>> THIS IS WHAT I WAS SAYING, I KNEW THIS IS WHERE WE WERE GOING TO GO WITH THIS TONIGHT.

>> Cathy: USUALLY WHEN A NEW COOKBOOK COMES OUT, IT'S WRITTEN BY A HEAD CHEF SHOWCASING THEIR CLAIM TO FAME.

BUT 'BACK OF HOUSE,' A NEW BOOK OUT LAST MONTH, INSTEAD LOOKS AT RECIPES FROM THE PEOPLE WHO SO OFTEN WORK, AS THE TITLE SAYS, AT THE BACK OF THE KITCHEN WITHOUT THE PRAISE AND LIMELIGHT--IMMIGRANTS AND THEIR DESCENDANTS.

THE BOOK FEATURES 12 DISHES THAT SHOWCASE CULTURAL AND FAMILIAL HISTORIES FROM AROUND MINNESOTA.

CO-AUTHOR RYAN STOPERA IS A LOCAL PHOTOGRAPHER AND FILMMAKER, AND HE'S JOINED BY LOUIS HANSON, ONE OF THE COOKS FEATURED IN THE BOOK.

THIS IS SUCH A GREAT IDEA.

I JUST LOVE IT.

THANKS FOR BEING HERE.

THANKS FOR TALKING ABOUT THE BOOK.

SAY, RYAN, HOW DID THIS THING COME TOGETHER?

I THINK IT'S JUST A REALLY GREAT IDEA FOR A BOOK.

>> YEAH, APPRECIATE THAT.

I WAS MANAGING A RESTAURANT FOR A FEW YEARS, AND JUST DEEPENED MY RESPECT FOR CHEFS AND PEOPLE WHO TAKE CARE OF THE COMMUNITY THROUGH FOOD.

WITH RISING XENOPHOBIA, YOU KNOW, IT WAS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO CELEBRATE, NOT ONLY CHEFS, BUT IMMIGRANT CHEFS AND THEIR STORIES.

>> Eric: YOU GET KIND OF A FEELING FOOD IS A PART OF CULTURE.

>> EXACTLY.

AND COMING FROM WHERE I COME FROM, WHICH IS GHANA, FOOD HAS ALWAYS BEEN PART OF THE CULTURE.

SO WHEN I GO THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE PART OF THIS BOOK, I WAS, LIKE, OKAY.

>> Eric: IN THE PORTION ON GHANA, BEN McKEY, ONE OF OUR PHOTOGRAPHERS HAS BEEN TO GHANA, AND HE AGREED WITH YOU THAT THE BETTER FOOD WAS IN THE HOMES, NOT IN THE FANCY RESTAURANTS.

IN GHANA.

>> YES.

THAT'S ONE OF THE LINES IN THE BOOK, IF YOU COME TO GHANA WITH ME, I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE YOU TO THE FANCY RESTAURANTS, THE REAL FOOD, THE REAL FLAVORS, THE REAL CULTURE, THE REAL PEOPLE, USUALLY FOUND IN THE LLEYS WHERE YOU HAVE TO LIKE DODGE GUTTERS AND GET TO THE REAL WOMEN WHO ARE MAKING THE REAL FOOD.

YEAH, IT'S TRUE.

I CONFIRM THAT.

>> Cathy: DO YOU THINK OTHER CULTURES KIND OF THE SAME THING, RYAN?

SOME OF THE RESEARCH YOU'VE DONE?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

AND JUST THE CARE THAT DIANA, MY COLLABORATOR AND THE DESIGNER OF THE BOOK, WE WERE JUST TAKEN CARE OF IN EVERY HOME.

LIKE MADE WELCOME, LIKE WE WERE PART OF THE FAMILY.

AND THE FOOD WAS JUST INCREDIBLE.

>> Eric: HOW DO YOU PICK, WAS IT 12 RECIPES?

>> 12.

>> Eric: HOW DO YOU PICK THEM?

WAS IT A COMPETITION TO GET A RECIPE IN THE BOOK?

>> NO, IT WAS QUITE EASY.

I MET RYAN THROUGH A FRIEND OF MINE.

AND WHEN HE SPOKE TO ME ABOUT THE PROCESS AND THE VISION, IT WAS EASY FOR ME TO CHOOSE WHAT TO COOK BECAUSE THE MAIN VISION WAS HOW TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR COMMUNITY.

IN TIMES OF -- IN TIMES LIKE THIS, IN TROUBLED TIMES LIKE THIS, HOW DO WE TAKE CARE OF OUR COMMUNITY AND BUILD A RESILIENT ONE, TO FIND JOY IN WHAT WE DO.

AND IT'S EASY TO GO BACK TO WHERE YOU COME FROM.

SO MY RECIPE IS MAINLY ROOTED, WHAT MY MOTHER WAS COOKING WITH ME IN THE KITCHEN WHEN I WAS A KID.

SO THE VERY FOOD THAT WE HAD EATEN, WHEN WE HAVE LESS RESOURCES, LESS MONEY, SO WE'RE ABLE TO FIND JOY IN THE LITTLE THINGS THAT WE DO.

SO, YEAH, THAT'S WHAT -- CHOOSING WHAT TO COOK IS USUALLY EASY.

>> Cathy: I LOVE THE FACT THAT YOU HAD A PLAYLIST, A PLAYLIST THAT WENT WITH SOME OF THE RECIPES.

BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE COOK TO MUSIC.

>> YEAH.

>> Cathy: RIGHT.

TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT.

>> YEAH, IN GHANA, YOU CAN TAKE MUSIC -- YOU CAN'T TAKE MUSIC AWAY FROM THE CULTURE.

WHEREVER THERE IS FOOD, THERE'S PEOPLE.

AND WHEREVER THERE'S PEOPLE, THERE'S MUSIC.

AND WHEREVER THERE'S MUSIC, THERE'S DANCIN'.

SO THE JOY STILL RESOUNDS IN THE EXPERIENCE FOR EVERYTHING.

SO I WAS, LIKE, YOU CAN COME TO MY HOUSE, EXPERIENCE A WHOLE GHANA FOOD, IT WILL BE AN INJUSTICE NOT FOR ME TO SHOW YOU THE REAL FULL EXPERIENCE.

SO I HAD TO, LIKE, PLAY THE SONGS ALONGSIDE COOKING THE FOOD.

AND THE SONGS ARE CAREFULLY PICKED FROM THE REGION THAT I COME FROM, WHICH IS WESTERN REGION.

AND WHICH INFLUENCES THE FOOD, THE FISHY COMPONENTS OF THE FOOD.

SO, THERE WERE LEGENDS IN HIGH LIFE AND DANCE HALL, SO THOSE WERE THE SONGS THAT ENDED UP ON THE PLAYLIST.

>> Eric: I WANT O CALL THIS THE PEOPLE'S COOKBOOK BECAUSE IT'S NOT THE TYPICAL MARKETING OF THE CELEBRITY CHEF.

>> EXACTLY.

>> Eric: THAT MUST BE PURPOSEFUL.

>> GIVING THE FLOWERS TO THE INVISIBLE STORIES THAT YOU DON'T ALWAYS HEAR.

>> Eric: AND A LOT OF APPRECIATION THAT THEY WERE BEING, YOU KNOW, LISTENED TO AND FEATURED?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

YOU KNOW, WE'RE ARCHIVING HISTORY.

A FRIEND OF MINE, HER GRANDMOTHER FLEW UP FROM FLORIDA, HAITIAN IMMIGRANT, WHO HAD NEVER ARCHIVED THIS RECIPE OR THEIR STORY.

SO IT'S POWERFUL.

IT'S SPECIAL.

>> Cathy: I WONDER HOW MUCH A CELEBRATED CHEF LEARNS FROM THE FOLKS IN THE BACK OF THE HOUSE.

IS THERE ANY WAY TO QUANTIFY THAT?

YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYIN'?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

I MEAN, IDEAS, RECIPES, THEY'RE OFTEN EXTRACTED FROM THOSE INVISIBLE CARETAKERS AND CHEFS.

SO, I'M GLAD THAT CHEFS LIKE LOUIE GOT CELEBRATED IN THIS BOOK.

>> Eric: DO THE RECIPES GET HANDED DOWN GENERATION TO GENERATION?

>> EXACTLY.

SO, AS I SAID, THESE ARE FOOD THAT MY MOTHER COOKED FOR ME IN THE KITCHEN, WHEN WE WERE KIDS.

IF YOU GET INTO THE BOOK, YOU GET TO KNOW HOW THE FOOD IS MADE AND HOW SHE USES THAT FOOD AS A SOCIAL CUE TO GET US TO COME BACK FROM SCHOOL QUICKLY, BECAUSE MOST TIMES, LIKE, WHEN PEOPLE GO TO SCHOOL, THEY DON'T -- THE KIDS DON'T GET -- THEY TRY TO PLAY AROUND, BUT SHE USED THE FOOD TO MAKE SURE WE COME.

SO IT'S HANDED DOWN.

IT'S MOSTLY -- ENGAGE OUR SENSES.

>> Eric: GOTTA GO.

"BACK OF THE HOUSE, FROM THE CARETAKERS OF OUR COMMUNITIES."

>> Cathy: I LOVE THIS.

>> Eric: PERFECT FOR HOLID