Farmor doesn’t use recipes so it is mighty hard to get any kind of standard from her. For her pepperkaker recipe, she gave me a little sheet of paper with primitive-Norwegian writing (Farmor is actually from the Swedish part of Finland) with a simple method:
Ribbe (roast pork rib) is a classic on the Norwegian Christmas table. The rib, which is actually a whole side of pork rather than just spare ribs, is very rich and juicy and is therefore served with equally rich and juicy trimmings: Cowberry sauce, sauerkraut, potatoes, thick gravy, Christmas sausage, apples and prunes.
Seven Sorts refers to the seven traditional Norwegian Christmas cakes and cookies – an array of treats that sit on most Norwegian Christmas tables. The light cookies are the short breads and the dark cookies are the ginger breads. However, there is a dispute about which seven are the original – there are actually over twenty cookies to choose from. Below are a few of the most popular Seven Sorts:
Smultringer, (or lard rings in English), are a traditional donut that are very popular in Norway. They can be bought in packs at the supermarket throughout the year here, but come Christmas, you can buy them fresh and hot from street and market vendors. As such, they are not donuts to be iced, but a dusting of cinnamon-sugar makes them very more-ish. These donuts are quiet easy to make yourself at home, if you have the donut dispenser on hand.
Waffles are a Norwegian tradition. Unlike the Belgium waffles, Norwegian waffles are large, soft and fluffy, and fit perfectly folded in your hand. Soured milk is a usual ingredient, however, it can be replaced by fresh milk. The toppings are simple but yummy: slices of Norwegian brown cheese, a spread of sour cream and jam, or just a sprinkling of sugar. Below are some of the more common Norwegian waffle recipes:
Traditional barley grøt recipe with a modern twist: As the grøt cools it will thicken. This is when we usually add in more milk… Peel and slice the clementines. The fruit will warm and the juice will mix with the creamy milk. The citrus flavour adds freshness and tang to the grøt.
