Peter Schott

“If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.”

― J.R.R. Tolkien

I’ve always enjoyed food. Well, that’s not 100% true. My parents told me that when I was a baby, I was born premature and had trouble eating. This didn’t last long though. One day my dad was watching me at home and fed me an entire bowl of oatmeal. To his surprise I ate the whole thing and haven’t looked back since!

As a kid I was an adventurous eater, always wanting to try different things at restaurants. One time when I was eight years old, we were at a restaurant. The waitress asked me what I wanted and I said “PBR me!” My parents put a stop to that one before I got in any trouble. Another time we went to the original Chipotle’s (before it was a national franchise). I ordered the veggie burrito because a black bean burrito sounded like a good idea. I still haven’t lived that one down with my family, despite being 12 at the time.

I am fascinated by foods in different cultures. They are a gateway to understanding a culture’s history and behavior. There are always amazing stories around food. Ask someone to tell you about their favorite meal or dish, and their eyes will light up. They will share a memory of a meal at their grandmother’s house or perhaps a travel experience.

For this reason I started a group in Fargo called “The International Potluck“. It’s mission was to connect people through food and story-telling. My own selfish ambition was to meet new people and try some good food. The first Potluck was held in February of 2016. 25 people showed up, all invited by me. We had a great time sharing food and stories. Someone offered to host the next one at his studio. Oh, of course there should be a next one!

Attendees of the first Potluck

Two months later we did just that. This time 65 people came! I knew 10 of them. I thought to myself, I might be on to something here…

The second Potluck –

In June we hosted another. Same thing – 65 people, I knew a few of them. People asking if we would host another one in July. They offered to help with setup, graphic design, etc. It was growing!

The third Potluck, hosted in June

Shortly after that event I received an e-mail from a dear friend. She introduced me to the CEO of the Plains Art Museum. The museum wanted to host community events in the cafe; was I interested in hosting my Potluck there? Of course I was! We met, planned an event for October. 100 people came! We had a speaker who shared the story of the Yazidi people. A TV crew came to interview him.

Fourth Potluck, first one at the Plains! This was a proud moment for me.

I’ve met many wonderful people through this event. In the coming weeks I will share stories about each of them, telling their background and some of the fun we have had.

Many cultures, one plate