Fria: Swedish for Gluten Free

FRIA gluten-free bakery has been baking gluten and milk free products since 1996.  Their tagline "You can't tell the difference" really does hold true:  these are amazing gluten free products that tastes just like "normal" bread.  Hailed by many people who suffer from Coeliac disease and other allergies as a "true taste winner".

All FRIA breads come frozen:  Just remove what you need from your freezer, leave to defrost at room temperature - and then enjoy it.  

For the past year, Fria has been making a big impact on the UK market.  By an immense public demand, the products are now more and more readily available.  And now, throughout the whole month of February, you can get your FRIA gluten free breads at three-for-two at Scandinavian Kitchen.  

At the Great Titchfield Store (www.scandikitchen.co.uk), you can now get your hands on:

Grova: A best-seller among gluten-free breads. A fiber-rich, dark sliced sandwich loaf enriched with linseed and a hint of caraway seeds. 
500g. Approximately 16 slices.

Grov Minibaguette: Dark roll, fiber-enriched with sunflower seeds, linseeds and buckwheat flakes. 
280g. 4 per pack

Pizza: Pre-made, half-baked pizza base. Create your own, personal pizza with your favorite toppings, bake it in the oven and enjoy.
350g. 2 per pack.

Kanelbulle:  Wonderfully rich and sweet cinnamon buns. Ideal with coffee, tea, hot chocolate or a glass of juice.   230g. 4 per pack.

Kladdkaka:  This Swedish style chocolate brownie cake has a rich chocolate taste with a hint of vanilla. Serve as it is, or top with whipped cream and fresh berries - it's a guaranteed success at parties for children of all ages. 400g. 1 per pack.

We'll add more products throughout the month - but for now, pop along and try these ones out for yourself.   

Don't take our word for it:  Have a look at this video from the 2011 Olympia show and see people's reaction for yourself.  

FRIA at the Allergy & Gluten Free Show, Olympia 2011 from Fria Gluten Free on Vimeo.

Read more about FRIA here - and follow them on Facebook too.

Weekly news 25th Jan 2012: Phat cakes to be won, Swedish hovels and dancing in a gold lame jacket

The weekly news is out.  Have a read of it right here http://www.scandikitchen.co.uk/emailmarketer/display.php?M=2774&C=b60b56bf98b4dc4b847c5c35d0e5ea60&S=29&L=1&N=21.

Bye for now

The Kitchen People x

this is not jackie chan, in case you were wondering.  it's Beautiful Sebbie.

WIN some semla buns (to share, or not)

We're going to be celebrating the start of the semlor season on Wednesday 1st February with a few free semlor for a few nice people.

To be in with a chance to win 4 x semlor to bring back to your office, just answer this simple questions and ping us an e-mail.

We pick the winner from all correct entries and we'll mail you a voucher if you're a winner.  Easy peasy.  You can pick up your semlor between 1st Feb and 21st February.

The spice used to flavour the Swedish lenten buns is:

1. chilli powder
2. cinnamon
3. cardamom
4. Licourice powder

Ping your answer to iloveherring@scandikitchen.co.uk by Tuesday 31st Janaury.

Usual competition rules apply.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Skagenröra on crispbread

If you go to Sweden, you will undoubtedly get to taste the delightful seafood.  One way shellfish is sometimes served is as “Skagenröra” – a shellfish open sandwich filling.

When we make Skagenröra, we love teaming up with a crusty cereal bread or gourmet crisp bread such as Pyramid. 

Makes for a fantastic starter at any dinner party – or even in smaller sizes as canapés.  Make sure you always use good quality seafood for Skagenröra.

Serves 4, open sandwiches

Skagenröra mixture

• 200g good quality fresh prawns – or a mixture of prawns/crayfish tails.  We recommend using prawns in brine (or hand peeled fresh) as the flavour is much nicer than anything frozen.
• 50 ml of mayonnaise
• 100 ml crème fraiche
• 2 tbsp. fresh, finely chopped dill
• 2 tbsp. fresh finely chopped chive
• 1 shallot onion, finely chopped
• ¼ tsp. grated lemon zest
• ¼ tsp. grated horseradish (you can use horseradish from a jar if you can’t get fresh horseradish)
• A small squirt of Dijon mustard
• A squeeze of lemon juice
• Salt, pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients for the sauce and then carefully add the seafood.

Leave in fridge for a few hours for flavours to mingle.

To assemble:

4 slices of bread – we recommend a gourmet crisp bread such as Pyramid or Leksands.  If you prefer softer bread, go for a crusty seeded wholemeal loaf.

A bunch of rocket leaves, 4 slices of lemon and some finely chopped chives, to decorate

Prepare the bread, add a small amount of rocket to the base (this will prevent the bread from going soggy from the Skagenröra, this is especially important if using crisp bread).  Spoon on a generous amount of the seafood mixture, then decorate with a slice of lemon and some finely chopped chives.

Download the recipe here Download 1201 Skagenrora

Other serving suggestions:

You can use this as a filling to closed sandwiches and rolls, as an accompaniment to a big salad – as well as reducing the mayonnaise and crème fraiche to make a leaner version.

The Killing 3 - when, when, when, when?

Not for quite a while, dear reader...  

Forbrydelsen 3 (The Killing 3) is set for release in Denmark in September 2012.  This time, Sarah Lund (complete with a new partner, seeing as the old ones either die or turn out to be baddies), gets involved with a murder of a seaman - and the trail takes her on a trip through the economical crisis and general political maze.  Apparently, its called something along the lines of "Murder in the finance world".  Hopefully, that is a working title...

We can't wait.  But we'll have to.  And those of you who do not speak Danish will have to wait even longer.

Pu-ha.  Det' naesten ikke til at holde ud.

Ps - yes Brix is in it still...  Phew.

Everybody loves Lionel Ritchie. Surely.

So much so, we think he might even be Scandinavian. 

Hello from ant1mat3rie on Vimeo.

Another Princess joins the Danish people...

Prince Joachim of Denmark and his wife Marie (you know, the one with the poodle), became parents again today - this time, they had a little girl.

They are already parents to a little boy named Henrik.

Congrats to all.  We'd like to out our bets on a name, as per usual...  Dagmar, Amalie or Bodil.  

Over and out.

Sweden's smallest student flats

Lund, in Sourthen Sweden, is a big university town.  At times, with a bit of a space issue for accomodation.

The company AF Bostader are showing Sweden's smallest student flat as from today - and people are invited to apply to get their hands on one of these as they are planning on building 100 of them this year (pending permission to bypass strict Swedish guidelines as the project was initially rejected due to lack of disabled access).

So, why the outcry?  Well, these pods are only 9 m2 - that is about 100 square feet to you and me - which is teeny tiny in Swedish eyes, but about twice as big as the average Hackney tip rentable for the same money (ba boom).  Price?  £230 a month.  There's even a bit out outside space to grow your 'erbs, bruvva.

What can you get in London for £230 a month?  A parking space or a room in a shared house (on a good day, if you don't mind egg-shell wall colouring and an old mattress).

There's room to swing a cat...

It comes complete with an empty wine bottle a la student mode

Look, it even has a shower and there's no carpet in the toilet...  And not hot/cold taps, just plain, fuctional mixer taps...

The cheapest London studio we could find had this picture...

If you're planning to move out of London and going to Lund to study, the flat is being shown as from today.  You can read more on the Local's website (thanks, people at The Local, we borrowed your pictures, hope you don't mind)

Need your eyes checked?

A Norwegian TV channel landed itself in funny waters a few weeks back after not checking the graphic they decided to use in a report about sight issues in the elderly.

It was full of internet abbreviations...  How many can you spot?

Danish school in London?

A group of Danish ex-pats in London are considering setting up a school.  As in, a Danish or maybe Scandinavian school.  They need help in getting feedback from Danes to find out what people what.

Here's a link to their survey http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/KL78NLK

You can mail the group on this e-mail also dendanskeskole@hotmail.co.uk

Weekly News 18 Jan 2011: International hugging day, Eurovision countdown starts - and a bit more about annoying Swedes

Here's the weekly news.  You too can get this in your inbox every week by subscribing on the front page of the website.  We'd love for you to join the famiglia.  

Bye for now

The Kitchen People

x

Recipe: Gravlax sas (Dill & Mustard dressing)

Cured dill salmon:  one of he absolute favourites of the Scandinavian smorgasbord.  

Succulent slivers of beautiful cured salmon, tangy from the salt and dill, is simply perfection on dark rye bread or crisp bread.

If you eat Gravad Lax you must do so with a dressing made from mustard and dill.  It is super easy to make this at home and takes just a few minutes to whip up.

Gravad lax with Hovmastersauce or Gravlax Sauce (as these dressings are called) is excellent as a starter or part of a smorgasbord buffet.  At Scandinavian Kitchen, we use a slightly runnier version of this as a dressing for our delightful summer salad with Gravadlax, asparagus, boiled eggs and green beans.  

Click link below to download the PDF version of the recipe

Download 1201 Mustard & Dill sauce

If you're feeling a bit like you cant be bothered to make the dressing, you can buy the ready made sauce from our online shop too - just click here to be teleported to shopping land.  We won't tell.

 

 

 

Marcel the Shell: Got 4 min 12 secs to waste?

Then waste it on Marcel The Shell.  He's cute.

Eurovision 2012

It is no secret that we love Eurovision and all the glitter balls that come with it.

Right now, the Scandi countries are in full swing choosing their acts to send to this year’s final in Baku, Azerbaijan.  The Eurovision finals will take place 22^nd, 24^th and 26^th of May 2012.

The most excellent Schalgerfiasko is a great place to keep up to date with the latest gossip, songs, interviews and other interesting stuff, so pop by there if you need to find out if Norway is preparing to send along a violinist or of Sweden may ask Carola to enter.  Again.  With her wind machine.   

Our Bronte is hoping her friend Lars’ song will win the Danish entry this year (on Danish TV this coming Saturday, by the way) – it is sung by a lovely girl called Soluna Samay.  Bronte is very proud to be almost-directly-linked to the Danish Eurovision and may even bring out her  Clap-Hat again. 

Meanwhile, the trip to Baku is not proving to be popular with that many die-hard Eurovision people this year (if rumours are to be believed) so it may even be possible to get tickets (yes, Eurovision shows usually sell out immediately).

Some random facts about Azerbaijan

• Azerbaijan is so far away from Western Europe that the competition starts at midnight for them so we can watch it at 8 pm.
• They love their chess and Garry Kasparov the famous chess champion comes from there
• Azerbaijan is one of only TWO countries that start with, but do not end with, the letter A (guess the other one)
• Baku has several Irish and English pubs.  You’re set.
• The national dish of Azerbaijan is Yarpag Dolmasi and Plov.    Plov is another name for Pilaf.
• Flights to Baku are currently around £400 for the Eurovision week.  £800 if you want to fly direct. Phew.

Get planning....

Baku

 

What happens during the ad break?

This is how they do ad breaks in America

Weekly News 12 Jan 2011: Win stuff, eat cheese and take a trip to Middelfart

The weekly news is out.  And you can win stuff.  So click the link and be teleported to the wonderful world that is ours:

http://z6.co.uk/195

Happy 40th anniversary, Margrethe II

We love our royals and we love celebrating them.

This week sees the celebrations in Denmark of Queen Margrethe's 40 years on the throne. 

A portrait was revealed - where her grandson is included.  She also did a frank tv interview where she admitted never to using a mobile phone or the internet

We don't believe her.  We bet she pays wordfeud on the toilet on her iphone like the rest of us.

She also has a new stamp out (the royals release stamps like other people upload home videos on youtube).  She has some lions with her.  Quite cool.

This week's silliest Scandinavian towns

There is a quaint little town in Denmark whose name always make the Swedes and the Norwegians snigger:  Bøgballe.  Why?  Because if you translate it, it means Gay Balls.

Sweden is not without its own funky towns, however:  Fancy a trip to Fjuckby this summer, perhaps?  Or how about a day trip to Rövhålet, which literally translated means "Butthole"?

Outside Gothenburg one can enjoy a swim in any of the Yellow, Small or Big Arse lakes (Gula Röven, Lilla Röven, Stora Röven).

In Norway, you can visit the town of Hell - and in Denmark you can enjoy a sunny day in Middelfart.

Do you know your shark from your seal? WIN STUFF

We have a lot of amazing dishes in the Nordic countries.  Fresh, wonderful and healthy - and super tasty.

We also have a few dubious ones - national dishes and dishes from more remote areas and dishes you'd not expect to be in the repetoire of a Northern country.  You may laugh at some of them, but these dishes are steeped in our history and deserve a mention.  Albeit not always a taste unless you can stomach it, in some cases...

Can you match these pictures up with the right dish and country?

Send your answer by e-mail to iloveherring@scandikitchen.co.uk before Monday 16th Jan at noon - the first correct entry picked at random will win lunch for two at Scandinavian Kitchen.  Woo hoo.

     

                A                                                            B    

     

                C                                                          D  

  

                E                                                            F   

Contenders are:

1. Breast of the puffin bird (Faroe Islands)
2. Fermented greenland shark Hakarl (Iceland)
3. 'Smalahove' (Norway)
   
4. Curry Meatballs (Denmark) 
5. Whale meat and whale blubber called Tvøst og Spik (Faroe islands)
6. Seal Soup suaasat (Greenland)

Pop your answer on an e-mail and let us test your Nordic culinary knowledge.

 

Weekly News 5th Jan 2012: Tell us what you think of us, Lillehammer gets famous and something about evil looking pigs

Hello lovely people,

So, feeling a bit podgy after over-doing the Christmas smörgåsbord?  You’re not alone.  We’re feeling podgy with you.  Think of it as Nature’s Insulation against the cold weather to come.  Time to get back on the rye bread and the open sandwiches.  Hold the mayo http://z6.co.uk/15f

Everybody wants to be loved

We like to dish out the hugs and cuddles, there’s little doubt about that.  Last year, we dished out at least 9,125 hugs at least). 

In January every year, we stick our little heads out, waiting for a kiss or a slap from all of you.  This year is no different:  we want to know.  Tell us.  We can handle it.  Feel free to end with a hug.  Oh, and you can win stuff too, like vouchers, free lunches and even a bottle of aquavit.

Click here to go to the annual “How are we doing” questions (there are only 8 questions; it will be over in a minute).   http://z6.co.uk/15g

Now, back to feeling the fatty bits…

We really don’t believe in diets, you know.  They never work.  It is all about swapping the biscuits for some other crunch for a while until the jeans fit again.

We’re making some changes to the daily smorgasbord to include more healthy options – but still super tasty.  Like Superfood salads with seeds and beans – and more Nordic inspired salads featuring anything from kale to beetroot and cabbage.  January also sees a return of hot smoked salmon on LEKSANDS crisp bread as well as Sebastian doing his daily 65 pull-ups in the office between 11:30-11:40 am every day.  Tickets by arrangement.  Maybe.

Who cares about The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo?

Okay, we admit it, it’s pretty good, the new movie.  Daniel Craig is pretty hot and we like the girl’s bleached eye brows (We predict this trend will catch on in Hackney by the middle of the year).  Still, we got really excited when we found out about this new TV series about a mobster moving to Lillehammer http://z6.co.uk/15h

This and that stuff…

•    We’re CLOSED all SUNDAYS in January (back again in Feb, dude)
•    Did you know that herring fart to communicate? http://z6.co.uk/15i
•    And this little piggies lost his marzipan ears http://z6.co.uk/15j
•    While this little piggy is just really SCARY http://z6.co.uk/15k
•    Olympics?  Who cares, it’s EUROVISON on 26th May.  Only the next many months to prepare for it and listen to Eric Saade on repeat.  We can’t wait.

See you in the shop (or online) soon

Bye for now

The Kitchen People

Scandinavian Kitchen – good food with love from Scandinavia
61 Great Titchfield Street W1W 7PP

p: 0207 580 7161 e:iloveherring@scandikitchen.co.uk
www.scandikitchen.co.uk
Find us on Twitter @scanditwitchen or on Facebook: “Scandinavian Kitchen”.

The most Evil Looking Marzipan Pig of 2011

Ten kg of marzipan and a fantastic artistic talent.  We commend you, Mr J Laberg.  He made this as a present for two little girls (5 and 7) but decided, seeing as the pig ended up looking decidedly evil, to abandon the gift idea.

Click on picture for more in-the-making pics.

How did we do in 2011?

imagine - you could even win this photo - signed and everything.

It's that time of year.  Every January, we ask the same eight questions.  It takes less than a minute to fill in this survey and it is anonymous (if you want it to be but if you do add your mail at the end, you can win stuff.  Like, really good stuff like aquavit, lunches and even a voucher to Scandi Kitchen shop or online for £50).

Click here to give us your good and less good stuff.  We want to know.   We really do.  Thank you.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/VPH73BG

Deadline for your rant, rave or hugs is 18th Janaury 2012.

Thanks for your help.  We love you for it.  We love you anyway, but now we love you even more.

The Kitchen People x

Fad Diets versus 'Good Looking & Healthy The Nordic Way'

Look, you don't need us to tell you that fad diets don't work.  It's common sense, isn't it? 

See what it has done to Norway:  All those people suddenly deciding that they were going to listen to those 'doctors 'who says that it is perfectly okay to stuff yourself with high fats and butters, as long as you don't end the meal with a loaf of bread and an apple?  What happened there?  The country ran out of butter, is what happened.  People didn't get any thinner and everybody got upset. 

Jokes aside (they really did run out of butter, though) - it is largely agreed amongst the clever nutritionists of this world that cutting out a food group isn't the way to go to find peace and long term slim-ness.  Eating sensibly IS.  Moving around and getting some exercise IS good because not only does it help top keep you healthy it also helps to reduce that muffin top.

You may have heard about the Nordic Diet.  Let's decide right now that we're going to re-name it because the word "diet" makes it sound like a fad diet, we think.  So, let's call it "the way the Nordics have eaten for thousands of years and this is why they all look like the lovely ladies from ABBA" instead. 

In short, ditch that strange diet that only allows you to eat onion soup and boiled eggs (you may lose weight, but you will fart like a trooper and put it all back on when you head for the mars bars).  Instead, get hold of some nice crisp bread or rye bread, ditch the top of the sandwiches and go topless every day - and by the summer, you may be able to take your own top off on the beach and show off your flat belly.

Here's our Top Ten Tips for following a Nordic style of daily diet:

1. Swap the wheat bread for rye and fiber crisp bread. You’ll eat less as it is slow releasing and filling.  Look here for some inspiration for great crispbreads
   
2. Make open sandwiches.  Less bread, focus on what you put on top.  No need to big lumps of mayo to hold it all together.  You spend time to make it look pretty – eating with your eyes is also surprisingly filling. 
3. Get into Herring.  It’s a great little friend and it tastes really nice and has loads of omega 3.    Try the Scandinavian pickled herring – it is less sour than German and Dutch varieties and more tender.   The good news is there’s lots of herring around in the sea still.
4. Mackerel is a fantastic fish any way you prepare it.  It’s also reasonably cheap and a great alternative if you’re not ready for herring – but still contains buckets of omega 3 oils.  Try mackerel in tomato on dark rye bread as an open sandwich.
5. Eat your porridge.  If you don’t like porridge, eat muesli with lots of oats, barley and rye flakes and some tasty dried berries such as blueberries and cranberries.  Make your own muesli in a jiffy by buying the ingredients in a health food store (tip: add a spice to make it exciting, such as a sprinkle of cinnamon). 
6. Be friends with the berries, especially seasonal ones where they are bursting with flavour and nutrients.  Be concerned about food miles out of season, but know that frozen berries are also excellent and do not lose much of their nutritional values at all so you’ll still get great antioxidants and vitamins.   
7. Cabbage is your new friend.  It may make you let out a few sneaky ones in the beginning if you’re not used to it, but your body adapts and you’ll feel great.  Pickled red cabbage is great as a side dish with your evening meal, shredded white cabbage in your salad.
8. Catch a moose.  Oh well, this might be a bit tricky.  But when you choose meat, try to include some game in there, and ask your butcher for meat that is proper free range and not intensely farmed.  Yes, it’s a bit more pricey but so full of flavour you don’t need as much.  A lot of specialty butchers can order in game for you.   Game meat is very low in fat.  In our London store, we sell reindeer fillets and loins - check the freezer.
   
9. Eat sitting down.  Don’t rush.  Don’t eat on the go.  It’s not very good for the digestion and you’ll never catch a Scandinavian trying to munch an open herring sandwich whilst waiting for Bus 38.
10.  Don’t be too strict about it. It’s not a quick fix diet, it’s a way of eating better and giving your body what it needs in order to function well and for a long time.   

 

From Monday, we're adding many new salads to our lunch time range - containing great wholesome veg such as kale, fennel, cabbage and root veg.  We're cutting back on the mayo so you can cut back on the calories and the flab and end up feeling fab.  Pop by and try, from Monday onwards.

May we recommend getting your hands on The Nordic Diet by Trina Hahnemann to get your started? 

 

 

Dead herring - and some who fart. A lot.

Herring are a bit thick.  Well, they are...  Look, a whole school of them got spooked by a whale (or something) and decided to swim for cover on the safe Norwegian beach.  And then died.  The herrings version of acting like lemmings. 

dead herring looks like this

...here are soem other dead herrings.  We prefer this kind...

Lastly, did you know that herring fart to communicate?  What a clever thing to do.  We can tell you that a few of the boys here seem to have come to the same conclusion.

 

 

Lilyhammer - a new TV series. About a mobster moving to... Lillehammer.

A new film, staring that dude from The Sopranos (No, not Tony himself, the other one - the stupid one, you know... the: "just when I thought I was out, the pull me back in" dude).  

We've decided we're going to watch this, even if it does look suspiciously awful.  Why?  It has guns, booze, scantily clad people and the mafia in it.  Oh, and it is set in Norway.

First episode airs on 6th Feb and is available for streaming online.

This little piggie had no ears...

There's not much left over to reminds us of a crazy Cristmas season.  Except we came back to find one little Marzipan Piggie.  Although, strangely, with no ears.

His box is still sealed.  His ears are gone.  HOW DID IT HAPPEN?

We're going to name him.  He now lives in the office until Rebekka gets so hungry she eats him.

Suggestions for names for the ear-less pig:

1.    Vincent

2.    Evander

3.    Marvin...  Or Mr Yellow.  Who ever did the ear bit.