Food and More Food

Christmas in Norway lasts forever, especially if you are working in the restaurant business. Since the middle of November I have been cooking Christmas dinner for hundreds of guests. Just look at all this food, and this is just the cold food. There are desserts and warm food as well. This has been a busy month for me, so sorry if I have been absent. The Christmas Buffet at the hotel where I work is a popular destination for businesses, families and friends. By the time Christmas is here I will have had my fill of food!

Not everything has been about food. If you remember from my last post, my daughter was expecting the birth of her first child. Guess what I did this Thanksgiving? I met my grand-daughter for the first time. Introducing Victoria, I think I will call her Tory. Both mother and child are doing well. Enjoy the rest of your week! I hope to get around to visiting my blogging friends soon.

Killing the Fat Man

The Fat Mans Disguise

Now who of you out there want to lose some of that fat that has set up residency around different parts of your body? With summer on its way, it won’t be long before we are shedding our clothes and it would be nice to shed off some of that excess weight as well. Common sense tells you that there is no fast lane to that slimmer and more attractive you, but if someone tells you that there is a way then you want to believe them. Am I right? Well that is where the fat man steps in and grabs your attention. The fat man I am speaking of lives in the disguise of a beautiful slim woman who tells you how fat she used to be before she tried this miracle and proven product.

This fat man lives all over the internet and is getting trickier at getting your attention. He knows just when to strike, who to aim after, and which words of seduction to use. Now I have trained myself well to avoid looking at these ads while waiting for pages to load, but I was finally caught in the fat mans’ net and lured into a “Try it, you are under no obligation” and other such promises fantasy land. The fat mans’ diet is our vulnerability and he gets fat with our money. This time my money, as I swallowed the words fed me and clicked the fatal send button.

What I got in the mail were pills to speed up my metabolism and stable my blood sugar, as well as patches to wear that would “Detox” me and get rid of all that evil stored in my body. Hey, it was free and I was under no obligation to continue my subscription. Happily I swallowed a pill with my meal and spent the whole night feeling sick. The next day a skeptical me researched this miracle pill and found others that experienced the same thing. They also warned about trying to cancel their subscription with exhausting results and a much emptier wallet. No way was I going to fall into that trap so I wrote the company and cancelled any future packages of misery. That is when I found out that I was under obligation to buy one package at full price before cancelling any future orders. Stupid, that’s me, and I should have done the research first. In a hurry to swallow a miracle I just jumped right into the fat mans’ Net and like a fish out of water, I should have known better.

Let my lesson be one to you. Do not believe the Fat man; do not click on his promises while you are waiting to download. Stay away from companies like Formlife, and promises like Corexin and Life Detox. The only way to kill the fat man is to ignore him. We both know that there is no way to lose those extra pounds other than a healthy diet and exercise. Don’t let the fat man fool you too.



Back to mythology tomorrow, just couldn't stop myself from writing this today.

Sex in the Kitchen

Bet you didn’t see this coming. Lately I have focused a lot of attention on food and let’s face it, everyone knows that the best way to a mans heart is through his stomach. That is all good and well, but for you guys out there, we women think it is very sexy to see a man in the kitchen whether he is cooking or not. This week is all about love and if you haven’t joined up for my love-fest please go check it out by clicking HERE or on the badge for “Love is in the air” on the sidebar. 

Food and sex seem to go well together. Asparagus, honey, bananas and other foods can get you in the mood and help get that blood flowing down to your sexy parts. The food you eat can have a direct impact on your sex life, affecting your hormones, brain chemistry and energy. Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, rose from the sea on an oyster and then gave birth to Eros. The first aphrodisiac food was born and the interest in aphrodisiacs began.

Aphrodisiac foods have been used as far back as the Romans and the Greeks to increase sexual powers. During those periods, people were concerned mostly about fertility and sexual performance, so a great amount of time was spent on figuring out what aphrodisiac foods would help in this department. You probably already have many of these foods in your kitchen.

The aphrodisiac effect is from the presentation and eating of the food as well as from the physical response. Be sexy in your kitchen while you prepare your aphrodisiac meals, and prepare them together. When you cook with passion, you will feel passion around you. Take a look at what you have in your kitchen because odds are you have a great deal of aphrodisiacs already at your disposal. Get into the kitchen and put some sex on a plate. Here is a list of foods that will get you in the mood.

Aniseed: The Greeks and Romans believed that aniseed had special sexual powers. There are many uses for this aphrodisiac food and some people believe that sucking on the seeds will increase your libido.

Asparagus: Said to stir up lust in man and woman. In 19th century France, bridegrooms were served three courses of the sexy spears at their prenuptial dinners. Asparagus is a great source of potassium, fiber, vitamin B6, vitamins A and C, and thiamin and folic acid. The latter is said to boost histamine production necessary for the ability to reach orgasm in both sexes.

Almonds: These tasty nuts are regarded as fertility symbols. The aroma of almond supposedly arouses passion in both sexes. Many perfumes take advantage of its sweet musky smell.

Avocado: Just by looking at the shape of avocado, you will see the reason why it was associated with sexuality. The Aztecs called the avocado tree a “testicle tree” because they thought the fruit hanging in pairs on the tree looked like male testicles. The Catholic priests in Spain found this fruit so obscene and provocative that they forbade it. 

Bananas: By it shape its connection with sexuality is very obvious, but you’ll also find that bananas are loaded with important vitamins and contains chelating minerals and an enzyme which is said to enhance the male libido.

Basil: Not only does it make the meals smell and taste great, but it also has a lot of beneficial effects on human body. Basil has a fantastic aroma that is said to have an aphrodisiac effect and it is also very stimulating. Using sweet basil in a pasta sauce will be sure to get your heart racing. Today I am making pasta and using plenty of basil!

Chili peppers: “Capsaicin,” a chemical that stimulates our nerve endings and raises our pulse, is responsible for the “heat” in chili peppers. This aphrodisiac food is also thought to release endorphins, which give our bodies a natural high. Researchers believe that is the case with all “hot” foods. Garlic is another example of these aphrodisiac foods.

Chocolate: Pure chocolate, the king of natural aphrodisiacs, contains a host of feel good chemicals, or so called love chemicals which releases dopamine in the pleasure centers of the brain and peaks during orgasm. These chemicals are said to help induce feelings of excitement, attraction and euphoria. Who doesn’t know about chocolate as an aphrodisiac? On Valentines Day more chocolate is sold than at any other time during the year. Nothing says “I love you” better than chocolate.  

Figs: This sexy fruit has long been thought of as an arousing stimulant. Figs are one of the oldest recorded fruits. They are mentioned in the Bible (Adam and Eve wore fig leaves to cover their private parts), are reported to be Cleopatra’s favorite fruit, and the ancient Greeks held them as sacred and associated them with love and fertility.

Ginger: Ginger root can be eaten raw, cooked, or crystallized. Ginger is a circulatory system stimulant which can increase sexual powers and desire.

Nutmeg: Chinese women believe that nutmeg is an aphrodisiac, and that it increases sexual desire. It also contributes to procreation during fertility. A hallucinogenic effect can be produced by a large quantity of nutmeg.

Oysters: Probably the food most associated with being an aphrodisiac. Most people are aware of their reputation for increasing sexual desire. Oysters may be thought an aphrodisiac because of their high zinc content, which helps produce sperm and increases libido. I have never tried them but if I ever do raw oysters are said to be best served with chilled Champagne, and in my case, lots of it.

Now that you have your grocery list go shopping and have some fun. It is time to turn on some heat in the kitchen, or what do you think?

Treat Time

 Enough food already! So I am winding off this small series on “What's for dinner Mom?” with a treat. Besides I am still on snow shoveling strike so that means no store today and left-over leftovers for dinner. If you missed dinner yesterday, you can see what dinner will be today by clicking HERE. 

My two kids that are visiting from the states this summer should be less frightened now about sitting at the dinner table. Norwegian food may be a bit different at times but I am still an American cook. 

We used to spend a lot of time up in the mountains at our families cabin and often we would go picking berries. My friendly freezer Simon is full of berries so I decided to make some use of the blueberries from a couple of years ago that has been hiding inside. Blueberry jam and waffles have been on my mind for a couple of days now. Waffles are as Norwegian as Apple Pie is American. All mothers have a waffle iron in their possession, and it is used for almost every occasion except breakfast. You will see waffles at school plays, children sporting events, raffles, or when needed as a treat to serve with coffee when company shows up.  Anything can be put on top of waffles, from goat cheese to sour cream and jam. Cookies are for Christmas, waffles stick around all year long like a good friend.

Waffles and Homemade Blueberry Jam

Yesterday I promised to tell you what you can do with old dairy products. Milk, yogurt, and any kind of cream can be frozen, then thawed and used in baking. It is wonderful in homemade bread and in my case now, waffles. This is how I make them:

A basic recipe calls for 4 eggs which will make about 30 waffles. Wisp eggs up with one cup of sugar for each egg in a large bowl until the mixture turns thick and fluffy. If you are using a machine, put it aside because the rest is done by hand. Mix in 1 liter of milk. In a separate bowl mix together half a kilo of flour, 2 tsp. of baking soda, 1 tsp. cardamom and 1 tbs. vanilla sugar. Sift this into the egg and milk mixture until you have a thick cake like batter. Add more flour if needed. Finally add half a stick of melted and cooled butter or margarine. Let waffle mixture sit for 10 minutes and you are good to go. Now all you need is a waffle iron…Maybe I should have mentioned that earlier…Hmm, wonder if it is possible to fry these off like pancakes. Let me know if you try.

The Food Whisperer

 

 Sometimes when asked, “What’s for dinner Mom?” I have no answer. My leftovers do not talk to each other, I cannot get to the store, there is no money in my wallet or I am sick. That would be the time to call in the food whisperer. There is one inside all of us. The food whisperer tell us when food is bad and needs to be thrown out, turns old bread into new and almost magically gets your leftovers to talk to each other and make a meal.

It is Monday, the stores were closed yesterday, and I did not plan for the unexpected company of this much snow. Dig out the car or put on skis are not my only option.

Snowed in and hungry

Taking inventory of the freezer, cupboards and fridge, it is time for the food whisperer to do her job. Once again leftovers will have to work together so first they need to start a dialog.  Small spicy meatballs, Chinese leftovers and ground beef from the freezer, wild rice and asparagus from yesterday’s dinner. What do they say to each other and how could they possibly get along? As you might know I have taken to naming my appliances as a means of keeping them user friendly. Mike, the microwave oven, will have to thin things out between Chinese and ground beef. Wild rice and asparagus will have to get along together with the rest of the company on today’s dinner plate. The result for dinner tonight is Wild Chinese Meatballs. The food whisperer has once again done the job and dinner is saved without physical exhaustion.

Wild Chinese Meatballs served with a light green salad

Tomorrow I am going to tell you what you can do with old dairy products and how they can put the sweetness back in your life. 

How many times has the food whisperer saved your meals?

Chicken Breast with an Accent

 Growing up, Sunday dinners were always a big deal, often celebrated at my grandparents’ house. What I looked the most forward to was my grandmothers’ pies. There was always the smell of fresh pie in her kitchen on Sundays. Unfortunately she died before she could teach me that skill. I did however make blueberry jam last night so maybe I will make waffles for a treat later. Sundays have changed and the big family dinner tradition has become more of a let’s see what we come up with. I decided today to do chicken so I put on some Van Morrison and this is what happened:

Stuffed Chicken Breast w/stuffing, wild rice,asparagus and sauce

There is no recipe because I made it up today as I went along. This is what I did:

Melt about half a stick of butter in a pan and add 1 finely diced shallot onion and 1 celery stalk. Add your seasonings; I used a bit of sage, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper but use what you like and have on hand. I didn’t have any white bread so I used a garlic baguette that I had warmed up and then cut into small cubes. I added the bread cubes to the onion mixture and half a cup of chicken stock. Think thanksgiving stuffing. The final touch for this stuffing mixture is a handful of freshly grated Parmesan. Let this cool while you prepare your chicken breasts. I flatten 2-4 breasts and sprinkle them with seasoning (no salt).  If you use a meat hammer make sure you cross punch and the meat is evenly flattened. NOT TO THIN!  Flatten some of the stuffing mix on each breast, roll it up and fasten with toothpicks. Put the rest of the stuffing mix in the baking dish with the chicken. Brush the tops with butter and stick it in the oven at a medium temperature, let it bake until finished. How long will depend on the thickness of your breasts but I would say about 30 minutes. If you are unsure check to see there is no blood running out when you lightly stick it. Undercooked chicken is dangerous and over cooked tastes dried and bad.

Serve your chicken with whatever you want, but don't forget to take out the toothpicks before serving. I used wild rice, fresh asparagus and topped it all off with a Bretagne sauce (paprika and garlic). So what is for dinner today in your house?

Reindeer Stew

 Usually Saturdays are reserved for a special treat, but today there is no time to play in the kitchen. My spatula and frying pan have been replaced by a paintbrush and a 3 liter bucket of paint. For a long time now week-ends scream out with the sounds of materials being dragged across the floor or a saw buzzing away in regular intervals. Once the saw dust settles it is my turn to spread some more paint on the seemingly endless walls of first or second coat bliss. After scrubbing the paint out of my hands, my face and my hair it is time to check on dinner. This morning my trusty freezer supplied me with another helping hand from one of my best friends. Leftovers, once again to the rescue, has been slowly puttering away on the stove. Whenever I make stews or casseroles, leftovers end up packed away neatly and put into the freezer for a day just like today. 

Reindeer Stew over mashed potatoes w/ling-berries

When my children come here this summer and ask, "what’s for dinner Mom?" I wonder how they will react when I reply, "Reindeer stew." This would be one of the times that I put some Norwegian culture on their plates.  Reindeer tastes a lot like venison. The meat is very lean and has just a hint of wild game flavor.  I put the finished frozen stew in a casserole on low heat this morning so all I have to do now is make mashed potatoes and serve it all up on a plate. How great is that? I suppose now you want to know how I made it in the first place.

We can buy Reindeer meat in the grocery store. To make “Finnbiff” stew I use the kind that is bought in 2 kilo bags of frozen shaved meat. Since I make plenty when I first make it, I use 3 bags. This would be about 3 lbs. I fry the meat in butter until it is nice and brown and place it in a casserole. In the same frying pan I brown sliced mushrooms, (how many depends on how much you like mushrooms) and 1 finely diced small onion. I add this to the casserole with reindeer meat and add ½ a liter water and ½ a liter cream. Again the amount can vary, make sure it barely covers the meat. Add salt and pepper and let the whole thing simmer for about half an hour or so. Next add ½ liter of dark beer, 1tbs of crushed juniper berry and caramel color extract to make the sauce brown instead of cream color (this is my preference but not necessary) Take a pealed carrot and shave it off into the casserole, slice off a few pieces of brown goat cheese, adjust salt and pepper to taste and thicken the stew using which ever method you prefer. I use a finished cornstarch product that you can just sprinkle in the stew to make it thick, but as far as I know you cannot get that in the states. Let the stew simmer for as long as it takes you to make the mashed potatoes that you serve the stew over. Ling-berry or cranberry goes well on the side. 

Sound complicated and strange? It tastes great, and is one of those meals that are hard to stop eating even after your stomach screams for you to stop. So how do you deal with dinner when you have little time to prepare it and you want something good?

Have a nice week-end everyone and feel free to come back for dinner tomorrow.

Norwegian Pizza

 

Do you often hear or ask the question, “What’s for dinner Mom?” Every day for a week I am inviting you into my kitchen to show you that Norwegian cooking is not so foreign at all. There is a good reason for doing this, and that is to prove to my two children in the states that I have no intention of poisoning them when they come to visit this summer. A small culture shock may be in order but I will leave that to the rest of the family. Or maybe not, since I have serious doubts as to whether they even read my blog, they might just be in for a big surprise. 

Norwegian Pizza-Leftovers

It is Friday and as in most Fridays it is Pizza night! This has been a tradition in my home ever since the children were big enough to sit on regular chairs. When I first came to Norway in 1984, pizza was a relatively new thing to make its way into the frozen foods dept., and there were only a handful of pizza restaurants. Today frozen pizza is a number one seller, but not in my house unless I am in a very bad mood or extremely stressed for time. Even then, I spice it up with whatever is in the fridge. 

Some of you have been asking me to post recipes. The truth is that I do not follow them, cooking like most things in my life, is done by the seat of my pants. I can tell you what to do and how to do it but measurements are foreign to me. Short cuts in the kitchen are my best friends, imagination is my best tool, and leftovers are visitors that never stay long in the fridge. My Norwegian Pizza depends on what I have and what I want to get rid of. Almost anything works, but sorry if you were expecting fish. I have tried that and it was terrible! My advice is to stay away from fish on your pizza. 

Pizza crust takes too much time and is messy so I buy that finished. Here is what I found for my Norwegian Pizza today: Leftover spaghetti sauce with tiny meatballs (great to spread on the crust), Spekeshinke (cured ham), pepperoni, extra garlic and onions, tiny tomatoes, Mozzarella, Parmesan and Cheddar cheese. We like a lot of cheese in this house so I make two layers, one under the meat and one over to keep the meat in place. Sprinkle a good Italian seasoning on top and in the oven it goes for as long as it takes, usually about 20 minutes.

It won’t take long now before at least one of my kids will be coming through the door looking for Moms Norwegian pizza. Guaranteed, there will be no leftovers. What’s for dinner tomorrow? I have no idea.

So what kind of pizza do you like? 

What's For Dinner Mom?

  As many of you already know, my long lost children are coming to visit me this summer. It will be their first trip across the ocean from the land of fast food and restaurant chains, to Norway the land of fish and more fish.  We do however eat reindeer, and goat cheese as well as other assorted goodies foreign to the delicate palates of most American nationals. Supermarkets are often replaced by fishing boats or the hunters’ rifle, fast food by mothers’ speedy hands and restaurants by home cooking. 

These children of mine are terrified of coming over here and trying something new. They have been talking to each other over the phone and saying things like. “You do know that Mom is going to make us eat sheep head, pig brains, rotten fish and goat cheese, don’t you?” They still have not been told about crispy fish eyeballs, fish liver, fish eggs, fish-balls, smoked reindeer heart, seagull eggs or blood pudding. 

The truth is that my cooking is not so different than most Americans. At least I think so, although sometimes my seasoning might be a bit Viking flavored. “What’s for dinner---” will be a small series of posts inviting you into my kitchen. The meals are sometimes healthy, sometimes not... They are always tasty and cheaper than eating out, although my wayward American son would convince me otherwise. My children here in Norway have moved out, but they still call me up and ask “What’s for dinner Mom?” I haven’t scared them away from the dinner table yet. It will be interesting to see if I can get the other two to even sit down.

---Are you afraid to taste new things? Has fast food and eating out replaced a good home cooked meal because it is cheaper and more convenient? Have TV dinner children turned into Microwave addicts?---

Here is what’s for dinner today: American comfort all the way! 

Macaroni and Cheese Casserole w/Frankfurters and a Caesar Salad