BernBaum’s is the Fargo, North Dakota deli that inspired many multi-hour drives across the Upper Midwest with its homey atmosphere, strong Jewish Nordic roots, and novel approach to deli. In this fun new cookbook, Andrea Baumgardner, author and James Beard-nominated Best Chef of the Midwest, shares the inspirations, origins, and stories behind many of her dishes. Recipes are interspersed with charming stories of her American Icelandic grandparents, American Jewish in-laws, North Dakota neighbors, and many others, including chefs Alice Waters, Molly Yeh, and Marcus Samuelsson. Through these reminiscences and sage advice, one learns the ingredients to make a Jewish deli thrive in North Dakota (and anywhere else).
Like so many great accomplishments, BernBaum’s was born on a dream and a bagel. Or to be more exact: a dream to share great bagels with Fargoans, modeled after the best of New York’s delis and dairy restaurants, but infused with Nordic, German, and other flavors. And these bagels do not disappoint. Across eight pages, half of which are filled with colorful step-by-step photo guides, you will learn how to make a bagel that your Brooklyn family would approve of. And because a delicious bagel should not be left alone, you can turn the pages for a veritable smorgasbord of shmears, spreads, dips, and cured fishes, including very approachable recipes for arctic char gravlax and smoked trout salad.
One of the unexpected highlights of BernBaum’s is the chapter on vegetable salads. Sure, the fourteen pages on matzo ball soup (vegetarian and chicken, with homemade gribenes) are impressive and insightful, but they pale next to Baumgardner’s illustrated salad matrix and wisdom. In this penultimate chapter about a dish historically relegated as a side (a plus-one to the amazing fish, schnitzel, brisket, and meatloaf sandwiches), readers learn why this deli attracted diners across the region. Baumgardner notes that, when making salads, her “mantra is: Have fun, don’t be precious or overthink it, and make it something you really want to eat — not just should eat.”
Describing the seven core components of any salad — greens, grains, proteins, vegetables and fruits, crunch, and dressing — the watercolor illustrations emphasize seasonality and variability in preparations. For every season, Baumgardner offers a simple, delectable, and memorable salad to be enjoyed on its own or paired with one of the many other gems in this book — whether that is an incredibly flexible sweet or savory porridge, or an excellent deli sandwich.
Avery Robinson is a Jewish nonprofit professional living in Brooklyn. In his spare time, he freelances as an editor, culinary historian, cofounder of the climate change nonprofit Rye Revival, and manager of Black Rooster Foods. His writings have appeared in Marginalia Review of Books, Jerusalem Post, TabletMag, and The Forward.
