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Minnesota Now with Nina Moini
Cathy Wurzer, Lindsay Guentzel and Alex Cheng

Midtown Global Market celebrates its 15th anniversary — with a cookbook

Global Market
A visitor to the Midtown Global Market in Minneapolis checks out one of the many pieces of public art on display in the former Sears and Roebuck facility. The year, the market is celebrating its 15th anniversary, and for the first time ever, the chefs and business owners who fill the bustling market are putting together a cookbook.
Nikki Tundel | MPR News 2010

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The Midtown Global Market in Minneapolis is celebrating its 15th anniversary, and for the first time ever, the chefs and business owners who fill the bustling market are putting together a cookbook.

The 23 recipes highlight the many different flavors from around the world that are available at the market, including a bison and hominy bowl with blueberry wojapi from Sean Sherman and homemade tortillas from Manny Golzalez of Manny's Tortas.

The book also features the recipe for Trung's Egg Rolls from Pham’s Rice Bowl. Trung Pham, the owner of the Vietnamese restaurant, is one of the original vendors at the Midtown Global Market. He joined host Cathy Wurzer to talk about his story and the story of the market.

The popularity of those egg rolls was the result of an unexpected ingredient swap, Pham said. Fifteen years ago, Pham started making chicken egg rolls alongside his traditional pork egg rolls in order to serve the south Minneapolis Muslim community. The chicken was a hit.

Trung Pham, owner of the Pham's Rice Bowl restaurant.
Trung Pham, owner of the Pham's Rice Bowl Vietnamese restaurant.
Courtesy of Pham's Rice Bowl

Pham, humble to a fault, said that while his egg rolls may not be the best in the universe, they certainly could be the best in Minnesota.

According to Pham, his 15 successful years at the Midtown Global Market are the product of hard work and luck. It’s “not because I’m a smart person,” he added.

The business owners who make their living at the market are fighting hard to survive the current economic downturn, Pham said, and they’re not going to give up, because they — and the residents upstairs — love the place.

During the unrest following the murder of George Floyd, residents and business owners formed a human chain outside the building to protect it from looters and rioters, Pham said.

The Midtown Global Market Cookbook goes on sale Saturday, Dec. 11, in the market's central court from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Proceeds from the sales of the cookbook benefit the Friends of Global Market, a foundation working to support the market, its small businesses and the neighboring community.

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.

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