The Behind The Plate cookbook includes recipes and narratives sharing lived experiences of our community. Join us on October 24 to celebrate the book and its contributors. The event will include:

• Bites from the book
• Short program featuring some of the people behind the food stories, MC’ed by Performance Artist & Playwright, May Lee-Yang
• DJ Kool Akiem
• Interactive art and storytelling areas
• Opportunities to support Urban Roots’ paid youth internship programs by purchasing the cookbook and bidding on a small silent auction

This is a free event, but registration is required (click here). Space is limited – sign up soon! Parking vouchers will be provided.

Thank you to Delta Dental of Minnesota and Gallagher for sponsoring this event and to Martha’s Gardens for donating flowers.

Click here to register for free!

About Behind The Plate

Behind The Plate is more than a cookbook; it is a celebration of people, place, and connection. Created to preserve and honor the food stories of immigrant and Indigenous communities on Saint Paul’s East Side, this collection brings together narratives rooted in memory, culture, and becoming. As a people-centered cookbook, each dish carries a story of neighbors passing down knowledge and lived experience, of young people learning to lead and share their voices, and of mentors who offer their recipes, histories, and care. From family staples to meals prepared for community gatherings, these stories reflect the diverse voices and lived experiences that shape the East Side today. Warm, accessible, and deeply human, this cookbook invites readers into kitchens where food becomes a bridge for teaching, remembrance, and love, offering a meaningful way to experience a place where food creates community.

About Urban Roots

Urban Roots is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit on the East Side of St. Paul, MN. We provide paid youth internships that address community needs around fresh food access, the environment, and well-being. Each year, up to 85 youth interns participate in our progressive, tiered programming, connecting to one another and the world around them.