Archive for August 16th, 2007
August 16th, 2007
A simple, straight-forward recipe.
INGREDIENTS:
Serves 4
* 1 large yellow onion
* 200 g fresh mushrooms
* 300 g ground meat
* 1 tablespoon butter
* 3 cloves garlic, pressed
* 2 teaspoons chinese soy
* 3 - 4 dl (300 - 400 ml) cream
* cayenne pepper
* salt
METHOD:
1. Chop the onion and slice the mushrooms thinly.
2. Melt butter in a large skillet, fry and crumble the ground meat.
3. Add onion and mushroom.
4. Lower the heat, simmer for 5 - 7 minutes, and give it a stir now and then.
5. Add garlic, and season to taste with cayenne pepper.
6. Stir in cream and soy.
7. Simmer, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes.
8. Taste with salt.
Let´s have a Pasta Sauce Potlock Party!
There will be a large bowl with cooked tagliatelli, grated parmesan and salad on the table. I serve my sauce. You bring yours. I am thrilled! What will it be? A ragout or a sauce?
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August 16th, 2007
Filed under: Macworld, Audio, Apple
One of the coolest places at Macworld this year was the ADC Developer Pavilion. Lots of small developers showing off their wares to the masses is always a good time if you ask me, but I’m crazy for third party developers. Apple has just posted audio interviews with 9 of those very developers, along with a photo gallery of the pavilion.
This is great, to be sure, but at the risk of sounding like an ingrate, these 9 interviews would have been great as a podcast (or a podcast series). That being said, the interviews are well worth a listen.
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August 16th, 2007
I promise. I would never force you to eat fermented herring (sw. surströmming). It is a northern Swedish delicacy food. However, many people never get used to neither the smell nor the taste. They are avoiding this fermented food dish forever. Those who are familiar with the durian fruit say that fermented herring stinks worse.
The Baltic herring is caught in spring, when it is just about to spawn, then fermented in barrels with a minimum of salt for one to two months, and finally tinned where the fermentation continues.
The third Thursday in August is traditionally the right time to eat fermented herring (surströmming). It smells so bad you have to open the can outdoors. It is best eaten indoors because the smell attracts the flies. Then “the gas” will fill the whole house for at least a couple of days. Despite the disgusting smell, this is how we like to eat fermented herring.
INGREDIENTS:
serves 2 - 4
* 1 tin fermented herring (10 - 12 herrings )
* new potatoes, boiled with dill
* red onion, finely chopped
* tomatoes, finely chopped
* dill, finely chopped
* crème fraiche
* soft thin bread
* butter
* beer
* a mix of Swedish spiced vodka (Reimersholm Swedish Schnapps)
METHOD:
1. Fork a whole fish from the tin, and slice it down the middle.
2. Remove its soft insides, and open the herring.
3. Stamp it with the fork, the bone loosens and it can be filleted.
4. Cut it into small pieces.
5. Take a piece of soft “tunnbröd” (thin bread), plaster the bread with butter.
6. Slice boiled potatoes, place the slices evenly on the bread.
7. Sprinkle with herring pieces and the tomato-onion mixture.
8. Finally put a big dollop of crème fraiche on top.
9. Roll it up, make a wrap, take a bite and wash it down with beer.
A Herring Wrap
Schnapps
A spiced schnapps is often a must. There should be a great variety to choose from. A warning though: Eating fermented herring and drinking too much alcohol will get you hangover. “You open your eyes the next morning, wishing you had not”.
Singing schnapps songs when lifting the glass is an old tradition. The most well-known Swedish schnapps song is “Helan går”.
Hell and gore
Chank happ fallerallan-lay
Hell and gore
Chank happ fallerallan-lay
Oh handsome in the hell and tar
and hell are in the half and four
Hell and gore
Chank happ fallerallan-lay
(An English version)
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August 16th, 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.
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August 16th, 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
YYY
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.
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August 16th, 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.
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August 16th, 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.
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August 16th, 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.
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August 16th, 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.
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