Thanks For The Food - A Norwegian Food Blog

We've Moved!

noreply@blogger.com (Whitney from Thanks For The Food) — Wed, 25 Dec 2013 18:59:00 +0100

Join Thanks For The Food, A Norwegian Food Blog at our new home - thanksforthefood.com

Ron Finley: A guerilla gardener in South Central LA

noreply@blogger.com (Whitney from Thanks For The Food) — Sun, 18 Aug 2013 23:09:00 +0200

This post is for non-commercial, personal use only. Copyright ©2013 by Whitney @ Thanks For The Food. Be sure to check out my Useful Links Page and More Useful Links Page or read more about me on the About Page. You can also find TFTF on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and You Tube.

Meeting Marcus Samuelsson During Gladmat

noreply@blogger.com (Whitney from Thanks For The Food) — Tue, 6 Aug 2013 22:33:00 +0200

Guess who I got to meet during the Gladmat 2013 Industry Breakfast? MARCUS SAMUELSSON (!!!!!!!!), celebrity (and President Obama loved) chef and owner of the Red Rooster Restaurant in Harlem.

For those of you who don't know, Samuelsson was the winner of Top Chef Masters, and has published several books, including a memoir, "Yes, Chef" and has recently launched a series of restaurants in Scandinavia called Kitchen & Table, including one right here in Stavanger!

P.S. Yes...I know....what you may be thinking....but....for the record this is what my face looks like 100% au natural. Well "au natural" without concealer (or any makeup for that matter) and in poor iridescent hotel dining room lights. And in 28 degree Celsius and 50% humidity weather. I'm happy that my face didn't simply just melt off especially since I had my (super) cheese smile on when I met Marcus!

This post is for non-commercial, personal use only. Copyright ©2013 by Whitney @ Thanks For The Food. Be sure to check out my Useful Links Page and More Useful Links Page or read more about me on the About Page. You can also find TFTF on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and You Tube.

TFTF Joins The Gladmat Jury Once Again!

noreply@blogger.com (Whitney from Thanks For The Food) — Fri, 26 Jul 2013 10:53:00 +0200

No Knead Bread Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Whitney from Thanks For The Food) — Wed, 24 Jul 2013 08:30:00 +0200

No Knead Bread Recipe
aka Lazy Man's Homemade Bread

This recipe helped me fall in love with bread again after years of swearing off all “carbs” – bread, potatoes, rice, pasta, et al. Now I eat bread everyday and can't imagine my life without it.

The thing I love about this no knead bread recipe is its simplicity. In total, minus baking time, the recipe takes 5 minutes to put together, mostly because the quantities are measured on a scale and not measured in volume. Measuring quantities in weight versus measuring them in volume makes baking much more exact and more easily guarantee a superb end result. I also love this recipe because the recipe includes only 4 ingredients, all of which can be found in every grocery store.

For this no knead bread recipe, I bake the bread in a terracotta clay oven so the bread bakes with a divine crust and soft sourdough like inside. The concept of using the terracotta oven is very similar to using a pizza stone in that the clay helps the bread bake without burning and helps give the bread its dynamo crusty outer layer. Terracotta clay ovens can be bought at your local cooking or hardware store. If you don’t have nor want to buy one, this recipe can be made in a normal bread pan.

No Knead Bread Recipe
750 grams flour (white, whole wheat, rye, or a combination of all three)
1/4 teaspoon dry yeast
3 teaspoons salt
100 grams nuts or seeds (pumpkin seeds, linen seeds, sunflower seeds, walnuts, pine nuts)
600 ml water

1. Combine the flour, dry yeast, salt and nuts/seeds into a large mixing bowl. Next, make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the water. Stir until all ingredients are mixed together (no dry flour remains in the bowl).

2. Lightly cover the dough with white flour, then cover bowl with plastic wrap and allow it to sit in a warm but dry place for 12-24 hours to allow the bread dough to ferment.

3. Good places to let the bread ferment are near a warm fireplace, near a heating vent or on a top shelf in the warmest room in your house. The longer the dough ferments, the better the taste.

4. Once the dough has fermented, you are ready to bake.

5. Pre-heat your oven with the clay oven inside of it, at 250 C/480 F for 45 mins. The clay oven needs to be very, very warm before you add the bread dough to it.

6. Once the clay oven is warm enough, add plain white flour to the inside to prevent the bread from sticking, and scoop the dough into the clay oven. Cover the clay oven with the lid, and put it back in the oven for 50 minutes to bake the bread completely.

***If you are using a normal bread pan, pre-heat the pan for 15 mins. before adding the dough to it. It does not take as long for the bread pan to warm up but it still needs to be warm in order to create a crust on the outside of the bread.

7. When the baking time has finished, CAREFULLY remove the clay oven, take off the lid and remove the bread from the clay oven with a silicone spatula. Dust off the extra flour on the bottom of the bread and place it on a cooling rack for at least 30 minutes before serving.

This post is for non-commercial, personal use only. Copyright © 2013 by Whitney @ Thanks For The Food. Be sure to check out my Useful Links Page and More Useful Links Page or read more about me on the About Page. You can also find TFTF on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and You Tube.

In Memoriam

noreply@blogger.com (Whitney from Thanks For The Food) — Mon, 22 Jul 2013 07:30:00 +0200

. . . and the greatest of these is love

As they say in Oslo, Life is Fantastic

noreply@blogger.com (Whitney from Thanks For The Food) — Sun, 23 Jun 2013 16:50:00 +0200

“E.E Cummings wrote, "To be nobody-but-yourself in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody but yourself - means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight- and never stop fighting.”

― Brené Brown, The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You're Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are

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Norwegian Knekkebrød Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Whitney from Thanks For The Food) — Tue, 21 May 2013 08:30:00 +0200

Knekkebrød Recipe

Knekkebrød or crisp bread is a staple food in the average Norwegian household. It is a form of flat bread, but probably resembles more of a seeded cracker. It is simply made with various (i.e. whatever you have on hand) seeds and grains, water and salt for taste. That's it. An entire recipe of knekkebrød can be made in 30 minutes or less, including 20-25 minutes of baking time.

Knekkebrød is very quintessentially Norwegian with its no muss, no fuss production method, but admittedly has a has a long history rooted in making the best of the basic ingredients one has on hand. Eaten for breakfast, lunch or a snack anytime of day, knekkebrød can replace normal bread as part of an open-faced sandwich. I enjoy homemade knekkebrød more than the store bought varieties and tend to put butter and Jarlsberg on mine. I also enjoy my knekkebrød topped with a soft goats cheese like Snøfrisk and raspberry jam.

Dress yours up however you like, but be sure to let us know in the comments your recipe turned out.

Knekkebrød
*As this recipe can be sized up or down depending upon how much knekkebrød you want to produce at once, I've made a basic recipe in "parts" that focuses on ratios rather than specified measurements. If you want to make a larger batch, use larger volume measures (ml. or oz.) for each part.

Ingredients
1 part wheat flour
2 parts seeds or whole grains of your choice (sunflower, pumpkin or flax seeds + whole wheat berry, steel cut oats, rye, or quinoa are all good choices)
salt to taste
1 part water

Directions

1. Pre-heat your oven to 180 Celsius/350 Fahrenheit. Add all ingredients except the water to a large mixing bowl. Stir until the mix is fully blended.

2. Once all of the ingredients are stirred together, add the water - but slowly. This part can be tricky so add half of the water, stir a bit, then add more little by little. You want to final mix to be moist, but not overly wet else you'll have to increase the baking time. No biggie - but save yourself the hassle of having to wait and slowly mix in the water.

You want the final product to look something like this. It should clump easily and resemble wet gravel.

3. Place the contents of the bowl on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and spread out the mixture as flat as possible.

4. Use the back of a rubber spatula or metal spoon to help get the knekkebrød as flat as possible.

5. Score the unbaked knekkebrød with rubber spatula or knife to make breaking it up after baking easier. Next, place the baking tray in the pre-heated oven and allow to bake for an hour.

6. Take the baking tray out of the oven and allow it to cool until it is easy to handle. Break into pieces, top with your favorite spreads like jam, soft cheese or with ham, salami, peanut butter or just plain butter and enjoy.

This post is for non-commercial, personal use only. Copyright ©2013 by Whitney @ Thanks For The Food. Be sure to check out my Useful Links Page and More Useful Links Page or read more about me on the About Page. You can also find TFTF on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and You Tube.

Hello Good Pie, Mathallen Oslo

noreply@blogger.com (Whitney from Thanks For The Food) — Mon, 20 May 2013 15:17:00 +0200

So obviously. . . obviously . . .my trips to Mathallen Oslo included a trip over to Hello Good Pie. Hello Good Pie is owned and operated by a lovely Californian woman named Cordelia. Cordelia traded her day job for this venture and let me just say, I am mighty happy she did. She's brought her pie A game to the capital in a major way. Her flaky crusts & crumbly crumbles join forces with sweet and savory middles such as chocolate cream, vanilla caramel, lemon meringue, beef & tomato and chicken & leek.

The pie varieties at Hello Good Pie don't end there, oh no. Several varieties are on offer, including seasonal favorites like cherry and blueberry. Cordelia's pies are sized to serve one to three persons, so if you are in a group, choose a few to sample, then sit back and eat them while you watch the world whizz by. Or take a few home and nibble on them from the comfort of your own living room.

The good karma touch - a HUGE orange fist at the register.

This chocolate cream pie did not stand a chance against the likes of....

....this brightly dressed little girl....whoops I mean me....ha ha ha

...see what I mean....when I get busy eat pie, I get busy eating pie .....

Vanilla creme resting on top of a pot of caramel gold! If you like caramel - this is your holy grail. And...it's all made from scratch....with real butter and lots of love (just like all of Cordelia's pies - 100% natural and full of love)

Caramel heaven!

Apple crumble

Lemon meringue pie with toasted, homemade marshmallow fluff

Gluten sensitive? Cordelia has got you covered.

(sorry the photo came out a little dark...)

This is Cordelia (big smile and hat)

and

myself (6 foot/181cm tall one in the pink sweater and leather t-shirt)

(sorry the photo came out a little dark...again...and blurry but Cordelia's smile lights things up!)

Tell Cordelia I said hello when (no if, but when) you stop by Hello Good Pie.

This was my favorite dessert - lemon meringue pie!

Øyvind digging into the chicken and leek pie...

I very much enjoyed the little touches like this as well. Pie related phrases in English and their Norwegian translation - how darling! Also appreciate that all of the plastic flatware (aka knives, forks and spoons) are made from biodegrade materials. Good for you - even better for the environment.

Solberg og Hansen, Mathallen Oslo

noreply@blogger.com (Whitney from Thanks For The Food) — Sat, 18 May 2013 13:43:00 +0200

One could say, I deeply enjoy a good cuppa (that's a cup of coffee to you non-Americans out there) made right, dare I say darn near perfect, every single time. I know I am not alone here when I say this, which is why places such as Solberg og Hansen exist.

Solberg og Hansen are "the"coffee and tea experts in Norway. They get it right, every single time. So one would expect that their outpost in Mathallen Oslo functions with the same obsessive quality standards one might expect from a high quality coffee and tea distributor in one of the most coffee loving nations on planet earth (Don't believe me? Check out this post from the Norwegian Coffee Association). And the good thing is, their location in Mathallen Oslo is just as quality obsessed as can be.

Hooray - yippie! Let's bust out the coffee mugs and dance a jigg. Oh yeah - happy days my friends, happy days.

Øyvind and I enjoying two (jet) black coffees and some Michel Cluizel chocolate. Quite possibly the best cup of coffee I've ever had.

Love those lamps - and the whole design of this place. Simple but sleek.

Awards everywhere and some of their coffee varieties which are sold in 250 gram bags. Not a huge coffee fan? I recommend the Black Coffee variety - they say sweet, I say non-bitter. Perfect for people who don't like coffee.

Again with the lights. I know - I'm obsessed.

My friends - this is how is begins. Place your order at the cash register, and watch how your cuppa is made.

. . . or your cup of tea . . .

. . .kids love to watch . . .

So here we go. First things first, set everything in place. See the silver looking scale to the right? They use that to test the temperature of the hot water before they pour it on your beans. All this attention to detail - just for you.

. . . water is the right temperature . .now it is time to pour . . .

Michel Cluizel chocolates come in several varieties

More coffee

You can also pick up several coffee supplies here!

Hope & Glory, Majorstuen - Oslo

noreply@blogger.com (Whitney from Thanks For The Food) — Thu, 9 May 2013 15:30:00 +0200

I stumbled into this boutique by complete accident while strolling through the Majorstuen neighborhood in Oslo last week and walked out with a wallet that was 300kr lighter. Thing is, the owners of this shop have taken a masculine (read: completely un-prissy and sans childish extras) approach to gift giving & snack buying. If there is anyone who hates pink, fluff and childish extras it's me. I'm more of a "simply give me the goods, straight no chaser" kind of woman - so this place was right up my alley so to speak.

For those of you in Oslo or even visiting Oslo, this is the place to shop for regional sweet and savory treats sold by weight. They also sell the perfect "token of appreciation" type gift for the person who has everything or if you want a gift that is going to stand out from the "you got me flowers again" crowd. Loads of fancy pants olive oils and balsamic vinegars for sale, as well as sea salt blends, pastas and home fragrances.

P.S. Just a hint for the gifted-ly clueless out there (like myself) -

Men (or women), if that lovely lady (or man) in your life likes to cook, the guys at Hope & Glory will help you create a personalized gift just for her (or him). They know their stuff and take full pride in helping you not only get what you need but get something nice. Bring your wallet though, you will need it.

...don't worry...the grammar police woman in me held back on the above simply because it was so cute (and totally true!)...

Michel Cluizel Chocolate at Kaffehuset Stavanger

noreply@blogger.com (Whitney from Thanks For The Food) — Tue, 7 May 2013 23:57:00 +0200

Spent some time strolling around in Stavanger city centre today and guess what I stumbled upon at Kaffehuset Stavnager? Chocolates from Michel Cluizel - one of the best chocolatiers in the world.

As someone who isn't a chocolate fanatic and only enjoys the fancy smancy stuff, I can say this is well worth every single kroner - and then some. Head over there next time you are in Stavanger city centre and indulge yourself.

Also, stop in to buy one of the many coffee and tea varieties or choose from the various beverage supplies while you are there getting your cocoa fix. All coffee and teas sold here are from Solberg & Hansen.

This post is for non-commercial, personal use only. Copyright © 2013 by Whitney @ Thanks For The Food. Be sure to check out my Useful Links Page and More Useful Links Page or read more about me on the About Page. You can also find TFTF on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and You Tube.

Mathallen Oslo Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Whitney from Thanks For The Food) — Tue, 7 May 2013 16:00:00 +0200

Since my first trip to Mathallen Oslo went so well during my last trip to Oslo and a few people seemed to take notice, I decided to head over to Mathallen Oslo during my trip to Oslo last week to see what new and exciting food stuffs were on offer.

Thanks to @thanksforthemat for nice and inspiring words. thanksforthefood.blogspot.no/2013/05/mathal…
— Mathallen (@Mathallenoslo) May 4, 2013

The most under appreciated tool in the whole building - a chair. Site of many fun times and much comfort. I feel you my chair friend, I feel you.

Tuna asian-inspired tapas dish from Atelier.

Chicken spring rolls with salad and dipping sauce.

Found! Lervig's rye IPA hit the spot at Øltorget along with....

...say hello to my little (beer marinated and beer glazed sparerib) friends. Served with a porter mayo and apple and cauliflower chutney.

Mr. B. Lovie's elk burger (sorry the photo is a little on the blurry side). Served topped with blue cheese and porter mayo.

Someone (I do not know who....) demolished these ribs like they were at a Sunday afternoon cookout in Tucson, not at a respectable eatery in Oslo. I have no clue who that was, but when I find them, they are going to buy me another plate of these ribs. Ha Ha!

Obviously that person was me (obviously....), but those ribs were good. Damn good. And I ate them like the rib connoisseur I am...with my hands (sorry Mom & Dad, I know you all taught me better, but I just had to....).

During our second trip, we made it up to the second floor for a peak around.

Owned by the same guys at Øltorget, Ølhandleriet sells several varieties of beers and ciders that you will not find anywhere else in Norway (and believe me, I have looked for most of the ones you can not find). Don't see what you like on the shelves? Ask for it and they might be able to order it in for you.

If buying beer isn't you thing, try brewing it with one of their beer making kits.

Obviously we bought a few bottles of this...

See, what I mean? Where else in Norway is a girl like me going to find a ginger beer like this? Nowhere and yes, I have LOOKED! So happy to have found Crabbie's Ginger Beer in Olso!

Come here for classes and assorted meeting/event spaces.

The view from up top.

Lovely Spanish food stop. Lovely Spanish food stop business cards.

Come here for all types of fresh meats as well as your meat education.

Made in the USA....

TFTF Press Mention/Interview: AWU iTunes Interview (Podcast)

noreply@blogger.com (Whitney from Thanks For The Food) — Sat, 4 May 2013 11:53:00 +0200

So....the big reveal is finally here - I can now blab to the world about that iTunes podcast interview I've been going on about for the last week or so.

Just over an hour left until my podcast interview for an iTunes show begins. Super stoked! #followyourpassion #SoMe #stavanger #norway
— Whitney (@thanksforthemat) April 28, 2013

I was interviewed recently by Yoneco Evans at 147 Media for her web site A Woman Undeniable (AWU) about my life as an American expat, blogger and entrepreneur.

During the podcast interview, Yoneco and I discuss:

How my expat journey began and the steps I took to prepare herself for living abroad.
The fears I had going abroad for the first time as a college student.
How I felt leaving the heat of Arizona and getting off the plane in Austria in March 2005
How love lead me to Norway and what my life here is like.
My reflections on being a Black American living and traveling abroad.
My advice to anyone who’s thinking of living abroad, including the importance of learning “your manners”.
How my blog has launched her into other professional arenas.

Check on the interview complete with show notes on the AWU web site, or download it from iTunes.

You can also find AWU on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and of course on iTunes.

Disclosure: All images used in this post are copyrights of Yoneco Evans, 147 Media and www.awomanundeniable.com.

Dinner Bar and Restaurant Oslo

noreply@blogger.com (Whitney from Thanks For The Food) — Sat, 4 May 2013 11:20:00 +0200

Don't let the name fool you, Dinner, located in Oslo, severs more than just dinner. It also serves lunch and dessert as well as has tasting and á la carte menu if you want to stop in for something to nosh on in between meals. Don't forget the wine and drink menu - as they serve a variety of sips, coffees and spirits to boot. Dinner is frequently on all manner of "where to eat at while Oslo" lists and has been recognized by Fodor's, The Michelin Guide and Aftenposten.

If you plan on going to Dinner the next time you are in Oslo (and you should), although it's a tad on the expensive side, it's worth dining there for the service alone - not to mention the authentic cookery going on. Be sure to book ahead through their web site because this place is almost always full. Also, while not the most upmarket place in Oslo, you should plan on suiting yourself smart casual and up, in order to smooth your way in with the locals.

I was recently at Dinner in Oslo with Mr. B. Lovie for my pre-birthday dinner and we enjoyed the 3 course menu with a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc.

First Course: Dim Sum (incl. fried spinach - one of my favorites!)

Second course: King size shrimp and scallops in a Szechwan Sauce (above) and Gongbao duck & chicken served with cashew nuts (below)

Third course: Various mango infused desserts including a delightful vanilla pudding topped with a mango sauce

Mathallen Oslo

noreply@blogger.com (Whitney from Thanks For The Food) — Thu, 2 May 2013 10:49:00 +0200

I know what you are thinking. I can and obviously do read minds so I already know what you are thinking. You are thinking, "you're a food blogger Whitney. . . why haven't you been to Mathallen Oslo yet"? Right? I know you are asking yourselves this because I have been asking myself the same question since Mathallen Oslo opened in October 2012.

Well my dear friends, I recently made my way to Mathallen Oslo and have lived to tell about it. That's right - finally after nearly 9 months since its opening, I made the journey from Stavanger to Oslo and headed to Mathallen as my first food lover's destination.

What can I recommend? What's my final verdict? A trip to Mathallen Oslo is well worth the bus fare, and even more. There are several food speciality shops under one roof as well as various eateries and drink houses to tickle your fancy. It's a great place to take a client, meet your girlfriends or take a stroll through with your new boyfriend. You can even bring the kids along - although it might be best to leave the kiddies at home during high peak season on Saturdays (that's just my two sense - the isles around all of the stalls are wide enough for strollers, but the place is PACKED on Saturdays so don't expect to move too quickly through the locale).

Above all else, make sure you stop by Hello Good Pie and Solberg & Hansen. Those two spots were my favorite and so great, they deserved their own blog post which you can check out by clicking on the links.

Here are a few photos from my first trip to Mathallen Oslo.

My only major complaint about Mathallen was the signage at Vulkan directing visitors to the actual food hall. The signage from the street is small and if you blink you will miss it.

Look for the Mathallen sign (or the trail of people leading to the back of the brick buildings). But which brick building are you looking for you ask?

...this one. Watch out for the Dansens Hus building from the street, then follow the map to Mathallen around the corner.

There we go . . now we are in the right place.

Not sure what this sculpture was "supposed" to represent but rust always speaks to my soul. Don't ask me why but it does. And rust bubbles? Even better.

From the inside of Mathallen.

One of the stores to check out in Mathallen is the Friends Fair Trade. Everything sold here is fair trade certified.

Not sure what to buy? Check out Norwegian chocolatiers Cielo.

Not only does Den Blinde Ku have one of the coolest logos ever, but they also make some of the best artisan cheeses in Norway.

Product Review: Electrolux UltraMix Pro

noreply@blogger.com (Whitney from Thanks For The Food) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 08:00:00 +0200

The gracious and lovely team at Electrolux presented me with the Electrolux Ultramix Pro in order to get my feedback on its performance in the kitchen.

The Electrolux Ultramix Pro is a newer addition to the Electrolux line of home kitchen appliances. Not only is it an immersion blender, but it also has the capacity to shred vegetables, chop meat plus whip egg whites or cream. The main hand unit combines with its various attachments to provide a multi-use, multi-functional kitchen tool.

But, does how does the Electrolux Ultramix Pro stand up in my kitchen?

The Good: Overall, I think this is a great product. And by great, I mean a powerful immersion blender which also does so many other things rather than just blend. The power and blades on the immersion attachment turned my roasted sweet potatoes from toasted chucks of root vegetable into a silky textured pureed soup in less than 2 minutes. The length of the wand made for easy blending as well - no need to dunk the immersion blender in and out several times to get everything sliky smooth. Also, unlike some of the cheaper models out there, the wand is made of metal and is not a lightweight piece of equipment. When you hold the immersion attachment on its own in your hand, you know it's got some real power behind it.

Also, the fact that one can switch the different attachments in and out mean that one can buy one product, and use it for several purposes. This makes sense for people who want to save on kitchen space, but also want something that holds up to the abuses of everyday kitchen life.

I really appreciated that the entire kit comes with a container to whip in and one to chop in - and both have removable rubber rings around the bottoms to prevent them from sliding around on your countertop. Everything is all there for you once you open the box - easy peasy.

Using the grating attachment

Grated carrots close up

Whip me baby, whip me

The Bad: Product only comes in black, which isn't bad per se...but I know some of you out there like colourful appliances. Not me mind you, but I know some of you are going to ask me about the other colours that the tool comes in (yes, you know who you are...). There aren't any. Black is as black does.

Soft peaks = luscious meringue

From toasted root vegetables to silky smooth soup in 2 minutes

The Ugly: Nothing. If you are looking for a multi-use product that is powerful and performs well, this is a great buy!

Have you tried using the new Electrolux Ultramix Pro? What's your favorite use for the Electrolux UltraMix Pro? Be sure to tell us about it in the comments below.

Disclosure: Financial compensation was not received for this post. A sample product was gifted from Electrolux. Opinions expressed here are my own.

This post is for non-commercial, personal use only. Copyright ©2013 by Whitney @ Thanks For The Food. Be sure to check out my Useful Links Page and More Useful Links Page or read more about me on the About Page. You can also find TFTF on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and You Tube.

How To: Sweet Potato Soup Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Whitney from Thanks For The Food) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 08:00:00 +0200

Sweet potatoes are awesome. Plain and simple. They are flavorful enough to eat raw in salads or stewed, roasted and baked. They make delightful additions to soufflés, muffins and even smoothies. Sweet potato based dishes are sweet, savory, spicy and numerous combinations of all of the above.

Since I'm trying to focus on eating lighter but also on quick to prepare meals these days, I've been eating lots of soups and stews. Sweet potato soup is one of my favorite soups because sweet potatoes are easily available in most supermarkets and sweet potato soup adapts easily to many different flavors. In this recipe I've used fresh ginger, a touch of orange zest and chili oil but one can also add parmesan or manchego cheese and olive oil.

Instead of boiling the sweet potatoes to cook them, I roast mine in the oven first, then blend them in a pot with an immersion blender on the stovetop. Roasting the sweet potatoes in the oven first deepens their flavor and prevents the sweet potatoes from getting waterlogged. Also, roasting the potatoes to cook them takes just as long as cooking them in boiling water, but the flavor payoff is much, much greater.

Sweet Potato Soup

3 sweet potatoes, cubed

15 ml olive oil

750 ml water

45 grams butter

a piece of ginger (the size of a thumbnail is good, use more if you really like the taste of ginger)

a touch of orange zest

salt and pepper

chili oil (optional)

________________________________

3 sweet potatoes, cubed

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 cups water

3 tablespoons butter

a piece of ginger (the size of a thumbnail is good, use more if you really like the taste of ginger)

a touch of orange zest

salt and pepper

chili oil (optional)

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius/ 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Coat the sweet potatoes with the olive oil then place them in a baking pan lined with baking/parchment paper.

2. Roast the sweet potatoes until they are easily pricked by a fork, and cooked all the way through. You want the tips of the sweet potatoes to begin to get dark brown, but not completely black. This should take ca. 25 minutes, but be sure to check them to make sure they don't overcook.

3. After the sweet potatoes have roasted, place them in a pot with the rest of the ingredients except the butter, salt and pepper and chili oil.

4. Using an immersion blender (I really like the Elecctrolux Ultramix Pro), blend the contents of the pot until smooth.

5. Turn the stovetop hob to medium high heat and cook at a low simmer for 10 minutes. Add the butter to the pot and season with salt and pepper.

6. If desired, serve the soup with a few drops of chili oil on top, crusty bread and enjoy! This soup is perfect for lazy weekend lunches or an easy dinner and can also be served cold.

This post is for non-commercial, personal use only. Copyright ©2013 by Whitney @ Thanks For The Food. Be sure to check out my Useful Links Page and More Useful Links Page or read more about me on the About Page. You can also find TFTF on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and You Tube.

Nespresso Stavanger

noreply@blogger.com (Whitney from Thanks For The Food) — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 08:52:00 +0200

The new Nespresso Stavanger store has arrived and Nespresso was kind enough to offer me a peek inside the new store during their grand opening party on April 11.

While the boutique opens officially today, last night's party was a pre-opening viewing of the new store and included a live jazz ensemble, the Nespresso Stavanger ladies, a DJ, catered food from Spiseriet and of course a coffee tasting of the two 2013 limited edition flavors - Trieste and Napoli.

The new store is built within an old wooden building and as such, is the first and only of its kind in the world. Nespresso store salespersons go through a rigorous training program which includes learning about the nuances of coffee beans grown in different conditions all over the world and about the 400+ notes found in a single cuppa (a cup of coffee) as well as other facts about coffee culture across the globe.

The full line of Nespresso capsules and several machine models are sold in the new store along with accessories such as espresso cups, cup sets and capsule organizers. Also, for all of you (fellow) environmentalists out there - this Nespresso store has a recycling station for your used capsules.

The Nespresso Ladies!

Inside the new store

Choose your passion

Nikki and Gard from Eating Out in Stavanger & gardkalsen.com

Nikki and I (plus my decaf esperesso)

Welcome to Stavanger Nespresso!

Gard, Lani, Nikki and myself

Our DJ spinning on the 1s and 2s

Gift set with the two limited edition flavors, Trieste and Napoli

Copyright ©2013 by Whitney @ Thanks For The Food. Be sure to check out my Useful Links Page and More Useful Links Page or read more about me on the About Page. You can also find TFTF on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and You Tube.

Nespresso Store Opening in Stavanger

noreply@blogger.com (Whitney from Thanks For The Food) — Thu, 4 Apr 2013 10:00:00 +0200

It's official - the Nespresso Store in Stavanger city centre is opening April 12th! I will be at the grand opening celebration on April 11th to preview the new store ...and of course promise to report back on what to expect from the new boutique.

This post is for non-commercial, personal use only. Copyright ©2013 by Whitney @ Thanks For The Food. Be sure to check out my Useful Links Page and More Useful Links Page or read more about me on the About Page. You can also find TFTF on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and You Tube.

Cocktails in the City - Stavanger

noreply@blogger.com (Whitney from Thanks For The Food) — Mon, 4 Mar 2013 16:43:00 +0100

It's that time again- Cocktails in the City is coming to town! The Stavanger event date is April 13 and tickets are available online at https://www.deltager.no/citc-stavanger2013.

WHAT'S COCKTAILS IN THE CITY?
All participants are divided into groups and taken around to 10-12 different cocktail bars to sample the newly composed cocktails. This is a far more glam version of going from bar-to-bar-on your own and gives you a chance to enjoy the wonderful and recently composed cocktails from each location as well as meet new people.

During your tasting at each bar, you also be able to judge each bartenders signature cocktail since they will be competing to create this year's signature drink.

YOUR TICKET INCLUDES:
Cocktail Tasting
Cocktail Glass
a Cocktail Passport (a small book of cocktail recipes)
Free entrance to the nightclub with the Cocktail Passport

AFTER EVENT SPECIAL OFFER

After 23:00, join your friends for a a trip to your favorite cocktail locations and enjoy a CITC cocktail menu at reduced prices for holders of the cocktail passport.

For more information, check out Cocktails and the City on Facebook or online at www.cocktailsinthecity.no. You may also check out http://www.barakademiet.no/citcnorge for more information.

OTHER INFORMATION:
You must be at least 20 years of age to join the event. If you are under 25 (or look under 25), be prepared to show your ID.

Cocktails and The City Norge

Region Stavanger's Photo Contest on Instagram - #regionstavanger_love

noreply@blogger.com (Whitney from Thanks For The Food) — Mon, 4 Mar 2013 16:16:00 +0100

Yes - I am still alive! Blogging has taken a bit of a backseat to my dissertation work at the moment, but I did want to turn you all on to a fun and unique contest that is currently being run by the Stavanger Region through Instagram.

This is a great opportunity for those of you with culinary photos from your adventures throughout the region. Please read the rules carefully - and good luck!

Themes: NATURAL AND CULTURAL ACTIVITIES in the Stavanger Region
Contest Rules:
Take a snapshot of one of the places or attractions that best describe for you one of these themes in the Region and post it with the tag #regionstavanger_love

You can tag up to 3 pictures with #regionstavanger_love to enter the contest. We will choose 5 submissions and our judges will chose the winners.

You can submit your entries from March 1st until March 31st, our judges will announce the winners on April 16th on Instagram and Facebook.

The prizes are:

1) Rejoice at a magnificent performance by the National Ballet at the Concert Hall, win tickets for 2.
www.facebook.com/konserthus

2) Explore Sandnes by bicycle! Free bike rental for 2, one day at the Tourist Information Office in Sandes or Stavanger.
www.facebook.com/regionstavanger

3) Delight your palate at Norway´s pantry, Jæren! Enjoy dinner buffets for two at Jæren Hotell, well-known for its Jæren cuisine.
www.facebook.com/jarenhotell

4) Big pictures, big adventures! Enjoy an evening at the movies, at Kino 1, with tickets to the movies for two.
www.facebook.com/SFKinoStavangerSandnes

5) The perfect way to experience nature, kayaking with BIGWALK KAYAKING for two, in peaceful waters.
www.facebook.com/pages/Bigwall-Kayaking

Have questions? Contact Region Stavanger on Facebook at www.facebook.com/regionstavanger.

This post is for non-commercial, personal use only. Copyright ©2013 by Whitney @ Thanks For The Food. Be sure to check out my Useful Links Page and More Useful Links Page or read more about me on the About Page. You can also find TFTF on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and You Tube.

Happy Fastelavnsboller Day (Video)

noreply@blogger.com (Whitney from Thanks For The Food) — Sun, 10 Feb 2013 10:55:00 +0100

Today is Fastelavensboller day which means many of the above will be eaten throughout the day by children and adults in Norway and Denmark.

What is Fastelavn?
source: Wikipedia
Fastelavn is the name for Carnival in Denmark and Norway which is either the Sunday or Monday before Ash Wednesday. Fastelavn evolved from the Roman Catholic tradition of celebrating in the days before Lent, but after Denmark became a Protestant nation, the holiday became less specifically religious. This holiday occurs seven weeks before Easter Sunday and is sometimes described as a Nordic Halloween, with children dressing up in costumes and gathering treats for the Fastelavn feast. The holiday is generally considered to be a time for children's fun and family games.

What are Fastelavensboller?
source: Wikipedia
In Denmark and Norway a popular baked good associated with the day is Fastelavnsbolle (lit. "Fastelavns bun", also known in English as "shrovetide bun" or "lenten bun"), a round sweet roll usually covered with icing and sometimes filled with whipped cream. Similar buns are eaten in other northern European countries, for example the Swedish Semla. Ísafjörður is the only town in Iceland that celebrates Fastelavn on the same day as the Nordic countries, the day being known as Maskadagur (from the Danish word maske, meaning to dress-up or put on a mask).

Where can I buy Fastelavensboller?

Fastelavensboller are sold in bakeries and in grocery stores all over Norway.

Fastelavensboller Recipies

Fastelavensboller Recipe - All Recipes

Shrovetide buns - Fastelavnsboller - Norway.org

Baking Fastelavnsboller - YouTube

Årets Masahiro-Kokk 2013: Team Masahiro Norge og Arons as inviterer til konkurransen Årets Masahiro-kokk 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Whitney from Thanks For The Food) — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 01:08:00 +0100

Team Masahiro Norge og Arons as inviterer til konkurransen Årets Masahiro-kokk 2013.
Konkurransen er åpen for norske lærlinger og unge kokker opp til 25 år.

Send inn den oppskriften på forrett og hovedrett som du mener kvalifiserer deg til å bli blant de 9 kokkene som skal delta på konkurranse på Kulinarisk Akademi mandag 8 april 2013.

Forslaget skal inneholde en nøyaktig beskrivelse av rettene – med bilder.
Siste dato for påmelding er 15 februar 2013 kl. 2400 til jorn@arons.no.

Konkurransen blir temabasert og de utvalgte deltakerne får tema til forrett, 4 uker før konkurransen, hovedretten, 2 uker før konkurransen.

Grønnsaker vil være basert på “Mystery Basket”.
Finalistene vil først gjennom en utslagstest , 9 kokker skal bli til 6, som avslutningsvis konkurrerer med sine to retter.  Premiesum til vinneren er i år på kr. 10.000,-

Trenger du mer informasjon kontakt jorn@arons.no

Five Easy Tips For Learning Norwegian and Other Languages Without Moving Abroad PT. 2 (Video)

noreply@blogger.com (Whitney from Thanks For The Food) — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 08:00:00 +0100

In case you missed it, here is part 1 to this blog post.

I received a tweet last weekend from Lauren Karlisle (@laurenkarlisle) and decided to answer her questions in a two-part blog post.

@thanksforthemat BTW, I wanted to ask you. Do you speak or write Norsk? I am trying to find an online program to (cont) tl.gd/kmb3ac
— Lauren Karlisle (@laurenkarlisle) January 12, 2013

First off, thanks for the tweet Lauren! I LOVE hearing from blog readers!

As I mentioned on Twitter, yes I do speak, read and write Norwegian. My road to learning Norwegian actually started in Austria in 2005, when I started learning German (the vocabulary in both languages is very close), furthered when I started teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) in Hannover and was vamped into overdrive when I moved to Norway in 2007. I’m not perfect by any means and still have a ways to go before I reach what I would consider a “comfortable” level of Norwegian in all situations, but I am fully conversational and get around pretty well. My strongest skills are in reading and writing. One of my goals in 2013 is to get over my “fears” concerning my heavy accent and improve my speaking skills. I do have to say that my speaking skills are the weakest of the three, more due to my “perfectionist” mentality towards speaking, than anything else. But, for me, this has been true for the other languages I’ve learned over the years too (Spanish and German).

Norwegian is actually broken into two separate languages - Bokmål (literally book tongue) and Nynorsk (literally New Norwegian). Bokmål is the official language in many parts of the country, while nynorsk is the official language in other parts. Most pupils learn bokmål in school, and most state publications are in bokmål too (although most are actually available in both languages). In Oslo, many speak bokmål only, while in my area (Stavanger – Rogaland) many speak nynorsk or both. In Norway, most if not all newcomers learn to speak bokmål in language school. So if I had to choose one of the two languages from your perspective, I’d choose bokmål.

Below are my top five tips for learning Norwegian and other languages without moving abroad. YES – 100% immersion in another culture is a surefire, quick way to learn another language but if you can’t move abroad (just yet or at all), you can still make good headway in learning to snakker norsk or another language!

Remember, these are just some of my tips and suggestions. Be sure to leave yours down in the comments below.

Five Easy Tips For Learning Norwegian and Other Languages Without Moving Abroad PT. 2 (Video)

5. Watch videos on YouTube for Norwegian language tips. Be sure to watch the videos all the way through once, and then watch twice more, each time repeating everything the speaker says in Norwegian OUT LOUD. I know, you’ll feel silly the first few times, but this really helps get your mouth used to making new sounds and your tongue working in a new way.

Here are a few YouTube videos I have found useful:

Crienexzy’sNorwegian lessons (30+ videos)

MichelleAlexandra (5 videos)

The Norwegian Teacher (15 videos)

4. The language books which have been most helpful to me in learning Norwegian are the “Teach Yourself” Series, which come along with CDs. I’ve also used the book Practical Norwegian Grammar by Ase-Berit Strandskogen to great success. This book explains Norwegian grammar in detail, in English.

3. Seek out Norwegian communities online or in person and participate på norsk. When I first started learning Norwegian (and this is HILARIOUS – so get ready to laugh), I took classes for native German speakers who wanted to learn Norwegian. At the time, Hannover only the Scandinavian language classes “for native speakers” only, and I had to “sing my way into” the classes by speaking to the Norwegian teacher (who was German and did not speak word of English), in Norwegian. You remember I said I didn’t speak Norwegian, right? So yeah, I had to “sing my song” and didn’t know the words AT ALL. It’s super funny now, how silly the school’s little rules were, but then – not at all.

In order to prepare for this “test”, I found a few Norwegian language groups on Yahoo (remember Yahoo Groups? Oh yeah these were the good ole pre-Facebook days), and found some people to chat with via Yahoo messenger in Norwegian. I spent several nights after work, online chatting with people from the group in Norwegian trying to use what I was learning through the “Teach Yourself” Series (mind you, YouTube wasn’t big at this time so it was all book +CD based self-study for me in those days!).

Find groups online like I did, or ones in your area, so you can practice with people. I know, everyone wants to practice with native speakers so that they don’t pick up bad habits BUT practicing a little and being a little wrong is A LOT better than practicing nothing at all! And it’s a lot easier to change the bad habits that you learn, then to wait and not learn at all.

2. Find online support and resources from Universities and academics. Many of the Norwegian Universities have invested several thousand kroners in developing resources to help their international students improve their Norwegian skills. Here are a few online resources I have used:

Norwegian on the Web from NTNU– Trondheim (Norwegian University of Science and Technology)

Norsknett– written by Nancy Aarsvold a Norwegian teacher and textbook writer inMinnesota

1. Listen to Norwegian radio via online radio tuners such as TuneIn.

In the early days, I listened to the radio every day just to get a feel for the intonation pattern in Norwegian and to begin to learn the dialects (there are SEVERAL dialects in Norway). This really helped me understand natural speech in Norwegian (Norwegian spoken at a normal pace, not the slower more understandable pace in which most Norwegian instructors speak at during classroom time). I recommend TuneIn for this.

Simply conduct a search for stations in Norway, then look city by city for a station you like. Norwegians love both music and talk radio, so you’ll have the option to choose either format on TuneIn.

So that’s it! There are 5 more of my top tips for learning Norwegian without moving to Norway. In my opinion, learning a new language is fun but also really hard work. Save your sanity and try to make it as fun and easy as possible. In my experience, the most important thing to learning a new language is to build up your confidence and add to your skills as time goes on.

Good luck Lauren!

Did you like my 5 easy tips for learning Norwegian and other languages without moving abroad? Do you have any special tips or tricks for learning Norwegian or another language quickly? Be sure to leave us your tips in the comments down below.

P.S. I’ve recently been trying to brush up on my Norwegian skills and sought out some additional resources online for myself as someone who has acquired the basics in a language, but needs a new strategy to increase learning speed and capacity. Enter Tim Ferris of the Four Hour Work Week fame. Tim has some interesting blog posts on learning languages which you might want to check out (immediately – cuz’ they are . . .insightful to say the least)

Why Language Classes Don't Work: How to Cut Classes and Double Your Learning Rate

How To Learn Any Language in 3 Months

How To Master Any Language in An Hour

This post is for non-commercial, personal use only. Copyright ©2012 by Whitney @ Thanks For The Food. Be sure to check out my Useful Links Page and More Useful Links Page or read more about me on the About Page. You can also find TFTF on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and You Tube.