Notes about Recipes in this book

• Junket (Tjesfil)

  • mjes on April 23, 2018

    This is the very first thing I ever cooked. Then, dividing it into 6 bowls before it started setting up was a serious challenge. We used rennet tablets so I had to break off a small piece, smash it with a spoon, and dissolve it in cold water. Our cows provided the farm fresh milk. And there was so much creative freedom - a little sugar? a bit of cinnamon or nutmeg or vanilla? enrich with a bit of extra cream? or just plain? or count on garnishes like huckleberries, gooseberries, red currants? I fell in love with cooking. This is my ultimate comfort food - a love passed on to my son.

• Finnish squeaky cheese / Bread cheese (Leipäjuusto / Kaffeost)

  • mjes on February 14, 2019

    Yes, I can hear Grandma reminding me that reindeer milk is richer than cows' milk but even with the American compromise - all that I have ever known - there is nothing as good for breakfast as a bit of warmed Squeaky Cheese with cloud berry or red currant jelly with a cup of hot, black coffee. This recipe for the cheese works well and is simple enough that one needs no cheese experience to be successful.

• Cabbage salad (Kål salat / Kaalisalaatti / Vitkåssallad / Pizzasallad)

  • Stephenn31 on January 17, 2026

    Delicious. I liked it with the caraway

• Gratinated leeks

  • Beebopalulu on December 02, 2023

    Despite my apprehensions about the size of my giant leeks, this turned out really well.

• Grated carrot salad

  • Stephenn31 on March 09, 2023

    Easy side salad

• Boiled potatoes

  • Stephenn31 on April 07, 2025

    Great with meatballs. I put some butter on them and let them sit in the microwave while the rest of the meal was coming together.

• Mashed dried peas (Ertestuing 1)

  • Stephenn31 on May 18, 2026

    Not bad. Make sure to soak overnight. Fairly simple / plain

• Mashed frozen peas (Ertestuing 2)

  • Stephenn31 on May 18, 2024

    I'm not generally a fan of mushy peas. I followed this recipe, but cooked the frozen peas in some beef stock per another Norwegian recipe.

• Split pea soup in Sweden (Ärtor med fläsk / Ärtsoppa)

  • Dannausc on January 02, 2022

    I didn’t soak the peas and I used chopped ham for the meat. Quite easy. It got a little too thick. I would probably only use one clove next time. It was fine but not my favorite.

• Poached whole trout (Avkokt ørret / Kogt ørred / Kokt öring)

  • meginyeg on June 30, 2022

    This was ok. Definitely not my favourite way to cook trout. We won't do it this way again.

• Pork tenderloin with sweet fried onions (Mørbradbøf med bløde løg)

  • Bessp on July 02, 2025

    This was great! I had to cook the pork a little longer than the recipe said. I also added a splash of ginger beer and a dollop of mustard to the onions to make more of a gravy. I served with crispy roasted potatoes and a side salad.

• Norwegian pork patties (Medisterkaker)

  • MarciK on August 25, 2019

    I used corn starch because I didn’t have potato starch. It worked out fine. These are soft and juicy and very flavorful. Easy to make and a nice variation from burgers.

  • Stephenn31 on May 18, 2026

    Simple flavours. Turned out juicy. I would make them again

• Swedish beef stew with allspice (Kalops / Skånsk kalops)

  • br22 on May 20, 2016

    Delicious. Particularly made using the author's optional suggestions of brown sugar and white vinegar. I thickened the sauce slightly with a slurry as it was more like broth. It took the dish from good to excellent.

• Taco quiche (Tacopaj)

  • MarciK on April 26, 2019

    I forgot the egg in the topping, and it still was delicious. Worked out fine without the egg.

  • ebs on July 29, 2019

    I have made this twice, the first time according to directions and the second with a few changes. I thought the first version was kind of boring. The second time, I added two cups of frozen corn and some sauteed, slightly hot peppers and it was much better. The crust is not very tender and if I made this again, I would use a different pastry crust recipe.

  • meginyeg on May 08, 2021

    This was ok. I made it on a whim since it seemed like an odd recipe for the cookbook. It was a bit salty. But I would probably make it again for my kids and serve it with a cabagge slaw and tortilla chips.

• Nordic hash (Pytt i panne / Pyttipannu / Biksemad / Pytt i panna)

  • Stephenn31 on January 20, 2024

    I keep forgetting how delicious this is and it’s a great way to use up Friday night leftovers. I had some extra pickled beet in the fridge and it went amazing with the brunch. Served with a fried egg

• My grandmother's meatballs (Mormors köttbullar)

  • Stephenn31 on April 07, 2025

    A good basic meatball recipe, with a bit of 'bite' to it. Swedish meatballs are often worked significantly, so this was a nice change for a more rustic and larger version.

  • billie109210 on February 18, 2026

    Delicious and my kids love them. So moist.

• Danish boiled meatballs in curry cream sauce (Boller i karry)

  • billie109210 on February 18, 2026

    I had never had meatballs like this before. They had a lot of flavor, but if I’m going to have meatballs I’d likely make a different recipe.

• Beef patties à la Lindström (Bøf Lindstrøm / Biff à la Lindström)

  • Stephenn31 on July 04, 2024

    I Haddad about this and wanted to try it. Excellent and really easy. Don’t overcook the beef patty. It’s quite moist. Served with boiled potatoes and broccoli and a brown sauce

• Norwegian beef patties (Kjøttekaker)

  • Stephenn31 on May 18, 2024

    Made for 17. mai along with boiled potatoes, brown sauce, and mushy peas. Easy recipe, and using a blender on the beef and spices/starch made them softer than expected. A bit basic on the flavourings. It's about the brown sauce.

• Norwegian waffles (Vaffel)

  • stori_8b497g on March 28, 2026

    A little too sweet in my opinion for a waffle, but an amazing texture, soft and eggy

• Macaroni casserole (Makaronipudding / Makaronilaatikko)

  • helena.h on May 24, 2026

    Made with canned ham as that is what I'm used to from childhood. This is a very nice version of this dish.

• Rice porridge (Jólagrautu / Riisipuuro / Risengrød / Risgrynsgröt)

  • mjes on April 18, 2018

    This porridge stands well on its own as well as providing leftovers for Rice pudding for dessert (Risalamande / Riskrem / Ris ala Malta). Think a simple rice cooked in milk and seasoned with cinnamon. Serve with a fruit soup and you'll understand why fruit soups are breakfast food in my mind.

• Sandwich torte/savoury layer cake (Brauterta / Voileipäkakku / Smörgåstårta)

  • mjes on May 06, 2018

    Yes, I realize that a smörgåstårta is often included in awful foods of the 50's. Yes, I wish Nilsson included additional examples rather than just a seafood version. But I still find a sandwich cake to be an impressive way to feed a crowd ... the Scandinavian equivalent to a 6-foot sub. I've only made the recipe as written once as family events include several people who dislike seafood. But a variation with deviled ham and egg salad is usually a success. And, no, my decorating skills are minimal so I depend on the "artful" placement of cucumber and radish slices, herbs and flowers for the decoration.

• Norwegian Christmas bread (Julekake)

  • bendres on February 02, 2020

    The recipe never indicates when to add the cardamom, I assumed it goes into the stand mixer with the flour, sugar, and salt.

• Chocolate oatmeal balls (Havregrynskugler / Chokladbollar)

  • Beebopalulu on December 16, 2023

    Fun and easy to make. Tasty to eat. Will try rolling in coconut next time.

• Swedish gooey chocolate cake (Kladdkaka)

  • Yildiz100 on November 25, 2016

    I baked this and another kladdkaka recipe in the same evening. This was definitely the loser. It came down to the flour, I think. Most kladd kaka recipes call for much less proportionately. This cake was kind stodgy, heavy, and not nearly gooey enough. This was the winning recipe: http://scandinavianfood.about.com/od/cakerecipes/r/Kladdkaka.htm This one was almost perfect, but needed less time in the oven. I baked it for 20, but will try 18 next time.

  • thekitchenchronicles on March 10, 2018

    This worked really well for me- it was very thin and gooey, almost like an underbaked brownie, which I loved. Also really easy to make. I think baking time is pretty key- I could see this going from gooey to dry and unimpressive in a minute.

• Rice pudding for dessert (Risalamande / Riskrem / Ris ala Malta)

  • mjes on April 18, 2018

    This recipe was super-successful at a family holiday event. I served it with Polish 12-fruit compote which also got rave reviews.

• Scanian mustard (Skånsk senap)

  • meginyeg on February 21, 2022

    This was an ok mustard. Sweeter. Required minimal ingredients.

• Quick pickled fresh cucumber (Agurkesalat / Pressgurka)

  • Stephenn31 on March 09, 2023

    Next time I’d cut the sugar in half, it was a bit sweet for my liking. Made again in April 2025, and the reduced sugar was perfect. I let them pickle for a couple of hours before dinner. Very good.

• Brown gravy (Brun sovs / Brunsås)

  • Stephenn31 on May 18, 2024

    Made to go with Norwegian beef patties for 17. mai. Delicious over anything. Made again April 2025 for Swedish meatballs - very good as always!

• Sweet blueberry or bilberry soup (Blåbærsuppe / Mustikkakeittoa / Blåbässoppa)

  • mjes on April 24, 2018

    This is a decent, basic recipe. However, the version provided in From the North is much more complex in flavor and stands better on its own in my opinion.

• Leite's Culinaria

  ...with 700 mostly everyday recipes that are each as spare and straightforward as the book’s title...with an array of reliable recipes...

  Full review

• Eater

  ..chronicles the wide world of Nordic home cooking in this lush, beautifully organized volume, one of the loveliest of the season thanks in no small part to Nilsson's own idiosyncratic authorial voice

  Full review