Christmas food adventures

One of the many great things about visiting my folks, is that they are both stellar cooks. What's more? Is that they love to feed me, or at least I pretend that they love to feed me :) My favorite Christmas food has to be lefse. Making lefse with my mom usually involves her making it and me wandering in and out of the kitchen to keep her company. Sometimes I will roll out a few pieces here and there are try to actually be helpful, but mostly I like being around her when she makes it. The one part I really love to do though is flipping the lefse piece with the big colourful stick that you see in the photo below, the one with the red handle.

If you haven't heard of lefse and are keen to try some, stop by my folks house next Christmas. Alternatively, you can hit up your local Scandinavian market. Another option would be to make it! Great fun! I've included a recipe below:

Old Fashioned Norwegian Lefse Recipe

Cook 10 lbs. of red potatoes with the jackets on using the same amount of salt as for regular potatoes. Chill overnight. Potatoes must be cold. Peel potatoes. Grind coarsely in a meat grinder or use a potato ricer. Add 1 stick soft butter and use masher or mixer to mix. Divide dough in half.

Mix each 1/2 of the potatoes with 2-1/2 to 3 c. flour. The less flour the better. Knead as you would bread dough. Make each 1/2 into 2 rolls, 3" in diameter. Refrigerate 2-4 hours and bring out 1 roll at a time. Slice into 1/2-2" slices and roll as thin as possible, on a cloth covered and well floured board, to about an 11" circle. The rolling pin should be covered with a stockinet and well floured.

Use a Lefse stick to lift the Lefse onto the Lefse iron. Roll Lefse off the stick gently so as not to tear dough. Bake on Lefse plate at 575 degrees. Wait until bubbles form. Check underneath with the Lefse stick to see when the bubbles are browning. Turn Lefse and do same on the other side. Remove Lefse with the Lefse stick and place gently between a heavy folded cloth like a linen table cloth, and have this inside a wool blanket to hold the steam in or the Lefse will dry out. When through baking, fold into quarters and place 2-6 in plastic bags and freeze until used. Leave in plastic bag to defrost and serve small amounts at a time so Lefse does not dry out.

To serve: butter; sprinkle with brown sugar and roll up. Cut in half for easier handling.

Read more: Old Fashioned Norwegian Lefse Recipe http://www.gjenvick.com/Recipes/LefseRecipe.html#ixzz1AsAUMBOO

Another family food favorite has to be Æbleskivers!

Pictured above is my little brother enjoying his Christmas breakfast. These little round beauties are fairly easy to make if you have the right equipment. If you don't have the right equipment, then they sell them in the over priced frozen section at Trader Joes. :)

This is my batch of flipping and cooking breakfast. The trick is to time it so that you turn it at the right moment so that it ends up round instead of looking like a squashed football. Either way, they taste delicious. :)

I had a bit of homesickness for England over the holidays. On sister day 2010, Kelly and I went to the local British pantry where I stocked up on Yorkshire tea and instant gravy granules! Instant gravy is not something I ever thought I would eat, and when I saw the gelatinous substance for the first time I was really put off. However, you grow to love that tasty sodium filled goodness. As a vegetarian, it is a way to have a tasty grave sans meat product, for yorkshire puddings, roast veg or in this case chips! In celebration of the holidays we made egg and chips... a dish I grew to love. I just never realized how much I liked it until it wasn't readily available and I was craving it. This recipe is easy :) Get a bag of frozen chips, bake them. Put two sunny side up eggs on top, a little gravy if you are feeling fancy, (normally not served together, but what the hey! Why not?) and a salad of just lettuce leaves. Of course, a few pieces of white bread would not be out of place with this feast. Ta-da! A cuppa tea and you feel right at home! Travel without leaving the comfort of your own kitchen :)