Meet the matriarch of Native cooking, who inspired Owamni chef Sean Sherman

Cookbooks are a lot like restaurants: It takes a team of specialized skill sets to create a really good one. And, like cooking in a restaurant, no one writes a cookbook alone.

Even when I'm by myself in the kitchen, I feel surrounded by friends, my mom, grandma and other cookbook writers who seem to help me season a dish. As a food writer, my dream projects involve collaboration, respect and the chance to experience an unfamiliar cuisine. The chefs I've worked with have a deep knowledge of their craft and ingredients, but few have the time or interest in writing. I become the scribe, recipe tester, food stylist, deadline wrangler. When I'm lucky, such collaborations lead to lifelong friendships.

That was the case recently, when I had the opportunity to work with Loretta Barrett Oden, a stunningly beautiful 80-year-old Native American chef — and one of the most influential leaders in the Indigenous Food Sovereignty Movement.

Barrett Oden sparked Native American cuisine in 1993, when she and her oldest son, Clay, opened Corn Dance Café in Santa Fe, N.M., the first in the country to focus on local Indigenous ingredients. Along with rave reviews, it caught the attention of national television outlets, including the "Today" show and "Good Morning America." Barrett Oden eventually segued from subject to host after helping create a miniseries for PBS, the Emmy Award-winning "Seasoned With Spirit: A Native Cook's Journey," which aired in 2006.

Her journey also has led to the newly published cookbook and memoir "Corn Dance: Inspired First American Cuisine" (University of Oklahoma Press, $34.95). The book follows Barrett Oden's path growing up in Shawnee, Okla., with her Citizen Potawatomi grandmothers and aunties, and of gardening, foraging and cooking.

Throughout the book she tells of her father's family, whose ancestors arrived on the Mayflower, and learning to ride horseback with her dad and set a proper table in her grandmother's home. As the young mom of two sons, she tended a ranch and orchard in Oklahoma, cooking for their 4-H competitions, cheering them on.

At 48, Barrett Oden left it all to travel and grow into the woman she said she was destined to become. She set out to discover her heritage, learning her real purpose — storyteller and cook — along the way. Traversing the country, she met with elders, researching foodways and cooking close to the land.

"I came to realize Native cuisine is as rich and varied as that of France, Italy or any other country," she said. This epiphany helped launch Corn Dance Cafe. The boldly seasoned dishes and the cafe's quirky Southwest vibe drew members of the American Indian Movement and a host of celebrities — Graham Greene, Joy Harjo, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Sherman Alexie, Ali MacGraw, N. Scott Momaday and Wes Studi, to name just a few. It closed in 2003.

Lessons from the land, heart

"Loretta is a true inspiration and role model. Years before anyone else, she broke new ground and opened up new paths for what is possible." — Sean Sherman

Barrett Oden and I met two years ago thanks to Sean Sherman, one of her proteges, who would go on to win accolades and awards for his work with the Indigenous Food Lab and Owamni restaurant. In our initial conversation, her poise, humility and laughter drew me in right away.

Early on in the book project, Barrett Oden came to Minneapolis and stayed in our home. We worked and cooked together, refining her recipes and weaving her many stories throughout them. You'll find her story of working with John Mohawk and his Iroquois White Corn Project, which reintroduced and popularized the heritage grain. You'll find sweet-savory Corn Dance Cornbread, two-fisted, juicy Braised Bison Short Ribs, as well as her instructions for eating crawfish.

There are also lessons in how to navigate our complicated shared history, to listen and respond with empathy and grace. She delights in the success of younger women chefs, relaying how chef Caesare Assad created Sweet Potato Griddle Cakes on the fly as they cooked for a prestigious event on Full Belly Farm California; of creating Little Big Pies as a deliciously healthful alternative to Indian tacos on fry bread.

She is a force. No matter how tired, how badly her feet hurt or her back aches from hours spent over the stove, Barrett Oden shows up in her bright orange chef's jacket, silver bangles jangling up her arms, insisting that everything be done right and with joy, no matter how long it takes.

I realized when I started this project, how in the clatter of celebrity chefs, Loretta is often ignored. Perhaps she's just been so busy that she's neglected to look up from the chopping and stirring to hang her star in the culinary constellation.

Self-effacing and committed to her art and craft, Loretta shows us — and reminds me — that cooking is an intimate act of connection, one she does with reverence and, dare I say, love.

Three Sisters Stew with Corn Dumplings

Serves 6 to 8.

I continue to plant the three sisters together each year, first drawing a circle in the earth, then creating a mound and planting the seeds for the corn, beans and squash just as my grandmother taught me. This hearty stew was one of our signature menu items at Corn Dance Café. It's a hearty, satisfying meal in a bowl. Leftovers will keep three days in a covered container in the refrigerator or may be frozen. If you're in a pinch, use canned beans, but the freshly cooked are oh-so-much better. (A half-cup of dried beans will yield about 1 1/2 cups of cooked beans.) From "Corn Dance: Inspired First American Cuisine" by Loretta Barrett Oden with Beth Dooley (University of Oklahoma Press, 2023).

For the stew:

• 2 c. mixed dried beans (Anasazi or pinto, lima, white and black), soaked overnight

• 1 tbsp. olive oil

• 1 1/2 c. finely chopped yellow onion

• 1 1/2 c. finely chopped green bell pepper

• 2 tbsp. finely chopped garlic

• 1 jalapeño, stemmed, seeded and finely chopped

• 2 tsp. cumin seed

• 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

• 2 tsp. chili powder

• 1 (28-oz.) can crushed tomatoes, with juice

• 2 quarts (8 c.) vegetable stock or water

• 3 c. corn kernels

• 1/2 c. dark beer

• 2 c. diced zucchini or yellow squash

• Salt and pepper, to taste

For the dumplings:

• 3/4 c. blue or yellow cornmeal

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

• 2 tsp. baking powder

• 1/2 tsp. salt

• 1 egg

• 1/3 c. milk

• 1 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

• 1/2 c. corn kernels

Directions

To make the stew: After soaking the beans overnight, drain them and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large deep stockpot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add the onions, bell pepper, garlic, and jalapeño. Cook until soft, about 5 minutes.

In a dry skillet, toast the cumin seeds until they're aromatic and lightly browned, about 30 seconds. Grind the seeds in a mini food processor or coffee or spice grinder, and add to the onion mixture.

In the same dry skillet, toast the cayenne and chili powder for about 30 seconds, being careful not to burn them. Add the toasted spices to the onion mixture in the stockpot.

Stir the tomatoes into the stockpot and simmer for about 15 minutes. Add the vegetable stock and the drained beans to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer until the beans are tender, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Stir in the corn, beer and squash and cook until the squash is tender, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

To make the dumplings: In a medium bowl, stir together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, milk and melted butter. Add the liquid to the dry and mix until just combined. Fold in the corn. Drop the batter by heaping tablespoons into the simmering stew (there should be about 16 dumplings). Cover and cook until a wooden toothpick inserted into the centers of the dumplings comes up clean, about 15 minutes.

Spoon the soup into bowls, and top each serving with 2 dumplings. Serve immediately.

Easy Tomatillo Guacamole

Makes about 2 1/2 cups.

Set out this guacamole with corn chips and jicama sticks, or serve it with cornbread as a side to chili or meatloaf. From "Corn Dance: Inspired First American Cuisine" by Loretta Barrett Oden with Beth Dooley.

• 1/2 lb. tomatillos, husks removed

• 1 jalapeño

• 3 avocados, peeled, pitted and coarsely chopped

• 1/2 c. chopped cilantro

• 1 tbsp. fresh lime juice, or more to taste

• 1/2 tsp. salt, or to taste

Directions

On a hot grill or under a broiler, char the tomatillos and the jalapeño. Using a damp paper towel, rub any of the charred peel off the jalapeño and remove the seeds. Chop the jalapeño and the tomatillos, and transfer them to a medium bowl.

Add the avocados to the bowl. With the back of a fork, mash the avocado with the tomatillos and jalapeño, then mash in the lime juice and salt. Taste, and adjust the seasonings.