A dear friend and fan of my Cooking Class Series enjoyed a marvelous three-week vacation in Scandinavia (Norway, Denmark and Sweden). I have never been and always wanted to go. She easily transferred her photos from the trip to a wide screen TV! It was exciting to see the cities, the fjords, ferries and cafes in giant size. She completed my vicarious experience with a multi-course dinner—just like my character Amy always does! (Double click on the photos to zoom in and see as a slideshow.)

Creating a paper menu as a souvenir is a nice touch. The appetizer—(Valnotter og ost)—was a unique combination to me of a green grape, a blue-ish cheese and a walnut. I loved the crunchy, creamy and medium firm textures and the nutty, rich and sweet flavors. Salty, crisp potato chips are an indulgence I adore. The perfect petite beverage to accompany the mouth feel and taste sensations was an Icelandic vodka with a dry herbal note. I really enjoyed every aspect of the appetizer. Aquavit, which I have little experience with, is traditional accompaniment to Scandinavian food. We tasted these two for a reference, but I am really an oenophile and preferred the OLEMA Loire Valley Sauvignon Blanc.

Looking minimalist on the menu, Course 1 Smorrebrod (butter bread) was actually maximalist. There were three different versions served on dark Danish rye bread which is dense and square, cuts into four bites, and is always eaten with a knife and fork. The layers begin with a slab of Danish butter, specified to be thick enough to leave your teeth imprints. That’s generous and you can taste the marvelous butter with each bite despite all the accompaniments. Irish butter at my house will now take a back seat to Danish. The first one featured smoked salmon, red onion, cucumber, radish and dill. The second featured lettuce, shrimp, chives and a slice of hard boiled egg and lemon. The third following the custom was cheese with apple, fennel, onion and dill. Each one of the three was pleasing in tastes and textures.

Course 2 Fiskesuppe (Bergen Fish Soup) was more like the fourth course, but I never argue with tradition. We’re learning here how to do it the Scandinavian way. Bergen, Norway is reported to be one of the most beautiful cities in the world. I plan to go someday and look forward to more Fiskesuppe. The fish stock had a delicate splash of cream in it to make a white background but was light, not creamy. The fish of the day in the soup was black cod which is one of my favorites with its silken texture. A little bit of chopped vegetables provided color and al dente bite.

We’ve always got room for dessert, don’t we? The Scandinavian bakery on Nickerson in Queen Anne, Byen Bakeri, supplied the dark bread and the pastries, Apple Lingonberry Tart and Chocolate Whisky Tart. As you see in the photo everyone had a slice of each and a small scoop of vanilla ice cream. What a luxurious finish to an exciting culinary tour of Scandinavia. I was thrilled to be invited, enjoyed every morsel and felt happy that my “love later in life” novels are inspiring great meals to share with friends all about the joy of traveling .

A personal footnote: My Dad’s family was from Denmark and he visited relatives there once in Copenhagen and thoroughly enjoyed himself. He discovered some of his DNA on his first visit to a smorgasbord. He surveyed the opulence of seafood of all varieties and said, “This is what I like to eat! Why don’t we have this at home?”