All About Food

A night at The Crossing

January 17th, 2018

Scott and Patty Hoff - photograph by Sabrina Hornung The night I visited Ashtabula Crossing was the same night as the Winter Solstice. A stark contrast to the blue skies and lush green grass I remembered from summers past. As North Dakotans we can switch from barefootin’ to snowbootin’ in a matter of seasons with little fuss--as long as the fishing is decent.

Despite the layer of snow cover and inches of ice covering the lake, the restaurant is a year-round destination for locals and fishermen alike. “Evenings like this we get a lot…

Just opened: Wild Terra Cider and Brewing

December 13th, 2017

Wild Terra Cider and Brewing - photograph by Logan Macrae On the Corner of University and Northern Pacific sits a building that has just been revitalized. Once a horse barn, this large picturesque structure now houses Wild Terra Cider and Brewing. When the new owners Breezee and Ethan found the structure in Downtown Fargo, the inside was “rustic.” The long rehabilitation process has now paid off.

The once dilapidated interior is now a splendor of architectural feats. When people said they were crazy for proposing the remodeling, Breezee and…

Cooking from the heart of German Russian Country

November 29th, 2017

GRHC and Prairie Public release documentary and cookbook

The kitchen is often said to be the heart of the home -- in fact, some of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned in life were in a kitchen and from a German grandmother. Growing up she taught me a thing or two in the kitchen, never measuring and never missing a beat.

“Gutes Essen” is German for “good eating.” “Gutes Essen-Good eating in German-Russian country” is also the name of Prairie Public’s latest documentary…

Wine cellaring 101: your guide to aging wines

November 29th, 2017

There’s a common misconception that all wine gets better with age. And there are lots of cliches and dumb birthday internet memes with Leonardo DiCaprio toasting you with a glass of Champagne saying something along the lines of, “Like a good wine, you’re only getting better with age.”

Um, not true. A good wine? How about a great wine. A freaking amazing one. In fact, would you believe that only 1% of all wines in the world are meant to be aged? Well, believe it, baby.

So, what…

Number one on Highway One

November 24th, 2017

The Stri-King Cafe and Lanes offers coffee, community, and bowling

Photo credit: Sabrina Hornung

Upon entering Stri-King Lanes and Cafe, one is greeted with an air of nostalgia with its midcentury era red vinyl-topped stools lining the breakfast counter, wood paneled walls and no-nonsense decor.

It’s reminiscent of the now rapidly disappearing small town cafes of my youth. The warmth of the AM radio emits classic country songs while three generations of hunters sit in their camouflage…

The essence of fall at the HoDo

November 16th, 2017

Dessert: Bruléed squash cheesecake with spiced oranges – Prepared by Pastry Chef Dana Swanson

Colder weather, changing leaves, pumpkin spice and more are some of the few things that come to mind when many think of fall. But fall is about much more than sugary lattes and scarves, and you can fully indulge in fall flavors at one of Fargo’s most premier restaurants. The essence of autumn is alive and thriving when it comes to the The Hotel Donaldson’s new fall seasonal menu.

With the change of seasons comes a revived restaurant and lounge menu from Executive Chef Ryan Shearer,…

Soul food searching at Daran’s

November 8th, 2017

Amid the hubbub of University Drive North sits an unassuming building that not long ago was an auto service station. The interior is still reminiscent of the business past. The white tiles on the wall are the same as the ones that adorned the walls of my grandfather’s service station. It’s ripe with personal nostalgia and I loved it right away because of this. The small quaint building contains rumblings of the past, but now even better smells of the future. Its new occupant.…

Brussels sprouts: a labor of love

November 3rd, 2017

A farmer’s day is governed by the sun. Work starts on our farm as soon as we can see and continues until we can’t. That makes for long days during the growing season. Our days are filled with caring for our livestock, moving fences for our rotational grazing systems, and tending our gardens.

As we lose daylight in the fall, the sun sets on our farm work. Many tasks are completed in preparation for the winter that is soon to be upon us.

It froze this week here on the farm. That…

Downtown dogfight

October 18th, 2017

Friday night we were burning the midnight oil, carousing, drinking, and rambling about. The downtown dogfight has been stirring for a while, biting at my heels and barking in my brain. It was time for this idea to come to fruition. I enlisted the assistance of two friends and we headed out to vet the two most common hotdog stands Downtown.

We started at The Hot Dog Peddler, most commonly located on the half block by Fort Noks on the weekends. This purveyor of hot dogs and sausages…

Foods of the Bible: a St. John’s Bible Brunch fundraiser

October 18th, 2017

The HPR caught up with Maureen Kelly Jonason, the Executive Director of the Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County to learn more about the current exhibition of the St. John’s Bible and the upcoming fundraiser, Foods of the Bible, with all proceeds supporting Illuminating the Word: The Saint John’s Bible, the society’s major exhibit of the year.

The brunch fundraiser is Sunday, October 29, and only features foods that would have been available in the Middle East during…