Happy New year! 2010

Wishing you a Happy , Healthy  2010!

Hafi or Nora brand CLOUDBERRIES (Rubus chamaemorus)

"The Gold of the Bogs"  The berry is picked at the end of July and the beginning of August. The cloudberry is sold fresh or made into jam and is also used in liqueurs and as a filling in sweets and chocolates. The berry is rich in vitamin C.   Medicinally the berry was eaten to combat gout and scurvy. The leaves can be made into a tea that aids digestive problems.

Two popular desserts are serving warm cloudberries (fresh or the jam) with ice cream or the extra special  whipped cream dessert with Multer (Cloudberries) which served all over Norway for Christmas dessert.

LINGONBERRIES (Vaccinium vitis idaea) Did you eat lingonberry this Holiday Season?

Swedish Lingonberry resembles cranberries in that it is tart red berry made into a jam and is served with meats.  Lingonberries are picked when they are ripe unlike the cranberry.  They have the nickname 'mountain cranberry'  I have lingonberry shrubs in the victory herb garden at the store.

"The Red Gold of the Forests" is incomparably the most important Swedish wild berry,  commercially and domestically. As early as the beginning of this century Sweden was exporting large volumes of lingonberry or cowberry to the rest of Europe, mainly to Germany. In 1903 exports had reached over 10 000 tons, a volume which should show the economic importance of the lingonberry even then. Lingonberries are used exclusively for preserves (jam) and fruit syrups.  The jam is eaten widely with meat. What would meat-balls be without lingonberry jam?

Fresh Made Green Falafel recipe with Gluten Free tip

There was this falafel joint in LA that we used to go to all the time, sadly the amazing secret for the bright green falafel could never be extracted from the cook/owner.  This recipe however is the closest I have found! enjoy the falafel with sliced tomatoes, hummus and tahini dips.  If you want a gluten free falafel use garbanzo bean flour.

Back in September Chez What Eat This posted about Fresh Falafel  This is a recipe well worth trying!
Monday, September 14, 2009

Fresh Vegetarian  falafel is like nothing else and when I say fresh I am not talking about a reconstituted dry mix. (original Post)

Recipe:
Ingredients:

•1 cup dried chickpeas or 16 oz. can of chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans)
•1 large onion, chopped
•2 cloves of garlic, chopped
•handful of fresh parsley, chopped
•handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
•1 teaspoon coriander
•1 teaspoon cumin
•2 tablespoons flour
•Salt
•Pepper
•Oil for frying

Preparation:
Place dried chickpeas in a bowl, covering with cold water. Allow to soak overnight. Omit this step if using canned beans.

Combine chickpeas, garlic, onion, parsley, cilantro, coriander, cumin, salt and pepper (to taste), add flour and pulse in a food processor resulting in a thick paste.

Form the mixture into small balls, about the size of a ping pong ball.

Fry in 2 inches of oil at 350 degrees until golden brown (5-7 minutes).
http://www.foodbuzz.com/blogs/us/new_york/new_york/1408317-fresh-falafel

Dried Stinging Nettles, Nettle Soup recipe and Cooking with Nettles information

Nettle grows like crazy here in the Pacific Northwest. Lucky for us ferns do too so if we get stung collecting fresh (stinging) nettles relief is usually close at hand- just rub the underside of the fern leaf on the stings.

I found a reliable source for dried nettles  (click to buy) so I have begun to experiment with adding dried nettles to everyday recipes.

A great source of Nettle recipes is EatWeeds

Nettle soup
2 qts nettles
2 cups water/vege broth
salt to taste
1 tbsp butter
1 1/2 tbsp flour
1 1/4 qts total vegetable water from nettles
salt and white pepper

Wash nettles well and drain. Cook in slightly salted water 10 minutes or until tender. Strain, reserving water. Chop nettles finely or pass throughsieve. Melt butter, add flour and stir until well blended. Add stock, still stirring, and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the nettle purée and season. Serve with a poached egg or quartered hard boiled eggs floating on top.

In Sweden it’s called nässelsoppa (nettle soup) and the traditional way of eating it is add halves of hard boiled egg to the soup.
Learn to dry nettles

Traditional Uses: Nettles, a mineral rich plant food, have been used for generations to treat allergies. The infusion of the aerial parts has expectorant qualities having been used for asthma and cough. Nettle tincture is used for flu, colds, pneumonia and bronchitis. Dried plant is styptic when applied to wounds and Naturopaths use the drug to treat internal bleeding. According to Brill and Dean in their book, Identifying and Harvesting Edible and Medicinal Plants, drinking nettle tea and eating nettles may make your skin clearer and healthier and it may be therapeutic for eczema. Eating nettles may improve color, texture, gloss and health of hair. Aerial parts also infused as a tea and used for urinary tract infections, kidney and bladder stones, rheumatism. Root tincture used for irritable bladder and prostate complaints

http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/n/nettle03.html

Nettle Pudding

To 1 gallon of young Nettle tops, thoroughly washed, add 2 good-sized leeks or onions, 2 heads of broccoli or small cabbage, or Brussels sprouts, and 1/4 lb. of rice. Clean the vegetables well; chop the broccoli and leeks and mix with the Nettles. Place all together in a muslin bag, alternately with the rice, and tie tightly. Boil in salted water, long enough to cook the vegetables, the time varying according to the tenderness or otherwise of the greens. Serve with gravy or melted butter. These quantities are sufficient for six persons.



Nettle Beer

The Nettle Beer made by cottagers is often given to their old folk as a remedy for gouty and rheumatic pains, but apart from this purpose it forms a pleasant drink. It may be made as follows: Take 2 gallons of cold water and a good pailful of washed young Nettle tops, add 3 or 4 large handsful of Dandelion, the same of Clivers (Goosegrass) and 2 oz. of bruised, whole ginger. Boil gently for 40 minutes, then strain and stir in 2 teacupsful of brown sugar. When lukewarm place on the top a slice of toasted bread, spread with 1 oz. of compressed yeast, stirred till liquid with a teaspoonful of sugar. Keep it fairly warm for 6 or 7 hours, then remove the scum and stir in a tablespoonful of cream of tartar. Bottle and tie the corks securely. The result is a specially wholesome sort of ginger beer. The juice of 2 lemons may be substituted for the Dandelion and Clivers. Other herbs are often added to Nettles in the making of Herb Beer, such as Burdock, Meadowsweet, Avens Horehound, the combination making a refreshing summer drink.

Sources:
http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/n/nettle03.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stinging_nettle
http://www.yougrowgirl.com/about.php

Cook Local is a Seallte blog with a Nettle frittata recipe  Spring Leek and Nettle Tart

Frontier Organics Pink Peppercorns with built in grinder!

Frontier Organics Pink Peppercorns with built in grinder!  They are actually the dried fruit of the Baies Rose. The flavour is  sweet and peppery and are quite common in French cuisine. The pink is a vibrant addition to vinaigrette or

meat rubs and crusts adding a touch of color and a rich, sweet flavor to almost any dish


Here is a recipe for Pink Peppercorn Ice Cream This shockingly tasty, sweet-and-savory treat is great on its own with a dusting of cocoa powder, but also makes a great base for other add-ins. (I'm currently itching to fold some dark chocolate chunks into the batch I just made!)  GO to the link for the recipe and the direction to make 1 quart.  You will need

2 tablespoons of  whole pink peppercorns for the recipe.  For more original recipes visit Crabapple Coulis blog -lavendar infused olive oil cakes....yum!

ON SALE! Bahlsen Gingerbread hearts, moons and stars covered with orange flavored dark chocolate

Bahlsen Gingerbread hearts, moons and stars covered with orange flavored dark chocolate.  There are only a few Bahlsen items left if you love lebkuchen stock up now!

ON SALE!! Weiss fruit filled Gingerbread hearts covered with dark or milk chocolate

We only have a few left until next year, if you love Weiss fruit filled Gingerbread hearts covered with dark or milk chocolate, get them now before the Cookie Monster gets them!

AVERY HOG HEAVEN BARLEYWINE-STYLE ALE

Beer Style: Barleywine Style Ale
Hop Variety: Columbus
Malt Variety: Two-row barley, caramel 75L
OG: 1.085 ABV: 9.2% IBUs: 104
Color: Deep Garnet
Availability: Year round in 22oz. bombers, 1/6BBL and 1/2BBL kegs.

"Barleywine-Style Ale"? Really? I bought this because of the style being one of my favorites, but if I was blind tasting it, I would guess Double IPA. It tastes like a Turbo IPA to me, and everyone else I tasted it with. Having stated that, it is still a very drinkable beer with a decent future.

The aroma is deceiving to me, really smelling a lot like a barleywine-style ale. A very nice fruity alcohol nose. Poured a dark reddish brown, nice head, and noticeable lacing. Tastes of hops, nuts, toffee, and alcohol. Nice mouth-feel and a slightly bitter finish.

I will definitely stash a couple of these away and try them down the road.

STONE SUBLIMELY SELF-RIGHTEOUS ALE

Tasting Notes: The name says a lot from a brewery only slightly less self-righteous than Rogue! Four guys tasting and I am the only one that thought it was drinkable. Reviewing many ratings, I have to guess we had a bad bottle, but it's worth it to note that this beer tastes like it will age well, and probably improve over the next 2 years.

STONE SUBLIMELY SELF-RIGHTEOUS ALE

First released in January of 2009, with an ABV of 8.7%. But, this is a re-make of the 2007 Stone 11th Anniversary Ale, so it looks like it will be available in limited quantities every year. I am very interested to see how this beer progresses both in the current bottling and future versions.

- 99

DOGFISH HEAD WORLD WIDE STOUT

DOGFISH HEAD WORLD WIDE STOUT

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Imperial Stout: World Wide Stout is one of the world’s strongest dark beers. It is brewed using six different yeast strains over seven months and then aged for half a year. Dark, rich, roasty, and complex, World Wide Stout has more in common with a fine port than a can of cheap, mass-marketed beer (released in early winter with very limited availability).

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TASTING NOTES: Holy cow, this beer is awesome! Yes, I know, I like very dark, strong, sweet stouts...and this is one of the very best. Mentioned to me at a local stout tasting, I had to get some and try it out. Great nose, ever-present alcohol undertone, fruity, chocolaty, and wicked strong. This year's is a bit weaker than previous @ 15%, but once you get over 10%, it's all about the craft. Once again, Dogfish Head proves their mettle with incredible control, superb flavor profile, and a nice kick from behind.

DOGFISH HEAD WORLD WIDE STOUT

RATEBEER - 100

Frontier Organics Grains of Paradise with built in grinder!

Grains of paradise   are commonly employed in the cuisines of West Africa and of North Africa, where they have been traditionally imported via caravan routes in a series of transshipments through the Sahara desert and whence they were distributed to Sicily and Italy.

Mentioned by Pliny as "African pepper" but subsequently forgotten in Europe, grains of paradise became a very fashionable substitute for black pepper in 14th- and 15th-century  Europe, especially in northern France, one of the most populous regions in Europe at the time.


The Ménagier de Paris recommends it for improving wine that "smells stale". Through the Middle Ages and into the Early Modern period, the theory of the Four Humours governed theorizing about nourishment on the part of doctors, herbalists and druggists: in this context, "graynes of paradise, hoot & moyste þey be" John Russell observed, in The Boke of Nurture.

Later, the craze for the spice waned, and its uses were reduced to a flavoring for sausages and beer. In the eighteenth century its importation to Great Britain collapsed after a Parliamentary act of George III forbade its use in malt liquor, aqua vita and cordials.

By 1880 the Encyclopaedia Britannica (9th edition) was reporting, "Grains of paradise are to some extent used in veterinary practice but for the most part illegally to give a fictitious strength to malt liquors, gin and cordials".

Today it is largely unknown outside of West and North Africa, except for its use as a flavoring in some beers (including Samuel Adams Summer Ale), gins, and Norwegian aquavit.    

In America, Grains of Paradise are starting to enjoy a slight resurgence in popularity due to their use by some well-known chefs. Alton Brown is a fan of its use, and he uses it in his apple pie recipe on an episode of the tv cooking show Good Eats. They are also used by people on certain diets, such as a raw-food diet, because they are less irritating to digestion than black pepper.  Thanks wiki!

New York Times writer Amanda Hesser wrote, "I put a few between my teeth and crunched. They cracked like coriander releasing a billowing aroma, and then a slowly intensifying heat, like pepper at the back of my mouth. The taste changes in a second. The heat lingered. But the spice flavor was pleasantly tempered, ripe with flavors reminiscent of jasmine, hazelnut, butter and citrus, and with the kind of oiliness you get from nuts. They were entirely different from black peppercorns and in my mind, incomparably better."

ELYSIAN DRAGONSTOOTH STOUT

Commercial Description: A smooth and sturdy stout, made with 10% rolled oats, roasted barley and chocolate malt. The name is referential to the founders of Thebes, warriors who sprang from the earth when the teeth of a slain dragon were sown by Cadmus. Bittered with Chinook; finished with Cascade and Columbus hops.

Awards: Other Strong Ale Category

Gold Medal 1999 & 2004

Silver Medal 2002

Gold Medal 2006 World Beer Cup

Alcohol Content: 20 Plato (1.080), 6.0% by weight/ 7.2% by volume. 36 IBU

TASTING NOTES: Another great stout from a great year of stouts! Pours blacker than black, slightly strong aroma but very pleasing, great mouthfeel and a smooth combo of chocolate, roasty, alcohol, and caramel. This is a real keeper!

RATEBEER - 98

EGGENBERG SAMICHLAUS

EGGENBERG SAMICHLAUS is from the oldest family owned brewery in Vorchdorf Austria, and started by monks in 1681. Although the brewery has been modernized as needed, this beer is still brewed using the castle's own spring water, and aged in the castle cellars until it is ready for bottling. Samichlaus is brewed once a year on December 6, and matured for 10 months.

Tasting Notes: A very special and interesting beer. Superb aroma, maybe better than its taste to be honest. A lot of fruit, alcohol, and caramel. Fairly complex and I can imagine this beer will age very well in the bottle for several years. I am going to stash a few away and find out!

Poulsbo Pickled Herring

Poulsbo Pickled Herring is made at New Day Fisheries.  This is our favorite pickled herrin, the fish  is firm and the pieces are just the right size and thickness- about 2"x1" thick.  The onions are crisp and we love it for lunch in these parts!

Home made Lutefisk recipe from Stockfish and Lutefisk TV dinners!

Take two lbs. of stockfish (dried fish, preferably cod, lincod or saithe caught in early summer) and cut each fish in three pieces. Place the pieces in a wooden tub and soak them for a week in water (which should be changed daily). Remove the pieces, clean the tub, and cover the bottom with 1/4 lb. of slaked lime. Prepare a lye from 1/3 lb. of washing-soda (WARNING do not utilize caustic soda or natriumhydroxide) (2 lbs. ofbirch ashes will also do) add enough water to cover the pieces, and pour the lye over the fish pieces. As they swell, add more water to keep them covered. When the pieces are soft enough to allow a finger to penetrate easily (after about a week), remove and rinse them, clean the tub, replace the pieces and soak them in clear water for another two weeks. During the first week the water should be replaced daily. Cook in boiling salted water at simmering temperature for about 20 minutes. Drain well and serve with a white sauce with freshly ground pepper and sea salt. Allow 1/3 lb per serving.

Shown to the upper right  is a 2.5lb package of Poulsbo Lutefisk mmmmm, so tasty!  You could opt for the Lutefisk TV Dinner shown below.  What a great gift for Mom!

Freia Kong Haakon, Amazing Norwegian boxed Chocolate.

Eating a box of Freia Kong Haakon  is a tough assignment!
I thought it would be nice to describe the flavors so that someone interested in this box would have a good idea of what they are getting for themselves or a gift recipient.

First of all, you just can't compare this to the average box of chocolates. It's a big one for sure, but each chocolate is high quality and just the right size. (Unless you are me and just eat them all.)

There are 16 different varieties and several have marzipan and/or liquor flavor which is quite pleasing. The centerpiece is the Dyten (Cognac Marzipan) which is a treasure. I love marzipan and dark chocolate, and throw in cognac? Heck, I couldn't ask for anything more!

The Likor Troffel (Liquor Truffle) is a delicate, lighter truffle with a hint of liquor flavor and does not pack the wallop of some of the others in the box.

The Marador (Crispy Nougat) is a creamy milk chocolate with a light crispy nougat finish. This is one the kids will enjoy, and keep them out of the ones you really like!

Mandelsplitter (Roasted Almonds) is also a milk chocolate nut-filled truffle. It is very smooth with a great nut flavor.
Orangemarsipan (Orange Marzipan) is the classic marzipan flavor with orange peel wrapped in delicious milk chocolate. It reminds me quite a bit of the taste of Cointreau. The Mocca (Nougat with Coffee) has a great taste and a very nice long finish. My mouth was watering 5 minutes after tasting that one.

Eggedosis (Egg Liquor) is something I have never understood. I guess it comes down to me not really knowing what egg liquor is. It doesn't taste like liquor at all to me, but the chocolate is good quality and the overall taste is mild and sweet. I know that egg liquor is popular among Scandinavians and found in many chocolates from the region as well as the EU.

The Rom-rosin (Rum Raisin) is delicious and just what you would expect from high quality mixed chocolates. I have always liked this combination and this is a good example of it. The Punsj (Marzipan with Punch) is a nice marzipan and chocolate treat and since I love marzipan, this is among my favorites.

The Lucullus (Cherry and Liquor) is indeed the best of the bunch in my opinion, but that is based on a magnetic attraction between my taste buds and anything with dark chocolate, cherry, and liquor. I could eat these all day.

Also included in this amazing array are several other delightful chocolates, but at this time, I cannot possibly taste another.

Swedish Princess cake a Marzipan covered cake

Prinsesstårta -- "Princess cake" A friend made this awesome Swedish Marzipan covered cake. A pre rolled sheet of marzipan can be bought here. It is not the traditional green marzipan but I'm not into products with food dyes, if I can avoid them I do.

I have never been a baker. I get bored to easily with the process of mixing and then waiting. For example by the time I'm done mixing the cookie dough and put it on the pan I'm done. I forget that they are in the oven and well, it's hard to save a batch of burned cookies.

I don't eat baked goods either, I guess maybe that's another component of it. I do however love marzipan! This awesome cake was made by a friend who is a baker. It got me to thinking that even a mess of a cake that I would make would look and taste good under a sheet of marzipan!

This is a Swedish special occasion cake made of layers of sponge cake, whipped cream, and custard under a green marzipan coating with powdered sugar on the top; often decorated with a pink marzipan rose. If you wanted to you could roll out your own bulk marzipan and then you could add the food coloring but I would guess getting the color evenly spread would be difficult.

Haribo Salino Licorice with Salmiak

German Haribo Salino is a firm chewy black licorice in a diamond shape.   I would call this a beginners salmiak, if you like the chewy licorice that leaves a bit for later in your teeth you will love this one!

An interesting Finnish licorice site is  http://www.salmiakki.fi/

Rommegrot Recipes and source for Toro Romme (sour cream) Grot mix from Norway.

Sour cream porridge with dried meats was festive food in the olden days and is still considered that today.  I like to add sugar and cinnamon to make it taste like cheesecake!

Rommegrot Recipe

1 2/3 cups 35 percent fat sour cream

1 1/4 cups flour
5 cups full fat milk
3/4 teaspoon salt

Sour cream porridge must be made from high fat (35%) natural sour cream, with no stabilizers or gelatin added. For the best results, use homemade sour cream.

Heat 2 1/2 dl (1 cup) whipping cream to 35 C (95 F), almost body temperature, then whisk in 2 tablespoons buttermilk. Let stand at room temperature at least 8 hours, until thickened.
Simmer sour cream, covered, about 15 minutes.
Sift over 1/3 of the flour. Simmer until the butterfat begins to leach out. Skim off the fat.
Sift over the remaining flour and bring to a boil. Bring the milk to a boil and thin the porridge to desired consistency. Whisk until smooth. Simmer about 10 minutes, and season with salt. Serve with the fat, sugar and cinnamon.

MICROWAVE ROMMEGROT / Serves 16

1 cup butter

1 cup all-purpose flour

3 cups half & half

1 cup whole milk

1/4 cup sugar

3/4 tps. salt

Melt butter in large microwave-safe bowl. Stir in flour with wire whisk. Cook until mixture bubbles; cook 30 seconds longer. Heat half & half and milk together; slowly add to flour mixture. Stir with wire whisk while mixing. Return to microwave until mixture begins to boil, about 2 minutes. Remove from microwave; stir in sugar and salt. Microwave 30 seconds longer. Add more hot milk if necessary to reach desired consistency. Service warm with melted butter, cinnamon, and sugar, if desired. Sixteen servings.

Buy Toro Romme grot mix at Marina Market for an even easier sour cream grot!

Knorr Curry and Kuhne Tzatziki sauces, add a little spice to your meals

 Knorr Indian Spiced Curry Sauce is fruity and mild.  Ingredients:  Water, vegetable oil, 7% pineapple, sugar, onions, applesauce, glucose-fructose syrup, red wine vinegar, modified starch, malt vinegar, egg yolk, salt, curry, wine, natural flavoring, carotene.  No preservatives added. Shake before using and refrigerate after opening.  Very good with Poultry or Rice dishes.

Kuhne jarred Tzatziki Sauce. A typical Greek sauce made with Yogurt, cucumber, garlic and onions.  Traditional with Gyros and Lamb. We think it is good with any grill meat, veggie burger or as a dip.

If you feel like making the Tzatziki I suggest The World's Best Tzatziki Sauce Recipe - Greek Yogurt and Cucumber Sauce

Haribo bronchial gummies, instant sore throat and sinus relief

Haribo Euca bronchiol gummies contain Japanese Mint oil, which will soothe your sore throat and clear you sinus passages.  These gummies are individually wrapped for freshness.

NET WT. 3.5oz (100g)

Haribo Bronchiol

Ingredients: glucose syrup, sugar, gelatin, aroma, citric acid, coating agent: bee wax white and yellow, carnauba wax, color: chinolin yellow, indigotin 1.

The joy of a simple food -spatzle

Tonight I made a quick simple dinner of pan steamed chicken thighs, steamed broccoli and spatzle.

Normally I use Hofbauer Spaetzle because it is foolproof, basically you can set it to boil and almost forget about it and it just won't get mushy. But tonight I used the Birkel brand because a bag of it broke at the store and as I don't want to sample out dried noodles I took it home.

I try to sample everything we sell at least once so I had used this brand before and found it inferior to the Hofbauer brand which has a meaty texture, good forking and pleasant mouth feel.
The previous time I tried the Birkel it was mushy and I thought flavorless.

My chicken was done and I was waiting for the noodles, thought they were done so I drained them. This led me to discover why they were mushy the last time I cooked them. They are very long and the ends were done but the inside 4 inches of the noodles were still very undone. Blast! So instead of just putting a bit of butter in the pan and returning the noodles to coat them I added the chicken 'water' as well and the lid. this steam boil combo produced a 'gravy' after they finished the cooking process. They were actually quite tasty! I'm not going to switch brands, I'm not going to go that far for a noodle I have to baby, but it was redeemed and I will reorder it.

Toro CREAMED PEAS (Grønn ertestuing) Green Pea Stew

Toro Norwegian CREAMED PEAS (Grønn ertestuing)
2 cups (5 dl) dried peas1 quart (liter) water3 T. butter3 T. flour2 tsp. salt or more1 tsp. sugar

It is amazing how inexpensive, traditional, good food can be. Creamed peas served with meatballs or  lutefisk.   The erte (pea) stuing (stew) is very similar to the English Mushy Peas.

Rinse the peas well and pick out any foreign objects. By this I mean rocks or stones.  Place in water to soak overnight in a cool place. Let them simmer in the water they were soaked in, approximately 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Mix the flour with the butter and add to the peas and let simmer about 10 minutes longer. Add salt and sugar to taste. If you wish you may add a peeled or diced carrot to the peas during the last 1/2 hour of cooking. No sugar is needed if you add a carrot.

A FoodBuzz pal post of interest Foodbuzz 24, 24, 24: Kräftskiva – A Swedish Crayfish Party in SoCal

Outside of Louisiana, Sweden is probably the only place where crayfish are widely consumed.
Crayfish or Kräftor have been eaten in Sweden since the 16th century. According to the official website of Sweden, it was a sought-after delicacy enjoyed only by aristocracy until the mid-19th century when its consumption spread to the middle classes and then became a national delicacy by the 20th century. The threat of over-fishing prompted restrictions on river crayfishing, limiting the season to a couple of months from August. Since then, Swedes all over the world gather together to “eat, drink and be merry” marking and celebrating the opening of the crayfish season.

Read the whole post here-It's worth it for the You Tube suggestions alone!

Foodbuzz 24, 24, 24: Kräftskiva – A Swedish Crayfish Party in SoCal

Elisen lebkuchen - Alfons Schuhbeck Lebkuchen Recipe

Buy Holiday Lebkuchen at the Marina Market or make your own lebkuchen this year!
Elisen lebkuchen - Alfons Schuhbeck
40-50 cookies
½ t hartshorn (baking ammonia)

1 Tbl. Rum

40 g candied orange peel
30 g candied citron
200 g ground almonds
50 g ground hazelnuts
40 g flour
A pinch of salt
1 t. Lebkuchen spice
4 egg whites
190 g sugar
130 g. raw marzipan
40-50 Back Oblaten, 50 mm diameter (a thin, tasteless wafer made of flour and water)
150 g whole almonds

Glaze:

1 eggwhite
100 g powdered sugar
1 Tbl lemon juice
Dissolve the baking ammonia in the rum.
Mince the candied fruits as small as possible and combine with the ground almonds and hazelnuts, flour, salt, and Lebkuchen spice.
Add sugar to egg whites and beat until firm and creamy.
Break the marzipan into small pieces.
Add 2 Tbl. of the beaten egg whites and combine until it is smooth.
Stir in the dissolved baking ammonia and rum..

Alternate adding the flour mixture and the remaining beaten egg whites to the marzipan

At this point, the dough can be refrigerated for 2 to 3 days.
This will improve the taste as the flavors blend together.
When you are ready to bake:Lay out the Oblaten on a cookie sheet.
Don't leave too much room between them, just a comfortable half inch or so from each neighbor.
On each Oblaten, place a small mound of the dough, leaving only a very narrow rim of the oblaten free of dough.

It is optional but traditional to place an almond on top of each cookie.
The full recipe should fill two cookie sheets. Let the cookies rest on the sheets for at least a half a day.
Preheat the oven to 340 degrees F.
Bake the Lebkuchen for about 30 minutes. (Check on the cookies after 20 minutes and shift the sheets if necessary.)

While the cookies are baking, prepare the glaze. Combine the egg white, lemon juice and powdered sugar in a small bowl and stir until smooth.

Glaze the still-warm Lebkuchen, using a pastry brush. Source: Alfons Schuhbeck's Weihnachtliches Backen (Christmas Baking)

NOGNE PECULIAR JULE 500ML. 6.3% ABV. MADE IN NORWAY.

NOGNE PECULIAR JULE beer beir 500ML. 6.3% ABV. MADE IN NORWAY.

RIDGEWAY BREWING SANTA'S BUTT 50 CL. 6% ABV. MADE IN ENGLAND.

RIDGEWAY BREWING SANTA'S BUTT 50 CL. 6% ABV. MADE IN ENGLAND.  Everybody needs a little Santa's butt-snicker!

Nogne Jule beer Christmas beer from Norway

We have a fairly estensive Norwegian beer selection at the moment from a very good Norwegian brewery, Nogne (nog-knee).

HAANDBRYGGERIET NISSEFAR CHRISTMAS ALE 500 ML. 7% ABV. MADE IN NORWAY.

HAANDBRYGGERIET NISSEFAR CHRISTMAS ALE 500 ML. 7% ABV. MADE IN NORWAY.

KLEIN DUIMPJE KERSTBIER 750ML. 8.5% ABV. MADE IN HOLLAND.

KLEIN DUIMPJE KERSTBIER 750ML. 8.5% ABV. MADE IN HOLLAND.  We have a really great selection of Christmas beer in 22oz bottles right now.  The one at the right is a Dutch kerst bier these are all limited supply and when they are gone- that is it until next year!.