Scandinavian cooking

I received a Scandinavian cookbook from our son's host family in Copenhagen, Denmark where he spent a semester abroad a few years ago. The pictures are stunning and the food is really simple and delicious. I made the meatballs in curry sauce for a special dinner last year and they were out of this world! I'm always drawn to picking up this cookbook during the winter months mainly because of the snowy landscapes and the comforting dishes. Last night for dinner I decided to make my own variation of the cod with mustard sauce ( butter, flour, milk, whole grain mustard whisked until smooth adding the juices from the cooked fish) using a pound of fresh cod not a whole fish like the recipe, and included my own sides rather than the ones suggested in the cookbook.

To digress to the Netherlands - where some food is similarly prepared, my maternal grandmother would be proud, her Dutch roots brought a different kind of food into our house growing up.  I still love chilled cucumbers with dill, beets cold or hot, pumpernickel bread, and her love of all things cheese, especially blue.  I'll never forget the look on my father's face when my mother and grandmother proudly displayed a rather large piece of Limburger cheese during the holidays. I was the only taker of my siblings and still love strong smelling cheeses to this day.

Here is a peek at my Scandinavian inspired fare...

pickled beets, cucumber and dill in balsamic/olive oil dressing.

Cod with mustard sauce

The small tea light was a gift from Copenhagen. I really love Danish design, even the small candle holders are so chic.

I added a side of roasted cauliflower which went perfectly with the meal.

The Arden Theatre presents…

My husband gave me a subscription to Arden Theater for a Christmas present. My children were fortunate to have seen plays there growing up and now it's our turn to see what Arden has in store. We spent this past Friday night braving the cold while venturing into Philadelphia to see the first of three plays at the theater. We grabbed a bite to eat at Wedge and Fig on 3rd Street (you have to try their grilled sandwiches) and headed over to the Arden to see Water By The Spoonful, the Pulitzer Prize winning play set in Philadelphia by Quiara Alegria Hudes. Immediately after the first actor appears, you get the sense that this is not going to be a play with the usual stage set and design, but one of dialogue and intense drama between the characters, who come on and off stage in tandem. The play begins with an injured war veteran whose life is in flux and becomes especially troubled when he learns of his aunt's death. His cousin is there to be a comfort but faces her own issues with connection and family. All the while there are four other characters who are struggling with the realization that connection between people is the bind that can set them free.

The acting was first rate and there was even an after play discussion of the themes and topics which we didn't stay for, but it looked like a many did. Looking forward to play # 2 which starts in March.

Snowy weather

This is the snowiest winter we've had for some time and while I'm not a huge fan of winter weather I must admit that the new fallen snow is really pretty.

Sunday Supper

I couldn't resist the sale on sirloin steak at Whole Foods this past weekend. I was easily persuaded since the food demonstrator was giving out tastes of the grilled meat combined with asparagus and mushrooms seasoned with Borsari salt. It was really delicious so I decided to make my own recipe at home for Sunday supper. Rather than asparagus I decide to stay closer to the season and added a dozen or so brussel sprouts cut in half along with crimini mushrooms. After seasoning lightly with Borsari salt and then searing the meat for a few minutes on both sides I simply added the vegetables to the grill pan and let everything cook at medium/low heat for approximately 25 minutes. Next, I plated the meat and covered with foil for 15 minutes and then added the al dente vegetables to the platter. The Seasoned salt added a nice rich flavor to the meat but didn't taste too salty. I really love one skillet dinners and this is a keeper!

Seasonal Soup

Creamy cauliflower soup sans cream ( I added some leftover chopped carrots to the soup recipe and some parsley as a garnish) you can get the recipe here- Around My French Table http://www.amazon.com/Around-My-French-Table-

With the extremely cold weather on its way to the Northeast, it's always nice to come home to a bowl of soup.  This soup recipe from Dorie Greenspan's book is really great ( the main ingredients are super simple; olive oil or butter, onions, garlic, celery, thyme, chicken or vegetable broth and cauliflower) and easy to make. This time I had some leftover carrots and decided to add them. The result altered the depth of flavor and color but you could still taste cauliflower. Either way this soup is worth a try.

Holiday Traditions

My family really loves spending time together during the holidays. We start decorating our house right after Thanksgiving, and there is not one table in our house that doesn't have some type of Christmas decoration! My husband buys 75 plus feet of white pine roping and decorates the doorways of each room making the house look and smell terrific. Holiday theater and activities are attended, family and friends come and go and dozens of cookies are baked, decorated and enjoyed. This year, we even found time to go ice skating in the city, which was really fun. Our tree is always packed with ornaments from childhood on and lights are strewn in various colors. But the best part of the busiest time of year is having family together especially now that the two oldest are working in NYC and the girls in college. It is a lot more fun putting everything up than taking it down, but we carefully pack away all of our ornaments looking forward to next year.

 

 

Our gingerbread cookies!

This tree was passed down from my husband's great grandmother. His sister added the plaid bows.