More than just a sausage recipe book, The Wisdom of the Sausage Sister pulls back the curtain on some of your favorite Minnesota State Fair treats and delves into the fascinating family traditions behind the Sausage Sisters.
"A rollicking good time. Cherie Peterson proves that each phase of life is a new beginning if you choose to see it that way and aren't afraid to make a little mess in the kitchen and beyond."
—Nicole Helget, author, New York Times Editor's Pick, and People Magazine's Critic's Choice writer
Third generation family businesses don't always turn out how you may expect.
When author Cherie Peterson and her sister, Merry, decided to make a midlife pivot in their careers and take their lifelong love of sausage (literally) on the road, they never expected what lay ahead.
In addition to navigating the in's and out's of running a family business, they found themselves schlepping homemade sausages to and from their "Weenie Wagon" starting at the local farmers market and ultimately landing themselves in the middle of the Great Minnesota Get-Together—the Minnesota State Fair.
The Sausage Sisters have been making a name for themselves since their debut at the Minnesota State Fair in 2002. Their Twisted Sister sausage was named the Best New Fair Food by the Minneapolis Star Tribune during their first season, and their 4-star recipe continues to be a State Fair favorite.
Drawing from life experience and family history, Cherie Peterson chronicles the events that led her from selling real estate to diving headfirst into an entrepreneurial journey that, at times, proved to be the challenge of a lifetime.
In this unique food memoir, you'll discover:
- the family traditions behind some of the Minnesota State Fair's top-selling foods,
- the challenges of running a family business,
- that it's never too late to change your life, and
- some of the Sausage Sisters' best-selling recipes.
The Wisdom of the Sausage Sister is a great gift for State Fair food enthusiasts, midwestern meat eaters, and the women entrepreneurs in your life.
For anyone who has ever wondered about the stories behind their favorite stands at the State Fair, The Wisdom of the Sausage Sister is the perfect blend of anecdotes, wisdom . . . and, of course, sausage!
Cherie Peterson is the co-founder of Sausage Sister & Me, a Minnesota State Fair staple for over two decades. Before founding Sausage Sister & Me, Cherie was a home economics teacher and had a career in real estate sales.
Sausage Sister & Me is a unique spin on a third-generation family business. Cherie and her sister, Merry, were inspired by their grandfather and father's business, Gaspar's Grocery Store. When Cherie inherited the store's well-used antique butcher block table, she was inspired to carry on the tradition by bringing the family business to its "second act." Sausage Sister & Me began in a custom-built Weenie Wagon, moved to the Minneapolis Farmers Market, and finally found its home at the Minnesota State Fair in 2002.
When not schlepping sausages, Cherie loves hosting family and friends around her table to eat good food, drink, and laugh together. She lives with her husband in Roseville, Minnesota.
"Cherie Peterson's memoir is a rollicking good time. After a relatively successful and predictable life, with the onset of menopause, author Peterson set out on an entirely new life journey. Peterson proves that each phase of life is a new beginning if you choose to see it that way and aren't afraid to make a little mess in the kitchen and beyond." —Nicole Helget, author, New York Times Editor’s Pick, and People Magazine’s Critic’s Choice writer
"Four out of four stars at the Minnesota State Fair. [...] easily the pick of the litter among the fair's new food items and they deserve a fairgrounds run rivaling that of the pronto pup." —Rick Nelson, Star Tribune
"Holy Cow! Holy Pig! Juicy, meaty . . . like that sweet, lovely browned, luscious taste of really good pork roast. I want to have these sausages in my freezer." —Lynn Rosetta Kaspar, author of The Splendid Table
