This Scandinavian supper reminds me of nights when my mother would serve “chilled” canned salmon, fresh-dug potatoes with dill or chive butter, and tomatoes with vinaigrette. I also remember only spelling out my last name when asked. I knew if I just said it, it would be spelled wrong (Paulson or Paulsen). And once I spelled and pronounced it, the Norwegians and Swedes of Minnesota—the state that proudly calls itself the center of Scandinavian American culture—would say, “What? That’s not how you spell it!”
And then there were Mrs. Nelson’s cookies. She was the mother of my science teacher in both grade school and junior high and she lived down the street. She baked incredible Christmas cookies—tables and tables of them. When you went into her house at holiday time, just about every flat surface would be covered with beautiful glass and ceramic plates, some of them three tiers tall, full of cookies of all sizes, shapes, and types. It was the Santa Claus land of cookies; in fact, it was better than a visit to Santa Claus.
But Mrs. Nelson’s extraordinary display is not my only childhood cookie memory. Cookies seemed to be everywhere in the Minnesota of the 1950s and 1960s. At Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Easter, after school, and at Girl Scout meetings, there were always cookies. If someone dropped in for a visit, you would put on a pot of coffee and bring out something baked. My mom made “egg coffee” by boiling water, mixing the ground coffee with egg, and then stirring the ground coffee into the boiling water. After it steeped for five minutes, it was ready and you poured it through a tiny strainer into a cup. It was a somewhat complicated process and it was very special. The result was a rich, mild coffee that seemed to taste best in the good china cups stored at the back of the cupboard. It was made with bottled spring water, never tap water, yet more evidence of how special it was. I have never forgotten egg coffee, and now my home has filtered water for coffee and tea—and plenty of cookies for every occasion. Some things are in the hardwiring. This menu includes three of my favorites.
Swedish Meatballs
Before I cook these meatballs, I gently press a little indentation in the top of each one, to make a little holder for some of the fruit sauce. After they are cooked, I roll them lightly in the “gravy” (as my Minnesota Swedish neighbors called it), then spoon a little cranberry into the indentations. The trick is to have the gravy and the
cranberry sauce ready and waiting for the meatballs the moment they come out of the oven. I prefer cranberry sauce, but lingonberry jam is classic and any tart jelly or jam would be good. I like the hint of allspice in meatballs. That spice isn’t used much anymore, and it should be. Here, the meatballs are a first course, but they would make a good main course, too, accompanied with steamed wild rice and a green salad.
| MAKES ABOUT 3 DOZEN 1½-INCH MEATBALLS; SERVES 12 AS AN APPETIZER, 6 AS AN ENTREE
2 TABLESPOONS UNSALTED BUTTER
2 TABLESPOONS ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR
½ CUP WHOLE MILK OR HEAVY CREAM
1 TABLESPOON CHOPPED FRESH DILL
1 POUND FRESH OR FROZEN CRANBERRIES
GRATED ZEST AND JUICE OF 1 LEMON
½ CUP SUGAR, PLUS MORE IF NEEDED
¼ CUP WATER, PLUS MORE IF NEEDED
1 TO 2 TABLESPOONS UNSALTED BUTTER
¼ CUP MINCED YELLOW ONION
⅔ POUND GROUND BEEF
⅔ POUND GROUND VEAL
⅔ POUND GROUND PORK
1½ CUPS FRESH BREAD CRUMBS
1½ TEASPOONS SALT
FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER
¼ TEASPOON FRESHLY GRATED NUTMEG
¼ TEASPOON GROUND ALLSPICE
¾ CUP WHOLE MILK
2 EGG YOLKS, OR 1 WHOLE EGG
CHOPPED FRESH DILL, FOR GARNISH
To make the gravy, in a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Sprinkle in the flour and then stir with a whisk or wooden spoon until the mixture is smooth and the color of caramel. Pour in the stock in a slow, steady stream while whisking or stirring constantly and bring to a boil. Add the cream and reduce over high heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes, until the gravy is a nice thick consistency. Stir in the dill and set the sauce aside until you are ready to serve the meatballs.
To make the cranberry sauce, in a saucepan, combine all of the ingredients over medium-high heat and cook for about 15 minutes, until every cranberry has burst. Add more sugar if you like and more water if the pot seems dry. Remove from the heat and reserve.
To make the meatballs, in a large sauté pan, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium heat. When the butter stops foaming, add the onion and sauté for about 5 minutes, until soft. If the pan seems too dry, add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter. When the onion is ready, set it aside to cool.
In a big bowl, combine the meats, bread crumbs, salt, a few grinds of pepper, nutmeg, allspice, milk, and egg yolks and mix together gently with your hands until the ingredients are evenly distributed. When the onion is cool, work it into the meat mixture.
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and lightly brush with canola oil or olive oil, or coat with nonstick cooking spray.
In a small skillet, sauté a little nugget of the meat mixture and then taste and adjust the seasoning of the mixture. When you are happy with the flavor, form the meat mixture into balls 1½ to 2 inches in diameter and place them on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart. You should get about 36 meatballs. Press a little indentation in the top of each meatball to form a spot to hold the cranberry sauce later.
Place in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes, until lightly browned all the way around but still tender and pink on the inside.
To serve, bring the gravy back to a simmer. Arrange the meatballs attractively in a casserole dish or other deep-sided serving platter and pour some of the sauce over and around them. Top some of them with a bit of cranberry sauce (in the little indentation), leaving some without for variety. Sprinkle with the dill and serve any additional gravy and/or cranberry sauce on the side.
This is a simple and tasty side or condiment. I use an English (hothouse), Armenian, Lebanese, or Japanese cucumber, all of which are nearly seedless, rather than the “burpy”—as my dad used to call them—American cucumber that is loaded with seeds. (The Lebanese cucumber is smaller than the others, so you will need to use a couple of them here.) If you use the standard American cucumber, halve it lengthwise, scoop out the seeds, and then thinly slice into half-moons. | SERVES 6
1 CUCUMBER, PEELED AND THINLY SLICED
1 TEASPOON SEA SALT
⅓ CUP CHAMPAGNE VINEGAR OR RICE VINEGAR
2 TABLESPOONS SUGAR
¼ TEASPOON FRESHLY GROUND WHITE PEPPER
2 TABLESPOONS CHOPPED FRESH DILL
Put the cucumber slices in a shallow bowl, sprinkle with the salt, toss to coat evenly, and let sit for 20 minutes or so. Just before serving, rinse briefly under running cold water and squeeze gently to remove the excess moisture. Place in a serving bowl.
To make the dressing, whisk together the vinegar, sugar, pepper, and dill until well mixed. Pour over the cucumbers and toss to mix. You can make this ahead and chill until ready to serve, if you wish.
HALIBUT WITH WILD MUSHROOMS
AND HORSERADISH DILLED CREAMY GREEN BEANS
I have broiled the halibut here, but it is also a great fish for cooking on a griddle. The surface caramelizes and keeps the interior moist. Both wild-caught Alaskan halibut, which has a high fat content (and is thus rich and moist) and wild-caught San Francisco halibut, which is leaner, would be good. San Francisco halibut, which is actually a type of flounder, should be cooked for less time than the Alaskan halibut or it will dry out. California white bass or black cod would also be good selections.
I used baby green beans from the garden. If you would like to simplify the vegetable step, you can finish the beans in the pan with the mushrooms instead of doing them in a separate pan. The dish won’t look quite as fancy, but it will still taste good. If you feel like cooking a batch of mashed or steamed potatoes, they would be good with the halibut and beans. | SERVES 6
3 TABLESPOONS UNSALTED BUTTER, AT ROOM TEMPERATURE
1 TABLESPOON MINCED FRESH DILL
1 TABLESPOON PREPARED OR GRATED FRESH HORSERADISH
SEA SALT AND FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER
6 (6-OUNCE) SKINLESS HALIBUT FILLETS
1 TO 2 TABLESPOONS OLIVE OIL, FOR BRUSHING THE FISH
SALT AND FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER
3 TABLESPOONS UNSALTED BUTTER
¼ RED ONION, MINCED
12 TO 14 OUNCES FRESH WILD MUSHROOMS OR A MIXTURE OF FRESH CULTIVATED AND
REHYDRATED DRIED WILD MUSHROOMS, TORN OR CUT INTO BITE-SIZE PIECES
4 TO 6 TABLESPOONS GRATED FRESH HORSERADISH, OR 2 TO 3 TABLESPOONS PREPARED HORSERADISH
2 TABLESPOONS AQUAVIT OR VODKA
1 CUP DRY WHITE WINE OR VERMOUTH
A FEW GRATINGS OF NUTMEG
6 TABLESPOONS HEAVY CREAM
12 OUNCES VERY YOUNG GREEN BEANS, STEMMED AND BLANCHED, OR REGULAR GREEN BEANS, TOPPED AND TAILED, STRINGED IF NECESSARY, CUT IN HALF, AND BLANCHED
1 TO 1½ TABLESPOONS MINCED FRESH DILL
To make the
dill butter, in a small bowl, mix together the butter, dill, and horseradish and season with salt and pepper. Reserve until needed.
Preheat the broiler. Brush both sides of the fish fillets with olive oil, season both sides with salt and pepper, and arrange on a broiler pan or rimmed baking sheet. Set aside.
In a large sauté pan, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium-low heat. Add the onion, stir to coat, cover, and cook for about 5 minutes, until tender but not caramelized. Uncover the pan, stir in the mushrooms, and increase the heat to medium-high. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until the mushrooms have released and then reabsorbed their juices and are just beginning to caramelize around the edges.
Stir in the horseradish and then pour in the aquavit and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until most of the alcohol has burned off. If you have a gas burner and are familiar with the technique, you can swirl the pan so that a little alcohol splashes over and ignites the vapors to burn the alcohol off more quickly. Add the wine and nutmeg and simmer for another 3 to 5 minutes, until the pan juices are mostly reduced. Season with salt and pepper, remove from the heat, and reserve until needed. (The mushrooms may be prepared up to this point up to 1 hour in advance, and set aside at room temperature.)
Measure the fish at the thickest point, then place under the broiler and broil for 7 minutes per inch of thickness, being careful not to overcook it. Finish the mushrooms and the green beans as the fish cooks.
To finish the mushrooms, reheat gently and stir in 1 tablespoon of the remaining butter and the parsley to taste. To finish the beans, in a separate sauté pan, heat the cream over medium-high heat and cook until reduced by half. Stir in the beans, dill, and the remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Season with salt and pepper and cook until the beans are heated through.
To serve, put a healthy pool of the mushrooms in the center of each warmed plate, push them out with the back of a spoon to make space for some green beans in the middle, and pile in some beans. Arrange the fish attractively down the side of the beans. Smear the fish with some of the dill butter and let it melt into the surface. Serve immediately.
THE PROCESS FOR
REHYDRATING DRIED MUSHROOMS IS VERY SIMPLE. PUT THE DRIED MUSHROOMS IN A LARGE BOWL AND POUR ENOUGH BOILING WATER OVER TO COVER THEM. IF THEY TRY TO FLOAT UP, WEIGHT THEM DOWN WITH A BOWL OR A PLATE. ALLOW TO SOAK UNTIL SOFT. THE SOAKING TIME WILL VARY DEPENDING UPON THE DENSITY OF WHAT YOU ARE REHYDRATING: PORCINI WILL BE REHYDRATED WITHIN 10 TO 12 MINUTES, WHEREAS SHIITAKE MUSHROOMS CAN TAKE UPWARD OF 30 MINUTES. CHECK FOR PLIABILITY, AND WHEN SOFT LIFT THE REHYDRATED MUSHROOMS UP AND OUT OF THE SOAKING LIQUID WITH YOUR FINGERS OR A SLOTTED SPOON. IT IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT WITH THE MUSHROOMS THAT YOU DO NOT POUR THE LIQUID OVER THE REHYDRATED MUSHROOMS BECAUSE ALL OF THE DIRT AND GRIT HAS SETTLED TO THE BOTTOM—LEAVE IT THERE. ONCE STRAINED, THE SOAKING LIQUID MAKES A GREAT ADDITION TO SAUCES AND A WONDERFUL BASE FOR VEGGIE STOCK.
Top tier: Lemon-Lime Tartlets with Berries; lower left: Pepperkaker; lower left: Mom’s Spritz Cookies
Most Norwegian Americans know these as ginger cookies. But when I was growing up in Minnesota, we got gingersnaps from my German grandmother and my half-Norwegian mother made these cookies and called them pepperkaker. Despite what you might assume from the name, the batter includes no pepper but does have a lot of spices. I normally would never use as much as I have listed here, but Beatrice Ojakangas, a well-respected Scandinavian food writer and cook, calls for the same amount in her recipe for the cookies. I found recipes for these cookies in four of my Scandinavian cookbooks and all of them were about the same. The main difference is that some call for dark corn syrup and some for dark molasses. I chose to go with the molasses because it has more iron than corn syrup (and to me, more flavor). Some of my tasters said they would prefer less clove, so cut back on it if you like. | MAKES ABOUT 60 COOKIES
2 CUPS ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR
SCANT 1 TEASPOON GROUND CLOVES
1 TEASPOON GROUND GINGER
1 TEASPOON GROUND CARDAMOM
2 TEASPOONS GRATED LEMON OR ORANGE ZEST
1 TEASPOON BAKING SODA
⅔ CUP UNSALTED BUTTER, AT ROOM TEMPERATURE
¾ CUP PACKED DARK BROWN SUGAR
3 TABLESPOONS DARK MOLASSES
1½ TABLESPOONS WATER, PLUS MORE IF NEEDED
CHOPPED ALMONDS OR MINCED CANDIED GINGER, FOR GARNISH (OPTIONAL)
POWDER SUGAR, FOR GARNISH
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Have ready 2 ungreased baking sheets or line each sheet with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, spices, lemon zest, and baking soda until well mixed. In a large bowl, using a wooden spoon, beat together the butter and brown sugar until light and creamy. Add the molasses and water and mix well.
Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until incorporated. If the dough is not coming together, add a tiny bit more water. Do not add too much or the dough will be a sticky mess when you try to roll it out. Gather the dough into a ball, divide it in half, and flatten each half into a disk. Wrap separately in plastic wrap and chill for about 1 hour, until firm.
Remove 1 disk from the refrigerator. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough ¼ inch thick. (Alternatively, dust the disk with flour and roll out between 2 sheets of waxed paper.) Using a 2½-inch round cookie cutter (or any shape you like), cut out as many cookies as possible. Transfer the cookies to a baking sheet, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Sprinkle each cookie with a pinch of almonds. Gather up the scraps, press into a disk, and refrigerate.
Bake the cookies for about 10 minutes, until set but not brown. Do not overbake. Let cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer to racks to cool completely. While the first batch is baking, repeat the rolling and cutting with the second dough disk and then with the dough scraps, and then bake the second batch when the first batch comes out of the oven. If you like, roll or dust the cookies with powder sugar.
The cooled cookies may be stored in an airtight tin at room temperature for up to 1 week.
WITH MOM’S HOT CHOCOLATE
These cookies are made with a cookie press, which you can find in most hardware or cookware stores. The press comes with nozzles or disks to make cookies in different shapes. I remember my mother making S-shaped cookies and sprinkling them with green or red sugar. She would occasionally make “wreaths,” too, and sprinkle them with colored sugars. I consider these cookies Norwegian because my mother was half Norwegian, but they may be German, as she was half German, too.
A couple tips: The dough must not be too warm when you try to press it through the disk or it will come out mushy. Also, press the cookies out onto a cool baking sheet or they will lose their shape before they can be baked. When my mom and her girlfriends sent one another cards with cookie or other recipes written on them, they always wrote “good luck” on the card. So I am wishing you good luck, too.
| SHOWN HERE | MAKES 45 TO 60 COOKIES, DEPENDING ON SHAPE
1 CUP UNSALTED BUTTER, AT ROOM TEMPERATURE
⅔ CUP SUGAR
3 EGG YOLKS
1 TEASPOON PURE ALMOND EXTRACT
2½ CUPS ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR
RED OR GREEN CRYSTAL SUGAR, FOR SPRINKLING
MOM’S HOT CHOCOLATE (OPPOSITE), FOR SERVING
In a bowl, using a wooden spoon, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks and almond extract and beat until combined. Then add the flour and stir until well mixed. Gather the dough into a ball, divide into 4 equal pieces, wrap separately in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, until chilled.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Have 2 ungreased baking sheets ready or line each baking sheet with a silicone baking mat.
Read the manufacturer’s directions for the cookie press before you begin. Remove 1 piece of dough from the refrigerator. To ease packing the dough into the press, shape it into a log slightly smaller in diameter than the press, and then slip it into the tube. Select a disk and secure it in place. Holding the press upright, and applying even pressure to the handle, press out cookies onto a baking sheet, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Repeat with a second dough piece. Sprinkle the cookies with red or green crystal sugar.
Bake the cookies for about 8 minutes, until golden. Let cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to racks to cool completely. While the first batch is baking, repeat with the
remaining 2 dough pieces, pressing the cookies onto the second baking sheet, and then bake the second batch when the first batch comes out of the oven.
Put a handful of the cooled cookies on a plate and serve with the hot chocolate. Store the remaining cookies in an airtight tin at room temperature for up to 1 week.
MOM’S HOT CHOCOLATE
Everybody likes hot chocolate and cookies. This is how my mother made hot chocolate when I was kid—the perfect antidote to a Minnesota winter. Now that I am older, I sometimes use strong brewed coffee in place of the water and I add a shot of brandy when it’s icy cold outside. Mom always made this in small batches, but feel free to double or triple the recipe if you have a crowd. | SERVES 2
4 TEASPOONS DUTCH-PROCESS UNSWEETENED COCOA POWDER (DROSTE BRAND IS MOM’S CHOICE)
5 TEASPOONS SUGAR
¼ CUP WATER
1½ CUPS WHOLE MILK
2 BIG MARSHMALLOWS, FOR SERVING
In a small, heavy saucepan, stir together the cocoa, sugar, and water and bring to a boil over medium heat. Add the milk and whisk continuously until hot. Do not allow it to boil. Pour into warmed mugs and top each mug with a marshmallow. Serve piping hot.
Lemon-Lime Tartlets with Berries
LEMON-LIME TARTLETS WITH BERRIES
I adapted the recipe for the tartlet shells from a recipe for sandbakelse (sand tarts) in Swedish Recipes Old and New, published by the American Daughters of Sweden in 1955, and the lemon-lime filling from a recipe in Desserts by Nancy Silverton. If you can find the traditional 2-inch, fluted sand-bakelse molds, use them. If not, any tartlet pan of the same size will work. You can even use a full-size tart pan for the recipe. If you end up with extra filling, it is delicious tucked into crepes, served over vanilla ice cream, or, if feeling blue, eaten straight from a spoon.
If you want the curd perfectly smooth (and you live near a place that sells fresh duck eggs), use 2 duck egg yolks in place of the 3 chicken egg yolks.
| SHOWN HERE AND ABOVE | MAKES 25 TO 30 TARTLETS
2 CUPS SIFTED ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR
⅔ CUP SUGAR
14 TABLESPOONS COLD UNSALTED BUTTER, CUT INTO ½-INCH CUBES
1 EGG, BEATEN
1 LIME
7 TO 8 LEMONS
3 WHOLE EGGS
3 EGG YOLKS
¾ CUP SUGAR
½ CUP UNSALTED BUTTER, AT ROOM TEMPERATURE, CUT INTO SMALL CUBES
FRESH SEASONAL BERRIES (SUCH AS RASPBERRY, BLACKBERRY, OR BLUEBERRY), FOR GARNISH
To make the tartlet shells, preheat the oven to 400°F. Have ready thirty 2-inch sandbakelse molds or fluted tartlet pans and a large rimmed baking sheet.
In a large bowl, stir together the flour and sugar. Add the butter and toss to coat with the flour mixture. Add the egg and mix together with your fingers or a spoon until a smooth, thick dough forms. To shape each shell, place a small ball of the dough into a mold, and with floured thumbs, press the dough thinly over the bottom and up the sides. Be sure to get the dough very thin so that the shells will bake up crisp. As the molds are lined, put them on the baking sheet. You may not need all of the molds.
Bake the shells for 8 to 10 minutes, until the dough looks set and is just starting to brown at the edges. Let cool slightly in the molds, then carefully remove the shells to racks and let cool completely.
To make the custard, grate the zest from the lime into a ¼-cup measure, then grate the zest from the lemons into the same measure until you have ¼ cup grated zest. Juice the lime and pour the juice into a 1-cup measure, then juice the lemons into the same measure until you have 1 cup juice.
Pour water to a depth of about 3 inches into a wide, large pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Select a stainless-steel bowl that will rest in the rim of the pot. Add the citrus zest and juice, whole eggs, egg yolks, and sugar to the bowl and whisk until blended. Set the bowl over (not touching) the boiling water and whisk vigorously, incorporating as much air as possible. Rotate the bowl from time to time to prevent the eggs from cooking around the sides. Continue to cook, whisking constantly, for 5 to 10 minutes, until the foam disappears and the mixture has thickened. The mixture will not curdle, so don’t be afraid to cook it until it is very thick. Remove from the heat and beat in the butter, a cube at a time, beating well after each addition.
Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl with a spout or into a large glass liquid measuring cup. Arrange the cooled tartlet shells on a tray or rimmed baking sheet, and pour the custard into the shells, filling them nearly to the rim. Top each tartlet with a few berries and then refrigerate for at least 2 hours, until firm and set. Serve chilled.
ADD 1 CUP FINELY GROUND BLANCHED ALMONDS AND ABOUT ¼ TEASPOON (MAYBE A BIT MORE) PURE ALMOND EXTRACT TO THE DOUGH JUST BEFORE ADDING THE FLOUR. WHEN YOU PRESS THE DOUGH INTO THE MOLDS, MAKE THE BOTTOM AND SIDES AS YOU WOULD FOR A TART, OR THE THICKNESS OF A COOKIE. BAKE AS DIRECTED, THEN REMOVE FROM THE MOLDS AND LET COOL COMPLETELY. TO SERVE, PLACE THE COOKIES UPSIDE ON A PLATTER AND DUST WITH CONFECTIONERS’ SUGAR. FOR A FANCIER PRESENTATION, LEAVE THEM RIGHT SIDE UP, FILL EACH ONE WITH A LITTLE BIT OF VERY GOOD JAM, AND DUST WITH CONFECTIONERS’ SUGAR.
