Monday, September 26, 2011

fine and dandy mushrooms

When I first moved to Sweden I said to my husband, I don't like mushrooms. I said to my husband's family, I don't like mushrooms. Then one day I was invited to eat mushrooms. I said, I don't like mushrooms. After that dinner, I liked mushrooms. But not just any mushrooms. Kantarell or chanterelle mushrooms. These are amazing, soft, rich, woody, golden pieces of sunshine hiding in the wonderful Swedish forest. Usually in a shaded area with lots of moss and flowers around it.
This is the time of year when these mushrooms are at their prime growth. It's cold, but not too cold and it's raining (a lot). We go out into the forest for a few hours and come back with liters of gold. When I say gold, that isn't exaggerating too much. These babies sell for quite a pretty penny (or krona if you are in Sweden). They are on the same culinary list as truffles and morels.
Not only are these delicious, but they are a joy to pick. What is better than heading out into the beautiful Swedish forest with your husband, his mom and dad and any other member of the family who might go along. It's lovely.
Yes, it is quite normal to go out looking like you just woke up. This is my father-in-law, Håkan. He can actually smell chanterelle. He's really good.
Can you see Fredrik? Ann, his mom, didn't hide quite as well.
Just some of the gorgeousness we see on the walk to the mushrooms. Which reminds me, it's quite a hike, up hill, both ways, to get to the best mushrooms hunting grounds. So it's a work out too!
The end result. How happy I was to find these huge chunks of deliciousness under a tree.
The best way to eat kantarell is to clean them very well, they usually have moss, dirt and spiders on them. Yes, gross, but that's what you are cleaning them. Boil them if you are going to freeze them, above are boiled kantarell ready for the freezer. If not freezing, you fry them in a pan until all the water is evaporated. Then you add butter, salt and pepper, garlic if you please and eat on a piece of bread. So simple, yet soooo delicious.
Now for my favorite.
Kantarell sås (chanterelle sauce)
1\2 liter chanterelle's
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups heavy cream
2 table spoons soy sauce
salt and pepper to taste
Make sure mushrooms are clean and chopped to the same size. Fry in a pan with butter until water is evaportated. Over medium heat sprinkle flour over mushrooms and stir for a minute or so. This takes away the floury taste. Add cream slowly and stir. Add soy, salt and pepper and stir until slightly thickened. This doesn't take very long, but keep stirring. This helps it from sticking and you get a better feel for how fast it is thickening and how thick it actually is.
We usually eat this with pasta or in the later part of summer when the first mushrooms are popping out we eat them with grilled food such as chicken and oven potatoes. But really, it's delicious with almost everything!
If we ever come across these babies, buy them and try them out. You won't be disappointed!

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Nanners

When your husband brings home 15 black bananas you might ask that next time he bring a dozen red roses. But if you are me, you get to work on 72 muffins, of 3 different types. I whipped (yes whipped) bananas into cream cheese brown sugar muffins, peanut butter and banana, and banana chocolate chip.

I hate when I'm actually baking the food and think if a great idea when its too late. Like a before and after of the black bananas into 72 muffins. I'll get better at the pictures while baking thing, I hope.





This is Mr.Josefsson's batch to take to work.

Cream cheese with brown sugar cinnamon banana muffins. (suggestions for a better name are welcome)

1 (8 oz.) cream cheese (softened)
1/2 c butter (softened)
1 1/4 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 c. Whipped bananas
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/4 c. flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda

Topping
1 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400.

Whip banana and cream cheese until smooth. Add eggs, sugar, butter and vanilla.

Add flour, baking soda and baking powder and beat until smooth. (easy!)

Pour into buttered and floured muffin tins and top with topping (repetitive). Bake for 10-15 minutes.

Makes 24

In non-food related news, one of my best friends was proposed to on Sunday. Ashley Farley will become Ashley Landis. I have the honor to be a bridesmaid. My first time and what an honor. I am so happy to be a part of her day. Two of my other friends are getting married in October and November. How happy I am that my wonderful friends are finding such happiness!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

A few months later

After a few months here in Sweden with no computer to call my own and only an iPhone, I've finally remembered (or got unlazy enough) to figure the iPhone/blog thing out.

We are officially a food blog.



To start off, our 2pm Sunday breakfast. 2 liters of orange juice were consumed and quite possibly a whole package of bacon. And when I say quite possibly, I mean most definitely.



This is Mr.Josefsson's birthday cake love.

Swedish sokerkaka (sugar cake)

6-8 people.

75 grams butter or margarine
2 eggs
1 cup milk or cream
2 ½ cups sugar
2 tsp ground cardamom
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
3 cup flour

Grease and flour a sockerkaksform of about two liters. (which is a basic cake pan. I obviously used heart shaped cupcake tins.)

Whisk sugar and eggs until fluffy, preferably with electric mixer or food processor.

Melt the butter and stir in the milk in butter.

Mix the flour, cardamom, and baking powder thoroughly in a bowl.

Stir together egg and sugar mixture with butter and milk mixture.

Add the dry goods and stir smooth.

Spread batter evenly in pan and bake at 400 degrees about 30 minutes. Feel with a stick if the cake is firm in middle.

Sprinkle with sugar immediately when you take it out of the oven and let it "melt" before you turn it out.

Turn out and let the cake cool on a rack.

Don't forget to eat it with a strong cup of coffee, a fantastic Swedish man (or whatever nationality you tend to love) and remember to call it "fika". Cake and coffee always deserve a special name.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Fyrkgången,Göteborg,Sweden