As part of the Nordic Holidays activities at the American Swedish Institute in Minneapolis, Swedish food writer and scholar Richard Tellström returns for a month-long residency as visiting food historian, leading a series of workshops and food-related talks, supported by the Swedish Council of America.
On Nov. 21, Tellström and Patrice Johnson, author and Nordic food geek, will discuss preparing traditional loaves of Scandinavian Rye Bread and the role of bread in Nordic cuisine. ASI members $10 / non-members $15.
On Nov. 28, Tellström shares Swedish traditions around smörgåsbord and snacks, about Swedish cookie customs, beverages in Swedish history, and the history of the smörgåsbord and Swedish fika.
On Dec. 5, Tellström shares food-related stories and folklore that may range from encounters with supernatural beings, to advice on how to build a house with respect to magic or meeting a future spouse by eating a special porridge.
On Dec. 20, Patrice Johnson leads a workshop of participation/demonstration regarding Swedish meatballs, with a menu of traditional and modern meatballs, quick pickled cucumbers, potatoes, brown sauce and lingonberries.
Cooking Qs and As
The looming holiday season of cooking and baking — and eating! — always spawns a fresh round of questions. How do you eat a quail? What's the difference between wine and vermouth? What's so special about Key limes? A couple of new resource books may help. The wise (and investigative) folks at Cook's Illustrated offer up "Kitchen Smarts: Questions and Answers to Boost Your Cooking IQ" ($19.99) which does an impressive job of covering things a beginning cook should know, as in: Is there a proper technique for whisking? (There is, and it depends upon what you're mixing.) Another resource is "How to Eat a Lobster and Other Edible Enigmas Explained" by Ashley Blom (Quirk, $12.99) which is self-explanatory. It addresses dining situations, etiquette and food rules with info and humor. Great reading for the guest bathroom in a foodie household?
Clarification
Last week's mention of the Thirsty Whale Bakery, which opens sometime post-Thanksgiving (4149 Fremont Av. N., Mpls.), did not make clear that their baked goods are available now online. For details, see thirstywhalebakery.com; 612-259-7168.
KIM ODE
