Visionary Twin Cities Chef to Lead Storytelling Event and Cooking Demo at Mill City Museum
Chef Lachelle Cunningham explores the connections between cooking, culture, and memory
For immediate release
Dated: April 10, 2026
Contacts: Nick Jungheim 651-259-3060, nick.jungheim@mnhs.org or Allison Ortiz, 651-259-3051, allison.ortiz@mnhs.org
Location: Mill City Museum
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (April 10, 2026) – The Minnesota Historical Society and Chef Lachelle Cunningham invite guests to experience an evening where food, history, and storytelling come together at Mill City Museum.
Food, storytelling, and art will come together for Pot Likker: Food, Memory, and the Art of Nourishment on Friday, May 1 at 6 pm. The event will include a guided cooking demonstration, collaborative zine-making, and a shared meal inspired by cultural food traditions.
At the center of the experience is pot likker: the nutrient-rich broth created when greens stew and simmer. Through her work, Cunningham reframes pot likker not as a byproduct but as an expression of ancestral knowledge: a practice of extracting nourishment, flavor, and care from simple ingredients. Rooted in traditions similar to teas, tonics, and broths, pot likker reflects one of the oldest forms of healing and sustenance.
Cunningham is the founder of Healthy Roots Institute, where she leads food education, culinary training, and food business development across the Twin Cities. She is also the creator of the Pot Likker zine series, which combines recipes, storytelling, and cultural history into an interactive learning experience.
Cunningham is one of eight women featured in the exhibit Women with Taste: Culinary Visionaries of the Twin Cities, which is on display at Mill City Museum through May 31. Women with Taste celebrates visionaries who transformed the Twin Cities’ food scene and opened doors for new generations of women.
This event is made possible through funding provided by the Minnesota Legacy Amendment Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.
About the Minnesota Historical Society
The Minnesota Historical Society is a non-profit educational and cultural institution established in 1849. MNHS collects, preserves, and tells the story of Minnesota’s past through museum exhibits, libraries and collections, historic sites, educational programs, and book publishing. Using the power of history to transform lives, MNHS preserves our past, shares our state’s stories, and connects people with history.