I’m told it’s summer, though what we’re experiencing here in the northwest is nothing like the heat of summers back home. Right now in Utah, I’d be in shorts and a tank, sweltering in the sun that seems to radiate from every direction like a pre-heated oven. Instead, I’m still in sweaters and throwing open…
Cocktail Time: The Deviation
I was sitting in a restaurant in Malmö, Sweden when I first tasted a version of the aviation cocktail. The food at Mrs. Brown’s was incredible, alive with just-harvested flavor and fresh from the ocean seafood. The ambiance was everything I could ask for as the sun lingered at the edge of the sky on…
15 Minute Recipe: Traditional Scandinavian Shrimp Sandwich
If you’ve ever been to Sweden or have family members from Scandinavia or have ever met someone who is, then you’ve probably heard of the traditional open-faced shrimp sandwich. Picture this: you’re lying on the grass under the dappled shade of a maple tree. There’s a breeze that blows the scent of the summer-heated air…
The Basics: Quick Pickled Rhubarb
Let’s hear it for spring! It’s only the beginning of the growing season, but already the tasty goodness is beginning. When I clock fresh rhubarb at the market, I basically buy it all. It’s such a seasonal-specific treat, so I want to take advantage. It’s also one of those plants that can be preserved easily….
Cozy Cream of Mushroom Soup with a Trio of Roasted Mushrooms and Garlic
I’m a desert girl (which is different than a dessert girl). Where I come from, mushrooms are the thing that might pop up in your lawn after one of those rare spring showers soak into the parched ground. Mushrooms are something you put on top of your pizza if you happen to be eating with…
Danish Rolled Pancakes with Homemade Jam and Cardamom Whipped Cream
My bedstemor (Danish for grandmother, but she was actually my great-grandmother) used to make these tynde pandekager (Danish rolled pancakes) for us on special occasions. She topped them with her favorite freezer jam (Week’s) and eating them always made the morning feel like a holiday, which is apt since these are a traditional breakfast for…
What We Ate: Salt Lake City Snowstorms and Hot Wings
I told my family I was making a quick trip back to Salt Lake to see them and see the opening night of Black Swan at the Capitol Theater. That was only part of it. Like 12 percent of it. I was actually missing the hell out of a good pile of hot wings. I…
Crab Dip with Leeks and Mushrooms
It’s cold. It’s gloomy. It hasn’t stopped raining since the Reagan administration. What I need right now is something cheesy. Something I can dip crackers in while catching up on the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Something fun to make. Something like crab dip. Lucky for me, the crab boats came in a few weeks…
Swedish Gravadlax
Listen, my family was far too timid for something as bold as UNCOOKED FISH (!!!!!!!) when I was a kid. If we ate fish, it was salmon cooked within an inch of its life, accompanied by asparagus boiled for so long it could be mashed into a stringy pulp. This may come as a shock,…
What We Ate: The Polar Vortex and Chicago Deep Dish
Traveling with family is difficult enough, but add a polar vortex to the mix and its a recipe for bad food decisions. It’s also the perfect conditions for fortuitous accidents. I flew out to Chicago just as the temperature started creeping into the negatives. I know, bad timing, but no one warned me that shit…
With Bold Knife and Fork 