Posts under "Food"

Lutefisk Season is upon us

Posted by kari 4 Comments
Oct 23 2011

Whether you like it or not, it is Lutefisk season for Norwegians and Norwegian Americas alike!  I must be honest, I have never ordered lutefisk at a restaurant and I have never chosen to eat it.  The St. Olaf (my alma mater) cafeteria serves it every year in early December during the St. Olaf Christmas Festival and I always chose to avoid the cafeteria during that time.  Again, I’m sorry to admit, but the lutefisk that I have been exposed to is vile and makes me lose my appetite.  This is actually quite strange for me as I actually can count the foods I dislike on one hand.  In any case, lutefisk…..I’ll try to promote it in this blog post just because I believe that it can actually be tasty if it is prepared well and paired with delicious accompaniments.

Most of you probably know what lutefisk is-that white jelly-like fish that has been soaked in lye, the same chemical soap is made of.  Lutefisk became popular due to the lye extending it’s shelf life. Soaking the fish in lye preserves the fish, which was an extremely important quality hundreds of years ago.  Although preserving the fish is not important today as it was when sailers were crossing the ocean without modern refrigerators, diners today still enjoy this fall delicacy.

From early October through Christmas Norwegians shell out the dough for good lutefisk.  A fair price for this delicacy at a good restaurant in Norway is in the 350 kroner (about $65 USD).  It isn’t just in traditional Norwegian restaurants that one can find lutefisk on the menu during this time in Norway.  The dish is so popular that even Chinese restaurants serve it!

Lutefisk is traditionally served with a purée of kremet erter (creamed peas), but the adventurous will try it with other accompaniments such as ferske erter (fresh peas), bacon, sennep (mustard), and even geitost (goat cheese), mandelpoteter (almond potatoes), or small gulpoteter (yellow potatoes) particularly in northern Norway.  Lutefisk is usually served with something salty, something rich, and something sweet (like honey for example).

Here is an example of lutefisk on a julemeny (Christmas Menu) in Oslo at Mona Lisa Restaurant:

 

Meny nr.2

Lutefisk med ertestuing, bacon, baconfett, geitost,sennepsaus, tyttebær, fransk sennep, sirup og lefse. Kokte poteter.

Multekrem med kransekake

kr 590,-

Sounds pretty tasty actually.  Lutefisk with mashed peas, bacon, bacon fat, goat cheese, mustard sauce, cranberries, French mustard, sirup and lefse.  Cooked potatoes, cloudberry cream and kransekake (a kind of Norwegian cake) for 590 crowns.

Depending on ones preference, vin, øl, or akevitt pair well with lutefisk.  Akevitt would be the traditional choice, but a god Norwegian lager or a German riesling would pair well.

The below is a simple lutefisk recipe:

 

  1. 1
    Place the lutefisk in a kettle, and add enough cold salt water to completely cover them(some people like to place the lutefisk in cheesecloth and tie the ends itno a bag, before placing in the kettle.).
  2. 2
    Bring gradually to a boil. (Caution: It will be done when brought to a full boil, and if boiled too long the fish will fall into pieces.).
  3. 3
    Remove from the burner, skim off any foam that appears and the let the lutefisk stand for 5-10 minutes.
  4. 4
    Drain well, and serve steaming hot on warmed plates.

Norwegian Suppe-Norwegian soup the answer to fall

Posted by kari 1 Comment
Oct 19 2011

I returned back home to Minnesota a couple of nights ago from Georgia and Tennessee to discover that høst (fall) is in full swing.  Temps were in the 70s and 80s about 10 days ago and the highs the last few days was in the 40s-a classic MN massive drop in temperature.  I´ve been trying to kick a forkjølelse (cold) for a couple of weeks now and this cold air certainly isn´t helping.  Norway or Minnesota, høst is time for suppe!

There are so many delicious supper enjoyed throughout Norway, most of which have been around for a long, long time.  There are hearty supper with biff and poteter or more chowdery supper with krem and fisk, vegetarisk supper, as well as clear brothy supper and smooth creamy supper!  What is your favorite type of suppe?  I love them all.

I have found some really great oppskrifter (recipes) online that I´d like to share with you, both for supper that I have never tasted and supper that I have had the pleasure to enjoy:

Andreas Viestad´s Norwegian Red Onion Soup with Port and Jarlsberg, ´a lovely, slightly sweet, onion soup´

You can find the recipe here at Food.com.

Another soup from Andreas Viestad Beet Soup with Goose stock

Andreas Viestad on the beet soup:

This is a high north version of the Russian beet soup borscht. The sweet and aromatic goose stock makes it slightly more sophisticated than the hearty Russian versions. The first time I made it was in Svalbard, an archipelago halfway between mainland Norway and the North Pole. Stock from wild Svalbard goose added a rich gamy quality. Stock from farm-raised goose has a milder flavor.

Goose and duck meat may be delicious, but most of the flavor lies hidden in the bones, Cooking leftover bones and meat in water with aromatic vegetables is a simple thing, yet the stock you get is rich and delicious. You can also use this recipe for turkey or chicken, making a somewhat lighter stock. The stock can be frozen for up to 2 months.—Andreas Viestad

You can find the recipe here.

Watch Andreas Viestad made vegetarisk suppe !

Other popular Norwegian supper include cabbage suppe, fiskesuppe (fish chowder), purresuppe (leek soup), mussel suppe, mutton stew, hearty hunter´s stew with some of the finest ingredients ever: Ingredients
8- 10 Potatoes, peeled
2 Parsnips, peeled
2 Carrots, peeled
3 Yellow Onions, peeled
3 Cloves of Garlic
1/3 pound of Mushrooms, Shiitake or other
10-12 slices of Beef or Venison
1 ¼ cup Dark Beer
1 Cup of beef stock or  cube beef stock
9 Juniper Berries
Butter and Oil

There are so many delicious norske supper to enjoy.  I suggest purchasing a kokebok of Andreas Viestad´s or just browsing online for deliciously sounding oppskrifter to try:)

And finally, for some classic norsk humor, click YouTube Preview Image to see a really funny clip (på norsk) on supperåd (soup advice).

Akevitt-the Norwegian flavored spirt otherwise known as “Water of Life”

Posted by kari No Comments
Oct 15 2011

Akevitt (Norwegian spelling), akvavit and aquavit-however you prefer to spell it, is a delicious flavored (many are probably mumbling “speak for yourself” right now…) spirit home to Scandinavia-Norway, Sweden, and Denmark in particular.  Brandy is known by the French as “eau de vie” (Water of Life).  Of course I will be focusing on Norwegian Akevitt!

While other nations distill grains to produce the tasty beverage, Norwegian akevitt is made from distilled poteter.  The distinct flavor comes from a variety of different spices and herbs depending on the kind-caraway is by far the most popular, but dill, cardamom, cumin, anise, and fennel are typical ingredients as well.  Akevitts vary in color from clear to a light and even caramer colored brown.  Some akevitt is aged in oak casks, which give it a brownish hue.  The longer it is stored in the oak casks, the darker the hue will be.  Norwegian akevitt is aged in oak casks for anywhere from 1-12 years.  Caramel coloring is also used sometimes to create a brown hue without using oak casks.  Clear akevitt is known as “taffel.” 

 

Linje!

 

Varieties of Norwegian akevitt include Løiten, Lysholm, Gilde, and my personal favorite Linje.  I’m not sure I’ve even tried all of the aforementioned brands, but I appreciate the time, energy, and journey Linje akevitt embarks on before it is on the market.  Linje akevitt is said to achieve it’s bold and distinct flavor (as well as brown hue) because it is aged in oak casks that travel on ships from Norway to Australia and back, thus crossing the equator 2 times.  No, there is no superstition or magic involved in the equator crossing (that we know of at least-wink), but rather the constant movement, fluctuating temperatures, and high humidity cause the impacts of the aging process to be exemplified.  This is certainly quite the tur-retur (round-trip) journey for ei flaske alkohol (a bottle of alcohol) to take, not to mention costly!

Norwegians drink akevitt our of either shot glasses or long stemmed tulip-shaped glasses and they drink it in “snaps,” that is small shots during a meal.  Akevitt is not consumed as often as vodka, beer, or wine, for example.  It is a spirit consumed during traditional meals on Sankthansaften (Midsummer), 17. Mai (17th of May, Norway’s Constitution Day), Påske (Easter), and Jul (Christmas) as it is known to ease the digestion of rich foods (these holidays call for rich food!)  Typically, the host says “Skål!” (Cheers!) which is the signal for everyone to make eye contact with the host and take a snap!  Many people that I have consumed akevitt with absolutely despise it for it’s unusual flavor.  Although I hate caraway seeds in bread, for instance, I love akevitt.

Home distilling of akevitt is illegal in Norway, but a common practice.  I’ve had the pleasure of drinking heimbrent (home distilled) vodka, but not akevitt.  Someday I hope to enjoy this delicacy!

 

 

 

Strange and interesting facts about Norway

Posted by kari 4 Comments
Sep 30 2011

Working for a company headquartered in a foreign country really makes cultural differences apparent.  My colleagues and I often feel like anthropologists studying the potential reasons and implications for these cultural differences.  Since I have spent more time in Norway than I have in the Netherlands, I have become very used to the differences between Norway and the U.S.  So, I´ve been thinking over the past couple of days about peculiar facts about Norway that implicate something about the Norwegian people.

-Grocery stores are not allowed to be open on Sundays, but gas stations and kiosks can (and they sell groceries).

-You can buy beer in grocery stores, but you have to buy wine and hard liquor at one place and one place only-Vinmonopolet (which literally means ´Wine Monopoly´and closes quite early)

-Even though Norway is one of the top oil producers in the world, gas is more expensive in Norway than almost anywhere.

-Because food prices are so high in Norway, many Norwegians drive across the border to Sweden to shop.  These purchases amount to over 2 billion USD every year.

-If you get caught drinking and driving in Norway, you will go to jail for 30 days and immediately get your license revoked until a year later (assuming they pass the test).

-It can cost in the thousands for Norwegian teenagers to get their license (minimum age 18).

-Norwegians eat brown cheese (brunost)-one of my favorite things

-And lutefisk, fish soaked in lye (a chemical used in making soap)

-speeding fines are often more serious than if a person is caught with drugs

-Norway has voted against membership in the EU several times, but has implemented more EU directives than any other EU member state.

-Norwegians love Grandiosa, cheap frozen pizza.

-Most Norwegians take a 4 week holiday during the summer.  This means that the country slows down a lot and if you are a tourist and you aren´t aware of this, you wonder where everyone is and why nothing is open….

-Norwegians are one of the only people in the world to hunt whales

-Norwegians eat American children´s Christmas figure, Rudolph (and it´s darn good!)

-Norwegians do not typically smile or start talking to a stranger on the bus.  It is not considered rude to behave as such.

-Bars stay open very late, but having drinks outside at the bar closes earlier than inside the bar.  The bartender will take your full drink even if you just ordered it inside and walked outside.

There are many, many more peculiarities about the Norwegian culture, but that was a good dose.  If you spend a month or 2 in Norway, especially over the summer, you will learn all of these things.

Geitmyra-Oslo’s new Food and Culture Center for Kids

Posted by kari No Comments
Sep 18 2011

Geitmyra

On Sept. 1, Geitmyra matkultursenter for barn (Food and Culture Center for Children) opened.  Geitmyra is an old farm in Norway’s capital city, Oslo, from the mid 18th century.  Norwegian Food writer and chef, Andreas Viestad, headed the project to open Geitmyra because he believes mat (food) should be an important part of every child’s daily life.  Viestad believes that children should not only learn about mat og kultur at home.   School curriculums should also incorporate activities that help to teach children about the importance of good and healthy food.  Geitmyra’s website states på norsk ´På Geitmyra gård skal vi bidra til at barn og unge blir glade i mat som gjør dem godt!´ ´At Geitmyra farm we will help children and young adults like food that is good for them!´

Andreas Viestad conducting a class and cooking with children at Geitmyra

I remember Home Economics Class in Middle School.  In retrospect it was pretty lame.  At the time it was cool because it didn´t require much thought and more importantly, there was no homework involved.  We followed recipes to make several food items and we learned basic sewing techniques that we used to make pillows in the shape of animals.  The only food items that I can remember making are orange juliuses, muffins, and omelettes.  I´m sure we made more than that, but obviously the class didn´t have a huge impact on me.  We did learn how to read recipes and of course gained basic cooking skills, but the class was far from interesting.  Geitmyra seems like a place that I would have loved to attend as a child.

Viestad holds up a gulrot (carrot) just pulled from the ground

Similar to the U.S., in Norway, Mat og Helse (Food and Health) classes do not have the same education weight as science or literature classes.  School books for Mat og helse don´t even really exist.  Viestad acknowledged both of these facts and decided to do something about these two important topics in a child´s upbringing.

Geitmyra´s two main courses are:
  • on-site teaching for school classes, kindergartens/nurseries, after-school activities and others
  • a database with teaching material, experiments, subject content and recipes for teachers to use as resource in planning and carrying out their teaching (see below)

2 young girls with an eplepresser (apple presser). Many eple oppskrifter (apple recipes) were followed on this day.

Important People in attendance on Opening Day

On the opening day Sept. 1, several important guests were in attendance: Minister of Agriculture and Food Lars Peder Brekk, Minister of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs Lisbeth Berg-Hansen and head of Education Agency of Oslo Torger Ødegaard. However, the main guests were pre-school children entertaining with song and school children cooking the centre’s first dishes from of organic home grown vegetables and fresh fish.

 

I highly suggest exploring the Geitmyra website.  There is a fantastic blog with oppskrifter (recipes) and more pictures.  There is also a meny (menu) of courses, all of which look extremely interesting.  I want to attend this school!  Children learn about the senses of taste and smell.  They learn about what a sweet ingredient does to a dish or why citrus would be a good component to add.  They learn how to make their own ketchup and margarine, as well as more complicated dishes.  Go Andreas Viestad and the sponsors of Geitmyra!

See article in Aftenposten here!

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