© 2024 Connecticut Public

FCC Public Inspection Files:
WEDH · WEDN · WEDW · WEDY · WNPR
WPKT · WRLI-FM · WEDW-FM · Public Files Contact
ATSC 3.0 FAQ
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Meet The 'Sioux Chef' Rediscovering Native American Cuisine

What comes to mind when you think of food native to the U.S.? For many people it’s soda, hamburgers and hot dogs.

But think back further to a time when Native Americans were the country’s sole inhabitants, and there was no European influence on food.

Here & Now‘s Robin Young speaks with Sean Sherman (@the_sioux_chef), the “Sioux Chef,” about rediscovering Native American food and introducing it to the world.

Here are two of Sherman’s recipes:

Maple Glazed Roasted Acorn Squash With Toasted Pepitas

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

  • 1 medium acorn squash, seeded and sliced, skin on
  • 3 tablespoons sunflower oil
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup, warmed
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 3 tablespoons fresh sage leaves, rough chopped
  • 1/4 cup pepitas (toasted pumpkin seeds)


Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Place squash sliced into a bowl and drizzle with oil. Season with maple, salt, and sage and gently toss together.
  3. Roast squash for 35 to 40 minutes occasionally tossing around, gently, to avoid sticking.
  4. Seven to 10 minutes before roasting is complete, brush a small amount of maple syrup over each piece of squash and finish roasting.
  5. Place in serving platter and sprinkle with toasted pepitas.

Cedar-Maple Tea

Ingredients

  • 4 cups (loosely packed) fresh cedar boughs (rinsed)
  • 1 gallon water
  • 1 cup maple syrup


Instructions

  1. Place all ingredients in a pot and simmer for 30 minutes.
  2. Strain and serve hot or cool and serve over ice.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

(Courtesy The Sioux Chef)
/
(Courtesy The Sioux Chef)

Stand up for civility

This news story is funded in large part by Connecticut Public’s Members — listeners, viewers, and readers like you who value fact-based journalism and trustworthy information.

We hope their support inspires you to donate so that we can continue telling stories that inform, educate, and inspire you and your neighbors. As a community-supported public media service, Connecticut Public has relied on donor support for more than 50 years.

Your donation today will allow us to continue this work on your behalf. Give today at any amount and join the 50,000 members who are building a better—and more civil—Connecticut to live, work, and play.