1
00:00:01,234 --> 00:00:03,203
- Cherokee bean bread is 
a staple food that would

2
00:00:03,203 --> 00:00:06,072
be part of almost every 
meal in a Cherokee home.

3
00:00:06,072 --> 00:00:09,409
It's made with two of the 
three sisters, the staples

4
00:00:09,409 --> 00:00:12,278
of Cherokee agriculture 
which are corn and beans.

5
00:00:12,278 --> 00:00:15,382
This is a recipe for the 
bread that would be used

6
00:00:15,382 --> 00:00:18,518
pre-contex of truly 
traditional food.

7
00:00:18,518 --> 00:00:21,354
(energetic music)

8
00:00:25,158 --> 00:00:28,962
This modern recipe I am kind 
of marrying together the

9
00:00:28,962 --> 00:00:32,198
idea of Cherokee bean bread 
with tamale preparation

10
00:00:32,198 --> 00:00:36,136
because they are such 
similar types of dish.

11
00:00:36,136 --> 00:00:39,672
We're going to be using corn 
husks to put these together.

12
00:00:39,672 --> 00:00:42,742
Traditionally with blard sorbs 
or any kind of bean bread

13
00:00:42,742 --> 00:00:44,310
we use corn leaves.

14
00:00:44,310 --> 00:00:47,881
But again bringing this dish 
into our homes you can't

15
00:00:47,881 --> 00:00:51,518
necessarily go and get 
corn leaves all the time.

16
00:00:51,518 --> 00:00:54,821
This is masa harina and 
these are some brown beans

17
00:00:54,821 --> 00:00:59,059
that I have had simmering on 
the stove for a few hours.

18
00:00:59,059 --> 00:01:02,562
And some rendered fat 
and these is going to add

19
00:01:02,562 --> 00:01:05,231
a little more flavor to the jar.

20
00:01:08,368 --> 00:01:10,937
Cooking is such a part 
of my life in every way

21
00:01:10,937 --> 00:01:14,074
it's the way that you 
can communicate a feeling

22
00:01:14,074 --> 00:01:17,577
to people it's a good thing 
to share with someone.

23
00:01:17,577 --> 00:01:20,880
Cooking traditional food, 
specifically for me is a

24
00:01:20,880 --> 00:01:24,717
tad of my culture that 
feels more real than

25
00:01:24,717 --> 00:01:28,121
even dancing, or singing 
the way that I really

26
00:01:28,121 --> 00:01:30,223
feel connected to my 
culture is by making the

27
00:01:30,223 --> 00:01:32,192
food that my ancestors 
have made before me

28
00:01:32,192 --> 00:01:34,761
and sharing it 
with other people.

29
00:01:34,761 --> 00:01:37,430
(up beat music)

30
00:01:40,166 --> 00:01:41,034
When it gets to this 
consistency I like to

31
00:01:41,034 --> 00:01:42,735
get my hands in there

32
00:01:44,204 --> 00:01:47,474
to make sure, the only way 
to know if you've got enough

33
00:01:47,474 --> 00:01:50,944
water in there is to 
put your hands in it.

34
00:01:54,247 --> 00:01:58,084
So I am just grabbing kind 
of little fist sized portion

35
00:01:58,084 --> 00:02:02,989
here for my first babsor, we 
call them babsors because of

36
00:02:04,190 --> 00:02:07,026
the shape it's kind of a 
flat oval shaped bread.

37
00:02:08,695 --> 00:02:12,365
I'm just going to put 
it in here and then...

38
00:02:16,402 --> 00:02:17,337
Wrap it up.

39
00:02:19,005 --> 00:02:20,607
A little steam.

40
00:02:20,607 --> 00:02:23,276
(up beat music)

41
00:02:34,020 --> 00:02:36,623
Okay, so that's all of 
our little bean breads

42
00:02:36,623 --> 00:02:41,094
and set this to steam 
for the next 45 minutes.

43
00:02:41,094 --> 00:02:43,730
Been on the stove 
for about 45 minutes

44
00:02:43,730 --> 00:02:47,667
I'm just going to check 
to see if they're done.

45
00:02:50,603 --> 00:02:51,971
These look great.

46
00:02:59,145 --> 00:03:02,782
Let's check one of these, 
these look perfect.

47
00:03:04,817 --> 00:03:08,388
Cherokee bean bread 
or blard sorbs.

48
00:03:08,388 --> 00:03:11,157
(dramatic music)