B.J. Carpenter discusses Come, You Taste: Family Recipes from the Iron Range. She will be introduced by James Norton of the Heavy Table.

Discover a world of eclectic cuisines and enticing tales from the Iron Range of yesteryear.

Potica or kolache, sarma or braciole, lutefisk or baccala, fattigman or lefse—Minnesota’s Iron Range has a culinary language all its own. The pursuit of rich iron ore in the early twentieth century drew workers who hailed from Finland, Sweden, Slovenia, Italy, and many other places, and as the men went to work in the mines, their families adjusted together to this new land. The immigrants’ children, that first generation, grew up in multiethnic communities where grandmothers shared the bounty of their gardens and the products of their kitchens—and everyone savored a new mix of food traditions.

Come, You Taste celebrates the cuisine of these numerous groups and features fond memories of neighborhoods now gone, of flavors and scents that mingled on a single block, of local entrepreneurs who lifted up old-world dishes like porketta and pasties and potica. Second-generation Iron Ranger B. J. Carpenter has collected stories and treasured recipes that will inspire modern cooks to explore this brand of Minnesota cuisine in their own kitchens. Whatever the name of the dish, whatever the ethnic connection, these breads and pastries, hearty mains, and tempting sides all fit the bill of “very good food.”

“Carpenter’s book is the best kind of cultural record—one that reminds us how wonderful (and delicious) culture really is. The foods of my family are found here, along with new ones I’d never tried. Taste the flavors that sustained generations of people in this very interesting place on Earth.”--​Aaron J. Brown, author of Overburden: Modern Life on the Iron Range and host/producer of The Great Northern Radio Show on Northern Community Radio (KAXE.org)

“B.J. Carpenter has written much more than a cookbook. Your heart will be touched as you connect with generations of families through the delightful stories she shares with each recipe. And you will be inspired to begin preparing and sharing these recipes from the Iron Range, updated for today’s cooks, with your own family.”--Sue Doeden, author of Homemade with Honey and host of Good Food, Good Life 365 on Lakeland Public Television

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Born and raised in Hibbing, B. J. Carpenter is a culinary educator and writer living in the Twin Cities. She is the author, with Shelley N. C. Hall, of The Minnesota Table: Recipes for Savoring Local Food Throughout the Year.