The Art of Fika

I have spent a considerable amount of time in Sweden - my boyfriend is Swedish - and one of my favorite things about Swedish food culture is the Fika. Fika is a Swedish word that is difficult to directly translate into English, but roughly means 'coffee break'. Swedes love to Fika. They Fika at all times of day, they Fika when guests come over, they meet friends for Fika, you name it and they will find some way to add Fika!

Fika is more than a simple coffee break, it is actually a social institution. The Fika is not necessarily quick - in fact, Fikas can often last hours. There are some essential features of a Fika (according to my own observations):

1. Usually coffee, tea, juice or soda is served (but almost always coffee or tea)
2. Some little treat is also served - usually sweet
3. People - friends, family, co-workers

Fikas often take place between, before or after meals (in some cases all of the above). A classic sweet treat served at Fika (and at cafes throughout Sweden) is the Kanelbulle. A kanelbulle is the Swedish version of the cinnamon roll - although not quite as sweet as its American cousin. These buns range in size from your basic small individual roll to gargantuan rolls the size of my head. My very favorite roll is found in the city of Uppsala - which is a university town north of Stockholm. Uppsala also happens to be where the botanist and scientist Karl von Linne lived and worked. He too loved the Kanelbulle and now in his honor every cafe in Uppsala boasts the Linnebulle. These buns are huge. And delicious. They are much more bread-like and are laced with cardamom and cinnamon. These big beautiful buns are then topped with pearl sugar - which you find a top many Swedish treats.
(I found this picture on wikimedia.org)


In the U.S. it is difficult to find anything close to the Swedish Kanelbulle, but if you happen to be in New York city the Svenska kyrkan, or Swedish Church, in Midtown Manhattan has one great kanelbulle (the recipe is TOP secret). These buns are medium-sized buns and are much more buttery than the Linnebulle. They remind me of the homemade kanelbulle I have had in Sweden. And the best part is they are cheap - for $3 you can have coffee and a bun. If you want to check it out, the Swedish Church is located at 5 E. 48th street between 5th and Madison avenues.

For those of you who are not in New York, don't fret! Some of the best Kanelbulle are those made at home!!! I have experimented with several recipes and have managed to produce some decent buns. I have even been able to find pearl sugar - some specialty stores carry it and you can also find it at Ikea.

Recipe:
(this recipe is metric - it is authentic and I am translating it so bear with me)
Buns:
150 g Butter or margarine (1 stick plus 2.5 T)
5 dl Milk (approx 2cups)
50g (wet yeast) or 1 packet active dry yeast
1 dl sugar (approx 1/2cup)
1/2 t salt
2 t Cardamom
850g Flour ( 3 3/4 cup)

Filling:
100g room temperature butter ( a little less than 1 stick)
1 dl sugar (approx 1/2cup)
2 T cinnamon

Topping:
1 egg, beaten
Pearl Sugar

Directions: Melt butter. Add milk and heat until "finger warm" (37C/98.6F). In a large mixing bowl empty yeast packet then pour warm milk/butter mixture over and gently stir. Add sugar, salt and cardamom. Gradually stir in flour (saving a little for rolling out the dough). Once all the flour is incorporated work the dough by hand for about 10 minutes (5 minutes for machine) until smooth, soft and stretchy. Let dough rise for about 30 minutes, then punch it down adn shape into 4 balls. Roll out each ball to a nice sized rectangle. While the dough is rising, mix the ingredients for the filling. Spread the filling evenly over the dough. Roll up the dough. Slice the dough into 1-2 inch sections. Place in paper cupcake cups evenly spaced on a cookie sheet. Let them rise for another 40 minutes. Brush the tops with a beaten egg and sprinkle with pearl sugar.
Bake at 400 (200C)
For 5-8 minutes


A fun fact: October 4th is Kanelbulle day.

Other delicious Fika treats include
Chokladboll, Dammsugare (punchrulle), Pepparkakor
I will add more about these treats later.....

Garlic, a primer.

Ahhh Allium sativum! How I love thee.

Garlic (officially Allium sativum) is one of the tastiest, healthiest, most versatile seasonings out there. It is a member of the onion family and is closely related to the regular ol' onion, shallot, leek and chive. (All very delicious and useful I might add)

Garlic has been used medicinally for centuries. It is claimed to have cardiovascular benefits, to help prevent cancer and even help fight the common cold. And the best part is that unlike medicine, garlic is delicious!

When raw, garlic has a strong, sharp flavor. This flavor is accompanied by a smell which is delicious in cooking but tends to be absorbed into skin and other bodily tissue - causing very bad breath and other general smelliness.

Garlic tends to sweeten with cooking. Baked, garlic is very mild with an irresistible combination of sweet and savory flavors.

When cooking with garlic, it is important not to let it burn or turn brown as it will take on a bitter flavor. As a rule when I saute garlic I turn down the heat as soon as I can smell the garlic cooking.

Cutting garlic can be a little tricky or difficult because of the white papery layer that surrounds the clove. The easiest way of dealing with this is to use a smashing technique. Its very easy and fun to do. I made a short video to show you how to do it.



Garlic should be stored in a dark, dry place at room temperature.

Vinaigrette. A Simple, Delicious Pantry Staple.

One of my favorite things to do when I have extra time on hand is to experiment with cooking and baking. With cooking I like to employ the "freestyle" method of throwing new things together in different ways. I rarely follow a recipe all the way through - although many prove to be excellent starting points. I don't measure, I eyeball. And I rely very much on my sense of smell to determine if two ingredients compliment each other. This does not bode well for being able to share my successes. Last night I found myself going through a routine that I established a couple of years ago - making my staple balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing. This is more than just a dressing. I like to add it to sauces, drizzle it over pasta and anything else that needs a little something extra. This dressing gets better with time as the ingredients start to infuse the olive oil.

This dressing is simple. It goes with a ton of different foods and it is healthy. The thing I hate about store bought salad dressings is the mile-long ingredient list. I mean come on! A little oil and vinegar goes a long way - who needs high fructose corn syrup and dextrose? (As an aside, I hate, hate, hate high fructose corn syrup and avoid it like the plague!)

Now back to the fact that I don't usually measure things.... I will give some approximations here and leave it up to you to feel out what you think tastes best.

D.D.Licious Vinaigrette
100% Extra Virgin Olive Oil ( The better the oil, the better the dressing)
Balsamic Vinaigrette - (find one that is not too acidic - I actually like Trader Joe's brand)
2-3 cloves garlic
Cayenne Pepper
Herbs de Provence (or a mix of oregano, basil, thyme)
Fresh ground salt and pepper

The key to this dressing's success is layering - a technique, which may or may not be an official culinary technique, that I use on a regular basis to try to get the most flavor out of the ingredients.

Start with the garlic. (see my Garlic post for tips)
Chop into small even sized pieces and put into a liquid 2-cup measuring cup
Sprinkle approx. 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper (more or less depending on how much kick you like) and 2-3 teaspoons of the herbs. Dried herbs work great, but if you happen to have some fresh herbs on hand, add those too!

Next, add the Olive oil. Approx. 1/2 cup. If you have time, let this mixture sit for a few minutes - up to an hour to allow the flavors to infuse the oil.

Last, add the vinegar. I like to add just about the same amount of vinegar as oil - but just a hair less. This isn't rocket science - so experiment with what you like best!

I like to store the dressing in a ceramic container with a cork topper that also has a little spout. I keep mine at room temperature otherwise the oil will solidify. If you use this regularly you shouldn't have a problem with it going bad.

And there you have a simple, healthy dressing that goes with almost anything. I have had success using this in heated sauces and directly on pasta and even eggs. Let me know what you think!

The Beginning...

I love to cook. I love the challenge of trying to make something new and the satisfaction of seeing the final product. I also love to entertain - throw dinner parties, theme parties, brunches, you name it. I have learned to cook from some great people in my life. I also worked at a bakery with a pastry chef and for a short time catered and made wedding cakes (with the help of three wonderful ladies). Now my cooking is much more home based and my most consistent audience/critic is my boyfriend. Lucky for me, he loves my cooking and is willing to try, albeit with skepticism, almost anything. I find myself relying on the internet and blogs to learn and find new inspiration - then it occurred to me that real people actually sit down and write the blogs that I read. I figure I have learned a few tricks and may be able to help other people expand their culinary horizons - so here goes!
Welcome to my new blog where I plan to document my trials and tribulations with cooking, baking and my newest aspiration - becoming a latte artist (with my brand new espresso machine). I want to include recipes, tips and tricks with the occasional venture into food finds, restaurants, entertaining ideas and anything else that tickles my fancy. Please feel free to leave comments/suggestions/ideas for me as I am totally new to blogging. Hope you find something delicious today!
~ W