A Man Called Ove Eats a Scandinavian Feast

My book club met last night, and we read a wonderful book entitled A Man Called Ove. I saw the movie when I was in Sweden last summer, and it was really good, but the book was even better! And of course, we had to have a full Swedish smorgasbord to accompany our lively discussion. Everything was as delicious as the charming and poignant novel.

Jaime cured her own salmon gravlax and served it with a mustard sauce, shaved fennel, and brown bread.

Back: Kathy made a Persian chicken and rice dish like a Ove's Iranian neighbor, Parvaneh, shared with him.

Front: Janice made a delicious potato gratin called Flødekartofler, which I think is actually Danish, but oh well. It was yummy!

Clockwise, from bottom left: Shann made Västerbottensost-Oliver, these little cheesy dough-wrapped olives.

Our lovely hostess, Katie, made the ubiquitous cucumber salad that is served with everything in Sweden.

Kathy made potato dumplings filled with bacon and onions called kroppkaka.

I tried to replicate one of the best things I tasted in Sweden, at a proper smorgasbord at the Grand Hotel in Stockholm: A Västerbotten Creme Topped with Strawberry-Rhubarb Preserves which I served with multigrain crispbread. (Västerbotten is a hard, salty cheese, kind of like Swedish Parmesan. A hunk of it was one of the few "souvenirs" that I brought home in my carry-on.)

Katie's cucumber salad.

Janice's gratin.

Kathy's Persian Chicken and Rice.

Kathy's dumplings and my Västerbotten spread.

Janice made another type of potato dish. I think it was also of Danish origin and is called Hasselback Kartofler.

My delicious Scandinavian dinner!

The Swedish stew (kalops) that I made and served with steamed new potatoes and dill.

Domenica made a chocolate kladdkaka (cloud cake) topped with vanilla ice cream, chocolate sauce, and--OF COURSE--a Swedish fish!

Stew from a Swedish Chef (Bork, bork, bork!)

This summer, I was lucky enough to get to visit my college friend, Jen, who lives near Stockholm, Sweden. The first night at Chez Tunehag, her husband Mats made us a wonderful meal of kalops and new potatoes. Kalops is beef stew, but the flavor is different--and slightly sweeter--because of the use of distinctly Swedish ingredients. We also watched a wonderful Swedish movie that night entitled A Man Called Ove.

Tomorrow, my book club is meeting to discuss the novel on which that film was based (incidently, it was the BEST book I've read in years--so funny and poignant), and since the main character's favorite meal is meat and potatoes, I thought it would be perfectly fitting to try to recreate Mats' kalops. The hardest part was translating it from Swedish! And of course, I wanted to try and convert his recipe to be made in the Insta-Pot. In the end, I think I managed to produce a worthy homage and a very tasty stew! I hope my book club members agree.

Tunehag Kalops (Swedish Beef Stew)

2 1/4 lbs, chuck steak

2 large yellow onions

4 carrots

6 bay leaves

15 allspice

2 juniper berries

2 tablespoons anchovy brine

1 anchovy

1/2 cup red wine

2 tablespoons beef bouillon

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2-4 tablespoons black currant jelly

2-3 tablespoons flour

salt, white pepper, black pepper

Cut the meat into chunks. Cut onion into large pieces. Cut carrots into disks. Mince anchovy.

Brown the meat with salt and pepper. Transfer to a cast iron pot. Sprinkle with flour and stir. Add the wine, soy sauce, anchovy brine, and water to almost cover, then stir. Add bay leaves, juniper berries, and black currant jelly and stir. Add onions.

Simmer 15-20 minutes. Add about half of the carrots. After another 15-20 minutes, add the rest.

Season to taste with more salt, soy sauce, bouillon, and/or jelly.

Let stew simmer a total of 90 minutes.

Instant Pot Kalops (Swedish Beef Stew)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 1/2 lbs. chuck roast, cut into chunks

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 cup red wine

3 cups water

2 large yellow onions, cut into chunks, divided

4 medium bay leaves

15 allspice berries (I used 1 teaspoon ground allspice)

2 juniper berries, crushed

2 tablespoons anchovy brine, plus 1 anchovy (I used 1/2 teaspoon anchovy paste)

2 tablespoons beef bouillon (I use Better Than Bouillon Roasted Beef Flavor)

2 tablespoons soy sauce (I used low-sodium)

1/4 cup flour

4 large carrots, peeled and cut into thick disks

1/2 teaspoon white pepper

2-4 tablespoons black currant jelly, to taste

Add a tablespoon of oil to both the IP liner and a large skillet. Sprinkle the pieces of roast with the salt and black pepper. Brown the meat in two batches (half in the IP and half in the skillet). Add the browned beef from the skillet to the browned meat in the IP. 

Deglaze the skillet with the red wine, scraping up the yummy browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Pour into the IP. Add the water, one of the cut onions, bay leaves, allspice, juniper berries, anchovy, beef bouillon, and soy sauce. Cook on meat/stew mode for 25 minutes. Do an instant release. Remove the bay leaves and discard.

Whisk the flour with a cup or so of the beef stew liquid until smooth. Stir back into the pot, and add the carrots and the other cut-up onions. Cook on manual for four minutes. Instantly release, and stir in the white pepper and up to 1/4 cup of black currant jelly (to taste).

Serve with steamed new potatoes on the side.

I steamed the potatoes in a basket over a cup of water for ten minutes, then let the pressure release on its own. I sliced a half stick of butter, and tossed that into the potatoes with a couple of punches of salt and some fresh dill.

Adirondack Game Night

This past summer, my friend Vicky was on the hunt to find an old-fashioned, hand-cranked, ice cream machine to make ice cream with her little grandson, but she struck out. So for Christmas, I found one online and made a gift of it. Last night, she decided that she wanted to give it a test run--in the middle of winter, no less--and have a few people over to her cozy cabin deep in the Adirondack woods for game night and homemade ice cream. FUN!

Vicky dishing up the good stuff!

Old-fashioned wooden ice cream bucket, as befits her cabin-in-the-woods lifestyle.

Mmmmmm....hand-cranked ice cream with real vanilla beans!

We were asked to bring our favorite ice cream toppings. Our friend Mia brought sprinkles!

Vicky and her beautiful Mennonite stove.

My friend Sally insisted that we pose in front of the stove for a selfie.

Mia the Care Bear (and youngest in our group) won the 80s Trivial Pursuit game.

More games! More fun! YAY!

Instead of bringing an ice cream topping as assigned, I decided to bring broccoli cheese soup that I made in my magic pot, sort of an homage to Panera's Broccoli-Cheese Soup. It looks a little thin in this photo, because I added some extra broth for travel out to Vicky's house, as I knew it would thicken up en route. And indeed, it was quite thick and hearty when I reheated it on the wood stove and we finally ate it. Also, I blended it almost smooth because I was hiding the vegetables from one of the finicky guests. But feel free to leave it chunkier if you prefer.

Instant Pot Broccoli Cheese Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 cup julienned carrots

1 (16-ounce) package frozen broccoli

3 cups chicken (or vegetable) broth

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

2 cups half-and-half

8 ounces (2 cups) shredded sharp cheddar cheese

16 oz. sharp cheddar-flavored Velveeta, cubed

salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 

Add the olive oil to the IP insert on sauté mode and cook the onions for a few minutes until tender, stirring frequently. Stir in the julienned carrots, frozen broccoli, and broth. Cook on soup mode for five minutes. 

Meanwhile, on the stove top in a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and cook for a minute or two. Slowly whisk in the half-and-half, and keep whisking and cooking until thick and smooth. 

Do a quick release when the vegetables are done cooking. Using a stick blender, purée the soup to desired level of chunkiness or smoothness. Stir in the prepared white sauce and both the shredded cheddar and cubed Velveeta. Turn the pot on low sauté, and keep stirring occasionally until the cheeses have completely melted. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

P.S. PLEASE don't start about the Velveeta! If you don't like it, don't use it. I would use four cups of shredded cheddar (total) instead, though of course, it won't have the same consistency. Your choice.

Golden Globes Supper: Extra Shroomy!

Last night, I watched and live-blogged the Golden Globes on Facebook (as is my way). And for my special awards night supper, I created the best Alfredo dish I've ever made: Mushroom Pesto Alfredo with Three-Cheese Tortellini, Balsamic Mushrooms, and Fresh Spinach. MMM!!!

This is going to be a little hard to recreate because of one ingredient. Like an episode of Co-Op Chopped, I ended up with local mushrooms and spinach in my basket the other day, and something from the 50% off markdown bin (always a trove of tasty treasures!)--mushroom pesto. Of course, you may omit that in the Alfredo sauce, but it won't be as lusciously earthy and shroomy. Good luck finding some, though. Try your fancy food stores and/or health food stores. Or make your own!

Mushroom Alfredo Tortellini with Fresh Spinach

Mushroom Pesto Alfredo:
4 tablespoons butter
2 oz. cream cheese
1 1/2 cups half-and-half (up to 2 cups)
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
pinch of cayenne
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons prepared mushroom pesto

Balsamic Mushrooms:
2 tablespoons bacon fat
1/2 onions, thinly sliced or diced
1 lb. crimini mushrooms, washed and cut into chunks (or thickly sliced)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper, to taste

1 family-sized package refrigerated three-cheese tortellini

1 (or 2) cups chopped fresh spinach

In a medium sauce pan on low heat, melt butter and cream cheese. Add the half-and-half and granulated garlic and whisk until smooth. Cook over low heat, whisking frequently, for about 15 minutes or until the mixture has thickened. Add the seasoned salt, pepper, cayenne, and Parmesan. Whisk until smooth, and cook on low for a few more minutes, whisking frequently. Remove from heat and whisk in the mushroom pesto. (Thin the sauce with more half-and-half or milk if it gets too thick.)

Meanwhile, to a large skillet over medium heat, add the bacon fat (or butter or olive oil or a mix of the two), then saute the onions and mushrooms until tender and the mushrooms start to brown. Add the minced garlic and dried thyme and cook for another couple of minutes. Deglaze the pan with the balsamic vinegar and season the cooked mushrooms to taste with salt and pepper.

Lastly, cook the tortellini according to package instructions and drain. Mix the pasta with the Alfredo sauce, the balsamic mushrooms, and the spinach. Garnish with more Parmesan before serving.

Nooks & Crannies Bagels

RUN--do not walk--to your nearest grocery establishment and acquire these freaky bagel/English muffin hybrids! They are so light and fluffy and crispy when toasted--they are the muffins the angels in heaven would eat!

And they make the best brunch EVAH! Behold: Toasted Nooks and Crannies Bagel with Mayo, Avocado Mashed with Lemon and Garlic, Baked Ham and Cheese Omelette, and a Drizzle of Sriracha

Who knew the Amish ate Velveeta?

In yesterday's post-holiday dolor (your word for today), I fell down a YouTube black hole of Amish cooking videos. And I felt shamefully drawn to this casserole called Yumasetta (obviously gibberish which can't even be a real Pennsylvania Dutch word!), that's made with processed foods and cream o' chemical soup. Nevertheless, I had everything on hand to make it, including gen-u-wine Amish egg noodles, so I gave it a go.

As it turns out, it's not bad. It tastes like this sweet spaghetti that my friend and former roommate, Kim, used to make back in the day, but with egg noodles instead. I would make it again, but I'd swap out the Velveeta-type cheese for a cheddar-mozzarella blend, and I'd cut back a bit on the brown sugar, too. Still, I think this would be a hit at a church potluck.

Yumasetta (Amish Beef and Noodle Casserole)
(inspired by several YouTube video recipes)

2 lbs. ground beef (I used 1 lb. of beef plus a large can of mushrooms--I would keep it to one pound of meat, but use fresh mushrooms next time)
1 onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 can tomato soup (I used tomato bisque, because I'm fancy), undiluted
2 tablespoons brown sugar (I'd cut this back by half)
few shakes of hot sauce, optional
8 oz. Velveeta, sliced or Kraft Singles (I'd use shredded cheddar and mozzarella next time)
16 oz. medium egg noodles, al dente
1 can cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 teaspoon dried parsley, optional (or use fresh if you have it!)

Brown the ground beef with the onions in a large skillet, and drain excess fat. Stir in the mushrooms (if using), and the granulated garlic, seasoned salt, pepper, and tomato soup. Pour this mixture into a 9x13 (sprayed) casserole dish. Layer the cheese on top. 

Meanwhile, cook the noodles until they are a little underdone. Drain, return to the pot, and stir in the cream of chicken soup and the parsley, if using. Top the casserole with the noodle mixture, cover with foil, and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, then let sit for 15 minutes before serving.

Great Green Guac!

My friend Yves always makes a giant vat of awesome guacamole for our friendly gatherings, and he swears that leaving the pits in the guac keeps it from turning brown (a tip he got from his friend's Costa Rican mother or some such). I poo-pooed this nonsense, but I thought I'd give it a try.

The first picture is from yesterday when I made my guacamole, and the second picture is 24 hours later...with no plastic wrap pressed on top like I usually do. (Actually, the first pic looks browner, but that's because I took the photo in lower-light conditions.) So, I stand corrected!

P.S. I'm not completely convinced that it's not all the citrus juice that's mainly helping the situation. But still, what harm in using citrus, the pits, and pressed-down plastic wrap? The holy trinity of keeping guac green! #yourewelcome

Dinner and a Movie: Bridget Jones's Diary

I was recently horrified to learn that several of my dearest friends had never seen Bridget Jones' Diary, so I made it my personal crusade to rectify this abominable situation. I gave one of said friends the dvd and the even more entertaining novel as Christmas gifts, and tonight, we watched the movie together with a bunch of good friends, and I prepared a special themed buffet dinner. This was the menu I envisioned, and echoing Bridget's words, "Have sneaking suspicion am somewhat of a genius in the kitchen as well."

Cocktail Gherkins
Orange Marmalade Dip with Crackers
Blue Soup (Leek and Potato)
Turkey Curry with Jasmine Rice
Baked Ham and Cheese Omelette

The pickles on sticks and turkey curry were inspired by Bridget's mother Pam's New Year's Turkey Curry Buffet. And the blue soup, omelette, and orange marmalade dip were an homage to the tragic birthday dinner that Bridget tried to cook for her friends.

The appetizers included little cornichons on toothpicks (I didn't even bother to take a picture, but see above), and an unusual orange marmalade-topped cream cheese dip with crackers. In the movie, Bridget attempts to create a dessert called Orange Pudding in Sugar Cages, but you see them scooping the finished product up with crackers, and one of her friends describes it as tasting like marmalade.

At first, I was just going to serve orange marmalade with crackers, but that sounded pretty boring. Then I thought I might spread the crackers with cream cheese and top it with orange marmalade, but that sounded like a lot of busy work and still not very exciting.

So I did a Google search and found this recipe for a dip that turned out to be the surprise hit of the party! Many of my young friends are not very adventurous eaters, and they were surprised that something which seemed weird to them at first was so tasty. I took the picture below before I topped the dip with the toasted almonds, because it was prettier. The next time I make this, I think I might mix the almonds into the dip and let the marmalade be the only topping, because it would look nicer.

Orange Marmalade Dip
(Source: adapted from Food.com)

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup mayonnaise 
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese
8 large scallions, chopped
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
few dashes hot sauce, to taste
3/4 cup orange marmalade
1/2 cup sliced or slivered almonds, toasted and cooled

Mix the cream cheese, mayo, cheese, scallions, pepper, and hot sauce. Spread into an 8x8 dish, top with the marmalade and spread in a thin layer. Sprinkle on the almonds. Serve with crackers.

In the movie, Bridget tries to make a soup flavored with leeks, and she's supposed to tie the leeks together with kitchen twine. She does not have the proper twine, so she uses some blue string she finds that, of course, ends up turning the soup blue.

So I decided to make a leek and potato soup with the help of my trusty magic pot. It was quick and easy in the Instant Pot (only five minutes!), and it turned out velvety and luscious and DELICIOUS! Of course, you don't have to dye it blue to enjoy this leeky, potatoey goodness.

Instant Pot Leek and Potato Soup

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large leeks, tough outer leaves removed, halved, washed thoroughly and thinly sliced
3 large stalks celery, thinly sliced 
4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/2 teaspoon ground celery
4 medium to large potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
4 cups vegetable (or chicken) stock
1 cup cream
salt and pepper, to taste

On sauté mode, add the butter and olive oil to the pot and cook the leeks, celery, and garlic until the veggies are tender and just starting to brown. Deglaze the pan with the white wine and let continue to cook for a few minutes until the wine has almost evaporated. Stir in the thyme, granulated garlic, ground celery, potatoes, and vegetable or chicken stock. 

Cover with the lid and cook on soup mode for five minutes. Let the pressure come down for about ten minutes before doing a quick release. Using a stick blender, purée the soup until very smooth. Add the cream (or half-and-half or whole milk) and blend one more time. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

*If you're making this for a Bridget Jones dinner, add a little blue food coloring...but no string! 

For the first of two entrees, I prepared a curry with turkey and vegetables and served it over steamed jasmine rice (made in the IP, of course--three cups rinsed rice, three cups water, good pinch of salt, in the sprayed insert, on manual for four minutes, ten minutes rest then release). I couldn't find a recipe for the turkey curry, so I just made it up, and it turned our GREAT! Even one of the guests who swears she doesn't enjoy curry liked it!

Pamela Jones' Turkey Curry 
(as imagined by me)

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 lb. turkey breast cut into one-inch chunks
1 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1 teaspoon granulated garlic, divided
3/4 teaspoon pepper, divided

1 large onion, diced
1-2 chili peppers, seeded and diced (to taste)
2 large cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 large carrots, peeled and cut into large dice
2 medium potatoes, peeled (or not) and cut into one-inch chunks
1 cup chicken (or turkey) broth
2 tablespoons curry powder
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon ground celery
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 can coconut milk

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

steamed jasmine rice

To a large skillet over medium-high, add two tablespoons of olive oil, add the chunks of turkey, sprinkle with a half teaspoon each of salt and granulated garlic and a quarter teaspoon of pepper, and cook the turkey until golden brown. Remove the pieces to a plate and reserve.

To the same skillet, add two more tablespoons of olive oil, and saute the onions and pepper(s) until tender. Add the garlic and cook another minute or two. Add the carrots, potatoes, and chicken stock, partly cover, and simmer for about five minutes or until the carrots and potatoes are tender. 

Stir in the curry powder, ginger, ground celery, cumin, turmeric, coriander, and the remaining half teaspoon of granulated garlic, then cook for another couple of minutes until the spices are very fragrant. Turn off the heat and stir the coconut milk, the remaining teaspoon of salt and half teaspoon of pepper (or to taste), the reserved turkey, and the chopped fresh cilantro.

Serve over steamed jasmine rice.

In the movie, nothing Bridget tries to cook turns out right, so Mark Darcy to the rescue! For the entree, he suggests they make omelettes and serve it with the "congealed green gunge" (caper berry gravy) that Bridget has produced. Since I was cooking for about eight people, I didn't want to be standing at the stove making individual omelettes for everyone.

So I found a recipe for a big ham and cheese pan omelette that you bake in the oven, and I also siphoned some of the eggs and cheese mixture off before adding the ham and made an individual portion in a ramekin for one vegetarian guest. What a terrific brunch dish, and of course, you can add whatever ingredients you have that please you. (I doubled the recipe that follows and baked it in a 9x13 casserole dish.)

Baked Ham and Cheese Omelette
(Source: All Recipes)

8 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt
3 ounces cooked ham, diced

1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tablespoon dried minced onion

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease one 8x8 inch casserole dish and set aside.

Beat together the eggs and milk. Add seasoning salt, ham, cheddar cheese, mozzarella cheese, and minced onion. Pour into prepared casserole dish.

Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes or until eggs are set. (The individual one-cup ramekin took 15-20 minutes.)

For dessert, I suggest you pass around a few pints of Ben and Jerry's and a bunch of spoons. And to wash everything down with, I suggest that you choose vodka...and Chaka Khan!