November 2010 – Page 2

Swedish Christmas fair and Swedish food!

Published on November 21, 2010 by Hanna1 Comment

My friend Anna and I went to Marylebone yesterday (where the Swedish community is) and visited the Swedish Church in London‘s Christmas fair. The place was packed with people so it was impossible to take any photos, but I can tell you about it at least. 🙂

The fair was on the ground floor of the church and they had lots of Christmassy things for sale; Swedish candles, old-fashioned Christmas tree decorations, white moss (to decorate your Advent candles with), Christmas tree lights and of course groceries. There was plenty of sweets, both the famous cars (they have them at IKEA), Marabou chocolate and other things. The bread stall was the most popular one, with proper dark rye breads (I heard a few girls getting excited about it), soft flatbread and of course lots and lots of gingerbread.

Another food stall sold all the things that are difficult or impossible to find in English supermarkets, like Swedish syrup, Heinz chilli sauce, fresh yeast, pickled herring, swedish crisps and plenty of other things.

The things I just had to buy were: Dumle toffee that are incredible in rocky road together with chocolate, cashews, pistachios and marshmallows. Fresh yeast, which is a lot quicker and nicer than dried. Soft flatbread that I love, especially with some prawn cheese spread (weird I know, everyone in the office have told me that), Swedish syrup so my gingerbread can taste like my mother’s, anchovies for Jansson’s temptation (a common Swedish Christmas dish with potatoes and anchovies) and a tin of gingerbread for work.

After some food shopping we were ready to try out the caffée. It is the actual church room they have made into a caffé and you sit at communal tables with long benches. They had a good selection of sandwiches (Christmas ham with mustard; prawns and egg; meatballs with beetroot salad; smoked salmon) as well as sweet cakes and cookie. They had the typical princess cake with green marzipan, daim cake, saffron buns, cinnamon buns and lots of cookies and shortbread. We had a sandwich each and a niiice homemade cinnamon bun. Lovely!

You could also buy glögg (Swedish version of mulled wine served with almonds and raisins in the glass) and proper Swedish hotdogs. The whole place seems surreal since everyone around you are Swedish and speak Swedish in the middle of London. It is just weird hearing someone say ‘£4.50’ in Swedish… 😉

The only downside with this celebration is that everything is fairly expensive. But it is worth it. I carry over lots of food every time I visit Sweden and you just can’t carry everything you want to bring back. So it is great to be able to buy groceries here or in the Swedish food shops even if it is a bit more expensive.

The Wolseley (again)

Published on November 20, 2010 by Hanna2 Comments

About two weeks ago we went to the Wolseley for lunch with Ian and Anna to celebrate Christopher’s birthday. There was lots of celebrations for him! 🙂

When we arrived the place was packed with people and we had to wait in the tiny bar for a few minutes for our table. It always amazes me how small the bar is, but I do understand why. This is place where you come for food and not just drinks. The bar is only a waiting area, and it would be a shame if the took space from the restaurant to make a bigger bar.

After a few minutes of waiting Ian and Anna arrive and our table is ready at the same time. It took us quite a while to decide on what to have. I could eat everything on that menu, but tried to be tactic as we had cheese and a birthday cake waiting, not to indulge in something too heavy like the quail’s eggs with hollandaise. Instead I go for the beetroot soup with horseradish and Christopher chooses the same. The soup is nice and smooth with a swirl of white horseradish in the middle of the deep red. Christopher thought the portion was too large, but I didn’t understand what he meant and finished my soup. I was hungry… 🙂

Anna has the avocado vinegrette and Ian a chicken soup with dumplings. The avocado is perfectly ripe and comes with a lot of the vinegrette, it looks simple and lovely. Ian’s soup is a clear broth with chicken, vegetables and dumplings and he seems very happy with it.

For main courses, we all decided on different dishes, am sure the chefs loved us… 🙂 Anna went for fillet of oat-crusted whiting with remoulade, and it looked very nice. Christopher chose the roast beef with yorkshire pudding and gravy. He enjoyed it and said that it was as good as the one he’s had at Trinity, but that my roast potatoes where better. Ian chose the double lamp chop with bubble and squeak and was extremely happy with it. I went for the scallops and risotto nero. It was the best scallops I have ever had, they were silky and perfectly cooked and came with a nice herb oil. The risotto was a bit too salty (and I love salt) and had a bit too much ink in it. It made the pearl-coloured scallops go black as well.

We decided to skip dessert and have teas and coffees instead, as there was plenty of food awaiting us at home.

I really love this place, but compared to proper gourmet-places, this doesn’t really match the category. The food is always well cooked and nice, but it is not innovative and playful like gourmet restaurants. I think that the more I come here, the more I see it as a place for breakfast, a quick lunch when you’re out and about and a simpler evening meal, instead of a full on three course meal.

I still love the Wolseley, and will come back again and again, the food is always well executed, but very classic and the interior and service is amazing. It is well worth a visit if you come to London!

Mushroom lasagna

Published on November 19, 2010 by Hanna1 Comment

I was quite proud of myself on Tuesday because I managed to cook, take photos and Skype with my friend Malin, all at the same time. My coordination skills are a bit like a man’s so I am thrilled over my ability to multi-task these three things.

It was too much for me to follow a recipe though, but I used this one for inspiration. And I can say that I was very pleased with my version. Creamy and comforting without being too rich. And although all the flavours are mild you can really taste the mushrooms which is great. This lasagna is a bit different, because it is without the tomato sauce, and that makes this version so much better.

Try it on a boring weeknight when you need a little comfort food, open a bottle of red wine and serve with some nice bread.

Mushroom lasagna, serves 2 (and a small leftover lunch box)

Svamplasagne, 2 portioner + en liten lunchlåda

6-8 lasagne sheets

250 g mixed mushrooms or more (I had chestnut mushrooms and button mushrooms at hand)

butter

olive oil

flour

500 ml milk

100 ml single cream

300 ml grated cheese (I had red Leicester and Manchego)

1 large garlic clove, pressed

nutmeg

salt

vhite pepper

Rinse the mushrooms, cut the end of the stems off and slice them. Fry in plenty of butter and olive oil on high heat for a few minutes. Fry them quite hard to keep their texture in the oven. Season with salt and pepper when they’re fried, not during.

Cook the pasta sheets in water with salt and oil (to prevent them from sticking to each other). Cook for 10 minutes, then drain and place on a plate with oil in between each sheet.

Heat up milk, cream and garlic in a pan. Make a roux in another pan and add the warm milk bit by bit while stirring. Whisk while it thickens. Season with plenty of freshly grated nutmeg, salt and pepper. Add 150 ml grated red Leicester and let it melt.

Pour some of the cheese sauce into the bottom of a rectangular dish and spread it out with a spatula. Place a layer of pasta sheets on top, spread on some more sauce, scatter mushrooms and grated Manchego. Place another layer of pasta on top and repeat. The top layer should be pasta, cheese sauce and grated Manchego. Bake for about 30 minutes in 190C.

Pasta with mussels and sambal oelek

Published on November 18, 2010 by Hanna1 Comment

My mother used to have a wall full of copper pans and moulds in the kitchen when I was younger, which looked great in a country kitchen. And when she cooked paradise prawns on Fridays she always used a copper sauté pan. Unfortunately that pan can’t be used anymore as the tin has worn off and it is not easy to find someone who does re-tinning anymore as people in general have stopped using copper pans. A shame, because they are both pretty and very good to use.

When I was back home last time I found an unused copper pan in a charity shop for less than £4, which of course made me very happy. My mum has also managed to spare a few copper things for me. For me it is happiness to melt butter in a teeny tiny copperpan with a spout, on my gas hob instead of using a microwave (that we don’t even have).

When people ask me which country I prefer out of Sweden and England, I can never give anyone a straight answer – I love both countries! The conservative part of me loves England and all its old buildings and the fact that you don’t change anything unless there is a strong reason for it while the efficient part of me never will understans why people still have two taps on a basin instead of a mixing tap in England and why triple glazing is so rare. The old-fashioned part of me is appalled by the ‘out with the old, in with the new’ mentality Swedish people sometimes have while English people appreciate most old things. There are always two sides of things and I happen to like them both. 🙂

Add everything but the mussels and let it reduce to intense the flavours

Back to copper pans. On Monday when I got home from work and was really tired it made me happy to cook a pasta sauce in my £4 copper pan. 🙂

Add the mussels last and let them warm up

Pasta with mussels and sambal oelek, serves 2

250 g pasta

1 large schallots or 1 small regular onion

2 cloves of garlic, pressed

10 cm leek, cut lengthwise and sliced

400 g chopped tomatoes

50 ml water

4 tbsp creme fraiche

2 tbsp or more sambal oelek

a pinch of sugar

2 dashes concentrated vegetable or fish stock

salt

white pepper

chopped parsley or Gourmet Garden parsley

180 g mussels in brine

perhaps some lemon/garlic or truffle oil for serving

Cook the pasta according to the packet. Heat up some olive oil in a pan and cook the onions soft on low heat for a few minutes. Add the garlic and leek and let it cook for a few more minutes. Add everything but the mussels and let it reduce a littl. Season to your taste. When the pasta is nearly cookes, add the mussels to the sauce to warm up. Drain the pasta. Serve with oil of your choice.

Sunday roast: pork belly

Published on November 17, 2010 by Hanna3 Comments

We’ve really gotten into Sunday roasts the last couple of weeks without really thinking about it, but it is lovely this time of year with a proper hearty meal consisting of meat, sauce and potatoes, when the weather is cold and miserable outside.

I usually focus on the meat and the roast potatoes (which I now rock), but still have to work on all the trimmings and the Yorkshire puds, which I have never tried to make yet.

This Sunday we had a lovely pork belly roast. I made it once before, but it was a bit dry that time. Much better this time around! 🙂

More recipes for Sunday roasts: roast chicken with thyme, venison steak, poussins with rosemary and lemon.

Pork belly roast, serves 2

800 g pork belly

salt

black pepper

olive oil

Pour some olive oil into a roasting dish. Cut small incisions into the fat unless the butcher/supermarket has done that for you. Rub salt and black pepper into the meat, especially on the cuts in the fat, but all around. Place in the roasting dish. Put the dish into the oven on 220C for 20-30 minutes to crisp up the crackling. Then lower the temperature to 175C and cook for another hour. Let the meat rest 10 minutes before you serve it.

Roast potatoes, serves 2

5-6 Maris piper potatoes

2-3 tbsp goose fat

salt & white pepper

Peel the potatoes and cut them i half or in three depending on the size. Put them in a pan and barely cover with cold water. Add some salt. Bring to a boil and let them cook for 5-10 minutes. Meanwhile, scoop out some goosefat onto a roasting tray, and put it in the oven to melt the fat. Drain the potatoes and place them on the hot tray. Make sure to push them aroud so that they are all coated with goose fat. Add salt and pepper. When the oven is turned down to 175C, place the potatoes higher up than the meat and cook for about an hour, until they are golden and crisp on the outside.

Serve with boiled carrot batons and a creamy gravy (make a roux of butter and flour, add milk and cream, meat juice or stock, some rowanberry jelly, colouring agent, salt and pepper).

Calamari and oven fries

Published on November 16, 2010 by Hanna1 Comment

You might suspect my latest hang-up is squid, and you might be right. 🙂 So far I have cooked squid in the seafood bake and for yummy sandwiches, and up next is of course calamari.

This is as far away from bad pub calamari; you know the ones that are all rubbery and difficult to chew and have soggy batter?! This is melt-in-your-mouth-soft squid in a light semolina and paprika coating, fried seconds before you munch them down with oven fries and aioli (or the lazy version: Hellman’s mayo and pressed garlic). Yum!

Calamari and oven fries, serves 2

a few potatoes

olive oil

persillade

salt and white pepper

4-5 squid tubes

3 tbsp semolina

2 tbsp corn flour

1,5 tsp paprika powder

a pinch of salt

neutral oil (vegetable oil/ground nut oil)

For serving:

lime and lemon wedges

aioli

Wash the potatoes and keep the skin on. Cut into fries. Pour some oilve oil into an ovenproof dish and throw in the potatoes. Sprinkle some persillade, salt and white pepper over the potatoes and push them around a bit so it spreads evenly. Bake in 200C for about 40 minutes. Push the potatoes around a few times during cooking.

Cut the squid into rings. Pour semolina, corn flour, paprika powder and salt in a large ziplock bag and shake it. Add the squid rings and shake so the rings get coated by the mixture. When the potatoes are cooked, start frying the calamari. Heat up 2 cm high of oil in a large pan. Check that it is hit enough by throwing in a small piece of bread. If it browns it is hot enough. Remove the bread and add a handful calamari. Beware of the oil splashing about. Fry until the calamaris are golden on both sides. Remove with a slotted spoon or tong, drain on some kitchen towel. Fry the remaining squid in a few batches. Serve immediately!

Crispy parmesan potatoes

Published on November 15, 2010 by Hanna1 Comment

I mentioned this potato dish already in this post, but forgot to take pictures of it. Now I have made it again and remembered the photos this time. 🙂

If you loooove the crispy top layer of potatoes au gratin, as much as I do, then this is definitely your thing. And it is really easy too!

Crispy parmesan potatoes, serves 2

5 medium potatoes (I used Maris Piper)

parmesan

butter

salt & white pepper

Peel the potatoes and slice them into 3mm broad slices. Grease a large roasting dish with butter. Put in one layer of potato slices. Grate over some parmesan, season with salt and pepper. Repeat with the ret of the slices. Scatter a few knobs of butter on the potatoes. Bake for about 40 mins in 200C. Serve with meat.

Mum’s lovely cake

Published on November 14, 2010 by Hanna4 Comments

My mum is a great cook, and she has taught me a lot, and I am sure that is where my interest for food comes from. But when I was an annoying teenager (yes I was!) and mum tried to teach me something, it never worked out very well. We are both control freaks and stubborn, so there was no way she would let me do something advanced, and there was no way I thought it was fun to only peel potatoes. 🙂 But when I moved away from home it worked better. She was always on stand-by when I called with lots of questions about how to cook this and that. And when she realised that I actually could cook a little she let me help. So now when I go home and visit, I get to do more than just peel the potatoes and we actually work well as a team when we’re having a party or a large dinner.

This cake is one that will always remind me of my mother, and the amount of times we have eaten it in the afternoons, still warm from the oven with large helpings of custard. It is a fabulous cake, and I love how crispy it gets on the top when the butter melts down into the cake.

Thin slices of butter and sugar pearls on top

It is extremely versatile, you can make it with apples, pears (like I did), rhubarb, raspberries or whatever you can think of. It is best enjoyed like we did, still warm. Yum!

Mum’s lovely cake, serves 4

2 eggs

200 ml caster sugar

200 ml plain flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

butter

sugar pearls (or granulated sugar)

fruit of your choice

Beat the eggs and sugar fluffy, mix in the flour and baking powder. Grease a baking dish and pour in the batter. Put the fruit on top and push the pieces down (if you use rhubarb or berries I would put them in the bottom and pour the batter over them). Use a cake slicer or a knife and cut thin pieces of cold butter and place on top of the dish so it is nearly covered. Sprinkle over some sugar pearls or granulated sugar. Bake for about 30 minutes in 175C. Enjoy while it is still warm, with custard or vanilla icecream.

Green pea soup

Published on November 13, 2010 by Hanna3 Comments

This is one of my favourite soups! I love the beautiful green colour, that it only takes a couple of minutes to cook, and of course the lovely taste. And it is very filling too. I prefer to have some nice bread and maybe some cheese with soup, but you don’t actually need it with this one. We had some nice cake for dessert instead.

If you add some white wine, this soup is known as creme ninon, and it is even more fabulous. Perfect for dinner parties. But on a weeknight, the below recipe is great.

Green pea soup, serves 2

about 400 g frozen peas

water

a pinch of salt

1 dl single cream

a splash of concentrated vegetable stock

salt & white pepper

Pour the peas into a pan and just about cover them with water, add the salt and bring to a boil. Let them boil for a few minutes, then blotz it smooth with a mixer, pour back into the pan and add the cream, stock, salt and pepper (and the wine), bring to a boil and serve.

Brie and salami quiche

Published on November 12, 2010 by Hanna2 Comments

As you know, we had a cheese and port party on Sunday afternoon/evening. We had bought quite a lot of cheese ourselves, and served it with crackers, jams, chutney, pears (great with brie), grapes, baguette and of course a birthday cake.

The pastry ready to be pre-baked for 10 minutes.

The guests brought along even more cheese and despite good efforts there were a lot left. I don’t see this as a problem though as I love cheese! 🙂 We have had cheese and crackers everyday and there are lots of other ways to use up cheese; blue cheese dressing or pasta sauce, you can even grate hard cheese and freeze it for future use, and brie works well with salami in a quiche.

I put a lot of brie in the quiche to use it up, but you don’t have to put in so much if you don’t want to. Not the healthiest of quiches, but very tasty. I added some pimiento olives too, to take the edge off all the cheese, and that worked really well.

Brie and salami quiche, serves 4

120 g softened butter

300 ml plain flour

1/2 beaten egg

70 g milano salami, in strips

10 large slices of brie

a handful pimiento olives, halved

100 ml grated cheese

2 eggs + the leftover 1/2 beaten egg

100 ml cream

200 ml milk

a little salt and more white pepper

Mix butter, flour and egg together for the pastry and line a quiche dish with it. Pick wholes with a fork and pre-bake it for 10 minutes in 190-200C. Then add the salami, brie, olives and grated cheese (in that order). Whisk together the eggs, milk, cream and add salt and pepper. Pour this into the quiche, and pat the top so all the filling is covered by the egg-mixture. Bake in 190-200C for 30-40 minutes, until set and golden brown. Serve with salad.