Olympic Feasts : Isn’t It Good: Norwegian Food

Viking-style cured meats, lots of fish (including superb smoked salmon), sturdy soups, root vegetables, grainy breads, fine cheeses, rice porridge and sumptuous homemade cakes. These are some of the foods that make up the Norwegian table.

And at the Winter Olympics at Lillehammer, the table may be almost as important a venue as the ice-skating arena.

To most Americans, Scandinavian food is a mystery. It is not only underrated but virtually ignored in the craze for Italian, spicy Thai and inventive contemporary cuisine.

“It’s heavy food,” says Anfin Ullern, Norway’s consul general in Los Angeles. “You have to realize it’s cold in Norway and you need strong food.”

“Not a lot is very fancy,” says Julie Hansen (no relation) of San Pedro, “but it’s good food.”

Southern California has a sizable Scandinavian population, including about 33,000 people of Norwegian birth or descent, according to Ullern’s estimate. And they’re keeping the traditional dishes alive and well.

Hansen, born and raised in Bergen, Norway, was one of several who gathered in a rustic, knotty-pine-lined Norwegian clubhouse to talk about the food. The site was Nansen Field in Rolling Hills Estates, a recreational center established in the mid 1940s for Norwegian seamen.

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In Norway, extravagant breakfast buffets are traditional at top hotels. Judging by the buffet the group set up against a lace-curtained window, this may be the most ample meal of the day. The large wooden table couldn’t hold all the food. The centerpiece was spekeskinke , a dried cured ham that resembles prosciutto. Other plates held cold cuts such as sylte , which is Norwegian headcheese; rullepolse , a cured mutton roll; beef, pork and lamb salami, and leverpostei , pork liver pate.

Fish products included anchovies, lumpfish caviar, smoked cod roe paste and tantalizingly sweet pickled herring. A block of caramel-colored goat’s milk cheese, called gjetost , stood on a cheese plate along with wedges of Jarlsberg, blue cheese and gammelost , an old-fashioned skimmed milk cheese that is eaten with syrup. There were spreadable cheeses too, flavored with bacon and caraway. Sliced hard-boiled eggs, sliced tomato and cucumber, pickled cucumbers and beets added fresh and piquant flavors.

Scandinavians are legendary bakers, and it took only a few fragrant breads, such as fruit-studded julekake (Christmas bread), rye and wheat Viking bread, and cardamom-raisin rolls to prove their talents. There were also crisp, cracker-like flatbreads that originated in the days when Viking seafarers packed along dried foods that could last for months. Jams, jellies, a crock of butter and hot coffee completed the buffet.

The specialty foods came from Norwegian Imports and Bakery in San Pedro, which is the largest Norwegian shop in Southern California. Along with basic ingredients, prepared dishes and baked goods, the shop stocks cookbooks, language tapes, art books, travel guides, cookware, Christmas decorations and at least one item actually made in Lillehammer--a Spar cheese slicer. The Lillehammer connection is owner Knut Kleve, whose family has a farm close to the town and who has taken a group there for the games.

If a mammoth Norwegian breakfast leaves any room for lunch or dinner, the dish to try is faar i kaal , which is mutton layered with cabbage and simmered until well done. Norwegians call this their national dish. The only seasonings are salt and pepper, but the flavor is amazingly full and needs no dressing up.

Lutefisk-- dried cod rehydrated in water and a lye solution--is more controversial. Many Norwegians love it; others hate it because of its chewy, gelatinous texture. There’s even a whimsical mug imprinted with these words: “ Lutefisk : Just Say No.” According to Kleve, butter and bacon drippings should be spooned over the fish, making it richer fare than most of us are accustomed to.

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Poached salmon, fish pudding, roast pork and silky meatballs would be more congenial to American tastes. Main dishes are accompanied by plain vegetables such as boiled potatoes, mashed rutabaga, Brussels sprouts, green peas and carrots. Roast pork traditionally comes with boiled potatoes, surkaal (sliced cabbage cooked with vinegar, sugar and caraway seeds--a sort of Norwegian sauerkraut) and lingonberries patiently stirred with sugar to make a tart-sweet relish. Ribbe --pork rib enriched with fat--is the favorite cut for Christmas Eve dinner.

In Norway’s frigid climate, meats and fish had to be preserved for winter use. That gave rise to lutefisk and cured meats such as spekeskinke ; fenelaar , salted, dried leg of lamb, and pinnekjott , dried mutton rib. Norwegian friends gathering for a few beers might slice off slivers of jerky-like fenelaar. Pinnekjott is steamed over birch branches.

Rice porridge, sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar and oozing melted butter, is real comfort food--except for Norwegians such as Torill Christiansen Harper. Harper, who works at the consulate, says she ate too much of it when World War II made other foods scarce. However, cloud-like riskrem (rice pudding), crunchy with almonds, fluffy with whipped cream and splashed with red fruit sauce is one of Scandinavia’s most delectable desserts.

Alcoholic beverages are expensive in Norway, so guests are usually offered cake and coffee, Harper says. The classic cake for celebrations is baked in a springform pan, split into layers, soaked in fruit juice or liquor and filled with fruit and whipped cream. A thin sheet of marzipan may cover it instead of frosting. Kransekake , which appears at weddings and other important occasions, is a stack of almond paste-flavored rings, each smaller than the one below so that the cake looks like an inverted cone.

Typical alcoholic beverages are beer, schnapps and aquavit--a potato liquor often flavored with caraway. Norwegians are especially proud of Linie aquavit, which is shipped in casks across the Equator to Australia, then bottled and labeled with the name of the vessel that transported it.

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Heart-shaped waffles are another Norwegian specialty. They’re always on hand at the Norwegian Seamen’s Church on South Beacon Street in San Pedro, providing a taste of home for visiting seamen. “That is our symbol, warm hearts,” says Annette Tronsen Spilling, the first woman to serve as Norwegian pastor there. There are also a Swedish pastor, Leif Eliasson, and “housemothers” representing both countries.

Overlooking the harbor, the church has a big, cheerful area in which to read hometown newspapers, a small gift shop and a large, homey kitchen. Pale wood furniture from Norway is comfortably upholstered with Norwegian fabric. Copperware gleams from a ledge; ship models, photographs and other memorabilia line the rooms.

Seafaring visitors are fewer today because Scandinavian crews have been replaced in large part by crews willing to work for lower wages, and efficient container shipping has lessened the time spent in port. But each Scandinavian ship is still greeted with the national anthem broadcast from loudspeakers atop the church and a welcome in the native tongue.

Luncheons held the first Tuesday of each month draw Norwegians from distant places. The attraction is open-face sandwiches, put together with the help of volunteers. Toppings might include thinly sliced roast beef garnished with creamy coleslaw, smoked mackerel with scrambled eggs, liver paste topped with beet salad, hard-boiled eggs combined with anchovies or sliced tomatoes and thinly sliced sausage with marinated cucumbers. Sliced Norwegian cheeses are piled on homemade rolls, and big thermoses of coffee are set out on the tables.

“We hardly ever miss this,” says Florence Halvorsen, who drives in from Simi Valley with her husband. May-Eivor Espinosa, who was born in Ostfold, Norway, regularly travels from Laguna Niguel to bake for the church. “I enjoy being part of it,” says Espinosa, whose repertoire includes a wonderful pretzel-shaped kringle , well known in Norway but difficult to find here.

The church recently instituted hot lunches featuring dishes such as meatballs, faar i kaal and yellow pea soup, served with potatoes, homemade rolls and cake. These take place every Wednesday at noon.

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Norwegian restaurants are virtually nonexistent, but that’s no problem for members of the Sons of Norway. Lodges of this organization regularly hold dinners featuring lutefisk , meatballs, lefse and other specialties. Norrona Lodge of Van Nuys, for example, holds lutefisk dinners twice a year. January’s two-day event attracted about 1,000 diners.

San Pedro drew Norwegian settlers during the heyday of the shipping industry and remains the center of the community. During the Winter Olympics, Olsen’s Restaurant, 589 West 9th St., San Pedro, will serve some Norwegian dishes along with its usual Continental cuisine. Norwegian beers and Linie aquavit are available at Coolwaters, 1110 N. Gaffey St., San Pedro.

Norwegian Imports & Bakery, 1231 Pacific Ave., San Pedro, is a one-stop shopping center for Norwegian foods and gift items. Special foods available there include cured meats, lutefisk , pickled herring, surkaal , lingonberries stirred in the traditional style, lefse and marzipan-covered cakes. Hard-to-find utensils in the gift shop include rings for forming kranskake , lefse griddles and heart-shaped waffle irons. The shop also stocks an excellent Norwegian cookbook, “Ekte Norsk Mat” (Authentic Norwegian Cooking) by Astrid Karlsen Scott.

Other recommended books include three published by Penfield Press, 215 Brown St., Iowa City, Iowa 52245-1358. They are “Scandinavian Holiday Recipes,” “Norwegian Recipes” and “Notably Norwegian,” in which author Louise Roalson traces the history of Norwegians in the United States and presents their recipes.

The Penfield books can be found at Norwegian Imports and at Olson’s Delicatessen & Gift Shop, 5660 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles. Olson’s stocks selected Norwegian foods including gjetost , canned reindeer meatballs, potato lefse , Solo orange soda and King Haakon chocolates. Several shops in Solvang, the Danish community north of Santa Barbara, also carry Norwegian cookbooks and utensils such as rosette irons and lefse rolling pins.

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The original recipe calls for Savoy cabbage and mutton, but Torill Christiansen Harper uses green head cabbage and lamb, which is easier to obtain than mutton. “Faar i kaal is always best the next day,” she says.

NORWEGIAN LAMB AND CABBAGE (Faar i Kaal)

1 (4- to 5-pound) leg of lamb

1 1/2 large heads cabbage

Salt

4 teaspoons black peppercorns

1/4 cup flour

2 quarts water

Have butcher cut lamb with bone into 1 1/2-inch chunks. Cut cabbage in 1/2-inch-thick slices in 1 direction, then turn and cut across slices to make smaller pieces.

In Dutch oven, make layers of meat and cabbage. Sprinkle each layer with salt to taste, some peppercorns and flour. Add water. Cover and bring to boil. Skim surface. Reduce heat and boil gently 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Serve with boiled potatoes. Makes 6 servings.

Each serving contains about:

302 calories; 201 mg sodium; 115 mg cholesterol; 9 grams fat; 16 grams carbohydrates; 40 grams protein; 1.83 grams fiber.

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Finely grated potato and onion add juiciness to these Norwegian “hamburgers.” Hansen, of San Pedro, makes the gravy from scratch but says brown gravy mix can be used too.

JULIE HANSEN’S MEAT CAKES (Kjottkaker)

1 pound ground beef chuck

1 egg

1 beef bouillon cube dissolved in 1/2 cup water

1 medium russet potato, peeled and finely grated

1 medium onion, finely grated

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Flour

Salt, pepper

1/4 cup milk

Margarine

1/2 teaspoon sugar or more to taste

Mix beef with egg, bouillon, potato, onion, nutmeg, 1 tablespoon flour and salt and pepper to taste. Work in milk. Form cakes by molding 1/3 cup mixture between cupped hands. Cook in batches in skillet.

For each batch, heat 1 tablespoon margarine in heavy skillet. Add cakes in single layer and fry until browned. Remove and brown next batch. When all are browned, return to skillet in batches. Add 1 cup water to each batch and simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes. Remove cakes from pan, pour off cooking liquid from each batch and reserve. Add water to reserved liquid to make 2 1/2 cups.

To make gravy, heat 2 tablespoons margarine in skillet. Stir in 2 tablespoons flour and cook until lightly browned. Stir in reserved liquid and cook and stir until thickened. If too thick, add more water. Season to taste with sugar, salt and pepper. Serve over meat cakes. Makes about 14 cakes.

Each cake contains about:

71 calories; 65 mg sodium; 30 mg cholesterol; 3 grams fat; 4 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams protein; 0.09 gram fiber.

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Torill Christiansen Harper, who was born in a suburb of Oslo, combines pork and beef for her meat cakes and adds an unusual sauce flavored with Norwegian goat cheese. Meat is more finely ground in Norway than here, she says, which makes for finer texture. Cooking oil was introduced relatively recently, so Norwegians are accustomed to cooking with margarine. “If you want to be fancy, you use butter,” Harper says.

NORWEGIAN HAMBURGERS (Medisterkaker)

1/2 pound ground pork

1/2 pound very lean ground beef

1 1/2 teaspoons potato flour

Salt, pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Dash ground cardamom

1/4 cup milk

2 tablespoons margarine

1/2 cup water

Brown Gravy

In bowl combine pork, beef, potato flour, salt and, pepper to taste,, ginger and cardamom. Work in milk.

Form into small, thick oval patties. Heat margarine in heavy skillet. Add meat patties and fry until browned and cooked through. Remove to platter and keep warm.. Add water and stir up drippings. Reserve for Brown Gravy. Serve hamburgers with gravy, Surkaal and boiled carrots. Makes 4 servings.

Each serving contains about:

349 calories; 343 mg sodium; 29 mg cholesterol; 16 grams fat; 39 grams carbohydrates; 14 grams protein; 0.72 gram fiber.

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Brown Gravy

2 tablespoons margarine

2 tablespoons flour

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup reserved water-dripping mixture

Bottled browning syrup

10 juniper berries

1/2 ounce Norwegian goat cheese

Salt, pepper

Heat margarine in saucepan. Stir in flour. Cook, whisking constantly, until lightly browned. Stir in water, then dripping mixture. Add few drops browning syrup.

Add juniper berries, first squeezing in garlic press or pounding in mortar. Add goat cheese, whisking until blended. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Makes 1 cup.

Note : Browning syrup is stocked at Scandinavian markets.

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Arne Brimi was Norway’s chef of the year in 1985. This dish is from his book, “A Taste of Norway,” published by Norwegian University Press. “Salmon is one of the major culinary high points we can offer, and it is one of the best fish there are,” says Brimi.

ARNE BRIMI’S SALMON POCKETS STUFFED WITH SHRIMP

1 1/3 pounds salmon fillet

1/4 cup chopped cooked shrimp

3 tablespoons creme fraiche

2 tablespoons white wine

1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill

Salt

1 egg white, lightly beaten

2 tablespoons clarified butter

Sandefjord Butter

Clean and trim salmon. Remove all bones and skin. Cut 8 thin slices of equal size from fillet. Place 1/2 of slices on greased baking sheet.

Combine shrimp, creme fraiche and wine in small saucepan and cook 1 minute, just until smooth. Add dill and salt to taste. Place spoonful shrimp mixture on each salmon fillet. Brush edges with egg white. Top with another slice salmon fillet. Press edges to seal. Brush with clarified butter.

Bake at 450 degrees 3 to 4 minutes. Serve at once, accompanied with Sandefjord Butter. Makes 4 servings.

Each serving contains about:

760 calories; 345 mg sodium; 262 mg cholesterol; 69 grams fat; 1 grams carbohydrates; 34 grams protein; 0.03 gram fiber.

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Sandefjord Butter

1/3 cup whipping cream

1 cup unsalted butter

2 to 3 tablespoons chopped parsley or chives

Salt

Bring cream to boil. Beat in pats of butter. Whisk vigorously until sauce is light and smooth. Do not boil. Just before serving, stir in parsley. Season to taste with salt.

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This recipe is slightly adapted from “The Best of Norwegian Traditional Cuisine” by Ingrid Espelid Hovig, published by Gyldendal Norsk Forlag, Oslo. The “dough” can also be made into fish cakes, which should be fried in browned butter in a skillet over medium heat.

FISH PUDDING WITH SHRIMP SAUCE

2 pounds true cod fillets, all bones removed

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 1/2 cups milk

1/4 teaspoon ground mace

Shrimp Sauce

Rinse fillets under cold running water. Pat dry with paper towels. Cut into pieces and grind once with meat grinder, or grind in food processor. Add cornstarch and salt and grind again until very fine. Place fish mixture in bowl of electric mixer. Add milk 1 or 2 tablespoons at time and beat until stiff after each addition. When 1/2 of milk has been added, increase amount to 3 tablespoons at time. Beat in mace. Fish dough should be smooth and fine textured.

Place in well-greased 6-cup loaf pan. Tap pan on table top to pack fish mixture down in pan, avoiding air holes in cooked loaf. Smooth surface carefully. Place in baking pan containing 1 1/2 inches hot water. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees 30 minutes. Remove from water bath and let stand 5 minutes, then turn out onto platter. Serve with Shrimp Sauce. Makes 16 slices or 8 servings.

Each serving contains about:

217 calories; 798 mg sodium; 77 mg cholesterol; 8 grams fat; 11 grams carbohydrates; 24 grams protein; 0.01 gram fiber.

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Shrimp Sauce

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons flour

2 1/2 cups milk or 1 1/2 cups milk and 1 cup fish stock

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 pound cooked shrimp

Melt butter in heavy saucepan. Stir in flour. Add milk gradually, stirring constantly. Simmer sauce 5 minutes. Add shrimp and heat but do not boil or shrimp will become tough.

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From “Favorite Scandinavian Recipes,” published in 1951 by Nortuna Lodge, Sons of Norway, Pasadena. Ruth Klein, who provided the recipe, said the soup tastes even better the second day, “if you can keep it that long.”

NORWEGIAN PEA SOUP

2 large onions

3 large carrots

1 small stalk celery

1 pound green split peas

3 quarts water

Salt, pepper

1 pound pork sausage

1/2 cup wheat germ

Chopped parsley

Put onions, carrots and celery through food grinder. Combine vegetables and split peas in Dutch oven. Add water. Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer slowly 2 hours. If too thick, add water as needed.

Form pork sausage into small balls and roll in wheat germ to coat. . Add to soup and simmer 1 hour longer. When serving, add chopped parsley to each dish. Makes 8 servings.

Each serving contains about:

414 calories; 344 mg sodium; 29 mg cholesterol; 19 grams fat; 42 grams carbohydrates; 21 grams protein; 2.71 grams fiber.

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Norway’s version of sauerkraut is sweetened and caraway flavored. This recipe is from “Matlaere,” a cookbook for school children published in Oslo in 1952.

SWEET-AND-SOUR CABBAGE (Surkaal)

1 pound cabbage

2 to 3 tablespoons sugar

2 to 3 tablespoons Norwegian brown vinegar, or other vinegar

1 tablespoon caraway seeds

Salt

3 cups water

2 tablespoons flour

2 tablespoons margarine

Cut cabbage in half, then in thin slices, removing core. Combine cabbage in pot with sugar, vinegar, caraway seeds, salt to taste and water. Sprinkle with flour. Cover and heat. When mixture is hot, add margarine. Simmer, covered, 1 hour. Serve as accompaniment to pork roast and other meats. Makes 1 quart, 6 to 8 servings.

Each of 6 servings contains about:

81 calories; 107 mg sodium; trace cholesterol; 4 grams fat; 11 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram protein; 0.75 gram fiber.

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Astrid Karlsen Scott includes this extravagant rice pudding in her book, “Ekte Norsk Mat” (Authentic Norwegian Cooking). In this version, the sauce is thickened with cornstarch, which is easier to handle than the potato flour that Scott uses.

RICE PUDDING (Riskrem)

(Adapted from “Ekte Norsk Mat”)

3/4 cup rice

1 teaspoon salt

1 quart milk

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1/2 cup chopped blanched almonds

1 pint whipping cream

Red Fruit Sauce

Wash rice. Combine rice, salt and milk in top of double boiler. Cover and cook over simmering water 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until thick and soft. Stir in 1/2 cup sugar and almond extract.

Cover and chill. Stir in almonds. Whip cream with 1/4 cup sugar until stiff. Fold into rice mixture. Turn into serving bowl. Accompany with fruit sauce, drizzling little over top of pudding. Makes 10 to 12 servings.

Each of 10 servings contains about:

400 calories; 305 mg sodium; 73 mg cholesterol; 24 grams fat; 42 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams protein; 0.21 gram fiber.

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Red Fruit Sauce

2 tablespoons cornstarch

3 tablespoons cold water

2 cups raspberry or any red fruit juice

Sugar, optional

Dissolve cornstarch in water. Place juice in saucepan. Add sugar if needed. Bring to boil. Stir in cornstarch mixture. Bring to boil and stir until thickened. Chill. Makes 2 cups.

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These are the waffles served at the Norwegian Seamen’s Church in San Pedro. Arlene McGogy, church secretary, says the waffles are not served for breakfast but as a dessert, with berry jam rather than butter and syrup. Heart-shaped waffle irons, both manual and electric, are available at Scandinavian shops and some general cookware stores.

NORWEGIAN HEART- SHAPED WAFFLES

2 cups sugar

5 medium eggs

4 to 4 1/2 cups flour

1 quart buttermilk

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup whipping cream

1/4 cup margarine, melted

1 teaspoon cardamom

Beat together sugar and eggs. Alternately add flour and buttermilk. Stir in baking soda. Add whipping cream, then margarine. Stir in cardamom.

Cook in heart-shaped waffle iron following manufacturer’s instructions. Avoid greasing iron; use non-stick cooking spray if necessary. Serve waffles with berry jam. Makes 18 waffles.

Each waffle contains about:

267 calories; 108 mg sodium; 70 mg cholesterol; 7 grams fat; 45 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams protein; 0.09 gram fiber.

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May-Eivor Espinosa’s grandmother taught her how to make kringle when she was growing up in Ostfold, Norway. “This is an old, old recipe,” she says. Espinosa makes the bread in a pretzel shape and frosts it with lemon-flavored glaze. At Christmas, she’ll shape it into a rectangular loaf for julekake (Christmas bread). Or she’ll leave out the raisins and form it into a wreath, snipping the top close together to give leafy texture. The dough can also be turned into rolls.

MAY-EIVOR ESPINOSA’S KRINGLE

1 cup margarine

2 cups nonfat milk

2 envelopes dry yeast

Sugar

2 teaspoons cardamom

1 teaspoon salt

4 1/2 to 5 1/2 cups flour

2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 cups raisins, optional

Beaten egg

Lemon Frosting, optional

Combine 1/2 cup margarine and milk in saucepan and heat to 105 to 115 degrees. Combine warm mixture with yeast, 1/3 cup sugar, cardamom and salt. Add flour gradually until dough can be formed into ball and kneaded. Turn out onto lightly floured surface and knead thoroughly, adding more flour if necessary to keep dough from sticking. Place dough in greased bowl, turning to grease all sides. Cover with towel and let rise 1 1/2 hours.

Punch dough down. Turn out onto large floured surface and roll with rolling pin to 3x2-foot rectangle. Spread with 1/2 cup softened margarine, then sprinkle with 1/2 cup sugar, cinnamon and raisins, if desired. Roll from 1 long side into cylinder. Place on greased baking sheet, cover and let rise about 1 hour.

With scissors, make triangular clips in top of cylinder about 1/2-inch apart. Twist clipped dough to alternate sides for decorative effect. Form dough into pretzel shape by bringing ends to center. Brush with beaten egg. Place in oven heated to 425 degrees. Reduce heat to 375 degrees. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until browned and hollow sounding when tapped on bottom. Remove to rack to cool. When thoroughly cooled, frost with Lemon Frosting. Makes 1 large loaf, about 20 servings.

Each serving contains about:

299 calories; 244 mg sodium; 11 mg cholesterol; 10 grams fat; 49 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams protein; 0.10 gram fiber.

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Lemon Frosting

1 (1-pound) box powdered sugar, sifted

Juice 1 lemon

Place powdered sugar in bowl. Gradually stir in lemon juice to make thick frosting. Add more lemon juice if needed.

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Wooden tray, stripped rug and plate pictured with kringle from Bristol Farms Cook ‘N’ Things in South Pasadena.