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“It is impossible not to love someone who makes toast for you,” wrote British chef Nigel Slater. That idea — that food is a gateway to connection — is at the heart of Stories Behind the Menu, a Twin Cities dinner series that pairs meals with storytelling.

“We take four chefs of color a year, and we storytell how the only true cuisine in the United States is Indigenous,” said Chaz Sandifer, a health and wellness coach who founded the dinner club. “Everything else was brought in through enslavement or immigration.” 

Each Stories Behind the Menu event blends food and story, with chefs sharing both personal histories and the cultural roots behind their dishes.

Past chefs who have led dinners include James Beard Award winner Sean Sherman and Katie Chin, the daughter of Leeann Chin. The most recent dinner is led by married chefs Matthew and Tia Raiford, who are based in Georgia.

“For me, it’s not just about the food,” Tia Raiford said. “It’s about the entire experience and how we share this with other people.” 

The Raifords both trace their ancestry to the Gullah Geechee people, a group of African Americans in the deep south. Gullah Geechee cuisine draws on the foods of West and Central Africa, brought by enslaved people, and also reflects influences from Spanish settlers and Indigenous communities.

“Spain was the original settlers in southeastern Georgia,” Tia said, pointing out the use of pork in Gullah Geechee cooking. 

While Matthew didn’t want to give away the entire menu, he did highlight one dish — the Low Country boil. Similar to a gumbo with seafood and rice, Matthew’s take is unique. 

“We’ve turned it into kind of a Low Country boil cake,” Matthew said, explaining that the corn, usually found in the dish, appears here as a sweet corn purée.

The event offers a chance to connect over food while exploring the history and cultural significance of American cuisines.

“The best part is, you don’t sit by who you come with, which is really hard for Minnesotans,” said Sandifer. “And that's what we're trying to do — is have courageous conversations, unlearn biases and heal from the inside out... I think that's what this country needs right now, is empathy, understanding, and to heal from the inside out.”  

Stories Behind the Menu takes place at the B Suite in Minneapolis on Sept. 25. 

(Correction: Sept. 24, 2025): A previous caption in the lead photo misidentified the orientation of people. 

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Jacob Aloi

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A Twin Cities dinner series called Stories Behind the Menu invites chefs of color to share meals and personal histories, using food as a way to spark cultural connection, healing and conversation about America’s complex culinary roots.

Courtesy of Chaz Sandifer

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Twin Cities dinner series explores America’s culinary origins

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