Gastronomy

KRUMKAKER

• 5 eggs
• 1 ½ sticks of butter
• 3 tablespoons whipping cream
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• 1 ½ cups flour
• ¼ ounce butter (to melt)
• 1 shot glass Cognac
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon melted butter

What to do

• Soften 1 ½ sticks butter (let it sit out or microwave).
• Whip 3 tablespoons of cream in small bowl (with hand blender) set in fridge.
• Melt 1-teaspoon butter in microwave.

In large bowl:

• 1 ½ cups sugar.
• 1 ½ sticks butter.
• Blend sugar and butter (hand blender).
• Stir in (wooden spoon) 5 eggs one at a time.
• While stirring add Cognac (keep stirring) and add vanilla extract, stir, stir, stir.
• Add melted butter, stir.
• Stir in 1 ½ cups flour.
• Add whipped cream, stir.
• Continue to stir!
• Occasionally stir batter while cooking.

LEFSE

 6 cups riced or mashed russet potatoes
1 tsp. salt
3 T. margarine or butter
1 T. sugar
2 T. heavy cream or evaporated milk
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Taken from The Global Gourmet by Concordia Language Villages, Moorhead, Minnesota

R. Naomi Dahl of Borup, Minnesota, recalls her parents making this together on an old wood-burning kitchen range. Carrying on the tradition, Naomi makes batch after batch to share with friends across the country during the holidays. Allow ample time for chilling step.

Combine all ingredients except flour; refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. Add flour; mix well. Heat lefse or other griddle to 400 degrees. Form dough into long roll and cut into 12 sections. Form each section into a small ball. Roll out very thin with cloth-covered lefse or regular rolling pin on cloth-covered lefse board or other surface. Dust board with flour when turning lefse dough. Bake on ungreased griddle until brown spots appear. Turn and bake other side. Stack lefse between 2 towels to cool. Store in refrigerator in plastic bags. Can be frozen.

NORWAY FOOD

Norwegian cuisine is in its traditional form largely based on the raw materials readily available in a country dominated by mountains, wilderness and the sea. Hence, it differs in many respects from its continental counterparts with a stronger focus on game and fish.

Modern Norwegian cuisine, although still strongly influenced by its traditional background, now bears the marks of globalization: Pastas, pizzas and the like are as common as meatballs and cod as staple foods, and urban restaurants sport the same selection you would expect to find in any western European city.