http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCIp7eo4MvY&NR=1

Ryvita Fruit Crunch Crackers, Danish Graddost Havarti Cheese and Tine Sno frisk (Snofrisk)

One of our favorite family snacks is Ryvita Fruit Crispbread with Danish Graddost Havarti cheese.

The creamy, tang of the Havarti is complemented so well by the light sweetness of the fruit crispbread. Not only is the crispbread studded with raisins but it also boasts whole pumpkin and sunflower seeds. I'm talking visible whole seeds. This is actually a pretty and tasty cracker!

"When you crave a sweet but nutritious snack, try RYVITA Fruit & Seed Crunch. Each slice provides you with 2g of fiber and combines whole grain rye with pumpkin and sunflower seeds, oats, real fruit and just a touch of honey.

Ingredients: Whole grain rye flour, currants (14%), whole grain wheat flour, brown sugar, pumpkin seeds (5%), sunflower seeds (5%), whole grain oat flakes, whole grain kibbled rye, honey."

Another yummy cheese to spread on this cracker is Tine (Tee-neh) Sno Frisk. This spreadable goat milk (80%) and cow's cream (20%), salt and culture. I have also used this cheese in a plain tomato sauce and it turns into a dreamy delicious complex

Snøfrisk was launched at the Olympic Games at Lillehammer in 1994. It is a mild goat's cheese with a fresh but tangy taste.
Snøfrisk is a white, unripened creamcheese which is easy to spread. The cheese is made from 80% goat's milk and 20% cow's cream, with only 1.5% salt added. Snøfrisk fresh spreadable cheese
Despite its exotic simplicity, Snøfrisk can be used for many different purposes. Spread the cream cheese directly onto your sandwich, or blend it with herbs and garlic. Spread it on salty titbits such as cured meats or slices of smoked salmon, roll them up and fasten to a small cracker to make delicious appetizers. Add it to a freshly-made dip or dressing.

Because Snøfrisk can be heated it is perfect for stews or sauces as a lighter alternative to cream, sour cream or crème fraîche.

For dessert dishes Snøfrisk is perfect for using in creamy desserts, cheesecakes or pastries or together with fruit and berries in a pannacotta, for example. Spices and flavourings such as cinnamon, vanilla and cardamom are perfect combinations with Snøfrisk.

Lefse rolls with Snøfrisk cream cheese, dill, smoked salmon and lettuce is an excellent appetizer. Easy and fast to make,with the taste you just got to love.

Lefse is a traditional soft Norwegian flatbread made out of potato, milk, flour, and cooked on a griddle. It generally resembles a tortilla.
Serves 4
Snøfrisk mixture
1 tub Snøfrisk Fresh spreadable cheese (125 g)

1/2 dl / 1/4 cup whipping creamsalt and coarsely ground black pepper,lemon
Whisk together Snøfrisk, dill and cream. Season to taste with salt, coarsely ground black pepper and lemon juice.
Lefse rolls
4 lefse 1tbsp capers

8 slices smoked salmon

a little fresh dill

lettuce of your choice
Spread the cream cheese mixture on the lefse/tortilla. Add fresh dill and capers, then top with smoked salmon and lettuce.
Roll the lefse/tortilla up and let chill for approximately 30 minutes.

Here is an extra Sno Frisk recipe for game stew. All this and more can be found at www.tine.no

Reindeers, astonishing nature, fjords… That is Scandinavia. Snøfrisk cheese was designed to present the Scandinavian spirit. Therefore combined with game and lingonberry or mountain cranberry it makes an excellent Scandinavian meal.
Ingredients
800 g / 1,7 lb game or fine steak

2 tbsp butter

150 g / 5 oz shallot onion

200 g / 7 oz mushroom

3 dl / 1 cup water 125 g /4,4 oz Snøfrisk

2 dl / 3/4 cup Crème Fraiche

Salt, Pepper

Lingonberry aka Mountain cranberry
How to do
Peel and finely cut onions. Finely slice the game. Cut the mushrooms in two or four pieces. Melt butter on the frying pan and fry game, mushrooms and onion for just a few minutes. Pour over water and mix Snøfrisk. Boil on medium heat for about 15 minutes. Add Crème Fraiche, season with salt and pepper and sprinkle Lingonberries (mountain cranberry).
Serve with rice and boiled broccoli.

Gluten Free Goodness

With so many people experiencing gluten intolerance I decided to do an entry on our GF products. I'm not sure what percentage of the general population has these issues but those of Scandinavian heritage are genetically prone. Since out town is nicknamed "little Norway" we have our fair share of celiac's.

"The condition, also known as celiac sprue or gluten-sensitive enteropathy, is a genetic disease that runs in families, especially those of north-western European descent. In countries such as Italy and Ireland, celiac disease is the most common genetic disease. Although it was once thought to be fairly rare in the United States, experts now believe that celiac disease is prevalent here as well, especially because many Americans have European roots. Indeed, nearly 1 in 133 Americans has celiac disease, according to a recent study by the University of Maryland Center for Celiac Research in Baltimore. Having a relative with the disease increases your risk."

Article link

"Studies have found that Finnish children are six times more likely to have type 1 diabetes and a five times higher rate of celiac disease than Russian Karelian children despite equal genetic susceptibility. Over-cleanliness and life-style may be promoting the higher prevalence of these disorders. "

Article Link

We are also starting to carry a variety of gluten free flour alternatives such as teff flour.

New Venco Licorice featuring Star Anise or Sea Salt

The new drop twist line from Venco are really delightful to eat. You can see that there is a pattern on one end of the licorice. Well you can twist the licorice in half and the plain end is soft and pliable and the patterned end is chewy. How do they do that? I wish there were 'Good Eats" episodes set in Europe! I'd love to see licorice being made. You can watch how licorice is made on Venco.nl when you get to the site click on the beehive honey drop and it will take you to the licorice making page.

Marina Market carries Sweet and Salty real Black Licorice drop Lakrid, salmaik lakritz, salmiakki liquorice, from Holland, Germany, Finland, New Zealand, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, England, Australia, Indonesia, Italy, Canada, Ireland and the United States.

Caramellasticks are caramel flavored salmiak licorice by K&H Holland

This Dutch Caramel licorice is quite interesting. When you open the bag, an almost overwhelming scent of caramel envelopes your senses.

They are fairly soft, softer than rockies licorice anyway. As you can see the caramel is on the outside, the licorice on the inside, snug as a bug in a rug. (Ha, I finally got to use that one!) To add complexity to the flavors there is a touch of Dutch- that's right ammonium chloride is in the house! But when you think about it caramel with different salts and unusual ingredients added is the rage right now. An example is the caramels with bacon at http://www.lifebychocolates.com/

I am actually going to send some salmiak licorice to these chocolatiers and they are going to enrobe some of them in chocolate and mail them back to me! I think this caramel would be a good one to send. I was thinking troll sticks from Denmark would be really good too. They already taste a bit like chocolate even though they contain zero chocolate.

The caramel licorice is one the salmiak licorice that people who don't usually like salty licorice will enjoy and take a second or third piece!