food

We welcomed Chef Joe Haber, head chef and owner of Tomahawk Tacos, to the Indigenous Food Lab Test Kitchen for a special cooking session. Joe shared a cherished Haudenosaunee boiled cornbread recipe passed down from his grandmother, who made it for his mother and family. Traditionally topped with a beef-based gravy, Joe reimagines the dish with a rich mushroom and bean sauce infused with cedar and sage, showcasing the often-overlooked flavors of bean broth. Join us as Joe shares this generational recipe and its story, celebrating tradition with a fresh twist.

Recipe: Cornbread

• 4 cups Nixtamalized White Corn flour
• 2 cups dried small red beans
• Salt

Cedar Mushroom Sauce

• 2 Quarts Red Bean Broth - 1.5 lbs Mushrooms (any variety or mix of multiple varieties)
• 1.5 cups diced alliums (a mix of leeks, scallions, onions, shallots, whatever is available)
• 1/3 cup minced sage
• Branch of Cedar
• sunflower oil
• Juniper
• Salt
• Garnish with Scallion, Radish and Arugula or other seasonal leafy green