Land of 10,000 Plates

Woven into a northland year are food rituals that sustain us and connect us to our region, our climate, and one another. Meat raffles. Fish frys. Pizza farms. Booya. As surely as winter changes to spring to summer to autumn in Minnesota, highly anticipated seasonal events bring folks together for fortifying fare and good company. Still other dishes appearing on the quintessential northland table know no season: Tater Tot Hotdish, Jell-O Salad, SPAM Lefse Pizza, Apple Cider Muffins.

Minnesotans make the most of the changing calendar by ice fishing on lakes big and small, foraging for ramps and tapping trees for maple syrup, marveling at farmers markets' late-summer bounty, and picking apples and pumpkins in the deliciously crisp fall air. In Land of 10,000 Plates, Patrice M. Johnson highlights food rituals from her own life and explores Minnesota fare far and wide, experiencing the festivals, speaking with revelers, and celebrating the foodways that define the northland. Inventive recipes that mark the seasons$mdash; like Bl&aringbärsoppa (Bilberry soup), Caraway Rye Pretzels, Savory Pudding with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes and Radish, and Coconut Ginger Pumpkin Pie--accompany stories about people who thrive in the North.
From Minnesota's newer traditions--Hmong hotdish--to its oldest--nourishing wild rice--Land of 10,000 Plates invites readers to bask in the warmth and hospitality of kitchens throughout the state.
Patrice M. Johnson, a cultural communicator specializing in Nordic foodways, is the author of Jul: Swedish American Holiday Traditions. She teaches Nordic food classes and presents interactive cooking demonstrations at sites throughout the Twin Cities and beyond.