In times of trial, in times of stress, food and recipes can keep us going.
Sarah Peterson's new cookbook, Dish and Tell: Recipes from the Heart, begins with a dedication to her mom and dad, and the story of how food can be a comfort. When Peterson's dad was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2021, her role as daughter changed to nurturer. She said her specific method of nurturing was through family recipes and stories.
"Everything kind of centered around food, anything that would make him happy and comfortable," Peterson said on the KAXE Morning Show. "I'd bring special treats and I really started to see, like, the power of food."
Ham Radio's Amy Thielen asked about the heavy weight of responsibility to capture a family's stories and food.
"I'm always interested in, 'how do we tell stories from kind of an inside family perspective, and then also to the outside world?'" Thieen asked.
"First of all, I'll just say that going through this process, I am more proud than ever to be from the Midwest and from Minnesota," Peterson replied.
Each story, she explained, is about the influential women in her life and their recipes, but also about the place where we live.
"The tried and true ones aren't very complicated," Peterson said. "They are unfussy."
You can hear the whole Ham Radio conversation above, including stories of recipe boxes, Jell-O and her recipe for the Juicy Lucy Tater Tot Hot Dish — with pickles.
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We want to hear from you!
What are the unfussy recipes from your family? Drop us a line: text 218-326-1234 or email comments@kaxe.org. We might feature your story in an upcoming episode.
