Wednesday, December 22, 2021

Top 25 foods at a Traditional Hellman Christmas.

Have only made 7 of the 25 so far this year. 

Bulla, 2021

  1. Julskinka (Christmas Ham). It doesn't count unless you cure it yourself. It once came out blue.
  2. Köttbullar (Meatballs). Still working to perfect the Impossible™ version.
  3. Limpa (Christmas rye Bread). You absolutely must have this with lever pastej, but its also great with just butter.
  4. Sil (Herring). Must have Akvavit to kill the taste. A proper smörgåsbord should have two kinds at least, but we usually made do with one.
  5. Akvavit. Must have Herring to kill the taste.
  6. Boiled Potatoes. Great with Sil and Akvavit. Alleged to go great on knäckebröd with butter and Kalvslyta.
  7. Kalvsylta (Jellied Veal). It's surprisingly easy to make. Keeps at least a year in the freezer.
  8. Lever Pastej (Liver Paté). Also surprisingly easy to make, if you have a grinder.
  9. Korv (Sausage). Two kinds in some years.
  10. Spare Ribs. More than once these were forgotten in the oven.
  11. Dopp i gryta (Dip in the pot). You dip some knäckebröd into boiling ham broth, then slather with butter. Matsos will work in a pinch.
  12. Ost (cheese). Västerbottens Ost, Bond Ost, Herrgardsost, Havarti and Swiss are all good.
  13. Rödkålsalat (red cabbage salad).
  14. Rödbetsalat (red beet salad).
  15. Inlagd gurka (picked cucumber).
  16. Jansson's frestelse (Jansson's temptation). Creamed potatoes, anchovies and onions. Gonna try fermented tofu instead of anchovies this year.
  17. Shrimp omelet.
  18. Rotmoss (Mashed rutabagas). This used to be stuff that people in Sweden ate every day *other* than Christmas, because they could afford it. Now we never have it except at Christmas, because we can afford it.
  19. Lingonsylt (lingonberry sauce).
  20. Öl (beer). But never Swedish beer. Have dubbed this year's batch "Cipher Ale".
  21. Glögg (spiced wine). Dad made it with 1 part vodka to one part wine. 
  22. Coffee.
  23. Pepparkakar (Ginger Cookies). You can make a wish on them- if the cookie breaks into 3 pieces you get your wish. If some other number, you only get your wish if you wished for pepparkakor
  24. Bulla (Cardamon cinnamon coffee b
    read). Comes out differently for every baker. There's also the saffron and almond paste variety made for Dec. 13 and sometimes saved for Christmas.
  25. Sand formar (Sand cookies). A ground almond cookie shell that you put vanilla pudding and a mandarin orange inside.
  26. Jam cookies. 
  27. Many other cookies. Log cookies. Broomstick cookies. Chocolate chip cookies. Macaroons. Knäck. Our seasonal output peaked at 10 dozen dozen. 
  28. Donuts. With the next door neighbors.
  29. Lutfisk. Not a figment of Garrison Kiellor's imagination, but only Dad liked it, with cream sauce, peas and allspice. 

I know that's more than 25, but did I mention that Dad made the glögg with one part vodka to one part wine?