North Wild Kitchen

Tag: grains

  • Kaffegraut (Norwegian Semolina Porridge)

    Kaffegraut (Norwegian Semolina Porridge)

    Kaffegraut (Norwegian "Coffee" Porridge)
    Kaffegraut (Norwegian Semolina Porridge)

    Not long after we moved to Norway, I was served kaffegraut “coffee porridge” at the Rollag Station Kafe in Rollag. It was presented simple enough. A bowl with a thin layer of cinnamon and symmetrically placed raisins on top. What lied beneath the brown layer, though, was unknown to me. I was curious, perhaps even a little skeptical being that it was porridge and all. But one bite in and my slightly tensed shoulders relaxed. My eyes widened as my thoughts began to process what I had just encountered, and I couldn’t help but smile as I took in the smooth textures and subtle buttery and sweet flavors.

    (more…)
  • Knekk-Kaker

    Knekk-Kaker

    Norwegian Knekk-Kaker(Thin Christmas cookies with oats) Norwegian Knekk-Kaker(Thin Christmas cookies with oats)One of the great things about holiday baking is that everyone has their own traditions and favorites. Recipes which span for generations, recipes that cross continents, recipes that adapt and evolve in one’s own kitchen. Each recipe with a history and a story.

    While sitting around a table with friends a few weeks back our conversation turned to holiday baking. In typical fashion for our area, most had plans to start off the season by making large batches of lefse. We discussed favorite cookies, like pepperkaker (gingerbread), kransekake (almond tower cake), and krumkaker (wafer cookies), to name a few. One friend, Anne Lise, turned to me, and with a broad smile and glitter in her eyes, told me that one of her favorite julekaker (Christmas cookies) is knekk-kaker. (more…)

  • Rutabaga, Cranberry, and Almond Crisp Breads (Knekkebrød med Kålrot)

    Rutabaga, Cranberry, and Almond Crisp Breads (Knekkebrød med Kålrot)

    Rutabaga, Cranberry, and Almond Crisp Bread (Knekkebrød med Kålrot)Rutabaga, Cranberry, and Almond Crisp Bread (Knekkebrød med Kålrot)

    This is the third and final part of my three-part series of autumn dishes featuring Rutabaga

    When you have something as forgiving and simple to make as knekkebrød (crisp bread), it’s easy to experiment with different flavors and use up what you have lying around the house. I was looking for a new type of crisp bread to serve guests this autumn – something versatile, and something that leaves an intriguing taste. With all the leftover rutabaga puree I had from the Flourless Rutabaga Roulade, I knew I had to incorporate it.

    Enter in Rutabaga Crisp Breads. (more…)

  • Crusty Rolls with Oats (Rundstykker med Havregryn)

    Crusty Rolls with Oats (Rundstykker med Havregryn)

    Norwegian Crusty Rolls with Oats (Rundstykker med Havregryn)It’s not difficult to see just how important bread plays a role in Norway. The Nordic food culture is built upon grains and the varieties of bread types have an historic thread throughout the region.

    The most usual practice was to mix a variety of grains for daily bread or porridges. These grains would have been course and unrefined – with refined flours only entering the diet in the 1900s. The most common cereals would have been rye, barley and oat. Wheat and wheat flour were viewed as luxury (high society) items, but they eventually became common for all classes of society in the late 1800s. (more…)

  • Potato Dumplings with Spring Vegetables (Raspeballer)

    Potato Dumplings with Spring Vegetables (Raspeballer)

    Norwegian Potato Dumplings with Spring Vegetables (Raspeballer)Norwegian Potato Dumplings with Spring Vegetables (Raspeballer)One of my first introductions to Norwegian food was raspeballer, potato dumplings. The memory of my husband’s grandmother proudly shaping a mixture of potato and flour into large rounds the size of my fist is one I have imprinted in my memory. She served them with boiled meat and large sausages. Less that was not enough, she also topped them with a generous portion of fried bacon and fat.

    It’s no surprise they lean toward the starchy and dense side with a tendency to stick to your ribs. They are reminiscent of a traditional Norwegian lifestyle, where simple foods that filled you up were the order of the day. Nonetheless, they are good and satisfy those salty, hearty, meat-indulgent, comfort food cravings that pop up now and then. Therefore, it’s easy to see why they have earned a place in the mainstream diet. Even the mere mention of them has people swooning over the memories these conjur up. (more…)

  • Rye Waffles with Wild Blueberry Butter (Rugvafler med Blåbærsmør)

    Rye Waffles with Wild Blueberry Butter (Rugvafler med Blåbærsmør)

    Rye Waffles with Wild Blueberry Butter (Rug Vafler med Blåbær Smør)Rye Waffles with Wild Blueberry Butter (Rug Vafler med Blåbær Smør)There’s something quite alluring about making waffles. Golden batter poured over a hot, textured iron, quickly flowing into each deep groove. As the top of the iron closes over the bottom, the batter squeezes towards the edges. Sometimes a little batter escapes the confines of the iron grasp and hangs on the outside. With a bit of patience, the waiting concludes with a simple green light or a gentle lift. The test of success comes in the form of desired crispiness, desired browning, and whether it can easily be peeled from its honeycomb embrace. Seeing those five hearts melded together and the taste of each one is nothing short of humble satisfaction. It’s the simple pleasures, you know. (more…)