Tag: grains

  • Knekkebrød (Norwegian Crisp Bread)

    Knekkebrød (Norwegian Crisp Bread)

    Norwegian knekkebrødA Norwegian breakfast and lunch is never complete without a slice of bread or a type of knekkebrød. These ‘crisp breads’ or ‘breaking breads’ which are flat and dry, resembling a cracker, probably originated in Scandinavia close to 500 years ago. Some sources say that crisp bread was a staple of the Vikings as they could store them for long periods of time. These crisp breads would have been baked on hot stones, while today’s knekkebrød is baked in the oven. Baking them in the oven is what makes these crisp breads so different from the Norwegian flatbrød, which is baked on a flat griddle, much like lefse.

    Once considered a poor man’s diet, knekkebrød has become widely popular boasting a healthy lifestyle with numerous variants from slightly sweet to nutty to herby & salty. They are easy to make, forgiving, and require only a few ingredients, which can be interchanged depending on what you have available in your cupboards. All one needs is a little imagination and water.

    Norwegian knekkebrød

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  • Lompe with Carmelized Onions & Roasted Tomatoes

    Lompe with Carmelized Onions & Roasted Tomatoes

    Brunch is one of those meals, where anything goes. Hot and cold. Savory and sweet. Honestly, it’s just a good excuse to discard routine mealtimes and have people around to share a laugh, some stories and some good food. One of my favorite little dishes to serve is carmelized onions and roasted tomatoes atop gently fried Norwegian lompe.

    Lomper are flat, round potato ‘cakes’, or smaller versions of potato lefse. Lompe is incredibly easy to make at home, with only a few ingredients – a recipe we will touch on in the near future. The great thing, about most baked flatbreads, is that it’s versatile. While it is quite common here in Norway to eat a sausage/pølse wrapped in a lompe, or have it spread with something sweet, I like to think of lompe as a creative base that’s at its best when fried in a little oil. By frying the lompe, the taste is more prominent, with a slight sweetness, making it an ideal base for a variety of toppings. It also makes it a little crispier, lending a greater texture.

    With winter still dredging its heels, it’s nice to have something that can give a glimpse into summer. Cherry tomatoes are perfect for freezing whole with their skins on. So, if you’re like me and end up with a little too many after the summer harvest, you can simple freeze them and take a couple out when needed to either roast them in the oven or use in soups and sauces.

    Lompe with Carmelized Onions and Roasted Tomatoes Lompe with Carmelized Onions and Roasted Tomatoes (more…)

  • Veggli Bakeri & Kafe + Trillemarka Inspired Barley Bread

    Veggli Bakeri & Kafe + Trillemarka Inspired Barley Bread

    The smell of bread slowly baking is one of the most delightful and simple pleasures in life. As I walked through the doors of Veggli Bakeri og Kafe, I felt welcomed in by that sweet aroma and the warmth from the ovens hiding behind a single, wide-open door. Even more welcoming were the smiles that beckoned me. And I was eager to learn more about this town institution and about the people who work all sorts of hours to create their breads and baked goods to be served and sold across shops throughout the area.

    I was going to learn to make Trillemarkabrød. An homage to the natural reserve of Trillemarka, which lies between the two valleys of Sigdal and Numedal and is Norway’s largest forest reserve. A special loaf they created, packed full of grains and seeds and cooked lovingly in their old oven.

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  • Mollas’ Lefse

    Mollas’ Lefse

    Grethe from Mollas Bakeri in Rollag, Norway, is as authentic as they come. For her, staying true to the old traditions of cooking lefse is the secret to what makes her products stand out. For a truly authentic lefse experience, you’ll need a takke (griddle) on hand, heated by a wood-fire. As this may be difficult for most, a large electric griddle will suffice – although, you won’t quite be able to replicate the charred freckles and earthy, smokey taste. Nonetheless, with a little hard work and patience, you’ll earn yourself one tasty treat which you can show off to all your family & friends.

    For more about Grethe & her bakery, see this post. You can also watch a short video to see how she cooks lefse on her traditional takke.

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