North Wild Kitchen

Tag: christmas

  • Rice Porridge Ice Cream (Risengrynsgrøt Iskrem)

    Rice Porridge Ice Cream (Risengrynsgrøt Iskrem)

    Rice Porridge Ice Cream (Risengrynsgrøt Iskrem)Rice Porridge Ice Cream (Risengrynsgrøt Iskrem)2016 has been an extraordinary year, to say the least. This past January, I launched the blog to bring people into the Norwegian kitchen, the Norwegian landscape and the Norwegian culture. A reflection of my journey. My interactions with the community around me. My take on local ingredients. The seasons came and went. Spring’s nettles, ferns and rhubarb, summer’s berries, autumns’s harvest and winter’s cakes and hearty fare. Here we are, coming full circle once again.

    As 2017 draws near, I look back with such awe of all that has transpired and all that I have experienced and been a part of. All of the recipes. All of the stories. All of the people. All of the traditions and all of the innovations. All the highs. So many highs.  (more…)

  • Pinnekjøtt with Flatbread, Rutabaga, Crispy Potatoes & Lemon Browned Butter

    Pinnekjøtt with Flatbread, Rutabaga, Crispy Potatoes & Lemon Browned Butter

    Pinnekjøtt with Flatbread, Rutabaga Puree, Crispy Potatoes and Lemon Browned ButterPinnekjøtt with Flatbread, Rutabaga Puree, Crispy Potatoes and Lemon Browned Butter Traditions are like threads. Threads pieced together from generation to generation. Some threads break loose and are replaced with newer ones, but others remain at the core. The dishes we eat are just a few of those threads. Everyone has their favorites, their must-haves, and when those are satisfied, there’s room for a few new threads.

    Tradition is a celebration of time past and tells the stories that make up our memories, but it also celebrates the present and our evolving tastes. In tradition, there is room for innovation and the embrace of individual desires.

    While reflecting over Norwegian Christmas traditions, I was asked, dare I say challenged, to come up with a unique way of presenting the dish that one third of Norwegians consume every Christmas Eve. Pinekjøtt. Rather than create smoke and mirrors, I decided to package it all in a different way.

    Pinnekjøtt with Flatbread, Rutabaga Puree, Crispy Potatoes and Lemon Browned Butter (more…)

  • Old Fashioned Pepperkaker (Norwegian Gingerbread Cookies)

    Old Fashioned Pepperkaker (Norwegian Gingerbread Cookies)

    Old Fashioned Pepperkaker (Norwegian Gingerbread)Arguably, the most aromatic and popular Christmas cookies in Norway are Pepperkaker. They stand out among all the other traditional cookies with their fragrant presence, crispy and inviting texture, and ability to transform into whatever shape or design or role the beholder so wishes.

    Pepperkaker is more than just another cookie on the table. It’s a transformative dough of make-believe where dreams of candy houses and whole cities are an annual tradition, stories of runaway gingerbread men come to life, and windows and trees become a canvas for warm greetings and decorations.

    Old Fashioned Pepperkaker (Norwegian Gingerbread)Old Fashioned Pepperkaker (Norwegian Gingerbread) (more…)

  • Rødkål (Braised Red Cabbage)

    Rødkål (Braised Red Cabbage)

    Rødkål (Norwegian Braised Red Cabbage)Rødkål is a sweet and sour braised red cabbage. A side dish that is a necessity for many Norwegians when it comes to the Christmas Eve meal. Tradition dictates its presence and it is most often paired with ribbe (pork ribs with a layer of crispy fat) and potatoes.

    Cabbage has been an integral part of the Norwegian livelihood for centuries, as well as Scandinavia and the rest of the world. As cabbage can be stored throughout the winter, it makes an appropriate ingredient during the colder months. It is also extremely healthy and in some cultures, a sign of luck and prosperity.

    Rødkål (Norwegian Braised Red Cabbage) (more…)

  • Sirupskake (Layered Spice Cake with Candied Oranges )

    Sirupskake (Layered Spice Cake with Candied Oranges )

    Norwegian Sirupskake (Layered Spice Cake with Candied Oranges and Orange Frosting)Norwegian Sirupskake (Layered Spice Cake with Candied Oranges and Orange Frosting)

    The sound of wood crackling in the fireplace. A good friend stopping by for the day. The trickle of snow seen from the window. Folk music resounding and the smell of fragrant spices filling the air. The atmosphere seems too enticing, as if you could eat it all up. It can only mean one thing. Holiday baking has begun.

    Quite recently I visited the Rollag Bygdekvinnelag, a wonderful group of ladies who meet throughout the year to swap stories, share meals, go on excursions, and maintain traditions, which have been shared and passed down through the women in the area. I was invited to look through some old cookbooks that had been kept within each respective family for generations. Some dated back to the 1800s and some were as recent as the 1970s. Mostly all were handwritten and well-used with smudges and small tears caressing the pages.

    Pages filled with exciting and interesting recipes. Some still popular today, some forgotten, some a bit more unusual and some, perhaps, better left as ink on the page. With the holiday season fast approaching, a few of the traditional baked goods popped out at me. One of them being, sirupskake or syrup cake.

    Norwegian Sirupskake (Layered Spice Cake with Candied Oranges and Orange Frosting) (more…)

  • Fattigmann (Poor Man Cookies)

    Fattigmann (Poor Man Cookies)

    Fattigmann (Norwegian Poor Man Cookies)The farm has become a blanket of white, with only the contrast of branches and jetting rock to add depth and structure. It’s tranquil and all encompassing.

    With the holidays fast approaching and the weather conveniently allowing for more time indoors, baking is on the mind. For centuries, people have gathered around the oven, the stove, the griddle, and the fire to produce baked goods befitting of a celebration. It’s a social event from the moment the ingredients are combined all the way to the last bite. (more…)