Veal Liver with Mushroom Sauce / Kalvelever med Sjampinjongsaus

A recipe found in  “Okse- og Kalvekjøtt” (Beef and Veal) published by Hjemmets Kokebokklubb in 1979

Traditional Norwegian Potato Cakes / Potetlomper

A recipe for classic  Norwegian potato cakes found in
“Mat for All” (Food for All) published by
Tiden Norske Forlag in 1985

Before the American way of eating hot dogs, with the frankfurter in a bun reached Norway sometimes in the late fifties, it was potato cakes like these we wrapped around the sausages here. Some people still like to eat frankfurter in this way. Some even make a “special”, wrap the frankfurter in a potato cake and put it in a bun.

18th Century Potatoe Balls / Potetballer fra det 18ende Århundre

A traditional relish/dinner recipe found on recipes,history.org

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of this recipe is Mary Randolph’s direction to boil the potatoes with skin on to keep the starch in for frying. In many historic recipes, the technique is not spelled out as one would require in modern recipes. However, 18th century cookbook authors assumed that the reader was already a cook and familiar with a variety of processes.

Scottish Tattie Scones / Skotske Tattie Scones

A traditional Scottish breakfast recipe found on what
was then called about.com

No Scottish breakfast would be complete without Tattie scones – Tattie being a familiar term for potatoes. There are many Scottish recipes for Tattie Scones. Some argue that Tattie Scones should not include egg, but the egg helps to glue the potatoes together and makes a lighter scone. To add one or not is your call.

Taco Meatballs with Mashed Veggies / Tacokjøttboller med grønnsaksmos

Recipe for a spicy everyday dinner found on aperitif.no
 

Even though it’s a workday, it does not mean you have to eat boring food for that reason. With a simple twist, you can make a traditional dish new and exciting, like with this recipe.

Potato Waffles with Smoked Salmon / Kartoffelvafler med Røget Laks

A fun way to serve potatoes found on soendag.dk 

A fun and delicious way to serve potatoes!

English Mustard Steak / Engelsk Sennepsstek

An English classic found in “Matglede Som Aldri Før” (Joy of
Food like Never Before) publishe by Skandinavisk Presse in 1977

A delicious recipe to add new dimensions of flavour to pork.
Serve it with buttered peas and mashed potatoes.

Boxty – Traditional Irish Potato Cakes / Tradisjonelle Irske Potetkaker

A traditional Irish recipe found on irishcentral.com

Traditional Irish potato cakes, or boxty, are mostly associated with the north midlands of Ireland in Connacht and Ulster. The people of Mayo, Sligo, Donegal, Fermanagh, Longford, Leitrim and Cavan are particularly big fans of this delicious and simple style of potatoes.

It is thought that boxty dates back to the days or the Irish famine, presumably to make the potatoes stretch further. There are a couple of different recipes, but all contain finely grated, raw potatoes served fried.

Over the last couple of years, as the Irish have become more interested in their own cuisine, the popularity of boxty has risen. It’s now quite normal to see boxty on a menu in a restaurant in Ireland, whereas a decade ago it would have still been considered a ‘peasant dish.’ However, boxty has always been popular as part of Irish home cooking as one traditional (if woefully out-dated) rhyme explains:

Boxty on the griddle,
Boxty in the pan,
If you can’t make boxty,
You’ll never get your man.

Sausages with Mustard Mash and Red Onion Gravy / Pølser med Sennepsmos og Rødløksaus

Classic British comfort food found on goodhousekeeping.com

There’s nothing better than a hearty plate of comfort food on a rainy late summer day. That’s why you will love this triple-tested sausage and mash recipe which is not only quick but cheap to make!

Grated Potato Balls and Smoked Pork Knuckle / Raspeball med Røkt Svineknoke

Traditional Norwegian grub at its best. Recipe found on godt.no

It’s the same if you call the grated balls Komle, Potetball or Klubb; This is cheap and delicious Norwegian traditional food.

Faggots and Mushy Peas / Faggots og Mushy Peas

A classic pub-grub recipe found on Picture Britain

Abigail Rogers Young who runs Picture Britain writes: This would be one of those snigger-behind-your-hand British/American language differences. I’m sure that you Brits simply live for the look on your American friends’ faces when you say, “Oh yes, we’re having faggots and mushy peas for lunch. Oh, some mash as well, and we’ll cover the whole thing in gravy!”

This traditional British dish (also known as “savoury ducks”) seems to have been concocted for the purpose of using up absolutely every part of a pig that you would never eat otherwise, and was especially popular with the rationing of World War II. The “good old-fashioned way” to make faggots is with a pig’s heart, liver and fatty belly meat or bacon minced together, with herbs added for flavoring, and sometimes bread crumbs. The mixture is shaped into balls, wrapped with caul fat (the omentum membrane from the pig’s abdomen), and baked. Tasty, innnit?

So, my non-British friends, if you want to impress your dinner guests with your expertise in international cuisine, really make them wonder, or just want to gross them out, here is the recipe for British faggots (and please don’t forget the marrowfat peas!).

I have eaten this dish for lunch at countless pubs all over the UK and
can assure you that it’s infinitely more tasty than it sounds like. But I’m
Norwegian and we eat a lot of strange things here as well

Ted

Maakouda – Traditional Moroccan Potato Patties / Tradisjonelle Marokkanske Potetkaker

A traditional North African potato recipe found on
then called food.about.com now called dotdash.com

Pan-fried potato cakes (maakouda batata) are a much-loved street food in Morocco, but you’ll also find them prepared at home. This is a traditional version of the patties, made from a mixture of mashed potatoes, garlic, spices and herbs. Zesty seasoning makes all the difference, so don’t be afraid to taste as you go and add some cayenne pepper or notch up the garlic a bit.

Once the patties are shaped, they’re given a dip in egg and flour before heading for the oil. Some Moroccans will dip them in a fritter batter instead.

Crab Cakes with Wasabi Mayonnaise / Krabbekaker med Wasabimajones

A crab kake recipe inspired by Asian cuisines
found on  godt.no

Replace the traditional fish cakes with succulent crab cakes and serve them with wasabi mayonnaise and a fresh green salad. Perfect everyday dinner – with an Asian twist!

Tip: If you want to make a little extra out of your meal, why not make homemade mayonnaise.

In Context

Wasabi (ワサビ or わさび（山葵), earlier 和佐比; Eutrema japonicum or Wasabia japonica) is a plant of the Brassicaceae family, which includes cabbages, horseradish, and mustard. It is also called Japanese horseradish, although horseradish is a different plant (which is generally used as a substitute for wasabi, due to the scarcity of the wasabi plant). Its stem is used as a condiment and has an extremely strong pungency more akin to hot mustard than the capsaicin in a chili pepper, producing vapours that stimulate the nasal passages more than the tongue. The plant grows naturally along stream beds in mountain river valleys in Japan. The two main cultivars in the marketplace are E. japonicum ‘Daruma’ and ‘Mazuma’, but there are many others. The origin of wasabi cuisine has been clarified from the oldest historical records; it takes its rise in Nara prefecture, and more recently has seen a surge in popularity from the early 1990s to mid 2000s.

Crisp Skinned Salmon with Fetta & Potato Mash / Sprøskinnet Laks med Feta og Potetmos

A lunch recipe found on “Winter Warmers Recipe Book”
a free E-book published by Lemnos

Make creamy mashed potato really special by adding fetta
for extra flavour and texture.

Chicken Grand Duchesse / Kylling Grand Duchesse

A delicious chicken recipe found in “Fjærfe På Menyen” (Poultry On The Menu) published by Den Norske Bokklubben in 1984

I haven’t the faintest idea about what grand duchess it is who has given name to this dish, but it is at least reasonable to assume that she was fond of chicken. Neither do I know if grande duchess salad, grand duchess cocktail and grand duchess consomme is credited to the same lady or if it is common among great chefs to dedicate dishes to grand duchesses without bothering to tell us which grand duchess. Whatever, the chicken dish in question does look absolutely delicious – Ted 🙂