Unbaked bread

Yeasted and rolled rye bread, pre-baking.

Hennickehammar

We are now at our first destination, Hennickehammars värdshus where

we'll have lunch.

On my way

I know, this could be the very worst photo I've ever posted. I'm on a
train to Filipstad, where me and three other bloggers are going to
visit Wasa crisp bread factory. It's a very foggy day, and I'm tired
from staying up late last night, but this visit will be very exciting.

Election Day

In a way, it's a little odd that so many people around the world care so much about an election they can't vote in. Then again, it's not odd at all, because the president of the United States is without a doubt one of the most influental persons in the world. And I daresay that US politics affects us all - often as much, or more, than domestic policy.

So, today is a big day. And I feel that it's a win-win - I'm still upset I never got an "anyone but Bush"-shirt. If I could vote, I'd vote for Obama - but I think McCain has some good ideas as well. (Palin on the other hand... not so much.) Anyway. We're having an election party at my work tonight (remember, I work in Swedish politics) and we'll definitely be rooting for Obama.

I'm not so surprisingly in charge of the food, which has mostly meant shopping. We'll be offering chicken wings, barbecued ribs, barbecue sauces, potato salad, potato chips, peanuts and pretzel sticks. All of which are, I'm sorry to say, store-bought. I am however right in the middle of baking a double batch of chocolate chip cookies, so there'll be at least something home made.

The photo? That's of a big bowl of home-grown tomatoes (no, not mine - Dagmar's) and in a way I think it symbolizes the way I feel about politics. Not two persons are alike - we are all individuals, and we should all have the right to make decisions for ourselves. (Oh, and also? Some are more mature than others.) :)

Get out there and vote.

Oh My... Wow!

We made it to the finals!! Remember how I told you a few weeks ago that Dagmar, Lena and I were competing in "Home Cook of the year", a big cooking competition hosted by Tasteline which is an online food community? Well - we are now one of four finalists! This means we'll be cooking our "Stockholm Chili" live, for a jury! It's very exciting, but we're all quite nervous!

So, what's a Stockholm chili? Well, it's basically meat, chili and.. coca-cola! We're serving it with oven-dried smokey tomatoes, and lavash crackers made from spelt wheat. I will definitely give you the recipe, but I don't want to post it yet since I don't have a good photo. You can find it in Swedish here, though.

November 13 is the day when we'll need all your positive thoughts sent our way!

Tom Kha Soup

It's cold, it's fall, it's soup time! Ah, recipe coming, you might think. Sorry. No.

This is made from a mix. Yes, I'm hanging my head in shame as I admit this. But see, it's a really, really good spice mix, so I can't really help using it from time to time. All I do is add some diced, cooked chicken, and some halved tomatoes. Fresh coriander if I happen to have it. And that's that. Convenient, no? Quick - definitely. Most of all though, tasty.

Pancake help, please!

I love pancakes. Especially the thick, fluffy American kind. Swedes eat thin pancakes, like crepes, and they're nice too. Not something I'd ever make for breakfast though. The American ones however.. oh, I love a special weekend breakfast with a batch of these and some crispy bacon.

It's just that I don't love my recipe all that much. I'm using this, which is originally from Bill Granger, and the problem is that they don't fluff up all that much. Or rather, they deflate really fast. I want them to keep their puffiness, diner-style.

So, dear readers - help me out. What's your very favorite pancake recipe? Everything's welcome - I'd love to work my way through your favorites!