Beef Stroganoff
Strips of sirloin seared fast, then mushrooms, onion and a sour cream sauce built in the same skillet. On the table in about 40 minutes, served over rice or wide noodles.
Recipes with all-purpose flour
Carrot Cake (Morotskaka)
A moist, oil-based spice cake packed with grated carrot and finished with lemony cream cheese frosting. Baked in a 9x13 pan and cut into squares, the way it is sold in Nordic cafes.
Norwegian Waffles (Vafler)
Soft, cardamom-scented heart waffles cooked in a Norwegian waffle iron and served warm with sour cream and jam. The batter rests half an hour, then five hearts come off the iron at a time.
Rhubarb Pie (Rabarberpaj)
A butter short crust shell filled with the first garden rhubarb of the year, thickened with potato starch and scented with vanilla and cardamom. Baked until the juices bubble and the lattice is golden, and served warm with cold cream.
Chicken Katsu with Rice
Breaded chicken cutlets fried until deep gold, sliced and set over short-grain rice with a quick tonkatsu-style sauce and shredded lettuce. A Nordic weeknight regular borrowed straight from Japanese home cooking.
Danish Pastry (Wienerbrød)
Laminated yeast dough folded with cold butter, filled with almond remonce and a spoonful of raspberry preserves, baked into twelve square pastries and finished with icing and sliced almonds. The dough is made and chilled the day before, then rolled, filled and baked in the morning.
Margherita Pizza
Homemade pizza with a simple uncooked tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, and basil, baked as hot as a home oven will go. Makes two 12-inch pizzas, enough for four.
Danish Meatballs (Frikadeller)
Oblong pork and veal patties shaped with a spoon and fried slowly in butter until deeply browned. Served the standard Danish way, with boiled potatoes and brown gravy made in the same pan.
Swedish Pancakes (Plättar)
Thin, lacy pancakes fried in butter and served with lingonberry preserves and whipped cream. In Sweden they follow a bowl of yellow pea soup on Thursdays, but they work as dessert any day of the week.
French Onion Soup (Soupe à l'Oignon Gratinée)
Onions cooked slowly in butter until deep brown, simmered in beef stock with a splash of wine, and finished under the broiler with a cheese-covered slice of toasted baguette. A classic winter starter for guests, and mostly a matter of patience with a pot of onions.
Swedish Cream Buns (Semlor)
Soft cardamom-scented yeast buns hollowed out and filled with almond paste and whipped cream, with the bun top set back on like a little hat and dusted with confectioners' sugar. Makes 12.
Swedish Cinnamon Buns (Kanelbullar)
Soft yeasted buns rolled with a cinnamon-butter filling, baked until just set, brushed with syrup and finished with pearl sugar. This is the everyday Swedish fika bun, stickier and sweeter than the cardamom version.
Falafel with Tahini Sauce
Crisp chickpea patties fried golden and served with a lemony tahini sauce, warm pita, and chopped salad. Made from dried chickpeas soaked overnight, which is the only way they hold together properly.
Æbleskiver (Danish Pancake Balls)
Danish pancake balls fried in a cast iron æbleskiver pan, light from beaten egg whites and scented with cardamom. Served hot with confectioners' sugar and lingonberry jam.
Danish Rye Bread (Rugbrød)
A dense, dark sourdough loaf studded with whole rye kernels, baked in an ordinary loaf pan. This is the bread under every open sandwich in Denmark, sliced thin and topped with everything from liver pâté to pickled herring.
Swedish Cardamom Buns (Kardemummabullar)
Soft, cardamom-scented yeast buns twisted into loose knots and topped with pearl sugar. The Swedish answer to the cinnamon roll, and the standard companion to coffee at fika.
Swedish Meatballs (Köttbullar)
Tender beef and pork meatballs simmered in a cream gravy, served with mashed or boiled potatoes and a spoonful of lingonberry preserves. This is the everyday version Swedish families actually make, not the smorgasbord centerpiece.