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Okay you can stop laughing now.
I went to a small-town church last night for a lutefisk dinner, which I've enjoyed since I was a child
Obviously I couldn't eat the meatballs/gravy or any of the wonderful Norwegian pastries (rosettes, krumkake,etc)
but I ate plenty of lutefisk/butter, mashed potatoes, rutabagas and cranberries. Other than a bit of heartburn (which I've always gotten from the fish and was easily remedied with some baking soda) I handled it just fine.
Wow Deb - can't believe you enjoy Lutefisk!!! I used to have to leave the house as a child when my mother made it. The smell made me sick, and I refused to eat it. You must have some thick Viking blood running through your veins .
Anyway, good for you that you found a meal you can enjoy!!!
Love,
Kari
"My mouth waters whenever I pass a bakery shop and sniff the aroma of fresh bread, but I am also grateful simply to be alive and sniffing." Dr. Bernstein
AHHH, YES, Lutefisk, and my other favorite -- Rommegrot!! Did they serve that too?
Special memory's from my Grandmothers kitchen.
It's been years. I'm drooling!! During the years that DD was student at St Olaf College -- and the highlight of the year would be the College Choir's annual Xmas Concerts -- with THAT Special dinner before hand.
And I also do miss my lefsa with butter and cinnamon, -- Can you do that?
LOL, Kari. I thought you might be my only supporter!
Gayle, they didn't have rommegrot but we have a Christmas morning tradition of making it. I made it with
rice flour last year and it turned out just fine. They had lots of lefse at the dinner but I didn't have any because the regular recipes I've seen have flour. It may work with rice flour though.
My maternal grandpa was born in Oslo. My American born grandma couldn't stand lutefisk though. It was my paternal German grandma who introduced me to it. My dad and I loved it...no one else in my family would touch it.
Rommegrot with rice flour huh? Interesting … and the consistency was still good?? Rommegrot is such a sinfully delicious item!! I never did learn to appreciate fruit soup though, same with fruit cake – YUK.
A long time ago I posted a question here – some where in another area (? Recipes?) (?Dee’s kitchen?) I really don’t remember where – asking if anyone knew of lefsa made with a substitue for regular wheat flour… i.e sort of like Norwegian tortillas?? Never got an answer so figured no one ever thought of such a thing. Now I know -- you will be my information/opinion source for that also!!
I think lutefisk gets a bum rap. I enjoy it. But I didn't grow up in a house where it was cooked (dad allergic to fish). I can't stand any kind of liver for that reason so I understand what Kari is saying.
This discussion makes me want some goat cheese. And pickled herring.
You guys have succeeded in making me drool . One of my sisters, Kirsten, is positively the best roemmegroet maker in Norway!!! It is absolutely fabulous!!! She serves it with spekekjoett and kringler w/butter. Coincidentally, while cleaning my pantry yesterday, I threw out 2 pouches of instant roemmegroet that someone brought me from Norway .
Thanks for your idea of making it with rice flour Deb.
Love,
Kari
"My mouth waters whenever I pass a bakery shop and sniff the aroma of fresh bread, but I am also grateful simply to be alive and sniffing." Dr. Bernstein
Who remembers, or knows about those things made with shredded potatoes. Kind of a dumpling like thing, with minced pork fat or bacon or something rich in the middle of a round 'dumpling'. Cooked (boiled) like dumplings -- took quite a while to cook??
That dish was also really good, a holiday specialty that both my Grandmother and Mother could make.
My recall of those days making this item is, --- That stuff was really good -- but the kitchen would be a DISASTER by the time everything was done!!! Anyone know what I am trying to describe here?
Oh yes, that would be raspeballer - a frequent meal at my dinner table growing up.
It amazes me that you guys can relate to this food. Thanks for taking me on a trip down memory lane:).
Love,
Kari
"My mouth waters whenever I pass a bakery shop and sniff the aroma of fresh bread, but I am also grateful simply to be alive and sniffing." Dr. Bernstein
The dumplings sound delicious. I don't think I ever had them but may seek them out.
Gayle, we made two batches of rommegrot last year, one regular and one with the rice flour and I really couldn't tell a difference. I believe I used
sweet rice flour which I've also used for gravies/sauces with good results. It seems to work a bit differently than regular white rice flour. I'm thinking
that might also work best for lefse. This has been fun. I also remember my grandparents liking the canned cod fish balls, both fried and creamed. I haven't thought of those in years.
Thanks for the tip regarding SWEET rice flour. I’ve looked at my usual Supermarkets, -- found every type of Bob’s Red Mill flours, including white and brown rice flours, but no SWEET Rice Flour. Wondering if more likely to find this in an Asian market?
Kari,
You will have to translate spekekjoett for me, I’m thinking “with butter” must mean some kind of pastry? Kringler to me is a kind of “cake”? Norwegians put BUTTER on everything!! An uncle of mine would sit down with a beautiful T-bone steak, and add 2 pats of butter -- before using a knife to slice! OMG!
My Norway roots came from a rural area South of Oslo, on East side of the Oslo Fjord. There are still relatives there, now mostly centered in the city of Askim. The ‘old family’ are all buried in the Trogstad cemetery. In today’s world, a main highway connecting Oslo with Stockholm, meanders through that area.
And regarding Raspeball, Klubb and Kroppkakor -- since there are 3 of us here on this little chat, (Kari, Hazel, Gayle) that knew this same food item by 3 different terms, ---wondering if that is a ‘region of origin’ type of thing?
Spekekjoett is a leg of mutton, or elk, or other wild game, which is salted/cured, and then hung up to dry out. Kjoett, literally translated means meat. Anyhow, the cured leg of mutton is sliced in very thin slices and is salty and pungent (perhaps a bit like beef jerky). It is particularly good with Aquavit and beer :), and is always served with roemmegroet in my family.
Kringle is a Norwegian kind of pretzel - it's dry and crunchy, and not particularly tasty, thus the butter. Oh yes, butter, my father slathered everything he ate with lots of butter :). Did you ever hear of kavring? It's a kind of dried bread. My mother used to pour hot coffee over it to make it moist, and served it warm w/butter and syrup - yum. Not something many people can relate to :).
I agree that the various names for the dumplings must be regional. I grew up in Bergen, and have never heard them referred to as anything other than raspeballer. Incidentally, my mother also used to put butter and syrup on raspeballer left overs :).
I'm not too familiar with the East side of the country, so don't know the town where your relatives are.
Love,
Kari
P.S. The Norwegian syrup has the consitency of honey - I think it's imported from England, as I seem to recall that the name is "Tate Lyle"?
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.
. One of my sisters, Kirsten, is positively the best roemmegroet maker in Norway!!! It is absolutely fabulous!!! She serves it with spekekjoett and kringler w/butter. Coincidentally, while cleaning my pantry yesterday, I threw out 2 pouches of instant roemmegroet that someone brought me from Norway 
. 
Anyone know what I am trying to describe here?
