Visiting Uppsala

I spent three days last week in Uppsala in Sweden, on a seminar on HIV/Aids and Theology. Uppsala is the birth town ofIlva from Lucullian Delights, and when I told her I was going there she pointed out a restaurant I "had to" visit, Hamberg Fisk. Tuesday night we were free to go out and eat by ourselves, and I dragged with me another Norwegian and three Danish friends, telling them that I knew about a wonderful fish restaurant.

The restaurant was small, with just a few tables, and looked like it also was a shop during the day where you could buy fresh fish. As soon as I opened the front door to ask for a table I knew I was at the right place. The fragrance of fish, the anticipation of a fish meal, made my mouth water and my tummy smile.

As I said it was a Tuesday night, and all of us only wanted a main course, so when the menue came that's what we looked for. 6 different main courses were listed, and though Norwegian, Swedish and Danish are quite similar languages, some of the words are very different. We all needed the waiter to explain the different courses for us.

In the end I decided to go for "Tub garnard with potato-`västerbotten`cheese crème and chantarelles"........and the little food elf which is my inner voice was right. Every single bite was a treat for the tastebuds. Tasting even better as it was swallowed with a shared bottle of Argentinian Chardonnay/Malambo Cherin Blanc.

Thanks Ilva, I will ask you agan next time I need your restaurant advice.

You can read more about my visit to Uppsala here.

An ordinary night souffle

Marta went with friends to their cabin on Wednesday, and Ingrid is away all week on autumn break. Terje and I followed Marta, first to our friends' cabin on Thursday, then we drove on to our own cabin Friday morning. But having Wednesday night at home just the two of us, I with all week off work, was a wonderful excuse to play around in the kitchen. I mostly cook on a whim, and Wednesday was no exception. I had a califlower at hand, and in the fridge I found egg, milk and cheese - what else could this be than a tasty souffle. A put of diced tomatos, a glass of wine for me, some non-alcoholic beer for Terje and a Wednesday night feast was set.

Invited to dinner

The kitchen is my arena, and I enjoy making food for family and friends. But I never say no to a dinner invitation. It is lamb season, and earlier this week my parents invited us over for a lamb dinner, "fårefrikasé"

My camera is never far away, and this blue table was too beautiful. While my mother started to serve Terje I found time to shoot a few photos.

Flatbrød and tyttebær - important ingredients on a Norwegian dinner table.

Dinner at mu parents is always followed by music, but that's a story for Britt-Arnhild's House in the Woods.

Comfort food and a hearth fire.

It is autumn break. Marta and I had planned to go to our cabin on Monday and stay for a week, but the cold and wet weather is keeping us at home. Yesterday morning the sun was up and I decided to go out in the garden to do some much needed work. But not before the thought was there, the rain started again.

So what is there to do on a day like this? Make some nice food of course. The plums are tempting now, and last night I decided to make a foccaccia with plums for a comfort supper around the hearth.

Terje is busy down in the basement in the afternoons. He is renovation the room where we have our washing machine. This room is quite big, and if I am lucky there will be room for a garden corner for me, where I can start growing seeds and plants while it is still cold outside. I have dreamed of such a bench or corner for a long time, the only thing I have to do now is to decide how I want it, and Terje will make it :-). The nice smell from the kitchen went all the way down to him last night, and he was very happy to come up with us to have tea and huge pieces of the plum foccaccia.

Well, today the sun is here again.....If you come over you'll find me out in the garden.

A week in Venezia with caffee latte.

The Blue Café has breadmaking day at least once a week. Bread is an important part of the Norwegian kitchen, bread for breakfast, bread for "matpakke"-lunch and bread for supper, so one breadmaking day a week is not enough for the bread we need. Which means we have to buy bread as well. But nothing tastes like fresh, homemade bread, especially when it is still hot from the oven, the crust crisp.

The recipe I use is something which is inherited in my Norwegian stubborn genes I think, it is written only in my mind. For 4 big breads and 15-20 small ones I use 1,8liter fingerwarm water, and as much flour as needed to get the right consistence on the dough, 2 packets of 50g fresh years, salt and "some" oil - I always use different types of flour to get a dark bread.

The smell of fresh bread in the house.....oh, that must be close to paradise.

Back in my own kitchen.

I have been to Venezia for a week, just by myself, digging deeper into this city which has so totally captured my heart. I came home late last night. My husband and youngest daughter picked me up at the airport and when we came home the house smelled deliciously of a cake baked by Marta. I started to unpack and read the waiting mail while Terje disappeared into the kitchen to make a late dinner for the three of us.

Today the kitchen was mine again though, and as a side dish for lunch I transformed three carrots into a stew. Fresh, colourful and tasty. On the menue was chicken and rice, so the carrots made a great addition.

When I am in Venezia I usually stay in a flat with a tiny little kitchen. This means we can cook our own food at least some of the days. Since I was alone this time I didn't feel much up to cooking, so my kitchen muse had a good time today finally cooking again. Luckily I am having all next week off work, so the muse will be busy both here in The House in the Woods and at our cabin.