One of the most beautiful things to see at the farmer’s market this time of year are gorgeous bunches of rainbow carrots with their vibrantly green tops. The difference in taste between the carrots in plastic bags bought in grocery stores and fresh, local carrots in season is mind-boggling.  Intoxicatingly sweet, yet with an earthy taste makes them a delicious meal just on their own—I love roasting them with some Norwegian sea salt, and perhaps a sprinkle of earthy spices or fresh herbs. They’re the perfect addition to grain salads or simply served with a dollop of pesto or horseradish d ..read more

Now that fellesferie has begun in Norway, my social media is flooded with pictures and videos of friends back home enjoying summer break Fellesferie is the common holiday that happens in July and usually lasts three weeks. It’s sometimes referred to as a ‘national paralysis’ period by outsiders because the government, parliament, and businesses often shut down during this time, and the streets empty out.  Growing up in Norway, July meant enjoying all the fresh produce from the bushes my father planted in our backyard, including tons of blackcurrants and red currants. He used to make wine ..read more

Elderflowers are some of the first flowers you can harvest in the spring in Norway. The season is quite short, but typically you will find them in late May through June. They grow on trees and produce beautiful white flowers with a gorgeous floral scent. There are so many delicious ways to prepare and cook with elderflowers, which is why they are so popular in this part of the world. They have a soft and fresh taste, reminiscent of pear, lychee, and some tropical fruits. Elderflowers are thought to have arrived in the Nordic countries already during the Viking Age. Findings of the flowers have ..read more

Rhubarb season happens to be right now, a sure sign that spring is in full effect.  When I was little, rhubarb grew wild in the backyard of our house in Norway, and many people considered it a weed. To me, it was exciting to see things just pop out of the ground seemingly out of nowhere.  I have fond memories of my mom giving me a cup of sugar in the kitchen and I proceeded to run behind our stabbur (a traditional, wooden storehouse used to store food, clothing, and other items on farms in rural Norway – see below photo of an example of a stabbur) where the rhubarb plants were. I p ..read more

Today’s recipe takes inspiration from an idea created by talented Norwegian pastry chef and food blogger Elin Vatnar of krem.no. A few years ago she started a tradition of making spring-inspired cardamom buns filled with vanilla custard. She shapes them into cute little flowers and decorates them with confectioner’s glaze and they really look like sunshine on a plate! Elin calls them maiboller (=May buns). The name relates to a flower pin people would decorate their jackets with during the month of May. This concept originally comes from Sweden; you can read more about it here. I thought this ..read more

Bread is probably the number one reason I started this blog. Besides seeing my family every time I went back to Norway, one of the most thrilling reunions was with the seeded, whole-grain breads that are so common and beloved all over the country.  There’s a distinctiveness to Nordic bread that’s hard to find elsewhere, especially in the United States. Even the whole grain breads I find here are too light and fine in texture and flavorless compared to the robust, hearty Nordic breads.  So I devoted myself to exploring and researching different breads I had grown up with and created m ..read more

Today’s recipe definitely falls into the category of “popular contemporary Norweigan comfort food”. Fylte horn translates to ‘stuffed crescent rolls,’ and when in Norway, you’ll see these across bakeries all across the country.  They are fairly easy to bake at home too, and oh, so satisfying!  I have fond teenage memories of buying these enormous, stuffed crescent rolls filled with ham and cheese in the cafeteria of my high school. It was a luxury I only allowed myself a couple of times a month, otherwise, I would bring my own matpakke of traditional open-face sandwiches. I love enjo ..read more

Havrekjeks has a long history in Norway, dating all the way back to the 15th century. The story goes when the famous Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen packed up his provisions for his expedition to the South Pole, havrekjeks were at the top of his list. Many Norwegians remember eating havrekjeks when visiting their grandmother’s house. Recently, when looking through my grandmother’s cookbook, I found a recipe for these, which inspired me to bake them in my own kitchen here in New York. There’s nothing quite like biting into these cookies to get a true flavor of Norway. Perhaps it is the oats ..read more

I became sort of obsessed with baking bread last year when I was researching, preparing and filming my popular online course Norwegian Bread Baking, and started experimenting with a bunch of different whole grain flours and seeds. Now as I’m preparing for the follow-up to that course, The Flatbreads of Norway, I am getting into all sorts of history and research around Norwegian breads. What fun! My quest into the world of bread all started as I got a bit frustrated trying to find the type of bread stateside I was used to eating back home in Norway. They all seemed to have mostly white flour (e ..read more

This flavorful, hearty soup has a vibrant green color and consists of all the classic Scandinavian ingredients and flavors: cruciferous and root vegetables, leeks, dill and pickles. These ingredients come together along with a few other flavoring agents to create a delicious and umami-rich soup. Chopped pickles and the briny juice get added, as well as a little nutritional yeast, Dijon mustard, and miso – all of which complement each other and result in a mouthwateringly delicious soup! I often find that Scandinavian cuisine bears a resemblance to the Eastern European table, and this soup ta ..read more