Fans of cooking competition shows are well-acquainted with Chef Ed Porter. His many television appearances include starring on the “Pressure Cooker” hit series on Netflix and as a recurring favorite (and champion!) on “Guy’s Grocery Games” on the Food Network.
What’s less well known about the high-energy celebrity chef is that he has made his home in Plymouth, MN for many years.
Now his Minnesota fans—and those who seek out adventurous, one-of-a-kind culinary experiences—can make plans to attend a multi-course dinner that Chef Ed will plan, oversee and serve.
Ed Porter will be the featured chef whose flavorful cuisine will kick off the third season of Stories Behind the Menu. The dinner, to be held on Feb 8 at the Mosaic Event Venue in downtown Minneapolis, is presented by Chaz Sandifer.
“When people ask what I do, I say, I’m a creative storyteller and my medium happens to be food. Stories Behind the Menu is a great pairing for me because that’s what Chaz does,” Porter said. “She is telling stories and fostering conversations.”
Sandifer conceived Stories Behind the Menu as a way to bring together people who might otherwise never meet to sit side-by-side for a shared meal. Diners from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds often spontaneously and honestly engage in what Sandifer terms “courageous conversations.”
Working with Minnesota chefs, Sandifer has produced two previous seasons of these bridge-building dinner events. The quarterly meals explore the authentic food traditions of a variety of cultures and highlight the inspiring talents of kitchen professionals whose talents may have been overlooked.
“Sometimes Black chefs in the Twin Cities don’t get the same recognition. I’m bringing light to them,” Sandifer said. “This is true cuisine from people of color who have shaped America.”
Sandifer’s career is devoted to promoting racial health and equity through the lens of fitness, wellness and nutrition through her business, theNEWmpls. She’s a certified fitness instructor, lifestyle coach and operator of the Lakeview Terrace Farmers Market in partnership with the City of Robbinsdale.
Her popular podcast “Fitness Revolution with Chaz” is produced by the ShelettaMakesMeLaugh.com platform.
Recently, Sandifer added ‘filmmaker’ to her impressive resume. Her short documentary about Stories Behind the Menu won acclaim when it opened this year's Twin Cities Film Fest.
Her reverence for storytelling has led Sandifer to ask diners who attend Stories Behind the Menu to prepare by reading a book or watching a film or documentary before attending, so they arrive with a shared discussion topic.
Chef Ed has chosen episode two from season two of the acclaimed Netflix Series “High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America.” The episode features Porter’s mentor Alexander Smalls, a James Beard Award-winning chef, author, and co-owner of The Cecil and Minton’s restaurants in Harlem.
In honor of Black History Month, Chef Ed is styling multiple courses that honor historic African-American favorites or have African roots. While he wants to surprise diners with the menu, he was willing to tempt them with details of the soup course.
“It’s a peanut bisque,” he revealed. “I want to give people insight on widespread ingredients that originated in Africa and I’ll utilize them in a way they may not have seen. This will pay homage to this wonderful legume and the chefs who came before me and used it.”
Sandifer emphasized that Stories Behind the Menu is at its best when people of many races, religions and cultures break bread together.
“We highlight chefs of color but everyone is included. We want everyone—Black, White, Asian, Hispanic, Indigenous. Sit at the table with us,” she said. “This comes from my heart. We lead with love.”
It’s a mission that Chef Ed fully embraces.
“The work Chaz has done putting this together as a woman of color, the barriers she has broken down and the conversations she has created and fostered through this endeavor are important and necessary,” said Porter. “It’s a no-brainer to want to be part of it.”
For tickets to Stories Behind the Menu, go here.
Sponsored by Blue Cross Blue Shield and Surly Brewing, Chef Ed Porter’s meal will be held on Feb 8, 2024 at 6:30 pm at the Mosaic Event Venue in downtown Minneapolis.