Fredrika Ornbrant
I was called for a bloggers’ meet at the spacious home of Swedish Consul General Fredrika Ornbrant to sample some of the authentic Swedish dishes that she had made herself.
Fredrika Ornbrant
My experience of bloggers’ meet has been a series of random incidents ranging from unpleasant to hilariously funny. I have come to realize that the bloggers are of five categories. The truly serious Zen-of-food types who draw parallels and links of any cuisine to any, they have a blog that reads like a travelogue. Their purpose in life is to teach and illuminate a room, a group, a person and in my case sometimes half a person cause I switch off midway in boring conversations. Then there are the been-there-done-that cynics, who are there just to spread the air of melancholy. They have that air of fatigue around them tainting it all with their dour countenance. God help you if you are sitting across one or worse, if you cross them because you like to laugh. Then there are the king/queen and their jesters coterie. They are easily the biggest table in the place. They are the ones where 25 people are sitting squashed together on a table for 12. Then there are the johny-come-lately types who have been employed by various food sites, fresh out of mass media colleges, ones who are in this for the glam quotient rather than real understanding of food. I have met some who say they hate cooking (??!!??) They are the ones who come to a tasting and say we are dieting so I will just take a tiny morsel but do send the pictures. And then there are the last category – the kind that enjoy food, the kind that actually even enjoy just reading about it. For them food is almost a religion, watching them talk you get whisked in their passion. They are the ones who are in this because they love food. They are the ones who have their priorities in place – Life, laughter and Loads of food. They are the ones who will be laughing the loudest at the end of a good meal.
Tunnbrod with Philadelphia
Like all such meets I was wagering what kind of night it was going to be. Let me tell you it was one of those nights where I laughed a lot; as much for the food as the antics of my fellow bloggers. I did meet some like-minded bloggers too and it’s always fun if you can laugh together!
We were first introduced to dehydrated elk and reindeer chips/jerky. These had a ham cum bacon flavor and I thought this would go well with my scrambled eggs. Yes Parsi and their eggs can’t be parted for long. We started our sojourn with Swedish flat bread rolls, “Tunnbrod” and they went well with plain Philadelhia (I know that’s not very Swedish) and Salmon. Just then while we were making conversation and munching on these coupled with some Gustave Lorentz Reisling, another blogger joined us. She was like a textbook on “Greetings: when you are called for dinner”. Her introduction was like a paragraph. Her gratitude at being called read like a newsreel. I decided she was going to be my points-person if things go a little boring through the evening.
Beetroot and Feta salad
Fredrika spoke to us about Swedish food, its loss of honor in the 80s and 90s and then revival of the cuisine. She even demonstrated a few dishes for us. She told us that her suitcases are full of authentic Swede treats she brings back to India. She explained that Swedish ingredients are usually farm or forest – note this statement; we will come back to it in a while.
So the first dish Fredrika demonstrated was a simple beetroot and Feta cheese salad with walnuts, balsamic vinegar and a drizzle of olive oil. While some of us stood around watching and waiting, I was suddenly jostled by a lady with a camera. She wanted to photograph Fredrika cutting beetroots! And she wasn’t alone; at least three more joined in to just click pictures of beetroots being chopped. Talk of misplaced enthusiasm! Just when a couple of other bloggers and I were trying to hold our mirth, there came a zinger! Remember that statement I had asked you to note earlier? One of the ladies asked; so is beetroot a farm or forest product? And I am sorry I could no longer hold it and gave out a roaring guffaw! It was like a dam released with quite a few others ripping it out too!
Janssons Temptation
Amidst all this mirth and laughter, they brought out Janssons Temptation to be served with Aquavit, fennel and caraway spiced vodka. Temptation was a potato and anchovy bake with lots of butter and cream spiced only with pepper. Traditionally it’s served during Christmas and Easter. For such a simple dish it was wholesomely satisfying. Just then my textbook of greetings decided to introduce herself. It gave me the surreal feeling that she was quoting from her resume. Yes she was a treasure trove of laughter I said to myself!
Apple Crumble and vanilla custard2
Then Frederika brought out her ingredients for apple crumble. She started with peeling the apples and I see 4-5 flashes go from the cameras and some more when she started dicing the apples. What was it with dicing fruits and vegetables; I wondered. As if that wasn’t enough our darling comedienne didn’t disappoint at all. She exclaimed in excitement; “Oh wow you have a unique baking tray!” It was only a spring-form pan. We had the apple crumble coupled with vanilla custard with a dash of chortling!
Though it was over I wasn’t leaving until I had heard the textbook goodbye. And it sure came in the form of a small heartfelt homily. I took my leave smirking away thinking – what a motley lot we food bloggers or, like some would like to call themselves, food-writers, are!
