Stephanie Hansen is known for her cookbooks, podcasts, t.v. appearances, and Substack column. Her husband, Kurt Johnson is the author of The Barrens, a 2023 MN Book Awards winner, and has the Substack, “Kurt Johnson Books.”

Now, they’ve teamed up for a novel-with-recipes, The Moon Tavern. Join them at Norway House for a tasting of the recipes from the novel, an entertaining talk on how the book came about, and a question and answer period. Books will be available for purchase and a signing will follow.

Here’s an excerpt of what Kirkus Reviews has to say about The Moon Tavern:

In Hansen and Johnson’s novel, a cookbook writer tracks down her biological grandmother on a Croatian island and uncovers long-buried family secrets—and a new zest for life. Vesna “Ves” Ivelja takes an extended break from her home in Minneapolis—and her crumbling relationship with long-term boyfriend Reed—to travel to the island of Lastovo, off the coast of Croatia, in search of her biological grandmother, Marta. Ves ultimately wants answers about her parents, who died in the Yugoslav Wars in the early 1990s. As she struggles to get to know Marta (a task made more complicated by the language barrier), Ves gets to know other people around her, including handsome single dad Dinko Radić, and places, such as the now-shuttered Moon Tavern that her family used to own. The more time she spends with her newfound family members and friends, the more she questions whether she’s living the life she truly desires. As painful memories of Ves’ childhood begin to resurface, she tries to find a way to come to peace with both the past and the present. Following each chapter is a recipe (for such dishes as “Seafood Soup” and “Osso Buco”) inspired by Ves’ culinary and familial journey. Hansen and Johnson have crafted a unique blend of cookbook and family drama that effectively develops both its characters and its local… Ves’ personal discoveries, about her family and about herself, demonstrate how the effects of war and trauma can reverberate through generations. The result is a book that thoughtfully explores themes of identity, grief, and new beginnings.

A far-flung journey of self-discovery that’s delightfully seasoned with history and delicious recipes.

Enjoy a fall evening of literary talk, samples from exceptional recipes, and, with Stephanie and Kurt leading the conversation, a lot of laughter.