Archive for November, 2010
Deep-water cod from Hvaler
Posted by admin in Food and drink, News on November 29, 2010
Cod caught off the coast of Hvaler, deep in the waters of the Oslofjord, has been named as best sea raw ingredient of the year at Det Norske Måltid 2010, an annual competition aiming to find, and reward, the best Norwegian products and ingredients nationwide. The jury at the Norwegian Gastronomic Institute in Stavanger, led by former Bocuse d’Or winner Bent Stiansen, were impressed with the deep water cod, which is typically caught at depths of 300-400m, because of two distinctive characteristics: its firm texture (the fish swims in strong currents) and its marked crustacean taste (it feeds on prawns).
Want to try the deep-water cod for yourself? Order direct from the producer – Fjordfisk AS, Utgårdskilen, Hvaler. www.fjordfisk.no (Norwegian only)
For Østfold products nominated last year see www.elusivemoose.eu/2009/12/top-5-%c3%b8stfold-producers/
Christmas concert at Oslo Spektrum (2009)
Posted by admin in Art, culture and literature, Photos and videos on November 25, 2010
Sissel Kyrkjebø: Norway’s best soprano
Posted by admin in Art, culture and literature on November 25, 2010
Born in Bergen on 24 June 1969, Sissel Kyrkjebø (widely known as Sissel) started singing early, and by the age of 9 she had already joined her first choir. In 1984, 14-year-old Sissel was making her television debut on the NRK (the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation), and later that year she met Rune Larsen, who would eventually become her personal manager. In May 1986 Sissel performed live from Grieghallen in Bergen during the intermission of the Eurovision Song Contest – a performance watched by millions, and Sissel’s first taste of international fame. In October that year, she released her first album, which sold over 300,000 copies, a record for Norway. Two months later, the Norwegian newspaper Dagbladet selected Sissel as ‘The Name of the Year’, and the following year, not 18 yet, Sissel received the prestigious Årets Spelleman, the Norwegian equivalent of a Grammy Award. A star was born.
Sissel has since then lived up to her earlier promise, and is widely recognised as one of Norway’s foremost artists. Highlights of her career include singing the Olympic Hymn at the opening and closing ceremonies of the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer; duets with stars such as Plácido Domingo, Charles Aznavour, José Carreras, and Dee Dee Bridgewater, among others; and her participation on the Titanic film soundtrack. Sissel received her first Grammy nominations in 2007 for a collaboration with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Her combined solo record sales (not including soundtracks and other albums to which she contributed) amount to 10 million albums, most of them sold in Norway, a country with 4.7 million people. More info about Sissel at www.sissel.net
Venison fillet with brown cheese sauce
Posted by admin in Food and drink on November 23, 2010
Autumn is the best time to eat game, and it is worth splashing out a bit to get really good quality meat, ideally from a farmers market or direct from the producers. I love this dish because it brings together several typically Norwegian ingredients while being super tasty – always a winning combination.
You will need (Serves 4):
- 800g of venison fillets (you can replace with moose or reindeer meat if you so wish)
- juniper (a tiny handful)
- lingonberry gelée or jam (tyttebær in Norwegian)
- 1 pinch of fennel seeds
- 1 spoonful of flour
- 2 dl of beef stock
- 2 dl of sour cream (rømme in Norwegian). Crème fraiche will do if you can’t get hold of sour cream.
- 30g of Norwegian brown cheese
- 20g of butter
- 2 spoonfuls of aquavit
- salt and pepper
…
1. Crush half of the juniper with the fennel seeds in a mortar, add the salt and pepper and mix. Rub onto the meat with your bare (washed) hands. Leave to the side while you make your sauce.
2. Crush the remaining juniper and mix with the flour in a small pan. Add a few spoonfuls of the beef stock and mix, making sure you don’t have any lumps. Add half of the stock and cook at low temperature, stirring all the time. When the sauce has started to thicken, add the remaining stock and continue cooking. Add the brown cheese, the sour cream, and the rest of the juniper, reduce the heat and let it cook for a further 5 minutes. Take the sauce off the hob, and cover the pan with a lid.
3. Melt the butter in a frying pan on a high heat. Fry the fillets for about 5 minutes, turning them often. This is enough if you like your meat cooked rare, allow a bit longer if you prefer it medium, but don’t overcook it, as it will lose its flavour.
4. Just before you serve, add the aquavit to the sauce, and reheat for a couple of minutes. Adjust the seasoning.
5. Cut your meat in 2cm-thick slices, pour the sauce over it, and place a spoonful of lingonberry gelée or jam to the side. Serve with boiled potatoes. Fried fresh wild mushrooms (chanterelles for example) make another good accompaniment to this dish.
Adapted from a recipe by Norwegian chef Andreas Viestad. More info about him at www.elusivemoose.eu/2010/04/10/
A great film by Sara Johnsen
Posted by admin in Art, culture and literature, Photos and videos on November 19, 2010
Upperdog (2009)
Posted by admin in Art, culture and literature on November 19, 2010
A fantastic film, which came out last year (2009), directed by Sara Johnsen, and featuring a group of mostly unknown actors in the main roles. This comedy, which is as entertaining as it is thought-provoking, touches on a variety of universal themes (love, loss, identity and guilt among them) while at the same time painting an insightful portrait of today’s Norwegian society, and the challenges it faces, be it Norway’s involvement in the war in Afghanistan, or the fate of immigrants in Oslo. A touching story, backed by great acting, make this a must see film.
From the producers:
As young children, half-siblings Axel and Yanne are adopted to Norway. They are separated on arrival, he to material wealth on Oslo’s west side, she to an average family on the east side. In contrast to her younger brother, Yanne remembers their journey to Norway, but she has no idea where he might be now. All this is about to change, however, as Yanne’s Polish friend Maria starts working as a maid for Axel’s parents, there discovering a photograph of a young boy. Maria has seen the same picture on the wall of Yanne’s flat. She decides to reunite them. But before having time to realize the consequences, she sets in motion a chain of events which throws many people into emotional turmoil.
Top 5: Most romantic places in Østfold
Posted by admin in Uncategorized on November 16, 2010
- Going back in time in Gamlebyen: Take a walk along the quaint cobblestone streets and on the leafy ramparts before retreating to one of the many cosy cafes for a drink and a cuddle. Little wonder Gamlebyen’s recently been voted as one of the top 10 most romantic destinations in Norway by travel magazine Reiser & Ferie!
- Trip on the Halden Canal: There is something about gliding on the water on a hot sunny day, a light breeze in your hair, a glass of bubbly in your hand, the two of you leaning against the railing, watching the wake. Want to impress your date? You could do worse than a trip on the Halden Canal.
- Dinner at Curtisen: Good food, good wine, and a historic setting full of atmosphere – surely the recipe for a very romantic evening. Restaurant Curtisen, in Halden Fortress, is just the ticket.
- Finding your own secret creek on Hvaler: With hundreds of islands, islets and skerries, that shouldn’t be too much of a problem. Sea, sex and sun on Søndre-Sandøy (?)
- Sleeping under the stars in Vestfjella or Rakkestadfjella, Indre-Østfold: Want to get away from it all? Here you really can have a whole forest all to yourself! Set up camp by one of the hundred little lakes in the area, and you can even go for a midnight dip with your loved one 