What's cooking?

Share recipes and tips, or memorable restaurant experiences here.
Rufus
Posts: 2370
Joined: Thu Apr 19, 2007 2:25 pm
Location: Greater Toronto Area

Re: What's cooking?

Post by Rufus »

kaptain_zero wrote:Ugh... at least my fingers didn't spell my name as Christina.....

I used to live in Drøbak, Norway.... about 35Km south of Oslo, right on the Oslo fjord.

For those wishing to poke around, the internet is an excellent source... I give you "A taste of Drøbak": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Q1g8pHonkU

Regards

Christian (Hah.... I even spelled it right this time)
And now you're in Winnipeg...??...!! :shock: :-D :-P
Bryan
ShadowsDad
Posts: 3121
Joined: Thu Sep 29, 2011 1:13 am
Location: Central Maine

Re: What's cooking?

Post by ShadowsDad »

Thanks for that! Looks like a nice place and that explains the largely fish diet. I saw Winnipeg and I was thinking Eskimo. :D No really, I was. #-o
Brian

Maker of Kramperts Finest Bay Rum and Frostbite
Or find it here: Italian Barber, West Coast Shaving, Barclay Crocker, The Old Town Shaving Company at Stats, Maggard Razors; Leavitt & Peirce, Harvard Square
User avatar
kaptain_zero
Posts: 1031
Joined: Sun Sep 18, 2005 11:59 am
Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Re: What's cooking?

Post by kaptain_zero »

In that video on Youtube, at 1:52, you see a large yellow house with a red clay tile roof, right in the middle of the scene. The walkway on the right was a road when I lived there. Anyway, the yellow house.... 6 windows across on the 2nd floor.... the one on the far right was my living room window and I had a perfect view of the harbour.

On those days when the pay check stopped stretching, we could take a garden rake, walk to the far left in that same scene and rake up a large pot full of blue mussels for supper. We just had to watch out for those rare days when the red algae bloomed.... That made the mussels poisonous for a while. Crabs were plentiful, but lobster was regulated, even back then. Late summer was a good time to gather wild mushrooms in the nearby forest.... In fact, you could gather bags full of assorted mushrooms and take them to the library where (during the high season) experts would examine your *catch* for any poisonous variates. Of course, tossing a line, hook and bait into the water at the right spot would also reward you with enough for supper. All this goes back to the 60s and 70s... Today, it's all high society commuters from Oslo who have come out to build their luxury condos, golf course, equestrian centre, shopping mall and <sigh> the list goes on. I stay in touch with one old friend from there and he moved out into the forrest, well outside of town, just to get away from all the people.

I've never been far enough up north to meet the Eskimos, but I have a friend who flies up there regularly on behalf of Environment Canada to service the weather stations. Based on what he tells me... I don't think I'd enjoy their particular diet.

Regards

Christian
Previously lost, on the way to the pasture. Now pasteurized.
User avatar
drmoss_ca
Admin
Posts: 10731
Joined: Thu Jul 08, 2004 4:39 pm

Re: What's cooking?

Post by drmoss_ca »

I spent a few summers up a little fjord near Balestrand. You just dropped a spinner in the water, lifted it a metre of the bottom and then jigged it. Cod and suchlike galore. My friend Odd and I lived on fish, potatoes and Vørterøl for a summer.

C.
"Je n'ai pas besoin de cette hypothèse."
Pierre-Simon de Laplace
Rufus
Posts: 2370
Joined: Thu Apr 19, 2007 2:25 pm
Location: Greater Toronto Area

Re: What's cooking?

Post by Rufus »

I've visited Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Estonia, but not Norway for some inexplicable reason. Now you've really peaked my interest in visiting soon.
Bryan
Rufus
Posts: 2370
Joined: Thu Apr 19, 2007 2:25 pm
Location: Greater Toronto Area

Re: What's cooking?

Post by Rufus »

kaptain_zero wrote:
I've never been far enough up north to meet the Eskimos, but I have a friend who flies up there regularly on behalf of Environment Canada to service the weather stations. Based on what he tells me... I don't think I'd enjoy their particular diet.

Regards

Christian
My daughter and her husband work with the Inuit in Pond Inlet, Baffin Island and love to regale me with the Inuit food they eat up there. They seem to like most of it, but I must say that some sounds less than appetizing to this southerner. As well, my daughter was taught by an Inuit woman friend how to make mits, mukluks and coats from seal skin; when she brings these items down south she has to store them in a freezer as the skin is not tanned.
Bryan
User avatar
kaptain_zero
Posts: 1031
Joined: Sun Sep 18, 2005 11:59 am
Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Re: What's cooking?

Post by kaptain_zero »

Dr. Moss, I was probably in the neighbourhood of that Fjord around 1975... or thereabouts. Beautiful everywhere.... closer to Bergen you had orchards of cherry trees, pear and apple trees etc. Your mention of jigging for cod (pilking) reminded me of a friends father who was an avid fisherman and went out to jig for cod several times a week. He had this habit of just thrusting his fist into the cod's mouth and have the cod bite down so he could lift it into the boat. Hey... nets and gaffs were expensive back then! Anyway, one day he caught what he thought was a cod and when he went to put his fist in the water, it turned out to be what I translate to "Rock bite", I'm sure the real name is something entirely different, but the fish has a large mouth with dog like teeth! He pulled his hand back very quickly! :mrgreen:

Rufus, I think I'll pass on the muktuk.
Previously lost, on the way to the pasture. Now pasteurized.
User avatar
drmoss_ca
Admin
Posts: 10731
Joined: Thu Jul 08, 2004 4:39 pm

Re: What's cooking?

Post by drmoss_ca »

It certainly was stunningly beautiful, especially to a boy who wasn't used to mountains (the downland of northern Wiltshire never gets to 1000ft). But the rain! More than half the time it rained, which explains the white streaks of waterfalls everywhere. I still associate the smell of dubbin with those days, as boots needed it daily or they would leak.

Back to food: I remember breakfasts that were large and protein heavy with smoked or pickled fish, boiled eggs, smoked meats and Jarlsberg or Gjetøst cheeses. I still keep Gjetøst in the house for it's sweet whey cheese goodness. Then there was my favourite discovery of all, salted lamb known there as tørket kjøtt. A tiny flake cut off with a knife could be chewed for ages, and was very good. Rather like biltong or jerky (does the word 'jerky' come from the norsk for 'dried'?) Then there was vossakorv in potato lompe. Finally, the oddest taste combo that has stuck with me, cooking cabbage with caraway seeds. Definitely a new taste, and went well with reindeer.

The land of pierogi and mennonites must have strong attractions to take you away from all that, Christian!

C.
"Je n'ai pas besoin de cette hypothèse."
Pierre-Simon de Laplace
ShadowsDad
Posts: 3121
Joined: Thu Sep 29, 2011 1:13 am
Location: Central Maine

Re: What's cooking?

Post by ShadowsDad »

Perogi... winter is coming and that's the time we make perogi. I make it all from scratch. I don't grind the flour for it or milk the cow but I do make the cheese. We invite a good friend over to share in the making, the eating, and taking home a share.
Brian

Maker of Kramperts Finest Bay Rum and Frostbite
Or find it here: Italian Barber, West Coast Shaving, Barclay Crocker, The Old Town Shaving Company at Stats, Maggard Razors; Leavitt & Peirce, Harvard Square
User avatar
kaptain_zero
Posts: 1031
Joined: Sun Sep 18, 2005 11:59 am
Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Re: What's cooking?

Post by kaptain_zero »

Dr. Moss, there IS a reason why the South Eastern Norwegians used to say you could recognize someone from Bergen by the fish scales between their eyes. :mrgreen:

You are correct on the morning ritual of breakfast.... No toast or crumpets, no jam (jam and waffles were saved for afternoon "kaffe") bread or crisp bread (Wasa in Canada), cheese, cured meats and fish were all staples. I am however glad you were not subjected to that *other* morning delicacy known as rommegrot (sour cream porridge). By the way, these English keyboards are missing 3 important letters from the Norwegian alphabet...

Norway has a long history of preserving meat in a stabur (low log building meant for storing cured meats and fish). Lets not forget that Norway is the birthplace of such culinary delights as torr fisk or dried fish. The original recipe calls for catching a fish, dragging it onto the shore, leave it in the sun and when the flies stop bothering it, it's ready to eat! And I won't mention lutefisk (fish soaked in diluted lye) and rakorret. The latter is sort of a fermented trout... originally you buried the trout with herbs and ashes and then some time later it was dug up and consumed. Quite tasty, but back then.... nobody wanted to eat the first bit... botulism was always a concern. :twisted:

Caraway and cabbage.... yes, but we also added some sugar and vinegar to the pot and made "surkaal", a staple where I lived. Your mention of lamb reminded me of a local dish made with cabbage and mutton. Simply placed in a large pot and boiled with whole pepper corns.... You could eat and eat and eat....but once it cooled down, you couldn't stand the smell of it!

I guess you were never far enough North to experience Mac beer and Seagull eggs.....

Speaking of caraway... it makes an excellent flavouring in Akevit and only Linje Akevit is worth drinking at Christmas.... My uncle worked for one of the shipping companies back in the day, and each Christmas he would get one bottle of Linje Akevit.... certified to have travelled around the world while ageing in the hull of a ship.... The equator was also involved, but my memory of those things are beginning to fail me.

And the local dish where I lived...... A slice of white bread (rare back then) mayonnaise and a breaded fillet of flounder, one more slice of bread and a pile of freshly boiled shrimp on top... with a bit more mayonnaise of course and a drizzle of lemon. I shall attach a photo, but it doesn't have the the breaded flounder fillet for some reason.

Image
Previously lost, on the way to the pasture. Now pasteurized.
User avatar
kaptain_zero
Posts: 1031
Joined: Sun Sep 18, 2005 11:59 am
Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Re: What's cooking?

Post by kaptain_zero »

drmoss_ca wrote: pierogi
I must have forgotten to mention... my father was Polish! :D

He was a prisoner of war in Norway during WWII and my mom was in the underground, which is how they met. As soon as it was over, they moved to Canada.... alas, mom got cancer in the early 60's and wanted to go back home to her 6 sisters and that's how I ended up there.

I'm actually quite lucky, my dad was on a prison transport bus that arrived late, missing a certain ferry carrying heavy water...... They watched it blow up.

It's unheard of here in Canada, but in Norway, we always had to be mindful of all the old barbed wire and unexploded munitions you could trip across in the local forest.....

That was a long time ago.... I think I'll have pierogi for supper tomorrow...... And a can of sardines for breakfast! :mrgreen:
Previously lost, on the way to the pasture. Now pasteurized.
ShadowsDad
Posts: 3121
Joined: Thu Sep 29, 2011 1:13 am
Location: Central Maine

Re: What's cooking?

Post by ShadowsDad »

Interesting.
Brian

Maker of Kramperts Finest Bay Rum and Frostbite
Or find it here: Italian Barber, West Coast Shaving, Barclay Crocker, The Old Town Shaving Company at Stats, Maggard Razors; Leavitt & Peirce, Harvard Square
User avatar
drmoss_ca
Admin
Posts: 10731
Joined: Thu Jul 08, 2004 4:39 pm

Re: What's cooking?

Post by drmoss_ca »

"Je n'ai pas besoin de cette hypothèse."
Pierre-Simon de Laplace
User avatar
kaptain_zero
Posts: 1031
Joined: Sun Sep 18, 2005 11:59 am
Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Re: What's cooking?

Post by kaptain_zero »

There was a movie made of that commando operation as well... though I cannot recall the name at the moment.

Further reading can be found on the sinking of the Blücher in Drobaksund. It's actually a fascinating story, and when I lived there... oil still came up to the surface from the wreck.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_cruiser_Blücher

Bottom line.... I am SO GLAD I was not around in those times, war is terrible, no matter how fascinating the history of such can be.
Previously lost, on the way to the pasture. Now pasteurized.
ShadowsDad
Posts: 3121
Joined: Thu Sep 29, 2011 1:13 am
Location: Central Maine

Re: What's cooking?

Post by ShadowsDad »

Chris I was just going to mention the PBS show. Good thing I opened the link first.

I have watched the movie, but I can't remember the name either.
Brian

Maker of Kramperts Finest Bay Rum and Frostbite
Or find it here: Italian Barber, West Coast Shaving, Barclay Crocker, The Old Town Shaving Company at Stats, Maggard Razors; Leavitt & Peirce, Harvard Square
Rufus
Posts: 2370
Joined: Thu Apr 19, 2007 2:25 pm
Location: Greater Toronto Area

Re: What's cooking?

Post by Rufus »

kaptain_zero wrote:There was a movie made of that commando operation as well... though I cannot recall the name at the moment.

Further reading can be found on the sinking of the Blücher in Drobaksund. It's actually a fascinating story, and when I lived there... oil still came up to the surface from the wreck.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_cruiser_Blücher

Bottom line.... I am SO GLAD I was not around in those times, war is terrible, no matter how fascinating the history of such can be.
Is the movie 'The Heroes of Telemark'?
Bryan
Rufus
Posts: 2370
Joined: Thu Apr 19, 2007 2:25 pm
Location: Greater Toronto Area

Re: What's cooking?

Post by Rufus »

kaptain_zero wrote:
drmoss_ca wrote: pierogi
. And a can of sardines for breakfast! :mrgreen:
Had kippers and toast for breakfast today. The kippers came from Aberdeen, Scotland, my father's home town.
Bryan
ShadowsDad
Posts: 3121
Joined: Thu Sep 29, 2011 1:13 am
Location: Central Maine

Re: What's cooking?

Post by ShadowsDad »

It is indeed.
Brian

Maker of Kramperts Finest Bay Rum and Frostbite
Or find it here: Italian Barber, West Coast Shaving, Barclay Crocker, The Old Town Shaving Company at Stats, Maggard Razors; Leavitt & Peirce, Harvard Square
User avatar
kaptain_zero
Posts: 1031
Joined: Sun Sep 18, 2005 11:59 am
Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Re: What's cooking?

Post by kaptain_zero »

Rufus wrote: Is the movie 'The Heroes of Telemark'?
Yes.
Previously lost, on the way to the pasture. Now pasteurized.
Post Reply