Sniff, sniff..

Jamy moved today. And for the first time in 31 kittens, I cried. I couldn't help myself - it was really, really hard to let him go. I know he has a fabulous new family, but still. In fact, my eyes water as I think about it. Aww, he is such a special little guy.

I hope it'll go ok with Julius and Jupiter - they're moving tomorrow. Juliet moved today, too. The house is much, much more quiet already.

For those who wonder what he's sniffing, that's Farmgirl Susan's Oatmeal Toasting bread. *VERY* delicious.

Lamb Meatballs in Curry

My husband is lucky enough to work at a place with their own restaurant. They have about 40 employees, and one chef who spends all day lovingly preparing food for them, in a tiny kitchen. The fee is deducted from their paycheck - and they get a really good deal - and guests are welcome too. I ate their a few weeks ago, and Linda the Chef had made a delicious cinnamon chicken. Per often comes home, raving about the wonderful food they get, and I'm often very envious. His favorite dish is something with lamb meatballs in a curry sauce, so I decided to try to recreate it. He said that it's not the same as she makes, but very, very good. I agree - this was a great dish, that I look forward to making again.

Lamb Meatballs in Curry
Serves 3-4

For the meatballs:
500 g minced lamb
1 egg
3-4 tbsp breadcrumbs
1 yellow onion
1 clove of garlic
salt
3-4 tbsp fresh coriander
ground coriander
ground chili
ground cumin
ground turmeric
1 tsp sugar

Mince the onion, garlic and fresh coriander finely. Beat the egg, and mix with the breadcrumbs. Add all other ingredients. I haven't given exact measurements for the spices - use as much as you want to, but start with just a pinch of each. You can fry a little bit of the finished mince to see that it's seasoned to your liking.

Roll tiny meatballs, and set aside.

For the sauce:
1 large yellow onion
2 cloves of garlic
neutral oil
400 ml coconut milk (1 can)
3-4 tbsp yellow curry paste
water

Mix onion and garlic in a food processor until it's a mushy paste. Fry this in some neutral oil on low heat for about 10 minutes - it shouldn't get brown. Add the curry paste and increase the heat. Fry for a few minutes, then add coconut milk. Add a few spoonfuls of water, and let it boil for about 10 minutes.

Drop in the meatballs, but be careful not to stir until they are turning brown and are less fragile. Add more water if needed to cover them, and let them cook for about 10 more minutes.

Serve with your favorite rice.

Recipe in Swedish:
Lammköttbullar i Currysås

Foodie Gifts from South Africa

Pia, one of my dear friends, went to South Africa on vacation. She's a real sweetheart, and brought me back two great spice mixes and a guava fruit roll. (And a gorgeous pink baby mohair scarf - not pictured though.) I've used the spice mixes already - really excellent stuff - and I'm looking forward to the guava thingy, too. Pia blogs too, sometimes about food, and in English. Check it out!

Waiter, there's something in my... easter basket!

The Passionate Cook Johanna has asked us to share some favorites for easter. Swedes often eat the same thing for easter as they do for christmas, or for midsummer's - a smorgasbord of dishes with things like smoked or cured salmon, egg halves with roe or mayonnaise, or shrimp perhaps, various cold cuts, boiled potatoes, salads.. well, different in every family. When I grew up, the one thing I remember was that my parents made "passa". It's an eastern european dish (as far as I know) from curd cheese, almonds, sugar and raisins. Very sweet. And very good, in small quantities. Maybe I'll make some this year. It'd be fun!

As for Swedish easter traditions - kids, and um, many adults too, get eggs (cardboard) filled with candy. Or other gifts, but mostly candy. (Nowadays, I prefer a little bit of good and expensive candy over lots of the cheap stuff, but it has certainly not always been so!) When I was a kid, my parents would hide the egg(s) in my room, and I had to hunt for them in the morning. (Me and Per still do that, sometimes.) That's on the Saturday before easter, by the way.

The Friday - Good Friday - is called Long Friday here. And it's very long indeed, as everything is closed. A good time to watch tv - maybe Passion of the Christ?

On the Thursday before Easter (I'm doing this in reverse as you can see), most people have half the day off work. And the kids dress up as witches, and go around to the neighbors, begging for candy. Much like trick-or-treating for Halloween! They also give out home-drawn cards. Very cute. I must remember to buy some candy in case any witches come calling to our house!

Ok. As for what to cook - I chose to share a spring-colored focaccia with you. Not traditionally Swedish, no, but very tasty. And very easy to whip up. You don't need a machine. (But you can obviously use one, and then it'll be even easier.) Perfect to accompany any meal. Feel free to substitute the topping for something else! And if you have leftovers - you probably won't - it freezes very well.

Green Garlic Focaccia

30 g fresh yeast
500 ml tepid water (2 cups)
1 kilo (that's 1000 gram) of flour (high-protein if you have it)
1 tbsp flaky sea salt

Topping:
2-3 cloves of garlic, finely minced
50 ml olive oil
about 30 g of rocket/arugula
handful of fresh basil leaves
flaky sea salt

Crumble the yeast into a large bowl. Pour over half the tepid water, and stir until the yeast is dissolved. Mix the flour and the salt in another large bowl (The bowl of your Kitchen-Aid if you're using one.) and add the yeasty water. Mix well, and add the other half of the water. Mix until you have a dough, remove from the bowl, and knead well for about ten minutes. (Or just let your machine do the work.)

Shape into a ball, and slash it a few times with a knife. (This helps it rise faster). Place in a warm spot - the sun coming in your kitchen window is perfect - and leave to rise for about an hour. (Cover with plastic wrap for even more rising action.)

Now is the time to make the topping. Mix rocket, basil and olive oil in a food processor or with a handheld mixed. Add more oil if you need too - it should be fairly liquid but not too runny. Add the garlic.

When the dough has doubled in size, knock it back and give it a few good kneads. Oil a large rimmed baking sheet, and flatten the dough into this. Pour over the herby oil, and spread this all over the bread with your hands. Press down with your fingers, so that you get little dimples all over - this will help the flavor go deeper. Sprinkle over some sea salt. Cover with plastic foil (or not) and rise for 45 minutes or so.

Bake in a hot oven - 230°C - for about 15 minutes.

If you want to, you can add even more olive oil when it comes out of the oven, but I find that the amount in the topping is plenty for my liking.

Recipe in Swedish:
Grön Focaccia med vitlök

Barista Cup 2007

Sweden's top barista!

Last night, I was invited to the awards ceremony for Barista Cup - a competetition to find the best barista in Sweden. (Read more, in Swedish, here.) It was a lot of fun, and the winner was Costas Pliatsikas, who actually did very well last year too. Impressive! Unfortunately, I have no idea what his coffee is like, because he works at News Café in Umeå - where I've never been. (But if I'm in that neck of the woods sometime, I'll make sure to seek it out.)


Emma, far right.

However, the winner of the Beige Award, for best lattes, does work in Stockholm - Emma Andersson. And I'll definitely go visit her at work - she's at Espresso House in Gallerian. Both winners seemed very sweet and friendly, and I'm happy for them!

I hung out with Dagmar and her husband Fredrik, and I also met my fellow bloggers from Ragazze - lots of fun! It looked as though we wouldn't get to join the dinner party for a while as more people had showed up than they had planned for, but eventually they managed to find places for us. Thank goodness, I definitely hadn't wanted to miss out on the spectacular dinner!



The menu was long and elaborate - everything was served on large platters or bowls in the middle of the table, to get a bit of social interaction. The chef was Karl Ljung, who won Swedish Chef of the year in 1999.

Appetizers:
Bleak Roe on Vasterbotten cheese Cream with Soured Onions (verrrry good)
Beets with Goat's Cheese and Truffle on dark Rye Bread
Smoked Halibut on rose-flavored Cream Cheese (this was really weird)



Starters:
Smoked Ham with Cheddar cheese Cream
Marinated Scallops
Cheesecake topped with Bleak Roe
Vasterbotten cheese Salad
Grilled Tuna with Cinnamon and Ginger
Cumin Yogurt



Main courses:
Roasted Red Pepper Cream
Roasted Sweet Potato Salad
Red Quinoa Salad with Vegetables
Grilled Vegetables (mostly asparagus, carrots, zucchini)
Salt-roasted Potatoes
Coffee-Roasted Fillet of Lamb (heavenly!)
Blackened Salmon
Herb-filled Chicken with Orange Glaze



Desserts:
Rosehip-Curd with Coffee Cream
Coffee Ice Cream (yum!)
Coffee Creme Brûlée (oh my god) with orange sugar
Truffles (including one with mint toffee that was very, very good)

And of course, coffee. Which I didn't stand in line for. And plenty of wine - champagne for the appetizers, white for the starters, followed by red, and finally sherry. I didn't look at any lables - stupid, I know - so I didn't really pay attention. Which probably made me drink a liiiiittle too much, I'm pretty beat today. Guess I'm not 20 anymore...

All in all, it was really fab - I'm so glad I got to go. I met some really nice people! And I loved those little glass cups that some of the desserts were served in. I really want a bunch of my own - but it'd have to be quite many, they're *very* small.

Apple Pork Chops

Here's a very simple, but fun, recipe. It's perfect for a weeknight dinner, and takes just 20 minutes to cook - the time it'll take you to boil potatoes. It's a great dish in the transition between winter and spring - it uses winter ingredients like apples and lingonberry jam, but the flavors are strong, fresh and spring-like.

Apple Pork Chops
Serves 2

2 nice pork chops
salt
white pepper
butter
150 ml apple cider (or water)
1/2 tbsp flour
1 bouillon cube (meat or vegetable)
50 ml cream
1-2 tsp soy sauce
1 apple
1-2 tbsp lingonberry jam
boiled potatoes, to serve

Fry the chops in a bit of butter, and season with salt and white pepper. Remove to a plate.

Whisk the apple cider (or water) with the flour, and bring to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the bouillon cube and the cream, and season with soy sauce to taste. Add the chops, and let them cook for about five minutes.

Meanwhile, peel and dice the apples, or cut them into wedges. Fry in a little butter. Add this to the sauce, along with a spoon or two of lingonberries, and serve with potatoes.

Recipe in Swedish:
Äppelkotletter

It's Waffle Day!

Today is Waffle Day! And it's also the day when we switch back to normal time, from daylight saving's time. Hrm. That always sneaks up on me. I woke up really late today - or so I thought, 10 am. Little did I realise that it was in fact 11 am! But I quickly found out...

We had waffles with Tesse & Danne who don't have a waffle maker of their own. I didn't make my own batter this year either, as I'm perfectly happy with the mixes for this yearly event. (Yes, this is pretty much the one day per year that I eat waffles. It's not at all as common here as it is in USA, and it's definitely not considered a breakfast food.)

We like our waffles with whipped cream and jam - preferrably several types of jam. I served regular strawberry jam, strawberry-rhubarb-vanilla (that's what's in the picture), raspberry-red currant and cherry jam (my favorite!).

Chinese food is bad for you

I always thought that Chinese food wasn't as bad as eating McDonald's or BK, but to my surprise Chinese food contains more calories in a meal that someone needs the entire day. For instance, an egg roll contains 200 calories, cup of rice has another 200 calories, a plate of stir-fried green has 900 calories, six steamed pork dumplings has 500 calories; this meal contains about 1,800 calories and an adult is supposed to eat 2,000 calories a day! So, if you still want to eat Chinese food once in a while, I suggest that you only eat half of everything and take the other half home.

Stay healthy!

more on Chinese food

Sweet Kitty Love

Kelly and her boyfriend, Quentin. Keep your fingers crossed that we'll have new babies in nine weeks or so...



I have to show you the kittens, too. They move out in just one week, and it's starting to feel a bit upsetting. They're such cuties. And such bandits. Jamy "helped" me bake yesterday. Notice the flour on his ears. That's from dipping his entire head. Several times.

I took some really good photos this week, so I can't resist showing you a bunch. The full set is here - and there are some good ones of yawning kittens, if you like that sort of thing. They look quite fierce!


Jamy


Jupiter


Juliet


Julius

healthy café shop

Hello guys,

For those of you who enjoy a cup of coffee with a sandwich, well I have good news for you; Nature's Way Café is an alternative for you to eat well and healthy. Their motto is "Eat well, Be well", they offer various healthy alternatives for breakfast and lunch.

This coffee shop has 12 different locations in Palm Beach County, so don't think twice and eat healthier at Nature's Way Café.

Muesli With Everything

I've made my own muesli - or granola (what's the difference??) - before, but I gotta say, this one is way better. I spent last weekend in Gothenburg with Linda and Anders, two friends who have darling cats - one from us, and one who was picked to be Kelly's boyfriend. (More on that tomorrow, for weekend cat blogging.) Linda had made muesli - and it was completely wonderful. So wonderful that I couldn't wait to get home and make some myself.

I know there's a very long ingredients list, but feel free to mix and substitute as you please. And obviously you can use whatever nuts and fruits that you want. Whatever you choose, you'll have a super healthy breakfast, perfect to sprinkle on a bowl of yogurt or sour milk.

Watch this as you roast it in the oven. You need to make sure it doesn't burn - and leave it for a minute too long and it inevitably will. Be careful!

Kitty notes - I should have locked up my little vandals before starting. Jamy took a liking to this - everything from jumping in the entire seed mix (spraying the kitchen with sesame seeds), napping in the bowl (which I covered with a towel when I went to work, to licking the honey. He was very determined. And so he was this morning, when I had some muesli with sour milk. He was absolutely nuts for it! So, consider this kitten-approved muesli!

I know many of you are not familiar with what a "dl" is. It's a decilitre - a tenth of a litre, or 100 ml. Or 0,4 cups. It's the single most used measure in Sweden.

Muesli With Everything

4 dl rolled rye (like rolled oats, but from rye) (1,6 cups)
5 dl rolled oats (2 cups)
2 dl rolled spelt (0,8 cups)
2 dl rolled buckwheat (0,8 cups)
50 g pecans, in large pieces
50 g almonds, halved
50 g hazelnuts, halved
2 dl sunflower seeds (0,8 cups)
1,5 dl coconut flakes (0,6 cups)
1 dl linseed (0,4 cups)
1 dl sesame seeds (0,4 cups)

3 tbsp runny honey
3 tbsp rape seed oil (or any good, neutral oil - not olive)
250 ml water (1 cup)

3 tbsp dried cranberries
7-8 dried apricots
3 tbsp dried strawberries
3 tbsp dried apple
3 vanilla beans

Mix all the dry ingredients - grains and nuts. Cut all the fruit in small pieces, and set aside. Mix the honey, water and oil, and add this to the grains and nuts. Mix very well until everything is a bit moist and clumps together a bit. Transfer to a very large rimmed cookie sheet, or two, if you need to.

Roast in the oven at 200°C for 30 minutes. You need to watch it closely, and take it out stir and shake at least twice during this time. When it's all crunchy and golden, take it out and leave to cool. Mix with the fruit and store in a large tight-lidded jar. Cut the vanilla beans in a few pieces, and stick into the muesli. (Don't eat them - just keep them there to subtly infuse the muesli with their flavor.)

Recipe in Swedish:
Müsli med det mesta

Vitamins aren't always good

Hello guys,

In a recent scientific study on vitamins it was discovered that some of these vitamins that are often recommended by our doctor such as Vitamins A, E and beta carotene supplements to prolong life, may shorten lifespan.

I usually do not take any vitamins, but I know a lot of people that do it; so if you take vitamins or know someone that does it, pass the this article along.

More on vitamins

Healthy restaurants in South Florida

Want to eat healthy and don't know where? Here's a list of healthy restaurants in South Florida.

Healthy Bites Grill
9704 Clint Moore Road
Boca Raton, FL 33496
561-483-3334

Their specialties include: salads, soups, burgers, hot or cold custom-built Boar's Head sandwiches, whole-wheat tortilla wraps and personal-size pizzas.

entrées: sliced sirloin, grilled portobello, grilled chicken breast, mahi mahi and salmon.

Thai Avenue Restaurant
6920 Stirling Road
Davie, FL 33314-7113
954-966-6332

They offer healthy Thai food, and their menus have Thailand's information.

Afterglo
1200 Washington Ave.
Miami Beach, FL 33139
305-695-1717

Their menu include: organic meats, salads, fish, & tuna.

Whether you're in Boca Raton or in Miami you'll enjoy a tasty and healthy dinner.

Organic Pizza

Hello healthy eaters,

Good news for those people who are conscious about the environment, now they can enjoy a delicious pizza made by organic ingredients. Pizza Fusion has united to the cause to save the planet and is the first pizzeria in South Florida to use organic foods, wind energy and hybrid cars, all of this to offer healthy food and contribute with the use of alternative energy sources. With four locations in South Florida, Pizza Fusion will satisfied both the consumer and the environment.

Green pizza near you

Creamy Mushroom Soup

Yes! Another soup! Really - it's still very cold here, and definitely soup weather! This soup is lovely. It's a creamy, silky concoction that tastes strongly of mushrooms. I used regular button mushrooms for this, but you can use any combination you like. Wild mushrooms will give it wonderful flavor. And if you want, you can dress it up with some crispy fried bacon or pancetta, maybe some chopped chives, or how about some parsnip chips?

Creamy Mushroom Soup
Serves 3-4

700 g mushrooms
2-3 cloves of garlic
1 yellow onion
150 ml white wine
6-700 ml vegetable stock
water
150 ml cream
1-2 tbsp cognac
salt
pepper

Fry the onion and garlic - roughly diced - in a bit of olive oil in a large pot. Halve the mushrooms, and add them to the pot. Fry until the mushrooms have released all their liquid. Add the wine, and let it cook in completey. Add the stock and let the whole thing boil for about 20 minutes.

Mix the soup until smooth, using a handheld blender if you've got it. Add water until it's as thick as you want it. Finish with cream and cognac, and season with salt and pepper.

Recipe in Swedish:
Krämig Champinjonsoppa

Aquavit to open in Stockholm!

Marcus Samuelsson is a fairly well known Swedish chef, who lives and works in New York. His restaurant; Aquavit, is supposedly a great restaurant - I've never been. So good news - Aquavit Stockholm will open in 2008. It will be situated in the new, huge, Clarion Hotel that's being built near the central station. Exciting!

MORE about me?

Kinna tagged me for a Swedish meme, going around right now. Six odd things about myself. Well, considering I just shared some of my inner secrets with you, I'll pass - but I was just interviewed by a fellow food blogger, in Swedish, so if you're very curious, learn more about me over at Jesper's blog, Krubb.

Ok, I'll say one thing though. I'm very un-adventurous, in general. And actually, in food, too. I will not happily try everything once - nope, not me. I eat a lot of things, but I'm also happy to pass on lots of stuff. And, I must admit, I have special issues with eating deer (Bambi!) and rabbit (Thumper!). No problems eating Ferdinand though, so I'm not completely Disney-fied.

Roasted Cauliflower Soup

The spring was a bit interrupted here this weekend, by massive amounts of ice and hail. Not at all what I had expected - and unfortunately I was in Gothenburg, wearing my lovely flowered spring coat and suede shoes. Well. That happens.

This soup is more wintery than springy, in my opinion. Roasting the cauliflower before it goes into the soup is really lovely, it adds a lot of flavor and makes for a much more interesting soup.

Serve with some good bread, and enjoy!

Roasted Cauliflower Soup
Serves 3-4

1 medium cauliflower
olive oil
1 yellow onion
2 cloves of garlic
2 medium potatoes
500 ml stock (vegetable or chicken)
500 ml water
3/4 tbsp cream
salt, cayenne pepper

Heat the oven to 175°C. Divide the cauliflower into florets, and put in an oven proof pan. Drizzle with some olive oil and toss to coat. Cut the onion into wedges, and wrap in a bit of foil with the cloves of garlic. Put the foil packet in the same pan as the cauliflower, and bake for about 30-45 minutes or until the cauliflower is soft.

Move the cauliflower, onion and garlic to a large pot. Dice the potatoes and add them. Cover with stock and water, and let simmer on medium heat until the potatoes are completely soft. It will take 20-30 minutes. Use a handheld blender to mix the soup until smooth. Add cream, and season with salt and cayenne pepper.

Recipe in Swedish:
Blomkålssoppa

Brownie with ice cream

Got some leftover brownies? No? Well, if you do, slice them thinly, heat slightly in the microwave, and top with a scoop of great vanilla ice cream.

Unconventional Pasta Sauce

I know, the combinations here sound so weird. Carrots? Bacon? Cinnamon? Wine? Cream? Well. Give it a try! I promise - it's really very tasty. It came to life one night when I was going to do a long cooked pasta sauce, but decided that I was way too hungry to wait. This is perfect - almost instant gratification, but with tons of flavour.

I use light cream here, you can use full-fat or lighter versions as you wish. I haven't tried, but I'm sure this would be more than fine with crème fraîche, too.

Unconventional Pasta Sauce
Serves 3-4

400 g minced beef
100 g bacon
1-2 tsp cinnamon
1 yellow onion
2 carrots
100 ml white wine
250 ml cream
salt
pepper
optional - a tiny dash of balsamic vinegar and/or worcestershiresauce

Dice bacon and onions, and grate the carrots coarsely. Fry the bacon with onion and cinnamon, and add the beef. Fry until browned, then add the carrots and white wine. Let the wine cook in completely, then add the cream. Let cook for 5-10 minutes, while waiting for your pasta to finish cooking. Season with salt, pepper, some balsamic vinegar if you wish, or a dash of worcestershiresauce. Serve with freshly cooked pasta.

Recipe in Swedish:
Köttfärsröra med bacon och morot

Wild Kittens

Julius with Glinda's tail

Ten weeks! Two more weeks before they're ready to move out - sigh... Sometimes time does go too fast. Not at night though, when the little rascals are running across the bed, and having wrestling matches on my tummy.

More pictures here.



Jamy


Juliet


Jupiter


Julius

Barely a recipe, but...

so incredibly divine. It's a blue cheese avocado spread, and you need just three ingredients - a perfectly ripe, flavorful avocado, and a chunk (100 gram or so) of strong flavored blue cheese (I prefer St Agur, gorgonzola will be great too) and a spoon or two of thick, greek-style yogurt. Mash everything together, season with salt and pepper, and enjoy immensely.

We ate this with crisp rye bread.

This is green - so perfect for St Patrick's Day! Kochtopf is hosting an event - check it out!

Sourdough Starter from 1847

How cool is this? I saw a post on this sourdough at Brownie Points, and immediately decided I wanted to try it. I sent a dollar, and my address, and promptly got back what you see in the picture. And that's dried sourdough starter, from Oregon. It was first started by Carl Griffith, in 1847, and people are still caring for this tender little sourdough. Some people volunteer to share the joy, and send out dried pieces of starter all over the world.

I like baking with sourdough, but I keep mine frozen and I rather like the idea of having a bubbling jar that needs feeding once a week. I am too lazy to make my own starter, and besides, this sounded so neat. Just imagine - a sourdough culture dating back 170 years! If you want to try it too, check out everything you need to know right here.

And I promise to report back when I've revived it!

Chèvre Asparagus Risotto

I know, I probably sound like a broken record. Risotto, risotto, risotto. And chèvre. I know. I talk about it all the time. But well, risotto happens to be one of my favorite dishes, chévre one of my favorite ingredients. How could it go wrong? Add asparagus, and it's a sure winner. It also feels rather spring-like - and the snow here is almost completely melted, and the sun is shining. Lovely!

Chèvre Asparagus Risotto
Serves 2

200 ml (0,8 cups) risotto rice
1 yellow onion
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
6-700 ml vegetable stock, boiling
1-2 tsp runny honey
1/2 lemon, squeezed
250 g asparagus
100 g chèvre cheese

Dice the onion. Fry in the butter and olive oil in a large pan. Add the rice, and fry until it's lightly golden. At this point, you can add a glass of wine, some dry sherry or vermouth - but it's perfectly fine not to.

Start adding the stock, one ladle at a time. Stir well. Add more stock as soon as the risotto looks dry. Add the asparagus in pieces after 10 minutes, reserving the tips. Keep adding stock.

The risotto is done when the rice is soft but not mushy - keep tasting. You might need more stock (just use hot water) or not need all of it. It all depends.

Finish by squeezing in lemon juice, some honey and the chèvre cheese.

Recipe in Swedish:
Risotto med sparris och chèvre

Five things you didn't know about me

I was tagged for this nice little meme by Pille. I feel that I'm fairly personal here, so you probably already know a lot about me - but well, there's always some tidbits that I haven't talked much about. So let's give it a try!

1. I have a huge amount of makeup. And I mean a HUGE amount. Like 300 eyeshadows. (At least.) A hundred lipsticks. Lipglosses. Nailpolishes. More blush than ten women could wear in a lifetime. You get the picture. A lot of makeup. Funny thing is, I don't wear that much makeup. I do however like variation, and I rarely wear the same combination twice. (Much like how I cook - rarely the very same thing.) I am especially fond of makeup that I can't get here in Sweden, so I quickly caught on to the concept of makeup swapping. (Check out www.makeupalley.com for the best site on that.) It basically means sending makeup - new or very gently used - to other people, getting other, fun stuff in return. I used to do this a lot more, but I'm still acticve. And some years ago, I was actually interviewed in Sweden's then largest internet magazine as "the makeup girl". (And I can still remember what makeup I wore in the photo!)

2. Slightly related, but something I've been meaning to write about anyway. Perfumes. Love it. Have a bunch. Especially like foody, gourmet type scents. For all other fragrance-foodies out there, I heartily recommend the French line Comptoir Sud Pacifique. My favorites include Vanille-Apricot, Vanille Extreme, Soleil des Enfants (that has now switched names to something I can't remember, but it smells lovely - like oranges and vanilla) and Amour de Cacao, a delious mix of vanilla, chocolate and orange. Speaking of chocolate, Serendipity 3 makes a lovely perfume. And then there's Attar Bazaar Sudanese Coconut - a gorgeous, deep, deliciously dark coconut scent. And I love citrus scents - the cleaner the better. Especially lime or lemon. I wore Fresh Sugar Blossom for my wedding, and that's a sweet lemon fragrance. Ok, I better stop now, I think you get the picture.

3. I am a very good organizer. I make lists - lots of them - and I can spend many happy hours organizing my collections. (Like my makeup, or most recently, my cookbooks that are now happily indexed in a database.) However, I hate organizing in order to write big thesises. Which I've done, several times. I have studied for seven years at university - mostly political science (one small thesis, one larger), but also a lot of English (one larger thesis), and things like sociology, statistics, law, and my Master's is in Technology, Society and Science (a very large thesis), a rather obscure cross-disciplinary subject. I currently work as a political secretary for the Liberal party - full time in politics - but if you've got a fun opportunity for me, I'm listening!

4. I barely listen to any music at all. Whatever's on the radio when I'm driving. Other than that, almost never, ever. I like having it quiet when I'm at home. I much prefer the tv. And I have to tell you, I watch many, many tv shows. Many. I follow Desperate Housewives, The OC, Gilmore Girls, Lost, Veronica Mars, Las Vegas, The Simpsons, Gray's Anatomy and several others. And we recently watched all seven seasons of Buffy. (Absolutely delightful by the way, I'm a huge Joss Whedon fan and we're currently watching all seasons of Angel.) Next in line for our massive watching is Sopranos.

5. I read a lot of books. (Not just cookbooks!) I love crime novels (Patricia Cornwell, Karin Slaugther, Kathy Reichs, Jeffery Deaver, Stephen King, Elizabeth George, Val McDermid, David Baldacci, Faye Kellerman, Harlan Coben...) and traditional simple chick lit (Marian Keyes and Sophie Kinsella being a favorite in that genre). I hold particularly soft spot for Carl Hiaasen and Diane Mott Davidson. And lots of Swedish authors, too. Reading is relaxation for me, and I always read before I go to sleep.

Enough about me. Now, who wants to go next? How about Farmgirl, Baking Sheet, Brownie Points, Taste Everything Once and Spittoon?

Carnitas

I found this recipe originally at Alaska Cooks, but I'm posting it here too, so that I may never lose it. (I changed a few things.) Because it's that good. Great when you're sick of tacos, but want something with a mexican vibe. The meat is so unbelievably juicy and flavorful, but it's also very rich. Squeezing over a little lime makes it just right.

Carnitas

1,5 kg pork
2 tbsp neutral cooking oil
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp black pepper
1 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp cumin
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp oregano
1 clove of garlic
200 ml coca cola
150 ml milk

Remove any visible fat or stringy bits from the pork, and cut it into a few smaller pieces. Heat the oven to 125°C. Mix the spices and the sugar on a plate, and roll the meat in this until well covered on all sides.

Heat the oil in a large pot, and fry the meat until browned on all sides. Cover with a lid and put in the oven, for about an hour. Then add the garlic, the milk and the coca cola, and let simmer for another hour. The meat should be extremely tender and easy to shred.

Remove the meat, and shred it. Put the pot back on the stove, heat the liquids and fry the meat shreds until all the liquid has evaporated and the meat is slightly crispy.

Serve with tortillas, chopped red onion, fresh coriander and lime wedges.

Recipe in Swedish:
Carnitas

Salmon with Saffron Butter

I'm completely exhausted - I had my very first Tupperware party this afternoon, and it was great fun. I had made plenty of snacks - more on that next week - and am now totally beat. I'm off to the couch, and episodes of Angel - but before that, let me tell you what Per made me for dinner on Friday.

It's salmon en papillotte - in a paper parcel - with carrots, fennel, leeks and vermouth, served with hasselbacks-potatoes, and a saffron butter. It was very delicious. And quite fast to prepare - though the potatoes take at least half an hour.

Kitten pictures!

Juliet, looking innocent.

Nine weeks old, and real bandits, I'll tell you. You'd never think that tiny kittens could make so much noise. Or such a mess. They got their first shots this week, and will move out in - gulp - three. Such a short time!

Flickr set here.


Julius, being very cute.


Jamy, with intent to kill.


Jupiter, having found a great sunspot.

Healthy Bread with Hazelnuts & Honey

Here's a real gem of a bread. I recently started trying out recipes with baking soda instead of yeast, and this is the best I've encountered so far. It's very adaptable, but so far I've just tried it two ways - once with a grated apple, and once with lingonberry jam. Both were fabulous. You can swap seeds and flour to your liking - I like to use a bit more linseed and less sunflower seeds.

I used Swedish sour milk, but you can use buttermilk, or neutral yogurt. These recipes are old, and are based on the principle "take whatever you have" and thus you'd throw in even your old milk. Feel free to substitute and play with this.

It won't look like a dough at all - but just stir everything into a thick batter, pour into a well-greased pan (I can NOT emphasize that enough, grease it!!) and bake. I like to divide the loaf in halve, freeze it and then take out one half at a time. It keeps very well.

Everything is measured with a deciliter measure - that's 10 ml, or a tenth of a liter. It's also about 0.4 cups. I haven't tried, but I'm betting you could use 1/2 cup measure instead for this recipe, and just increase the liquid a little bit. Or just use a scant half cup, and you'll be fine.

Healthy Bread with Hazelnuts
1 loaf

1 dl (100 ml) rolled oats
5 dl (500 ml, 2 cups) spelt flour
1 dl (100 ml) buckwheat "flakes" (like rolled oats, but buckwheat)
1/2 dl (50 ml) linseed
1/2 dl (50 ml) sunflower seeds
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
1 dl (100 ml) hazelnuts, halved
4 dl (400 ml) sour milk (or yogurt, or buttermilk)
1 dl (100 ml) lingonberry jam OR 1 apple, grated
3 tbsp honey

Stir everything together in a large bowl. Pour into a greased loaf pan, and bake at 200°C for one hour. You might need to cover the pan with foil after half the time, if it looks too dark.

Recipe in Swedish:
Grovt bröd med hasselnötter och honung

Minute Maid Fruit Plus

Functional foods sound like such a great idea, don't they? Imagine drinking something and besides tasting good, it's good for you - and with added benefits, too. That's the idea behind Minute Maid's new fruit juices. One has added fiber, the other added antioxidants. Great. In theory.

But in order for me to rave about this, they have to taste much better. Sorry! The yellow juice has orange, carrots, apples and apricots, and added pro-biotic fibers. The purple one has apples, grapes, blueberries and pomegranate, and antioxidants galore - and this one actually tastes quite ok. But it's a bit bitter, and makes my tongue feel fuzzy. Both juices are a bit thick, and not quite as liquid as I would have preferred.

So. Sorry. No hearty recommendation here. I was glad to try them, sure, but I don't think I'd buy them. No matter how healthy they are.

Happy Women's Day!!

You don't need a special day to celebrate, but now that you have one why not take it :)

And please visit blank Noise Project today for the Action Heroes.

Mini Chocolate Pecan Muffins

Time for something sweet, don't you think? I always love things that are mini - it's something special about having a normal food but in a bite-sized portion. I recently found a mini-muffin tin that I really love, and I used it to make these excellent little chocolatey wonders. They are rather moist muffins, not dry or cakey, but not sticky or wet either. They're great slightly warm - either straight from the oven, or heated a bit in the microwave. They freeze very well.

I used one egg and two egg whites, since I happened to have two leftover. If I don't, the next time, I'll try them with two eggs instead. They might be less fluffy, but it shouldn't make a huge difference.

Mini Chocolate Pecan Muffins
Makes about 30 mini muffins

1 egg
2 egg whites
160 g sugar
125 g butter
125 g dark chocolate
100 g flour
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp vanilla sugar
100 g pecans, roughly crushed

Beat the egg, egg whites and sugar until pale and very fluffy. Melt the butter and chocolate together in a microwave. (Or melt the butter, and pour over the chocolaet.) Stir until very smooth. Mix salt, flour and vanilla sugar and add to the egg mixture. Add the pecans, and finally the chocolate mixtuer. Stir until smooth, and pour into tiny muffin cups. (Preferrably in a muffin tin, as this helps them to rise properly.)

Bake at 200°C for about 10 minutes.

Recipe in Swedish:
Chokladmuffins med pecannötter

Tupperware!

Sunday, March 11 - I'm having a Tupperware demonstration at my house. Yes, really. I've never had one before, nor have I ever been to one, so I'm rather excited. Consider yourself invited, if you're interested and in the general area! I'll offer great snacks, and cuddly kittens, in addition to the main event: plastic stuff.

Got any Tupperware favorites? Tell me! I've just tried a few things, and while I like what I have, I'm looking to expand my collection a bit.

Baked Pasta with Spinach & Chèvre

This recipe actually started out as a lasagna, but it occurred to us that it would probably be better as a "normal" baked pasta dish. And it was delicious indeed! We ate it with grilled tenderloin of lamb, and I had the leftovers - sans lamb - for lunch. It would have been nice to have a few pine nuts sprinkled on top if you've got some at hand - I bet that would go nicely with the other flavors. Mushrooms would work nicely too!

Baked Pasta with Spinach & Chèvre
Serves 4

300 g large dried pasta - such as penne or tortiglioni
4-5 sundried tomatoes in oil
1 onion
1 garlic clove
100 g fresh spinach - leaves halved if very large
olive oil
250 ml cream (single cream, or even lighter substitutes work well)
250 ml milk
2 tbsp flour (I use a sort that dissolves easily for sauces.)
200 g chèvre cheese
100 ml grated parmesan (about a large handful)
salt, pepper

Boil the pasta in lightly salted water. Drain, but save some of the cooking water.

Slice the tomatoes into strips. Dice the onion and the garlic. Fry in some olive oil until softened, then add the spinach and fry for a few more minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Mix milk and cream, and beat in the flour. Bring to a boil, stirring all the time. let it cook slowly for a few minutes. Crumble in about 3/4 of the chèvre, and all of the parmesan. If the sauce feels very thick, use some of the reserved pasta water to lighten it.

Mix the pasta with the fried spinach mix, and pour into a greased baking dish. Cover with the sauce, and finish with the rest of the chèvre, crumbled on top.



Bake at 200°C for about 20 minutes, or until it's crunchy and golden on top.

Recipe in Swedish:
Pastagratäng med soltorkade tomater, spenat och getost

The kittens, 8 weeks

Jupiter and Jamy, having a wrestling match.

Cuter and cuter! They are full-blown tiny terrors now though, and they run, climb and jump all over the place. They are good at handling the stairs, and will do *anything* for food. And all four are now booked, which is a great relief.

The Flickr set.


Jamy.


Juliet.


Julius.