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Our Norwegian Christmas foods are coming in this Thursday. Here is a list of the main things we are getting in - from Pinnekjot to Bamsemums to Julebrus and Solo and Marcipangris...
Please do remember that we stock 600 products from all over Scandinavia and some things you may be looking for we have in the Swedish or Danish section if these are as good alternatives that offer you better prices - just ask if in doubt.
Ray is back. He's our good friend who pops along once a month to do a wine tasting class/session. Ray was voted the Young Wine Writer of the Year and has been Head Sommilier at prestigies places such as Gordon Ramsay's Maze. Currently, he works for the International Wine Challenge.
This year we've leart about everything from Chablis to Pinot Noirs - and last month we did a tour of Australia (well, no, not physically, just the wines, you know).
On Wednesday 3rd December sees the last class of the year and Ray the Wine Expert's decided we're in for a huge treat: we're doing fizzy stuff - so if you want to know your Prosecco from your Champagne, this is the event for you.
You can read more about Ray and previous events here http://scandikitchen.typepad.com/scandikitchen/2008/06/super-plonk-win.html
There are strictly 15 spaces only - as with all the other classes, we keep the numbers small. Spots cost £30 a head for this event - to reserve a spot mail ilovehering@scandikitchen.co.uk
Ray the Wine Expert in the field
By Jonas
Sarö, on the west coast of Sweden some 30km south of Gothenburg, is home to 3,000 people and a disused railway line. The name – Peculiar island (extremely loosely translated) – doesn’t do it all that many favours, although when considering Sarö is an island only in a technical sense (jumping across the ditch that separates it from the mainland is quite achievable - for a six year old) we can suppose the name bears right in a sense.
Home to the Ghost Hill- which must have been the steepest hill in the world for at least five years at the end of the seventies - and The Love Cave’s diving spot which surely rivalled any 10m platform at the Olympics, it is strange for anyone having grown up there that the place is best renowned for having a couple of kings cajoling with the locals around the turn of the 19th century. Well, the place can possibly be said to have a strong royal connection as the first king is rumoured to have left enough of a legacy to ensure his son should never have had to worry about finding a suitable blood donor should he cut himself on a rock while following a guy down the cliffs around the Love Cave.
Arguably some of the above items could be dismissed as pure speculation so here are some other facts about the place: it is the home of one-quarter of Ace of Base; it is the first spot in Sweden where a woman was caught for speeding (go grandma!); and, of course home to Pappa Leif’s Janssons Temptation. Other reports have it that the football team isn’t all that prolific at the moment, the tennis club hasn’t produced any major stars yet and the best golfers coming out of the place all played for neighbouring clubs. But then, who said life on a little island was easy?
The Christmas deliveries are starting to come in... Some of the new stuff added this week includes:
Gløgg spices
Vortmix
æbleskiver
Brunkager
Pebernødder
Klejner
Swedish Chrsitmas beer and Swedish Chrsitmas aquavit
Two great gals, Corinne and Lesley, decided a little over a year ago that there was a gap in the market for really great quality baby stuff in funky patterns and designs - and not just pink and light blue.
So, they set about designing a range of durable and adorable things - from bibs to towels to sleeping bags. The result is the company Nothin' but a Muffin and they've just launched their range and online shopping on their website - click here for more info
It's really great stuff and all handmade - well worth a look to see if there's something in their for your own kids or as a great Christmas present.
Did you know that there is a Danish Club in London? Indeed - and it's been there since 1863 and is the oldest Danish club outside Denmark.
Located in the prestigious Arts Club in Dover Street, the club organises events for Danes and Friends of Denmark throughout the year and provides a great meeting place in the centre of London for both grabbing a bite to eat (they have monthly Danish Buffets and serve daily smoerrebrod's platter too).
This autumn they have their annual Danish Club Fair - it's this Tuesday 18th November and it is open to both members and non members. You can buy stuff from Denmark including Danish food and hampers - in fact, we have a little stand there so if you fancy stocking up on kjejner and curry herring before Christmas, then it is a great opportunity to come along and see what the club can offer you - and maybe even end up becoming a member yourself.
When: Tuesday 18th November from 14:00-16:00 and from 18:00-20:00 in the Garden Room.
See you there.
More about the club here http://www.danishclub.co.uk/
This post refers back to Henrik's Rydsgard, Elisabeth's Drammen and Bronte's Hong
By Sebastian
Karlskrona is a gem of a city nestled in the south-eastern Swedish archipelago. Founded in 1680 by the then Swedish king Karl XI with the purpose as to serve as a naval base to protect Sweden from the aggressive Danes. Something must have gone right as it is still Swedish today. Karlskrona is home to 62.589 people and is still Sweden’s most pub dense city and the one with the most dangerous street, Ronnebygatan.
Karlskrona has always been heavily influenced by its maritime heritage and still is today. Every year there’s a big regatta held called “Sailet” (swenglish for the word sail) with ships coming in from all corners of the globe. You may also have heard of Karlskrona watching the news back in 1981 when a Soviet submarine stranded there.
The city is built on a number of islands, the largest of which is Trossö. This island was owned by a stubborn farmer called Wittus Andersson back in the day of Karl XI and he was forced to sell the island so that the city could be built. Wittus was so enraged that he cast a curse on the city, he vowed that it would burn to the ground, be ravished by pestilence and sink to the bottom of the sea. Karlskrona was ravished by pestilence between 1710-1711 and burnt to the ground in 1790, all that remains is for it to sink to the sea.
The best bar in Karlskrona is “Schlager-baren” where you can sing all of your favourite Schlager anthems every Friday and Saturday. After a long night out you might want to enjoy some fabulous pizza or kebab at “Bernes”, where everything comes drenched in garlic sauce whether you want it to or not.
Karlskrona is also home to many famous people - even Kofi Annan has a summer cottage here. Karlskrona’s Janne Lindello, who you often bump into when you roam the streets of the city. writes poetry and played a minor role in SVT’s (Sweden’s BBC) movie “Det grovmaskiga nätet” as a police officer.
Anders Matthesen, the Danish comedian, is in London on 11th November and is playing at Conway Hall. Tickets are £25 each and can be bought through KFUK
We've got a pair of tickets to give away for the event - to enter the competition answer this question:
Which of these is not a famous Danish person?
a) Hans Christian Anderson
b) Peter Schmeichel
c) Morten Hakett
It's probably worth mentioning here that "Anden" is going to perform in Danish.
Usual competiton rules apply. No, you can't enter more than once, no you can't exchange the prize for money and no, we're not paying for your kebab on the way home.
Winner will be chosen by usual method: entries are in a sock, box or maybe Timmo's apron pocket and we'll draw a winner from all correct (or most humourous) entries.
We've been using Normann Copenhagen's fancy pansy Famiglia mugs in our cafe since we started and we love them. And this week, the lovely people at Normanns thought you might like a mug or two as well. And if not you could always give them to Auntie Kirsten at Christmas.
To enter our competition to win a set of cups, answer the following question:
Which country is furtherst North?
a) Sweden
b) Norway
c) Finland
Email your answer to iloveherring@scandikitchen.co.uk. Usual rules and regulations apply and if we don't follow them, you can call the competition police in on us. If indeed there is such a thing.
By Henrik
Rydsgård was conceived after the railway between Malmo-Ystad was built in 1874. The village, on the south coast of Sweden, boasts a population of 1301 and the “Skivarpsån” river divides the village in two parts – very much like the Thames in London. Both sides have their own church but the pizzeria, the newsagent and the nursing home are situated on the south side, hence making it the town centre. The local school, on the north side, educates years 1-6 with almost 200 pupils enrolled. It houses kids of the local farming communities as well as a few of the more urbanised pupils from both sides of the river. It is, however, highly unusual for people to get along with villagers from the other side and marrying someone who grew up on another street than your own is almost unheard of.
Rydsgårdians have always been jealous of the neighbouring village Västra Vemmenhög, from where the young boy, who rode the length of Sweden on the back of a goose, started his journey.
The village’s biggest tourist attraction used to be Rydsgårds Stängselnät AB, the nail and barbed wire factory. It had a very distinct smell and every now and then a big truck would arrive to pick up the daily production. It did however burn down in 1984, even prompting a 30 second feature on the local news.
Football is the most popular pastime in Rydsgård. We are very proud of our team that currently sits in 12th place in southern Sweden’s sixth division. Throughout the eighties the first team consisted of seven brothers and three cousins of the same family. Their mother was the kit man for the whole club because she had two washing machines. One of the brothers, Ola, even had a trial with Trelleborgs FC who used to play in the Swedish premier league. Another famous footballer from Rydsgård was Anders Fredriksson (a.k.a. “the elk” due to his long legs) who once hit a penalty kick to a throw-in.
Other famous members of the community include Rickard Andersson, who played keyboards for Yngwie Malmsteen and Laine Olsson, who won a Volvo on “Bingo lotto”.
Rydsgaard last thursday in Rush hour?
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