Oysters

So, I’ve tried making that aquavit-lemon granita for oysters, I really have. I’m just not quite there yet. That’s it, there, in the photo, but as you can tell, it’s too runny. Maybe I just didn’t have enough patience and served it without giving it enough time to freeze. Or maybe my proportions are just wrong. I haven’t given up yet, though, and in the meantime I’ll share with you the best accompaniment to oysters I’ve ever had.

Champagne-Vinegar Mignonette for Oysters
Adapted from Gourmet, September 2005

Use a good-quality Champagne vinegar here; it really makes a difference. I like the one from International Collection.

3 teaspoons Champagne vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons shallot, finely chopped
1 teaspoon flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
A pinch or two of sugar, to taste
A pinch or two of freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Combine all ingredients and let sit for at least a half an hour.

This will make enough mignonette for at least a half dozen oysters, maybe more.

Merry Christmas, and a final holiday guest post

Don’t you love this time of year? Crisp, cold, sunny mornings, snow dusting the mountains and trees, and looking forward to Christmas are all part of what makes this season so wonderful.

We each have our own traditions–events we plan, special things we cook, and people we make a point to spend time with–and it’s been so fun to read how Jenn, Anne, Marie, and now Laura, embrace Scandinavian holiday traditions. Thanks so much to the four of you for contributing to Outside Oslo this month. It’s been great to read about your experiences. You’ve captured the warmth and hospitality of a Norwegian and Swedish Christmas, which is exactly what I’ve experienced while growing up in a Norwegian American family. I’m so happy you helped me share a little of that with my readers.

And now, today’s guest post by Laura Desai:

When I think about spending time with my family during Christmas, one food pops into my mind: klüb.  For those of you who don’t about it, klüb is a dumpling-style delicacy that our family serves every year at Christmas. The recipe was brought over from Norway in the 1870’s by my grandmother’s family (the Lokens), and has now been passed down through my family (the Hagens). Legend has it that Vikings kept this food on their ships when they were exploring, though modern Norwegians have abandoned this food. It is traditionally made from potatoes and flour, and stuffed with pork cubes, and is then boiled for hours until it reaches a slightly slimy consistency. It is served with gravy over the top (made from the broth) and is then covered in butter and salt. And, for the brave few, PEPPER. These little cannon balls are quite delicious, despite their less-than-appetizing appearance.

In my family, the klüb dinner was great, but what we really looked forward to was the next morning (Christmas morning), when we would get to eat the real delicacy, fried klüb. The dumplings are sliced into ¼-inch slabs, and then put into a greased frying pan where they get crispy and delicious. They are served with more butter and salt, and it is possible to eat way more than you would want to admit. The little hockey pucks are great if you are planning to go skiing or snowboarding, as they will sit in your stomach for days.

As the years went on and my sister and I stopped eating meat, my mom altered the recipe to include a smaller batch of vegetarian klüb, which is basically the dumpling without any filling, boiled in vegetable stock. In recent years, my parents have also started adding a twist to the recipe to make it a little more spicy: green chilies and onions in the broth, and slices of green chilies in the pork filling for an added surprise. I’m not sure how the Lokens would feel about the twist, but I’m sure they would be proud that the recipe is still being used every year.

Loken Family Klüb Recipe

2-3 lb. pork roast
Salt & pepper
5 lbs potatoes, approx.
5 lbs flour, approx.

In a large kettle ½ filled with water, place pork roast, salt, pepper. Boil for 1-2 hours, until tender.

While the meat cooks, prepare the potato mixture:
Shred the potatoes, a few at a time, in a food processor or blender. Mix the flour into the potatoes, a few cups at a time. Mixture will be sloppy at first, then will become thicker and thicker. Continue to add flour until you can make a “ball” about the size of a baseball. (Not so stiff that it will become tough; not so soft that it will collapse.) Wet your hands to keep the balls from sticking to your fingers. Add a bit of flour as you form each ball. It is easiest if you flip the ball from one hand to the other as you add flour.

Cut about 10 cubes of meat (1-inch cubes) and reserve the remainder in the kettle.

Place a cube of meat into the center of each ball as you form it. Drop the balls into the hot broth (keep it on a low boil as you make the balls) and cook gently (low boil) for 2-3 hours, until the balls are cooked all the way to the center. Stir the kettle as you add each ball so they don’t stick to the bottom of the pan.

To serve: Put a pat of butter on the edge of your plate, cut the ball into bite-size pieces, and add salt and pepper to taste; dip the bites into butter.

Leftovers: Slice into ¼-inch rounds, fry in butter until golden brown; dip pieces in more butter on the edge of your plate.

“Ver sa god”: A guest post

Christmas is just days away; can you believe it? I’m amazed at how quickly this year has flown by. One of the highlights of the past few months has been learning to bake Scandinavian treats from my grandmother. Today’s guest post comes from Marie Morache, who shares her own experiences celebrating Christmas with her Norwegian American family. Thanks, Marie!

Growing up as a Norwegian Lutheran in Minnesota was not unusual. There were many of us! Our heritage seemed to shine through at Christmastime. A quintessential occurrence at any Norwegian American home is the days spent preparing foods that remind us that we came from Norway. Both sides of my family are Scandinavian. On my mother’s side my grandparents are 100% Norwegian, and are only three generations removed from Norway. On my father’s side, my grandfather was 100% Norwegian and my grandma is ¾ Norwegian and ¼ Swedish. It is safe to say I had many a Norwegian Christmases growing up! Yah, sure, ya betcha!

Lefse stored in a flour sack towel

Mid-December I would go over to my Grandma Opsal’s and we would make lefse together. My grandma would play the St. Olaf Choir (a local Norwegian Lutheran college) Christmas concert in the background. The day before, Grandma had riced the potatoes, then mixed them with the butter, sugar, and cream, and put them in the fridge to cool overnight. We spend an entire afternoon rolling, flipping, and storing the lefse (in a folded flour sack towel–a common sight in Midwest kitchens). In front of us is an enlarged photo of a Norwegian fjord. To the left is a Norwegian calendar my grandma gets every year; each month contains a different landscape of Norway–a visual reminder of our heritage. Of course, we test the lefse as we go, to be sure it is adequate to serve to our family.

On Christmas Eve a feast is served, but first, as the women finish preparing the meal, the family congregates in the living room to enjoy each other’s company and Norwegian hors d’oeuvres–crackers with gjetost cheese (a Norwegian cheese made from goat’s milk), pickled herring (a popular Nordic delicacy), Norwegian crisp bread (a flat, dry bread containing mostly rye), and lingonberry jam (a staple Norwegian jam). “Ver sa god,” my grandma Opsal would chime into the living room, which is Norwegian for “be so good,” an invitation to come and eat. We would all sit down to an abundant feast including the lefse prepared weeks before. In some Norwegian families lutefisk (a fish served in lye) is a part of the meal, but for our family not enough people enjoyed it. “We got a letter from Asbjorn,” my grandpa would inevitably say as we enjoyed our dinner. At Christmastime our family connected with our relatives who live in Norway–Asbjorn, Jorunn, Elisabeth, and their families. Their letter would be read aloud, leading to discussions about the visits my grandparents took to Norway throughout their life and my great-grandfather’s life as a hat maker in Lyngdal, Norway.

Rosettes, sandbakkels, and krumkake (displayed on the plate above the small blue plates)

After much food and conversation, dessert would be served–a plate of krumkake, sandbakkels, and rosettes (all Norwegian cookies) would be passed around, mixed in with other Christmas cookies. Rice pudding was also served. The fun of this dessert was the one almond hidden in it. Whoever found the almond in their dish would get a gift! We would retire to the living room again, where we would sing Christmas hymns and read the story of Jesus’ birth before opening presents and heading off to church–the Lutheran church, of course!

Photos courtesy of Marie Morache.

A Scandinavian Christmas: Q&A with Anne Skoogh of Anne’s Food

Food blogs abound, but relatively few are distinctly Scandinavian. One of those is Anne’s Food, which Anne Skoogh of Nacka, Sweden (outside Stockholm), started five years ago. Anne’s Food is a great place to check out “Traditional-ish” Swedish recipes, as she refers to them, and so much more. I asked Anne to share a little bit about what Christmastime is like in Sweden.

Q. What do you love most about spending Christmas in Sweden?
A. Christmas in Sweden is really a month-long event. We celebrate the Sundays of Advent, meaning the four Sundays leading up to Christmas, and that basically means Christmas starts in late November and lasts all through December. Lovely! Most households put up decorations–lights and stars–and everyone stays in, eating gingerbread–pepparkakor–and drinking spiced, warm wine–glögg. It’s a very cozy and comfortable time of year.

Q. What does a typical holiday meal look like in your family?
A. We celebrate Christmas on Dec. 24–that’s when Santa comes, and that’s when most people have their full-on holiday meal. (It’s also, very weirdly, when just about every Swede turns on the TV at 3 pm to watch a Donald Duck Christmas special. Yes, really. It’s been a tradition since 1960 and it’s still going strong!) We eat julbord, which is a Christmas smorgasbord with goodies. Most people eat a selection of sill–cured herrings in various sauces–and then often different cold cuts. Always including Christmas ham, which is a cured and cooked (not smoked) ham which has been covered with mustard and breadcrumbs and baked for a short time to give it a spicy crust. It’s served cold. There’s usually meatballs, and one of my favorites, beetroot salad. And some people eat lutfisk–made from dried cod or ling–but my family never has.

Q. Now that you have a child, what are some holiday traditions you plan to raise him with?
A. A great children’s tradition (well, we still do it) are the Advent calendars. You get a little gift each day–often chocolate, and sometimes toys as well. Titus is too small this year, but he definitely gets one next year! And he’s already helped me bake loads of cookies. (Well, he’s watched me make them.)

Anne shared a few traditional Christmas recipes from her blog:
Lussekatter – yeasted saffron buns for Lucia, December 13
Pepparkakor
Christmas ham
Knäck – almond caramels

Photos used with permission from Anne’s Food.

Norwegian holiday fare: Trondheim Soup and The Bishop

I’m so excited to try the recipes that Jenn of The Leftover Queen is sharing in today’s guest post. The Leftover Queen is all about eating well and frugally, and is packed with recipes and her experiences with food. Jenn lived in Norway for a while, and shares some traditional holiday fare here. Thanks, Jenn!

Over 10 years ago, I spent a year living in Norway in between high school and college as part of AFS (American Field Service). It was certainly a life-changing experience in many ways and a time I remember as one of my most fond adventures. Norway is still a part of me, and it is a place that is and always will be very near and dear to my heart. It was my first time away from home, in a brand new culture where I didn’t speak the language. I came home from that experience having learned a new language and culture, as well as so much about myself and the world.

I still have many friends to this day that I met when I lived in Norway, and I also enjoy learning more about Norwegian and Scandinavian cuisines. For me, keeping in touch with old friends, and cooking Norwegian food, is a way for me to keep a piece of my life in Norway always with me. For some reason, during the winter holidays, that urge to bring a little Norwegian flair to my cooking, trying new recipes, and re-creating recipes of foods that I enjoyed when I lived there becomes very strong.

Here are a few other posts that I have done over the years that focus on my love of Norwegian and Scandinavian cuisine:

A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Christmas Rømmegrøt
Winter Solstice Gløgg
Norwegian Farmers Market Finds

This year, I wanted to make some new things. I have made gløgg (a spiced wine with almonds and raisins) and rommegrøt (sour cream porridge) at winter holiday time every year since I have returned from Norway. In Norway there are often gløgg parties where people get together with their friends and family before Christmas, and it is served with either rommegrøt or a rice porridge called risgrøt. I loved rommegrøt when I lived in Norway; it is rich, flavorful, stick-to-your-bones kind of food. Perfect for cold weather! It is also a tradition in Norway for children to put out a bowl of porridge for the Nisser–the elves! Although these elves have nothing to do with Santa, they are associated with and originate from Norwegian farm life. These are the elves that look after the farm animals–and in return for their protection, they want their Christmas porridge on Christmas Eve!

For me, the holidays always mean porridge and spiced wine!

Gløgg is wassil; wassil is a broad term used for any wine or ale that is sweetened with sugar and spices, and served during the winter holidays. It is one of the oldest Christmas traditions there is.

This year, I decided to branch out a bit in my yearly spiced wine and porridge menu and check out a few different Norwegian recipes. For the spiced wine, I decided to try “bisp,” or in English, “bishop,” which is red wine flavored with vanilla, cinnamon, and peppercorns, swirled with aquavit (a Norwegian potato-based liquor, flavored with caraway ) and named after the red color of the bishop’s cloak.

Bisp

INGREDIENTS:

3 cups filtered water
1 vanilla bean
2 cinnamon sticks
12 whole black peppercorns
2/3 cups sugar
1 bottle (3 cups) red wine
3 ½ TBS aquavit

METHOD:

Bring water, vanilla bean, cinnamon sticks, peppercorns, and sugar to a boil. Simmer over low heat for about 1- 1 ½ hours. Strain and reserve liquid. Add the red wine and aquavit to the sugar syrup. Serve in heat proof glasses. Bisp can be made also using berry wines – like cherry or blueberry. This drink can be made non-alcoholic using black currant or blueberry juices. Ingredients can easily be doubled for a larger batch!

I also decided to make Trondheim soup, which is named after the city in Norway that I lived in, the old Viking capital, which is over 1,010 years old. It is a sweet rice soup, not really considered a porridge, but along the same lines, flavored with cinnamon and raisins, and it is considered a dessert, unlike grøt.

Trondheim Soup

INGREDIENTS:

1 ¼ liters of water
¼ cup rice
1/3 cup raisins
1 cinnamon stick
1 TBS flour
1 cup whipping cream
4 TBS sugar
salt to taste

METHOD:

Combine water, rice raisins and cinnamon and bring to a boil. Simmer until rice is tender, about 20 minutes. In a separate bowl, whisk cream and flour together and then add to the pot. Bring mixture to a boil, and simmer for 1-2 minutes until thickened. Stir in sugar and salt to taste. Serves 6.

I love introducing people to these Norwegian holiday traditions! Especially when the recipes are so easy and so delicious. So go ahead and during this season of celebrations, try having your own gløgg party where you can experience the flavors and customs of Norway! God Jul og Godt Nytt År!

Photos by Jenn of The Leftover Queen.

A Scandinavian Christmas

The sandbakkels and lefse are baked, the tree is decorated, and the calendar is packed with dinners, additional baking sessions, and even a little time to get out of town. I love this time of year.

I’ve been writing about my experiences learning how to make lefse, and now some of my friends and fellow bloggers are going to share some other Scandinavian holiday food traditions.

Over the next week and a half I’ll be sharing guest posts from several people, including Jenn of The Leftover Queen, and taking a look at what it’s like to celebrate Christmas in Sweden from Anne of Anne’s Food. I hope you’ll join us!

Merry Christmas, and God Jul!

Marking the passage of time

It’s been nearly five months since Grandma D. passed away, and three months since I started Outside Oslo. Do you ever notice how easily the waves of life can pass you by? While I was setting up the blog, trying to figure out which platform to use and what I would call it, I thought of it as a way to share my exploration of Norwegian culture and traditions with you, my readers, rather than as a way to capture and record my memories for myself. But as time goes on and I look back at past entries and think about future ones, I realize that Outside Oslo is becoming a journal, a record of the passing of time and of moments I want to remember.

When I was younger, I occasionally tried to start a diary. But I remember getting so caught up in meticulously recording the minutia of the day—where I went and what I did and in what order—that my efforts quickly died off. Now I realize that the things I remember—and the ones I want to remember—are the stories and experiences that my life is built upon. I want to remember Grandma D. teaching me how to embroider during a visit to her cabin on Western Washington’s Whidbey Island when I was a little girl. I want to remember Christmas Eves spent at Grandpa and Grandma D.’s house, eating pork loin, Norwegian meatballs, and rice cream with raspberry sauce. I want to remember eating Grandpa M.’s fabulous Egg Noodle Doop, which I knew as “hot dish,” before he passed away. And I want to remember as many memories as I can with Grandma H., the lovely woman who is my one surviving grandparent.

Some memories are endangered or on the brink of extinction; they’re from so early on in my life that all I have left are snapshots and fading recollections of what took place during those times. But my hope is that Outside Oslo will help me unpack some of my dusty, nearly forgotten memories, as well as help me recognize and appreciate more fully the life I live today.

Photo shows a vintage watch necklace my husband gave me for my birthday this year.

Your signature dish

What’s your signature dish? That recipe you pull out when you’re having company or need something to bring to a dinner party?

A pumpkin pie with the perfect crust? Steak frites to rival the best in Paris? Or maybe the best curry outside of India? It may be as simple as perfectly grilled salmon or as complex as Oaxacan black mole, but whatever it is, you know it’s going to shine.

For me, it’s a tarte Tatin. (Molly of Orangette has a fantastic, virtually fool-proof recipe. In fact, I’m making it for Thanksgiving!)

For Grandma H., that signature dish is lefse. She may have another opinion, but she can’t argue about her reputation as a master lefse baker!

Lefse is a Norwegian flatbread that resembles a tortilla, but is made with potatoes. It’s often served with butter and sugar, and is sometimes used as a wrap for pølse, a type of sausage similar to a hot dog.

Grandma had been wanting to teach me how to make lefse for quite a while, and although she had given me a lesson in rolling the dough before, this month we did the whole process together for the first time, from making the dough to finishing the lefse. (Though one could probably make it in one day, it’s really helpful to split it into two.)

By the end of the second day, we had about three dozen of these delicious treats, and had consumed a number of them in the process. (Did I tell you how wonderful they are hot off the griddle with butter and sugar?)

Most of them are tucked away in the freezer now, waiting for the perfect opportunities to serve them. I’m thinking of pulling some out for Thanksgiving, and I’ve already promised my book club that I’ll save some for our meeting in a few weeks.

In any case, the thing that makes baking lefse the most special to me is the time spent with loved ones. Grandma, Mom, and I had a great time making lefse together earlier this month, and I hope we can do it together again soon.

Another Walla Walla weekend

I’m back from another Walla Walla weekend–the second one this month. I love that place. Between the beautiful landscape, the incredible wine, and how peaceful it is, there’s just something special about it.

It’s late, so that’s it for now, but visit again soon for more about lefse and my favorite aquavit cocktail yet!

Thankful

What a crazy few weeks. From a crisis at work to the stress that’s been hovering around ever since, I’m in serious need of a break. Thankfully I think a vacation is just around the corner, and it’ll come none too soon.

Have you ever had those times in life when you just want to escape, to go away to a nice hotel room without any communication with most of the real world for a night? Or to get away from work until the stress floating around the office dissipates and disappears like smoke from a dying fire? That’s where I’m at right now.

I know things will get better soon, that it won’t be long before my job seems fun again and my co-workers and I are back to our cheerful, creative selves. But in the meantime, I need to get away at times, to see the big picture, to do things that put the important things in perspective.

Like learning to bake lefse from my 90-year-old grandma. Like creating memories with my in-laws while wine-tasting in Walla Walla. Like savoring a delicious meal with parents. Like grounding myself in my faith in God.

I recently asked you what makes you happy. Seriously, what are those things? Who are the people who always manage to put a smile on your face? Do you think about them often enough? Are you grateful for them? At the risk of sounding trite, the days leading up to Thanksgiving are a great time to reflect on the blessings in life.

Maybe it’s your spouse, who loves you for who you are. Maybe it’s the child who reminds you of the miracle of life. Maybe it’s the warm bed you sleep in each night, or the food on your table every day. Whatever you’re thankful for, please try not to take it for granted. I’m saying that just as much for myself as for you. Life is good. We’re very blessed. And thinking about that can help us get through even the toughest of times.