Month: April 2012

Green restaurant, Malmö, Sweden

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Malmö is the town closest to where I grew up. It is in the south of Sweden and the third largest city in the country (although it is not very big). It is situated by the seafront and the port was important for the growth of the city.

In the recent years the city has tried to transform its image and become more modern and less industrial. That was why the turning torso – Malmö’s new landmark – was built.

And it at the bottom of this tower in the West Harbour that the Green food market and restaurant recently opened. The restaurant that was here before was expensive and flashy where as Green is more in tune with the times and is presenting affordable, natural food in a more rustic interior.

Emma och Linus
Emma and Linus

I have been very curious about this place since I first heard about it. My best friend Emma (above) went there for dinner before and was really pleased so I was hoping my dining experience would be similar.

Unfortunately it wasn’t great, but not terrible either. We went here on Easter Sunday for brunch/lunch and all in all it was satisfactory but it could have been a lot better.

Malin and me

Out of the three waitresses that served us, two were really nice and professional but the third rude and less professional.

i chose a breakfast dish; eggs Florentine, and although it looked good (apart from the raw spinach) both the eggs and the hollandaise were cold. Otherwise the eggs were perfectly poched and the toasted sourdough really nice, so I suspect the kitchen did their job but that the plate got cold while waiting for the waiting staff.

The other three ordered the chicke Caesar and were all very happy with it. The chicken was moist and tender and the dressing really good.

Once we finished our meal we were neglected for at least 30 minutes, and we had to ask for the bill at the bar, which we were not impressed with. A shame that the service was like this on a day when the restaurant wasn’t even half full. And I feel sorry for the kitchen that are doing their job properly but because of the waiting staff the customers (at least us) are still left unsatisfied.

I have high hopes for this restaurant I hope it will get better with time and work out the kinks, because the kitchen is doing a good job and the menu definitely make me want to come back.

Perfect madeleines

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In the budding beginning of this blog I was trying to find the perfect recipe for Madeleines. I tried two recipes and have since then been reading every madeleines recipe I could find, but they just didn’t seem right.

But then I saw Rachel Khoo making madeleines with lemoncurd and raspberries in The Little Paris Kitchen and I thought to myself, that this might be it.

I didn’t bother with the lemoncurd and berries; it was the basic recipe I wanted, and since it is courtesy of Le Cordon Bleu in Paris it was just as good as I’d hoped. All was right in the world.

The first time I made them I omitted the lemon, because I was ditsy enough not to buy it when in the supermarket. The second time I made them I used the lemon zest and although both batches were good I actually felt the lemon overpowered the flavours of honey and butter a little, so one could definitely use less lemon zest or not use it at all.

And although the baking instructions might strike you as odd (they did me) – they work. I noticed that lowering the temperature as described made the madeleines slightly more crustier on the outside so they come out absolutely perfect.

They are buttery, lightly sweet from the honey and just moist and delicious while still warm. Do try these, folks!

Madeleines, makes 20-25

From Rachel Khoo’s recipe.
 
3 eggs
130 g caster sugar
200 g plain flour
10 g (2 tsp) baking powder
1 lemon, the zest – can be omitted
20 g honey
4 tbsp milk
200 g melted and cooled butter
Beat the eggs with the sugar until pale and frothy. Put the flour and baking powder into a separate bowl and add the lemon zest.

Mix the honey and milk with the cooled butter, then add to the eggs. In two batches, fold in the flour. Cover and leave to rest in the fridge for a few hours, or overnight.

Put a heaped tablespoon of batter into each madeleine shell and press a raspberry deep into the batter.

Bake for five minutes and turn the oven off for one minute (the madeleines will get their signature peaks), then turn the oven on to 160C/325F/Gas 3 and bake for a further five minutes. Transfer the madeleines to a wire rack and leave for a few minutes until cool enough to handle. Meanwhile, wash and dry the tin, then repeat the baking as for the first batch.

 

Dinner with the girls: pulled pork with pitta and aioli

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Last Sunday was a girlie day back home spent with my best friends Emma and Malin. Our male friend Linus also joined us for the first part which was lunch/brunch so he got to pretend to be a girl for the day.

Actually we are not the girliest of girls so the conversation involved golf, football and handball among other things so I don’t think Linus suffered too much.

After our lunch and a brisk walk in the cold, Linus left and us girls went back to Emma and chilled out.

Emma wanted pulled pork for supper so I prepared that before we went outside and it smelt really nice by the time we got back to her flat. We then cooked together to prepare the rest. I instructed Malin to make aioli and Emma did the salad and grated root veg for the slaw. We also made a big batch of guacamole to have with nachos. It was the first time I served pulled pork with pitta and aioli but I highly recommend it as it was a great combo.

After all that food we had to sit back on the sofa, continue chatting and keeping one eye on the Masters. It was a lovely day and I do hope we get the chance to have one again soon. It is not always easy for us to meet up as we live in different places (countries even) and work different hours. But when we do meet up we always have a great time!

Guacemole, serves 6

5 small avocados

3 tbsp creme fraiche

juice from 1 lime

1/2-1 tsp Worchestershire sauce

tabasco, to taste

salt, white pepper

Mush up the avocados with a fork, add creme fraiche and lime juice. Season to taste witth Worchestershire sauce and tabasco, finish off with salt and pepper.

Aioli, serves 3

1 egg yolk

ca 150 ml mild rapeseed oil (or other neautral oil)

1,5 garlic clove, pressed

1-2 tsp lemon juice

salt, white pepper

Place the yolk in a mixing bowl and add the oil drop by drop while whisking away. After a while you can add the oil abit faster but take care. Once the oil is incorporated, add the garlic and lemon, season to taste with salt and pepper.

Scandi tip #20: Crime authors

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Almost as much I as I love to cook and bake, and more importantly eat, I enjoy reading crime novels. Anything from Raymond Chandler to Jo Nesbo and anything in between.

Scandinavian crime has become its own (sub?) genre, especially after the success with The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo triology. I have read several Scandinavian crime authors back in Sweden and I have noticed that quite a few of those authors have been translated into English.

My favourite Swedish crime novelist is without a doubt Håkan Nesser, who actually lives here in London. I so wish I would bump into him one day, but that hasn’t happened yet. He has written many books, and not just crime novels. His most famous book series is about inspector van Veeteren and I highly recommend all the books, just read them in the right order.

After he finished that series he wrote three books about a more humourous policeman named Barbarotti and since then he has written novels set in both New York and London.

The reason why I love his books is in the way he writes as much as the story he is telling.

It is for that same reason that I really enjoy Jo Nesbø, who’s main character is the drunkard Harry Hole and who’s books are set in Oslo. His crime stories are really gruesome and you can’t put the book down until you have finished it.

Other good crime novelist I recommend are Camilla Läckberg, Karin Fossum, Mari Jungstedt and Åsa Larsson.

Easter buffet

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On Easter Eve we usually have the traditional eggs and herring in Sweden, and we did the same this year.

But before dinner we enjoyed some bubbly and crustades filled with prawns in a bechamel sauce.

Easter buffet

We then had the Easter buffet as a starter, since most of it was starter type food. It was smoked salmon, boiled eggs, two types of pickled herring but also other nibbles like cured ham rolls with lemon crème.

Boiled eggs with mayonnaise and caviar
Matjes (herring) cheesecake
This might seem weird but it is lovely. One of the few herring dishes I like myself.
Cured ham rolls with lemon crème
Smoked salmon rolls
Mammas löksill, vitlökssill
Mother’s onion herring; garlic herring
Paté with pimiento (bought, not homemade)

Rostbiff, potatisgratäng och rödvinssås

For mains mother had prepared roast beef (topside) with potatoes au gratin, red wine sauce, pickled small onions and crispy fried onions.

After dinner we once again enjoyed the almond meringue tart.

Matjes cheesecake, serves 6

5-6 slices dark rye bread

40 g melted butter

1,5 jar matjes herring

1 bunch chives

200 ml creme fraiche

2 tbsp fromage frais

1,5 tsp gelatine powder (or 3 gelatine leaves)

3 tbsp water

Mix the bread to crumbs in a food processor, add the melted butter and combine. Line a oval shaped dish (approx 10 x 20 cm) with cling film and add the bread crumbs to it. Pat them down hard to create the base. Leave in the fridge while preparing the filling.

Pour the brine off the herring and chop coarsely. Place in a mixing bowl and add the chopped chives, creme fraiche and fromage frais. Combine. Place the gelatine powder and water in a small sauce pan and let it swell. Then heat up until the gelatine melts. Let it cool slightly and add to the creme fraiche mixture. Stir to combine and then spead the mixture onto the bread base evenly. Chill in the fridge for at least an hour. Remove from the dish, remove the clingfilm and place on a plate. Decorate with lemon slices and chopped chives.

Smoked salmon rolls with caviar and chives

1 packet cold smoked salmon (approx 7-8 slices)

100 g philadelphia

1 bunch chopped chives

a pinch paprika

2-3 tsp lumpfish roe

Mix philadelphia with roe, chives and paprika. Season with salt and white pepper. Place a spoonful of the mixture on every slice and roll up.

Our Good Friday dinner party

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I went back to Sweden on Friday and after a quick fika (coffee break with cinnamon buns in this case) I whipped up a cheesecake for that evening’s dinner when my best friend Emma and her fiancée Claes came for dinner at my parents’ house.

We started with some bubbly (Crèmant de Bourgougne) and served some olives, pistachios and parmesan crisps as nibbles. It was the first time I made parmesan crisps, but certainly not the last. They were really yummy!

We then sat down and enjoyed my mothers’ roast lamb with garlic, red wine and rosemary and we had a large rösti, creamy sauce, broccoli and carrots with it.

We then served the dulce de leche cheesecake with coffee, bailey’s and whisky. Although I have made it before and loved it, I was still surprised by how divine it is. Just try it!

It was a perfect first evening back home and we had such a great time together. It can be real fun to hang out with different age groups at the same time and I truly enjoy spending time with my friends and parents at the same time.

Parmesan crisps

Choose a good parmesan. Grate it finely and place in piles on baking parchment on a baking tray. Bake in 200C for a few minutes or until the cheese has melted and is golden brown. Leave to cool on the tray.

My Swedish Easter

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I hope you have had a wonderful Easter. Apart from snow (!) and cold winds my Easter back home in Sweden was fantastic.

I got to hang out with my friends, spend time with my parents, go for walks, eat lots of nice food and just relax a bit.

When I got home on Good Friday my Easter egg was full of sweets, exactly like I hoped it would be. My mother painted this egg for me when I was a little girl obsessed with the colour pink. It is my favourite Easter egg, but a purple one my grandmother made is almost as nice.

My mother has still got some Easter eggs from when she was a little girl (yes, we like traditions in my family). Aren’t they nice? Well kept since they’re from 1959 and 1960…

Although the weather was pretty bad mum and I managed to go to the woods and pick some white anemones. It is proper spring when they’ve come out!

Good ol’ meringues

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When I have left over egg whites, which is like all the time, I usuallt make meringues or use them in a cake with some kind of meringue base. Of course there are other ways to use it up, but making meringues is the easy way out.

The good thing about egg whites is that they keep for a long long time (minimum of two weeks, but even up to a month – just smell them to check if they’re ok) in the fridge, so you can ‘save up’ and make a bigger batch if you like. You can also freeze egg whites, but I usually don’t since they keep for so long anyway.

This recipe for meringues I came across at Smitten Kitchen and it has now become my go to meringue recipe. The reason for that is that they just come out perfect; brittle on the outside and chew in the middle. And they don’t require hours in the oven or to be left over night. All it takes is about half an hour in the oven + cooling time.

Meringues, makes about 25

Adapted from this recipe at Smitten Kitchen. 

2 egg whites, at room temperature
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp vanilla
175 ml caster sugar

Beat the egg whites foamy. Add the cream of tartar, salt and vanilla. Beat until soft peaks occur. Add the sugar bit by bit and continue to beat on high speed until very stiff peaks. Use a tablespoon to spoon the mixture on to baking parchment. Bake for 25 minutes in 150C. I baked two trays at the same time, swapping place after half the time. The meringues are done when they are slightly golden and crispy on the outside. Check that they are dry and crisp underneath and they are done. Store in an airtight container.

 

Heston’s scrambled eggs with brown butter and sherry vinegar

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I have raved about How to cook like Heston before, and I’m still determined to try quite a few of the recipes. Like his version of scrambled eggs which I tried at the weekend. It is regular scrambled eggs recipe using eggs, milk, cream and butter. Normally I just use cream and butter, but there is not a vast difference.

Heston cooks his scrambled eggs over a bain marie, and that was the only thing I didn’t follow. Instead I cooked the eggs on very low heat taking the pan off and on the hob to imitate using a bain marie. I find this easier, but if you haven’t tried it before I recommend a bain marie.

To season the cooked eggs with nutty brown butter and sherry vinegar was a hit, and I will definitely do this more often. And I have a sneaky feeling I will put brown butter in just about everything from now on.

Heston’s scrambled eggs with brown butter and sherry vinegar, serves 1

Adapted from Heston Blumenthal’s recipe.

2 eggs

1 tbsp milk

1 tbsp double cream

1 knob of butter

salt, white pepper

sherry vinegar

brown butter (see below)

Mix milk, cream and egg with a fork in a bowl. Pour the egg mixture into a pan over a bain marie and add the butter. Stir while the eggs slowly cook. Once they are still a bit too wet remove from heat as they will cook into perfect consistency on the after heat.

Add salt and pepper, brown butter and sherry vinegar. Serve immediately!

Brown butter

Melt butter in a saucepan while whisking. Once the butter has melted continue stirring until the butter changes colour into brown. Remove from heat and pour the butter through a muslin cloth or similar to get rid of the sediment. The liquid is your bron butter. Keep in the fridge.

Happy Easter

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It’s Good Friday and I am on the way to the airport because I am flying home to Sweden today. I am so looking forward to spending time with my dear parents and friends.

It is just a four day break for me, but I have really been looking forward to it. Tonight I will be able to hug by best friend again, enjoy my mother’s roast lamb and relax. Tomorrow we’re having a proper Easter buffet (recipes to follow of course) and I hope I have time to meet up with one of my oldest friends as well. Sunday is a girly day with Malin and Emma and on Monday I hope to go the woods with my mother and pick plenty of wild garlic and wild anemones as they are flowering now.

Happy Easter dear readers!