danish kringle
Danish Kringle
1/2 cup butter or margarine
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 package active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees F)
1 egg
1/2 cup lukewarm milk (scalded, then cooled)
Almond or Pecan Filling
Glaze
1/4 cup chopped nuts
Cut butter into flour, sugar and salt in large bowl until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Dissolve yeast in warm water. Stir yeast mixture, egg and milk into flour mixture; beat until smooth; dough will be very soft. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours but no longer than 24 hours.
Prepare Almond Filling. Divide dough into halves; return one half to refrigerator. Roll other half into 15 x 6-inch rectangle on floured cloth-covered board with floured stockinet-covered rolling pin. Spread half the filling lengthwise down center of rectangle in 3-inch strip. Fold sides of dough over filling with 1 1/2-inch overlap; pinch edges to seal.
Carefully arrange Kringle, seam side down, on greased cookie sheet in oval or horseshoe shape. Pinch ends together for the former. Repeat with remaining dough. Cover; let rise in warm place 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bake until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Spread with Glaze; sprinkle with nuts.
Almond Filling
1 (8 ounce) can almond paste (1 cup)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
Mix almond paste, brown sugar and butter until smooth.
Pecan Filling
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
Mix pecans, brown sugar and butter.
Glaze
1 cup confectioners sugar
1 tablespoon water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Mix confectioners sugar, water and vanilla extract until smooth. Stir in additional water if necessary, 1/2 teaspoon at a time.
It is a commonplace that the history of civilisation is largely the history of weapons. In particular, the connection between the discovery of gunpowder and the overthrow of feudalism by the bourgeoisie has been pointed out over and over again. And though I have no doubt exceptions can be brought forward, I think the following rule would be found to be generally true that ages in which the dominant weapon is expensive or difficult to make will be ages of despotism, whereas when the dominant weapon is cheap and simple, the common people have a chance. Thus, for example, tanks, battleships and bombing planes are inherently tyrannical weapons, while rifles, muskets, long-bows and hand-grenades are inherently democratic weapons. A complex weapon makes the strong stronger, while a simple weapon –so long as there is no answer to it– gives claws to the weak. — George Orwell
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sardine paste
Sardine Paste (Norway)
8 ounces cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 (3 3/4 ounce) tins boneless, skinless sardines
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Dash of hot pepper sauce
Capers (for garnish)
Parsley, for garnish
Cream together first 5 ingredients. Drain and mash sardines. Beat into cheese mixture with parsley and pepper sauce. Form into a mound and garnish with capers and chopped parsley.
Serve with toast fingers or thinly sliced bread.
Democracy means government by the uneducated, while aristocracy means government by the badly educated. — Gilbert Keith Chesterton
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braised red cabbage
Braised Red Cabbage (Denmark)
This is traditionally served for Christmas dinner. The flavor improves if you prepare the dish a day in advance, refrigerate it, and then reheat it on the stove or in a 325 degrees F oven before serving.
1 medium red cabbage (about 2 pounds)
4 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup vinegar
1/4 cup red currant jelly
2 tablespoons grated apple
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Wash cabbage, remove outer leaves, and cut in half lengthwise. Remove core. Slice or chop fine, using a knife or food processor.
In a heavy 4- or 5-quart casserole, combine butter, sugar, salt, water and vinegar. Bring to a boil on the stove. Add cabbage and toss well to coat. Bring to a boil; cover casserole, and place in oven. Bake 2 hours. Check occasionally and add some water if all the liquid has cooked away.
Ten minutes before cooking is finished, stir in jelly and apple; replace cover.
Serves 4 to 6.
Cowards die many times before their deaths The valiant never taste of death but once. Of all the wonders that I yet have heard, It seems to me most strange that men should fear Seeing that death, a necessary end, Will come when it will come. — William Shakespeare
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swedish meat loaf in pastry
Swedish Meat Loaf in Pastry
Pastry
2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cut in small pieces
1 egg, cold
1/2 cup sour cream, cold
Filling
4 tablespoons butter
4 ounces fresh mushrooms, finely chopped
3 pounds ground beef, pork, ham, veal, or any combination
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 cup grated Swiss cheese
1 egg plus 2 tablespoons milk
Grease the bottom of a 15 1/2 x 10 1/2-inch jellyroll pan with butter.
Pastry
It is easiest to make this pastry in a food processor. In a small bowl, mix egg and sour cream. In the food processor, pulse the flour and salt until mixed. Add butter; process 15 seconds, until it has the consistency of coarse meal.
With processor running, add egg mixture; process just until dough comes together. If you don have a food processor, chill a large bowl, mix the flour and salt in the bowl, then cut in butter with a pastry blender or two forks. Stir in egg mixture just until you can form the dough into a ball. Wrap dough in waxed paper; refrigerate for 1 hour.
Divide dough in half. Roll each half into a 14 x 6-inch rectangle. Place one rectangle in prepared pan; set pan and remaining pastry aside.
Filling
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Melt butter in a large skillet. Add mushrooms; cook over medium heat for 6 minutes or until slightly colored.
Add ground meat; cook until browned and until liquid in pan cooks away. Place meat mixture in a large bowl. Add onions, parsley, cheese and milk; mix well.
Gather mixture into a ball; place onto dough rectangle in pan. Using your hands, press meat into a narrow loaf shape. Brush edges of dough with egg-milk mixture. Place the second dough rectangle over the meat. Using a fork, press the dough edges together to seal. Brush top of pastry with egg-milk mixture. Prick top with a fork in several places. Bake 45 minutes, until golden brown.
Serve with sour cream on the side and a bowl of lingonberries.
Serves 6 to 8.
The government consists of a gang of men exactly like you and me. They have, taking one with another, no special talent for the business of government they have only a talent for getting and holding office. — H.L. Mencken
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norwegian spaghetti salad
Norwegian Spaghetti Salad
1(8 ounce) package spaghetti
1 (20 ounce) bag frozen peas and carrots
1/2 pound cooked salad or cocktail shrimp
Dill-Caper Dressing
Break spaghetti in half. Cook until tender. Rinse and drain. Chill.
Rinse peas and carrots under hot water until defrosted. Drain. chill.
Mix pasta, peas and carrots and dressing. Garnish with shrimp and parsley.
Dill Caper Dressing
3/4 cup mayonnaise
3/4 cup sour cream or yogurt
1 to 2 tablespoons capers
4 scallions, chopped
1 to 2 teaspoons dill weed
Salt and pepper, to taste
Kindness causes us to learn, and to forget, many things. — Madame Swetchine
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krumkake
Krumkake (Norway)
5 cardamom seed pods
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Dash of nutmeg
1/4 cup butter
1 cup sifted flour
Crush cardamom seeds after removing from pods. Gradually add sugar to beaten eggs and beat until fluffy.
Add cream, vanilla extract, cardamom, nutmeg and half of the butter. Beat until blended. Add flour and mix until smooth. Add remaining butter and mix well.
Place 1 level tablespoon of batter in center of preheated krumkake pan. Close lid and cook until lower side of cookie is light brown, about 3 minutes.
Remove cookie from upper half of iron with a spatula. Roll while still hot around the handle of a wooden cooking spoon. Cool.
Store in airtight metal containers. Serve plain or fill with whipped cream just before serving. Makes 2 dozen cookies.
NOTE: Krumkake pans can be purchased in specialty cookware stores.
…The electoral franchise has been conferred upon the Negroes in almost all the states in which slavery has been abolished, but if they come forward to vote, their lives are in danger… The same schools do not receive the children of the black and of the European. In the theaters gold cannot procure a seat for the servile race beside their former masters in the hospitals they lie apart… Not only is slavery prohibited in Ohio, but no free Negroes are allowed to enter the territory of that state or to hold property in it. — Alexis Charles Henri Clrel de Tocqueville
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sand bakkels
Sand Bakkels (Norway)
1 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 egg
3 cups flour
Mix all ingredients together except flour until well blended. Gradually add flour to make a slightly soft dough. Press dough very thin into Sand Bakkel or tart tins. Bake at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes.
Since a politician never believes what he says, he is surprised when others believe him. — Charles De Gaulle
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