BernBaum’s by Andrea Baumgardner

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Recipes from Fargo’s Scandinavian-Jewish Deli

Photographer: Sarah Strong

From BernBaum’s, the beloved downtown Fargo bagel shop and restaurant, comes a gorgeous, down-to-earth cookbook filled with rustic, hearty, Jewish-Scandinavian recipes and culinary insight that’s sure to fill bellies and warm hearts.

When an ex-pat from the Bay Area and LA food scenes comes home to the upper Midwest, she learns what is universal about food and what is particular about the food from the wheat belt. With trademark charm, chef Andrea Baumgardner shares her rustic, cook-friendly food philosophy, a tempting array of Jewish-Scandinavian recipes that embrace the joy of improvisation, and the humble roots of BernBaum’s, the eclectic, inclusive Fargo bagel shop and restaurant that has become the go-to breakfast, lunch, and dinner spot for locals and tourists alike.

The recipes included emphasize fresh, seasonal ingredients and a penchant for experimentation, whether you’re making the legendary Shakshuka Focaccia Nordic Lamb Meatloaf with lingonberries and labneh, classics like Latke Poutine and Chicken or Vegan Matzoh Ball Soup, or mouth-watering sweets like Amma Cindy’s Pönnukökur or Rugelach with fig and chocolate hazelnut filling―crowd-pleasing recipes that home cooks will turn to again and again to bring both families and cultures together. Much like how BernBaum’s has tied a community together by creating unforgettable food memories, the BernBaum’s cookbook reminds us that how we eat speaks to who we are, where we come from, and who we want to be.

Year first published: 2023