Christmas Ice Cream with Orrange Salad / Juleis med Appelsinsalat

A Danish desset temptation found on dansukker.dk

Enjoy the Christmas flavors in both the ice cream and the salad
– can be served as a delicious dessert already during advent.

Christmas Salmon / Julelaks

A salmon dish for the Christmas buffet found on kiwi.no

Salmon has a natural place at Christmas for many Norwegians. Either served traditionally with cucumber salad, sliced carrots, sour cream and boiled potatoes on Christmas Eve, or as an appetizer or part of the Christmas buffet like here.

Norwegian Christmas Tea Cakes / Juletekaker

An old Norwegian Christmas classic found on mills.no

These classic Norwegian tea cakes are closely related to Italian biscotti. They are crispy in consistency and common flavours include lemon, almond, ginger, cinnamon and vanilla. Many people prefer to dip the cakes in coffee or tea, and they are usually baked for different occasions throughout the year, but specially for Christmas. The recipe gives about 60 cakes.

Hardanger Type of Gløgg / Hardanger-Gløgg

A gløgg variation from Hardanger in Western Norway
found on  tine.no

The apple juice from Hardanger is looked upon as almost as nobel as wine in Norway, and it makes a marvelous Christmas gløgg.

Soft Gingerbread / Myk Pepperkake

A classic Norwegian Christmas recipe found on regal.no

This is a basic recipe for Norwegian soft gingerbread with cultured milk our sour cream for juicy consistency. Vary with different flavors like cranberries, nuts or icing on top. If you want to make gingerbread muffins, pour the batter into muffin moulds, then bake for 15-20 minutes. Glace with icing sugar.

Homemade Norwegian Christmas Sausages / Hjemmelaget Julepølse

An old-fashioned recipe for Norwegian Christmas sausages found on meny.no

Making home-made Christmas sausages like these is easier than you think! With this good old-fashioned recipe you will make sausages that tastes amazing. Enjoy them even in the weeks before Christmas. You can make them well in advance, they freeze very well.

Norwegian Hulda Cookies / Huldakaker

An old-fashioned cookie recipe found on mills.no

Hulda cookies are flat and round and made with a lot of spices, including cloves and cinnamon. Some decorate these cookies with half an almonds on top of each. A portion of this recipe gives about 50 cakes.

Norwegian Christmas Pate / Julepostei

A Norwegian Christmas buffet classic found on matprat.no

Pates should be generous in ingredients and taste. This pate is not hard to make and it is always a hit on the Christmas buffet.

Fish Fillets with Leeks / Fiskefileter med Purre

A lunch recipe found in “Mat for Travle” (Food for People in a Hurry) published by Hjemmets Kokebokklubb in 1982

Swedish Shrimp Mousse / Räkmousse

A delicious Swedish starter recipe found on recept.nu

Two-Ingredient Flatbreads / Flatbrød med To Ingredienser

A simple flatbread recipe found on Better Homes and Gardens

Try adding your favorite flavors like spice mixes or herbs
to these chewy flatbreads.

Shellfish Soup with Shrimp and Avocado Cream / Skalldyrsuppe med Reker og Avokadokrem

A contemporary take on the classic shrimp soup
found on aperitif.no

With this soup you take full advantage of the shrimp since the shrimp shells are the basis for the broth. If you get leftover shrimps, they will make a nice sandwich for breakfast the next day.

History of Mustard as a Condiment

An article by Peggy Trowbridge Filippone 
published on The Spruce

As a condiment, mustard is ancient. Prepared mustard dates back thousands of years to the early Romans, who used to grind mustard seeds and mix them with wine into a paste not much different from the prepared mustards we know today. The spice was popular in Europe before the time of the Asian spice trade. It was popular long before pepper.

The Romans took the mustard seed to Gaul, where it was planted in vineyards along with the grapes. It soon became a popular condiment. French monasteries cultivated and sold mustard as early as the ninth century, and the condiment was for sale in Paris by the 13th century.

In the 1770s, mustard took a modern turn when Maurice Grey and Antoine Poupon introduced the world to Grey Poupon Dijon mustard.

Their original store still can be seen in downtown Dijon. 

In 1866, Jeremiah Colman, founder of Colman’s Mustard of England, was appointed as mustard-maker to Queen Victoria. Colman perfected the technique of grinding mustard seeds into a fine powder without creating the heat which brings out the oil.

The oil must not be exposed or the flavor evaporates with the oil.

Mustard Species

There are about 40 species of mustard plants. The three species that are used to make mustard are the black, brown and white mustards. White mustard, which originated in the Mediterranean, is the antecedent of the bright yellow hot dog mustard we are all familiar with. Brown mustard from the Himalayas is familiar as Chinese restaurant mustard, and it serves as the base for most European and American mustards. Black mustard originated in the Middle East and in Asia Minor, where it is still popular. Edible mustard greens are a different species of mustard. The history of cultivation of mustard centers on the seeds, not the greens, which have been credited with originating both in China and Japan.

Mustard’s Medicinal History

Long ago, mustard was considered a medicinal plant rather than a culinary one. In the sixth century B.C., Greek scientist Pythagoras used mustard as a remedy for scorpion stings. A hundred years later, Hippocrates used mustard in medicines and poultices. Mustard plasters were applied to treat toothaches and a number of other ailments.

Mustard’s Religious History

The mustard seed is a prominent reference for those of the Christian faith, exemplifying something that is small and insignificant, which when planted, grows in strength and power.

Pope John XII was so fond of mustard that he created a new Vatican position—grand moutardier du pape (mustard-maker to the pope—and promptly filled the post with his nephew. His nephew was from the Dijon region, which soon became the mustard center of the world.

Mustard in Modern Culture

We all know that losers and quitters can’t cut the mustard (live up to the challenge), and perhaps the reason ballpark mustard is so popular is because pitchers apply mustard to their fastballs to get those strikeouts. The disabling and even lethal chemical weapon known as mustard gas is a synthetic copy based on the volatile nature of mustard oils.

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.

Sweet and Spicy Chicken Skewers / Søte og Krydret Kyllingspyd

A juicy campfire skewer recipe found at tammileetips.com

Grilled sweet and spicy chicken skewers that is so easy to make! Great for the campfire or camp grill! Pineapple, peppers, and chicken grilled together to make a perfect meal.