Bama-365

My Swedish Crayfish Party

Add comment August 15th, 2007

In the Scandinavian countries the flesh of crayfish (craw-fish or crawdad) is considered a great delicacy. I don´t have the possibility to catch my own, very few people have, and Swedish crayfish are very expensive. Imported crayfish are low at price. They are on sale all year round. Arranging a crayfish party in August has become a tradition for my family. This year I served six grown-ups.

My grandchildren don´t eat crayfish. They are picky eaters. The art of eating crayfish does not attract them. Well, there are no rules really, but a lot of slurping and splashing.

I bought 3 packages of frozen Chinese crayfish. I prefer to put them into a fresh brine, when they are thawed.

INGREDIENTS AND METHOD:
For every 20 crayfishes I need 2 ½ - 3 l water, 1 dl sea salt, 1 - 2 lumps of sugar, and lots of crown dill, which I bring to a boil. I allow the brine to cool before I put the crayfishes into the brine. I remove the dill crowns, save some for decoration, add some fresh dill, cover the kettle and place it in the refrigerator for at least 6 - 12 hours to allow the crayfishes to soak up all the flavours from the brine.

Crayfish are eaten cold, with the hands. Freshly toasted bread, a strong cheese, garlic mayonnaise, beer and schnapps are inevitable extras.

This is a website with some additional details 4Crayfish Party Recipes

I also tried a new recipe and served cheese muffins as a side dish. I got the muffin recipe from my local shop keeper. They were a bit dry but tasty, and they go very well with crustaceans.

Spicy Cheese Muffins

INGREDIENTS:
* 480 g flour
* 3 dl (300 ml) spice cheese, grated
* 1 tablespoon baking powder
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 2 bell peppers
* 100 g butter
* 4 dl (400 ml) milk

METHOD:
1. Cut the peppers into small pieces.
2. Then mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl.
3. Rub in butter, add milk and quickly work into a dough
4. Grease and flour 10 - 12 muffin cups, and place them on a baking sheet.
5. Spoon dough into the muffin cups.
6. Bake in the centre of the oven at 225 ºC [=437 ºF] for 20-25 minutes.
7. Allow them to cool.

A dessert? Yes. My 11-year-old grandchild baked his favorite sticky chocolate cake and served the cake with whipped cream. It is a very easy recipe. I´ll post it some time in the future.

Crispy Daim & Chocolate Mousse

Add comment August 15th, 2007

Daim is a Swedish chocolate bar which I like very much. It is a thin bar, covered with a thin layer of milk chocolate. Crunchy, because inside the milk chocolate layer, there is hardened caramel. The caramel is not enjoyed by everyone because it has a tendency to get stuck between the teeth. However, Daim works very well in desserts.

I believe Daim can be purchased in other countries too, for instance Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Norway and United Kingdom. If there is an IKEA store near you, there might also be a Swedish food market, where you are able to purchase the Daim bars. Perhaps they sell the Marabou milk chocolate brand too. I use that brand for this chocolate mousse recipe.

Anyway, there is always the possibility of ingredient substitution.

INGREDIENTS:
serves 4-6

* 200 g of Marabou or other light milk chocolate
* 3 organic free-range egg yolks
* 3 dl (300 ml) whipping cream
* 2 Daim bars

DECORATION:
whipped cream, chopped pistage almonds, chopped Daim bars, finely grated orange zest, candied fruit, or whatever you like …

METHOD:
1. Place chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water.
2. Melt the chocolate, let it cool down a bit if it is very hot.
3. Mix in the egg yolks, one at a time.
4. Allow the chocolate mixture too cool.
5. Whip the cream until soft peaks form.
6. Fold in the cream gently.
7. Chop the Daim bars finely, and fold into the mixture.
8. Spoon into dessert cups.
9. Put the cups into the refridgerator for 2 - 3 hours.

A quick and easy dessert recipe.

The mousse must not remain in the refridgerator for more than 2 - 3 hours. If you leave it too long, the chopped chocolate bars will lose their crunchiness.

Make sure it compliments the rest of the meal. You know, a brown chocolate mousse is not the perfect ending to a brown beef stew.

Chocolate mousses in general freeze well, they say. I am not sure. I have never tried to do that. Maybe that would make a cool treat, and pretty close to a semifreddo. Do anyone know?

What to do with the three leftover egg whites? Don´t toss them away. Do something useful with them. Have a look at Patricia Scarpin’s meringue dessert. Such an easy and lovely dessert. You will only need fresh strawberries, whipped cream and meringues.

So, choose a dry, not humid day and make meringues 4How to make meringues

Now, I’m going to take a break. I’m a wife and a mother. I’m also a grandmother. My grandchildren are coming to stay for about 3 weeks. They range in age from 4 to 14 years old. There will be a lot of things to do. I’m sure.

Nameday Banana Cake

Add comment August 15th, 2007

Patricia! In the Swedish calendar, your nameday is on the 16th of April. Did you know that?

You know, in Sweden we like to celebrate, not only our birthday but our nameday too. It is an old tradition of attaching personal names to each day of the year in our calendar. The tradition originates from the Christian church calendar. Long ago it was an old tradition to name children after saints.

Karin is my first name, and the name is a Swedish short form of Katarina (Katherine), deriving from the Greek word “katharos“. Old names have a meaning. This Greek word “katharos” means “clean and pure, free from corrupt desire and guilt free from every admixture of what is false“.

The week between 19th - 24th of July is called “Fruntimmersveckan”, (the Week of Women) because Sara, Margareta, Johanna, Magdalena, Emma and Kristina have name days. Ladies with these names are supposed to be celebrated with a coffee cake.

I have made a cake for Kristina. Today, on the 24th of July, it is her nameday. A really easy banana coffee cake recipe. A kid can make it with some help.

INGREDIENTS:
* 3 store-bought or homemade sponge cake layers
* 3 dl (300 ml) whipping cream
* 3 bananas
* juice of ½ lemon
* 2 dl (200 ml) vanilla custard, store-bought or homemade

GARNISH:
* bananas, sliced
* dark chocolate, grated

METHOD:
1. Mash the bananas with lemon juice.
2. Spread about 2/3 of the mashed bananas over one cake layer.
3. Cover with the second cake layer.
4. Mix the remaining banana mash with the vanilla custard.
5. Spread the mixture over the second cake layer.
6. Cover with the third cake layer.
7. Whip the cream.
8. Spread the cream all over the cake and garnish with sliced bananas and grated chocolate.

You must not think that we all have got a nameday in Sweden. There are lots of people with new and foreign names. They haven’t got a nameday.

Mine is on the 2nd of August.

Fillet of Pork in Pink Sauce

Add comment August 15th, 2007

This dish is an ideal dish when you have to come up with something quickly and easy made. It is also one of my favorite everyday meals because it can be prepared ahead.

INGREDIENTS:
Serves 6

* 8 hg (800 g) fillet of pork
* butter
* salt and pepper
* 3 dl cream or crème fraiche
* 3/4 tbsp Chinese soy
* 2 - 3 tbsp chili sauce (ketchup-like)
* 2 cloves of garlic
* 3/4 tsp French mustard
* 3 tsp tarragon
* ½ tsp black pepper
* chopped parsley
* ½ tbsp rosé pepper, or why not some red hot chili pepper flakes (optional).

METHOD:

1. Cut the fillet into slices, 1½ - 2 centimeters (150 - 200 mm).
2. Brown the fillet slices in butter in a skillet.
3. Salt and pepper to taste.
4. Put the slices into an ovenproof dish.
5. Pour cream or crème fraiche into a bowl.
6. Add the remaining ingredients, and stir around.
7. Taste the sauce. pour it over the fillet slices, and stir around.
8. When ready to serve, heat the oven to 225°C [=437 °F].
9. Reheat about 10 minutes.

Though simple, it is good-looking and tasty served with potatoes, cooked rice or pasta. I like to serve oven-cooked potato wedges and a salad. So, for a potato recipe go to limes & lycopene.

Since most pork comes from young animals, the meat is tender. Fillet of pork is often sold at special price here in Sweden; fresh, or imported frozen from Denmark. Sometimes Swedish fillet of pork is three times more expensive than the Danish. I wonder why.

“You are what you eat, and you get what you pay for”? I am not sure Danish pigs are as “happy” as Swedish pigs, but I would never pay a fortune for an everyday meal.

How To Make Pesto

Add comment August 15th, 2007

Oh no! Not another pesto recipe, you say. Well, perhaps not, or…..

A Swedish Blogger friend of mine has a green house. Some weeks ago she asked for an-easy-to-make pesto recipe containing no odd ingredients. She had grown monstrous basil plants, and didn´t know what to do with all the leaves those basil plants produced. Her basil plants have got very large, medium green leaves. The taste is more sweet and mild than the Genovese Basil. Here´s the picture 4 Large leaf basil.

I know, there are many pesto recipes on the internet. For the traditional recipes, you just have to combine basil leaves, nuts, garlic, olive oil, cheese, pepper and perhaps salt. So, if you already have a favorite pesto recipe, there is no need for another one, I suppose.

I don´t want my homemade pesto to end up with a texture like the store-bought brands. They are fine, but usually too flavorless. How do you like yours?

INGREDIENTS:
* a mortar and pestle
* 1 large bunch of basil, leaves only.
* 2 cloves of garlic
* ½ teaspoon herb salt
* ½ teaspoon black pepper
* 40 g walnuts (hazelnuts, almonds or pinenuts)
* 50 g Parmesan cheese (or Svecia, a traditional semi-hard Swedish cheese)
* 4 tbsp good olive oil (most important of all)

METHOD:
1. Mash the garlic with the salt.
2. Tear the basil leaves and pound them with the pestle.
3. Mix garlic and basil with pepper.
4. Chop the nuts.
5. Add oil, nuts, cheese and stir around.
6. Pound with the pestle.
7. Adjust according to taste.

You may find it difficult, and perhaps old fashioned to use a mortar and a pestle. Then, run the ingredients in a blender or a food processor. You will get a smooth pesto.
* For a recipe go to 4Elise Bauer´s Fresh Basil Pesto .

You can also use a very sharp knife.
* For a recipe go to 101 Cookboks 4 How to Make Pesto like an Italian Grandmother

My pesto recipe only makes a small amount; most commonly enjoyed as an accompaniment to pasta dishes, but it goes well with almost any food. Pesto sandwiches with slices of tomato and mozzarella cheese are amazing.

Banana Split & Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream

Add comment August 15th, 2007

Warning! This blog post is probably not going to be worth reading for those who count weightwatchers points :).

For generations ice cream has been the perfect ending to a feast meal. Today´s modern industrially-produced ice cream is not associated with feast any longer. However, homemade ice cream is very easy to make. I have a Philips ice cream maker. I must admit, it is usually a “shelf-warmer”, which means, I don´t use it that often. But homemade ice cream with fine dairy products can become “a dessert for a king”.

Banana Split
Serves 2 non-weightwatching people

INGREDIENTS:
* 4 egg yolks *from happy hens
* 1 1/4 dl (125 ml) sugar
* 2 teaspoons * Vanilla sugar
* 2 dl (200 ml) whipping cream
* 2 dl milk (200 ml)

DECORATIONS:
* 2 bananas
* ½-1 dl (50 ml-100 ml) whipping cream
* fruit and berries

METHOD:
1. Beat egg yolks and sugar until creamy and frothy.
2. Stir in whipping cream and milk.
3. Do not beat any more, just stir until everything is well mixed.
4. Remove your cooling container from the freezer and insert it.
5. Switch on the ice cream maker.
6. Slowly pour in your ice cream mixture through the hole of the lid.
7. Let your ice cream maker operate for 25-40 minutes.
8. Peel the bananas, cut them lengthwise, and place the halves on a plate.
9. Scoop the ice cream between the banana halves, and decorate with whipped cream, fruits and berries.

* OR cut open a vanilla bean lengthwise, place the bean in the milk, and bring the milk to the boil. Allow the milk too cool, and scrape the seeds from the pod. Then add the milk to the egg mixture.

* use an eggbase that has been heated to a temperature of 160 F [ab. 71 C] , if you are uncertain of the quality of the eggs.

July is National Ice Cream Month in a certain part of the world (USA), and the third Sunday of July is National Ice Cream Day. A designation made by late President Ronald Regan back in 1984. How do Americans celebrate Ice Cream Day and Ice Cream Month? I am curious. Anybody know?

When in Rome, I did as most Romans seemed to do. I had Ice Cream Day every day. I know, ice cream has lots of calories, but a genuine Italian gelato contains no cream. Genuine gelato has “more taste and less fat”. Ice cream has “more fat and less taste”.

There are gelaterias everywhere, and the doors are often wide-open.

I checked out the offerings, stopped by the cash register, told them what I liked to have; a cone or a cup, large, medium or small. Then I paid, and was given a receipt. This receipt I presented at the ice cream counter, where I could choose from the flavors. A ceremonious way to buy ice cream, but it was overwhelming to choose from about 60 different flavors.

Spaghetti Cooked Alla Carbonara

Add comment August 15th, 2007

Placed in Piazza Campo de’ Fiori, Rome, is an old restaurant called La Carbonara. This name has nothing to do with the classic Italian dish Spaghetti alla carbonara.

At the beginning of last century there was a coal shop in the neighbourhood. One day the owner of this shop decided to open an inn close to the shop. He called it Il Carbonaro.

Later on the inn was moved to Campo de’ Fiori square, and the name was changed to La Carbonara. Today it is a pricy type of eating establishment. However, they have a good quality cuisine, specialized in typical Roman Cooking. They serve Penne alla carbonara.

Spaghetti cooked alla carbonara is what you cook at home when you are in a hurry. Most international recipes call for cream. The traditional Spaghetti alla carbonara shall never have cream, only pork (pancetta), pasta, eggs, cheese, and black pepper. Pancetta isn´t available at my supermarket. But any good quality bacon will do too.

INGREDIENTS:
Serves 4

* 400-500 g spaghetti
* 200 g bacon, cubed
* butter (optional)
* 3-4 egg yolks
* 1,5 dl (150 ml) Parmesan cheese, grated
* 1,5 dl (150 ml) Pecorino cheese, grated
* 4 tablespoons cream
* 1 - 1½ tablespoon black pepper, freshly ground
* 3 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped (optional)
* a pinch of salt

METHOD:

1. Cook spaghetti in a large kettle of boiling salted water, until “al dente”.
2. Fry the bacon in a large frying pan until the fat comes out.
3, Beat the egg yolks with salt, the grated cheeses, cream and parsley.
4. Season with black pepper.
5. Drain spaghetti, pour it into the frying pan with the bacon.
6. Turn the heat on low.
7. Stir around to flavor the spaghetti with the bacon.
8. Add the beaten egg mixture, stirring carefully, avoiding the egg mixture to cook. The heat of the spaghetti will be enough to warm up the egg mixture.

Serve immediately.

Italian Pizza

Add comment August 15th, 2007

Eating out in Rome can be very expensive. Touristy restaurants with English menus tend to be more expensive than restaurants a block or two away from touristy areas. If you go to a trattoria or a pizzeria on side streets, you don´t have to eat a full meal, and you don´t have to pay for a full meal. Certain places sell food by weight. They have a counter with different types of pizzas (and other dishes). You choose a piece or two, they will weigh it, and you pay for the weight.

A large pizza cut into slices can be shared by two or three adults. So, for us pizza was great for lunch. Simply thin bread garnished with small amounts of flavorful tomatoes and cheese. Most Swedish pizzerias serve monstrous pizzas. They are larger than the plate, and covered with fat toppings such as Bearnaise sauce and fried meat. I get a food coma after such a meal.

Pizza (originally a Neapolitan dish) is simple. I haven´t baked a real pizza at home for ages. Once I had a recipe, which was full proof. Even my father liked that pizza. But I have lost the recipe. Now I have tried to recreate it from my memory.

INGREDIENTS:
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 25 g yeast
* 150 ml warm water
* 5 dl (500 ml) flour
* 2 ½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

FOR THE TOPPING:
* 400 g tinned tomatoes, chopped
* 4 tablespoons tomato pure
* 10-12 tinned Swedish anchovy fillets, or some sardelles (real anchovy)
* 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
* 24 olives
* 300 g Grevé cheese, grated
* 50 g Parmesan cheese, grated
* 3 teaspoons oregano (or more)
* 4 tablespoons olive oil

METHOD:
* Crumble the yeast in a bowl, and add lukewarm water.
* Stir until yeast is dissolved.
* Add oil, salt, and sieved flour.
* Mix well with a wooden spoon to blend everything together.
* Place the dough on a clean, floured surface, and kneed until smooth.
* Transfer dough to a clean bowl, and cover with a towel.
* Leave it in a warm place for ab. 60 min.
* Preheat oven to 250°C [480°F].
* Turn out the dough onto a floured surface, and shape it into four balls.
* Roll out each ball thinly.
* Brush two baking trays with olive oil and place the pizzas on the trays.
* Mix the tomato puré with the chopped tomatoes.
* Spread the mixture all over the dough.
* Sprinkle with chopped garlic.
* Garnish with drained anchovies and olives.
* Sprinkle with cheese and oregano.
* Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.
* Cook in the oven for 15 - 20 minutes, or until edges are golden brown and crispy.

You can put two baking trays in an hot air oven at the same time. In an ordinary oven, just swap the positions of the trays after ab. 10 minutes.

May I recommend my Swedish pizza salad? It goes not only with pizza; it goes with almost anything. Here it is: Pizza Salad

Italian Antipasti/Appetizers

Add comment August 15th, 2007

Pizza – pasta – pancietta – gelato – panini – limoncello - bruschetta – prosciutto - and more ….

Now I am back home from Italy. I am back home from Rome, where I have spent some lovely weeks. Well, the hot weather was not always enjoyable. The well equipped apartment at 4th floor of an ancient building (without elevator) was located only a few steps from Piazza Campo de´ Fiori.

Piazza Campo de´Fiori is perhaps the most famous of Rome’s many markets. Here you can buy all your fresh fruit and vegetables. This is a square with many faces. In the morning: A colorful food market. In the mid-afternoon: The garbage trucks arrive and the square is cleaned by a large team of street cleaners. The garbage trucks generates very high noise levels. Late afternoon: Rather quite. At night: A very lively place with its bars, pizzerias, restaurants, street musicians, clowns and mime artists.

There was a historic food (butcher) shop (Antica Norcineria Viola), located on the ground floor of the old house where I was staying. This food shop have an excellent selection of cold cuts, and good Italian antipasti meats. “Sausage curtains” were hanging over the counter. The nice man behind the counter was very generous, and offered free taste of Italian pork sausages.

Antipasti

A lot of Italian dishes are of the quickly cooked, promptly eaten variety, and Italian dinners often begin with an antipasti. One night we visited a Vineria, ordered and had “antipasti “. However, afterwards we were too stuffed. There was no room in our stomachs for “secondo piatti” (main course) and “dolche” (dessert).

Next time I am inviting friends for a late evening snack, I am planning to invite them to an “Italian Antipasti Party”.

INGREDIENTS:

* A plate with assorted Italian cheeses.
* Assorted thinly sliced meats, such as salami, prosciutto and Parma ham.
* Small bowls with marinated olives.
* Red Italian wine.
* Lots of fresh bread, and a fruity olive oil, of course.

©2007 This post was created by Karin at My Recipes http://minareceptsamlingar.blogspot.com and has not been approved for use by any other site.

Midsummer & Schnapps Salad

Add comment August 15th, 2007

Midsummer Eve always falls on the third Friday in June. It is a survival of Teutonic pagan festivals celebrating the summer solstice. Also known as St. John´s Eve. Celebrations continue into Midsummer Day. I am not going to bore you with any details about the traditions of Swedish Midsummer. You can read about them here4 Midsummer and some traditions or here4 Midsummer .

A typical Midsummer meal consists of different kinds of herring served with sour cream (gräddfil), chives and fresh potatoes, schnapps and fresh strawberries.

One of my family´s favorite dishes is the so-called Schnapps Salad. (Nubbesallad) served with a small glass of Scandinavian liquor distilled from a grain or potato mash and often flavored with caraway seeds. The main salad ingredient is Matjes Herring. Matjes means maiden. Matjes herring is made from female fish that have not spawned. They are filleted and prepared with salt, vinegar, sugar, and spices.

INGREDIENTS:
* 300 g Matjes Herring, cut into small pieces
* 1½ dl (150 ml) mayonnaise
* 50 - 100 g crème fraiche
* 4 tablespoons smoked Swedish Caviar (a creamed cod roe paste)
* 1 red onion, finely chopped
* ½ dl (50 ml) leek, finely chopped
* ½ dl (50 ml) dill, finely chopped
* 5 boiled, cold potatoes, cut into small dices
* ab. 3 dl hard boiled eggs, finely chopped
* parsley, finely chopped

METHOD:
1. Mix créme fraiche, mayonnaise, caviar, onion, leek and dill.
2. Stir down matjes herring and potato.
3. Garnish with egg and parsley.

This year I am not going to celebrate Midsummer in Sweden. I am going to Rome, Italy, to stay with a son for quite a while. I suppose I am going to do in Rome as the Romans do.

See you at Piazza Campo di Fiori!