Velkommen til vart hjem! Tonight's stop is Norway, one of the countries I was most excited about visiting this month. If you couldn't tell by the "Lars," my family tree has roots among the fjords. I'm named for Lars Horpedahl, who came to this country at the turn of the 20th century and made a life for himself and his growing family.
His wife (and my great-grandma), Sofie, shared the following recipes with the Lutheran church that the family attended in Minnesota. I was thrilled that my grandma still had them and was able to pass them down to me. I'll take good care of them, Grandma.
I've always been fascinated by the Norwegian side of my heritage (having my name was a constant reminder of it), but I'm at an age now where I can really appreciate it. My Grandma has wonderful scrapbooks that she shared with me after Elizabeth and I were married, and it was amazing to see part of the history that brought me to where I am today (that is, alive). So, having that lineage and wanting to live up to it, at least as far as these recipes went, made tonight a very special stop on this culinary tour.
I've always been fascinated by the Norwegian side of my heritage (having my name was a constant reminder of it), but I'm at an age now where I can really appreciate it. My Grandma has wonderful scrapbooks that she shared with me after Elizabeth and I were married, and it was amazing to see part of the history that brought me to where I am today (that is, alive). So, having that lineage and wanting to live up to it, at least as far as these recipes went, made tonight a very special stop on this culinary tour.
Lefse
3 cups cooked, mashed potatoes (cooled)
3 cups flour
2 tablespoons cream
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons shortening
2 tablespoons shortening
The instructions for both of these recipes from Grandma Sofie were very straightforward. No time to dilly-dally, it's cold out lets get this stuff cooked and eat already. I can appreciate this.
To start I mixed all of the ingredients together to form a dough.
I formed balls from this dough, a little smaller than a baseball, and then rolled it out on a floured surface.
I then fried it on a hot skillet until it was browned on both sides.
To start I mixed all of the ingredients together to form a dough.
I formed balls from this dough, a little smaller than a baseball, and then rolled it out on a floured surface.
I then fried it on a hot skillet until it was browned on both sides.
Norwegian Meatballs
3 pounds ground beef
1 1/4 cups dry, crushed bread crumbs
2 eggs beaten
1 cup cream
1/4 cup milk
2 teaspoon chopped onion
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Again, straightforward and to the point from Grandma Sofie. I mixed all of the ingredients together and let them sit for about 20 minutes.
Then, I rolled them into balls, a little bit larger than a golf ball. I browned them in a skillet, and then popped them in the oven at 250 for about an hour.
The result...
...brought back memories of childhood. The lefse tasted how I remembered it, especially after Elizabeth and I slathered it in butter and then topped it with sugar (we love our sweets and pastries in Norway). The meatballs had an almost sweet taste to them as well, and were very flavorful and juicy. I served both the lefse and meatballs with a side of sauteed red cabbage and carrots, and that paired well with the sweetness/dryness of the lefse and the heaviness of the meatballs.
I need some practice on my lefse rolling skills. I noticed that mine were probably a little too thick in some parts. However, it did take me back and make me smile. This was a recipe that Grandma Sofie made for her children. My grandma, Ruth Horpedahl Farabee, then made it for me. My mom got the recipe as well, and we would occasionally have lefse if we had left over mashed potatoes (when we didn't and we still craved this sweet treat, my mom would heat up a flour tortilla and roll it up with butter and sugar...close enough for government work).
It's amazing how something as simple as a potato pancake (Elizabeth said that this was more in line with that description than the latkes we've had) can bring back so many memories. I think that's why food has such an important role in culture. On a cold evening, and it can make us remember when we were small and unsure and the world was too big, and how a warm pastry covered in butter and sugar could make us feel better. Or how something as simple as a meatball can connect us to relatives gone but not forgotten.
There's a wooden decoration at my Grandma's house that says "Velkommen til vart jem." It means "Welcome to our home." I hope that you've enjoyed coming to our home so far this month. It's a home that stands because both of our collective families worked hard to give their children and grandchildren a life they could be proud of. It's a home built on love, laughter, and our shared memories of family and friends.
And food. Lots and lots of food.
Again, straightforward and to the point from Grandma Sofie. I mixed all of the ingredients together and let them sit for about 20 minutes.
Then, I rolled them into balls, a little bit larger than a golf ball. I browned them in a skillet, and then popped them in the oven at 250 for about an hour.
The result...
...brought back memories of childhood. The lefse tasted how I remembered it, especially after Elizabeth and I slathered it in butter and then topped it with sugar (we love our sweets and pastries in Norway). The meatballs had an almost sweet taste to them as well, and were very flavorful and juicy. I served both the lefse and meatballs with a side of sauteed red cabbage and carrots, and that paired well with the sweetness/dryness of the lefse and the heaviness of the meatballs.
I need some practice on my lefse rolling skills. I noticed that mine were probably a little too thick in some parts. However, it did take me back and make me smile. This was a recipe that Grandma Sofie made for her children. My grandma, Ruth Horpedahl Farabee, then made it for me. My mom got the recipe as well, and we would occasionally have lefse if we had left over mashed potatoes (when we didn't and we still craved this sweet treat, my mom would heat up a flour tortilla and roll it up with butter and sugar...close enough for government work).
It's amazing how something as simple as a potato pancake (Elizabeth said that this was more in line with that description than the latkes we've had) can bring back so many memories. I think that's why food has such an important role in culture. On a cold evening, and it can make us remember when we were small and unsure and the world was too big, and how a warm pastry covered in butter and sugar could make us feel better. Or how something as simple as a meatball can connect us to relatives gone but not forgotten.
There's a wooden decoration at my Grandma's house that says "Velkommen til vart jem." It means "Welcome to our home." I hope that you've enjoyed coming to our home so far this month. It's a home that stands because both of our collective families worked hard to give their children and grandchildren a life they could be proud of. It's a home built on love, laughter, and our shared memories of family and friends.
And food. Lots and lots of food.
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