishes with ingredients that have a natural synergy. Hetzler's Three Sisters Salad uses corn, beans and squash that have been traditionally planted and grown together.

For hesitant home cooks, Hetzler isn't asking you to throw out grandma's recipes. "Branch out, try one thing," he said. "Nobody wants to change their whole meal. But you could incorporate one piece and start making traditions of your own, that carry down to your children or your family members, and keep going from there."

For full story and recipes excerpted from The Mitsitam Cafe Cookbook by Richard Hetzler, click on the link below and visit the salt - What's On Your Plate at npr.org.