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.
Guests
When there is someone to impress, or simply a lot of people to feed.
Swedish Rice Pudding with Cinnamon (Risgrynsgröt)
Short-grain rice simmered slowly in milk until thick and creamy, served warm with cinnamon sugar and a pat of butter, or cold with milk poured over. This is the dish Swedish families eat on Christmas Eve, with one blanched almond hidden in the pot.
Toast Skagen (Swedish Shrimp Toast)
Cold-water shrimp folded into dill mayonnaise and piled on butter-fried white bread, finished with roe and a wedge of lemon. The starter Swedes order out and make at home whenever there is something to celebrate.
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.
Caesar Salad
Crisp romaine in a garlicky dressing of mayonnaise, parmesan, anchovy and lemon, with croutons fried in olive oil. Served as a starter or as a light lunch on its own.
Hummus with Pita Bread
Chickpeas blended smooth with tahini, lemon and garlic, finished with olive oil and cumin, served with warm pita. Fifteen minutes from can to bowl, and better than anything in a plastic tub.
Swedish Shrimp Sandwich (Räksmörgås)
An open-faced sandwich of cold shrimp, mayonnaise, hard-boiled egg and dill on buttered rye bread. It is the standard lunch counter order across Sweden, and it comes together in about half an hour.
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.
Spanish Tortilla (Tortilla Española)
A thick omelette of potatoes and onion cooked slowly in olive oil, then set in the pan and flipped. It needs five ingredients, no dairy and no flour, and it tastes better lukewarm than hot.
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.
Ratatouille
A French vegetable stew of eggplant, zucchini, bell pepper, and tomato, cooked down in olive oil until soft and glossy. It works as a side for almost anything grilled, or as a light main with bread.
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.
Chicken Tikka Masala
Chicken thighs marinated in spiced yogurt, seared hard, then simmered in a tomato and cream sauce. Served with jasmine rice, it has become a standard weeknight dinner in Nordic homes.
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.
Thai Green Curry with Chicken (Gaeng Keow Wan Gai)
Chicken thighs simmered in coconut milk with green curry paste, broccoli and bell pepper, finished with lime and cilantro and served over jasmine rice. On the table in about 35 minutes.
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.
Hamburgers with Fries
Thick patties of plain supermarket ground beef, salted on the outside only, seared hard in a skillet and finished with cheddar, plus oven fries cut from ordinary potatoes. A burger sauce of mayonnaise, mustard and chopped pickle holds it together.
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.
Jansson's Temptation (Janssons Frestelse)
A Swedish Christmas bake of matchstick potatoes and onion layered with pickled sprats, cream, and buttered breadcrumbs. It bakes until the top is golden and the cream has thickened around the potatoes, and it belongs on the julbord next to the ham and the herring.
Tacos with Ground Beef
Friday night tacos the Nordic way: seasoned ground beef in a skillet, soft tortillas, and a table full of chopped toppings everyone builds from. The spice mix is stirred together from pantry jars instead of a packet.
Swedish Chocolate Balls (Chokladbollar)
No-bake balls of oats, cocoa, butter and sugar, bound with a splash of cold coffee and rolled in shredded coconut or pearl sugar. Fifteen minutes of work, a short chill, and you have two dozen of Sweden's most common fika pastry.
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.
Finnish Salmon Soup (Lohikeitto)
A creamy soup of salmon, potatoes and dill that comes together in half an hour. It is everyday cooking in Finland, and needs nothing more than a pot, a knife and good fish.
Pickled Herring Salad (Sillsallad)
Tender pickled herring folded with boiled potato, crisp apple, red onion, and dill in a sour cream dressing. It chills for an hour, then goes on the table in a bowl with hard-boiled egg on top.
Danish Open Sandwiches (Smørrebrød)
Three classic smørrebrød built on buttered Danish rye: pickled herring with red onion and capers, cold-smoked salmon with egg and dill, and roast beef with curried remoulade and crispy onions. A platter of twelve pieces, enough for four people at lunch.
Greek Salad (Horiatiki)
Tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, red onion, olives and a slab of feta, dressed with olive oil, red wine vinegar and dried oregano. No lettuce, no cooking, ready in twenty minutes.
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.
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.
Gravlax (Gravad Lax)
Raw salmon cured for two to three days under salt, sugar, and dill until it turns silky and rose-pink, sliced thin and served on the Nordic Christmas table. This is the dish that first taught Americans that 'Nordic food' meant more than pickled herring.
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.