Scandinavian Cooking

by Beatrice Ojakangas

Traditional Scandinavian home cooking—now in paperback!Beatrice Ojakangas brings to life the cuisines and customs of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Denmark, countries that share borders and bounty. Danes lead with smørrebrød (an open-faced sandwich), which may be topped with cheese, green pepper, and sliced fresh strawberries. Finns specialize in earthy, chewy whole grain bread. Norwegians have wonderfully fresh fish and seafood, and the Swedes gave the world smörgåsbord!Ojakangas offers us true Scandinavian home cooking that features the best of what is in season. Scandinavian Cooking provides traditional menus for different occasions and seasons—from a Farmhouse Brunch with Buttered Potato Soup to an Old-Fashioned Christmas Smörgåsbord with Dip-in-the-Kettle Soup and Norwegian Cream Pudding, to a sumptuous Midsummer’s Day Buffet with Salmon-in-a-Crust and Fruit-Juice Glögg. A good Scandinavian cook has a flair for color, texture, shape, and simplicity in creating the food that these menus show off to perfection. Beatrice Ojakangas describes her experiences gathering recipes at the tables of friends on her visits to Scandinavia and the beautifully crafted tools and tableware that will help to make the Scandinavian dishes you prepare authentic.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1987

About the author

Beatrice Ojakangas has a rich background in Scandinavian cuisines, traditions and history. She and her husband, Richard, are second-generation Americans. All of their grandparents came from Finland. As they visited in Finland, Beatrice, known as "Peaches" to her friends and relatives, became interested in the foods and traditions of all Scandinavian countries. She has a special knack for making friends, and now has many acquaintances throughout Scandinavia. She is known for the sumptuous smorgasbords she prepares and serves in her home. If you visit in northern Minnesota, you may find her teaching cooking classes in her large, well-stocked kitchen. Or she may be assisting with Scandinavian heritage-appreciation camps. Beatrice has authored a Finnish cookbook and numerous articles on Finnish and Scandinavian cooking.

Reviews

[Kierstin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this cookbook and endorse Beatrice Ojakangas as the Amercian expert in heritage Scandinavian cookery. Her other books (S. Baking and S. Holidays) are excellent resources for the hows and whys of old world food. However, I do not recommend it to the average non-Scandinavian because:

- It requires a taste for fish, fish pate, cavier, and... oh wait, that's it.
- It requires an enjoyment of labor-intensive food preparation like pickling, brining, and preserving.
- It requires specialty cookware and an emotional connection to people who liked their reindeer just a little too much.