Jeppe's Kål - A Danish Tradition

" everybody says that Jeppe drinks, but nobody asks why Jeppe drinks "

This is the most famous line from the 1722 play by Ludvig Holberg called "Jeppe På Bjerget"

it's about an alcoholic farmer and the mess he makes of his life. It's a comedy.

Every New Year's Eve Danish families will get together and sing special songs based on Jeppe På Bjerget. The words are quite difficult and if someone messes them up they become "Jeppe" for the evening and they have to wear a special hat that has been passed down in the family for generations. Snaps are served and finally the evenings dish Jeppes Kål is served. The family hold hands and do a counter-clockwise dance around the table while reciting the "Hilsen Til Jeppe's Kål" a poem which translates something like this:

Happy are our hearts this night

hop round the olden chair

feast we now cabbage and meat

 the Dansk sol skinner over Jeppes bjerg

Photo of Jeppes Kål from the Danish national cookbook

The recipe for Jeppes Kål is something every housewife  knows by heart. I used the recipe out of the standard Danish chef textbook Kokke Bogen. Jeppe's Kål is basically a giant family size cabbage roll surrounded by medister sausage and topped with super delicious poutine like gravy. Boiled potatos and beets are served on the side. A special knife is used to slice and serve the dish at the table. Hidden somewhere inside the dish is small piece of red LEGO. Whoever finds it gets a special prize. Usually a type of very salty liquorice.

First you need to cook cabbage leaves whole like for cabbage rolls. Next a mixture of ground pork, chopped roast pork (usually leftover from Christmas dinner), sauteed chopped parsnip, carrot, leek, and spices are formed in a farse and wrapped in the leaves. The entire thing is braised for a few hours and the juices are turned into the gravy. Medister pork sausages are fried and placed around the stuffed cabbage.

Here is the recipe from the cookbook

This is the spice blend #3 the recipe is referring to

The recipe calls for 50g of Snowflake which is a modified cornstarch. I think regular cornstarch will work just as well

I hope you make this delicious Danish dish a part of your New Year's tradition.

The Wonderful World of Tube Food

I grew up with milk in a bag. I assumed the whole world did. I was wrong. It turns out bagged milk is something unique to Ontario. Everyone else thinks it's funny and weird, maybe even gross, but I see it as normal, even preferable. This is the situation most Swedes will find themselves in when foreigners come across their food packaged in toothpaste tubes.

Dining at the Forgotten Movie Theaters of Bangkok

One Morning I went to Jok Prince for breakfast. It's considered one of Bangkok's best congee shops. When I was finished I looked down the alleyway and decided it seemed quite interesting. Wandering down, I soon came across what looked like an abandoned cinema. I thought it seemed pretty cool that this theater was just sitting there hidden in the back of a maze of alleys, so I walked around this little hidden neighbourhood and took some photos. When I got back to my guest house a wanted to see if I could find out anything more about this place, and came across a blog called 
The Southeast Asia Movie Theater Project
Holy cow, what an interesting blog! It turns out there are many abandoned and re-purposed movie theaters all over Southeast Asia. I went to see a few in Bangkok, and found in every place, some entrepreneur had set up shop and was selling food.
The following is a run down of some of the places I went to and what you can expect to eat there if you visit: 

Gubbröra - Fishy Swedish Egg and Potato Salad

Gubbröra is a delicious dish with a funny name that means "old man mix". It is very easy to make as long as you can source the two uniquely Swedish ingredients, Kalles Kaviar and Grebbstads Ansjovis. Both can be quite difficult to find outside Scandinavia, but apparently IKEA sells them in many of its stores. My version contains potatoes, which may not be part of the classic recipe, but many Swedes add them, and I like it. I also added a small amount of ramsløg (ramps), because they were in season and I think it adds zing. The recipe calls for 38% creme fraiche so use sour cream with the highest fat content you can find.

First source all the ingredients
cook and dice the potatoes and eggs
finely chop the herbs and ansjovis
mix together with everything else
season with salt and cracked pepper and your done

Serve on knäckebröd or rye bread and garnish with radish slices and extra sliced egg

Recipe

Rørvig Salat - A Taste of Danish Summer

Guys at Hav

Rørvig is a small seaside town in Northern Sjælland, Denmark. It's famous as an area to go and relax at a sommerhus or campsite. It has a nice small harbour with sailboats and a fish shop that specializes in smoked fish and seafood. Not much commercial fishing actually goes on here anymore, but the Rørvig setting is the inspiration for a very summer like seafood salad that was just recently invented by the guys at Hav in Torvehallerne. We get our fish and jomfruhummer from them, and one day I spotted the salad in their display case. It's a simple mix of typical Danish ingredients, but I had never seen this particular combination before. It's delicious and the trout roe is what really makes it. Scoop this up with some crusty bread and you will get a taste of  Rørvig and the Danish Summertime.

Rørvig Salad Recipe

Rørvig salad has 7 ingredients that you mix together and chill. I'll give amounts, but really you should mix to taste. If the white asparagus is young and fresh it can be sliced thinly and used as is. If the asparagus is older or large it needs to be peeled and blanched before slicing.
                 

Summertime at a Danish Cottage

No matter where you are in Denmark you're always close to the sea. With over 400 Islands a beach is never far away, and Whether you own, rent, or borrow a sommerhus, it's a relaxing time to enjoy friends and family and make lots of nice food. Hygge is a term that is getting a lot of press in the English world lately. It usually refers to candlelight and mulled wine. Sitting around watching movies in knit sweaters, and other stuff. But there is such a thing as summer hygge too. Walking down windswept coasts, eating jomfruhummer when it comes into season. big bonfires at the beach. Fresh strawberry and almond cake. It's all hygge.

Pork Cheek Bitterballen - A Perfect Bar Snack

Bitterballen are a classic Dutch bar snack that you will find in almost every bruin cafe in Amsterdam. Crispy on the outside, but with a liquid meaty center, bitterballen go perfectly with jenever or beer. Most places use beef flavoured with nutmeg for the filling, in the tradition of using leftovers many variations can be found including a curried version in the former Dutch colony of Surinam. I've used pork cheeks for the their flavour as well as the extra gelatin needed to help solidify the bechamel sauce for the filling. Strong Dijon mustard is the typical accompaniment and works really well.

Pork Cheek Bitterballen Recipe

500gr pork cheeks

1 onion in quarters 

1 tbsp black peppercorns

3 bay leaves

4 cloves

1 sprig thyme

250ml milk

1/2 tsp nutmeg

5 gelatin sheets

salt

pepper

Gelatin Sets the Ragout Before Paniering in Flour, Egg, and Breadcrumbs

      1. Braised the cleaned pork cheeks in a pot with the onion, peppercorns, bay, cloves and thyme in 500ml salted water for about 2 hours until very tender.

      2. Strain the liquid and reserve 250ml

      3. Chop the pork cheeks roughly

      4. Make a roux of approx 60gr flour and 60gr butter 

      5. Add the reserved liquid and milk to make the thickened sauce

      6. Bloom the gelatin sheets and add to the cooling sauce

      7. Add the pork cheeks

      8. Refrigerate until completely set

      9. Form into 3cm balls and panier (flour,egg,breadcrumb) twice.

     10. Deep fry until golden

A Creamy Center is the Secret of a Great Bitterballen

Bruin Café Daydreams in Amsterdam

If I visualized the perfect European bar, it would be an old and dark establishment half full of a motley crew of old sailors, brooding intellectuals, artsy girls, and incongruously affable loners, all whiling away the afternoon drinking pastis, schnapps, and other wonderfully strange and strong European liquors while listening to Nina Simone and Kraftwerk. No one cares about whats going on outside, the world exists within their walls, strangers become friends, and the evening builds to a incoherent crescendo that Camus, Baudelaire, Hemingway, and Van Gogh would be proud of. That's my kind of place, and a bruin café in Amsterdam is the perfect spot to live that bohemian fantasy.

Jenever is the drink of choice in a bruin cafe. A strong drink that is an acquired taste to most. There are two main types of jenever, oude and  jonge, with many brands and blends to try in each style. De Drie Fleschjes is a good place to discover different jenevers and decide on some of your favourites. In business since 1650, De Drie Fleschjes has retained it's traditional sand covering on the floor and old wall of aging barrels. Try a pickle from the jar at the counter, their good!
unlike most dive bars in Canada, Pubs in the UK, and bodegas in Denmark, eating while you drink is normal in bruin cafes, and Borrelhapjes - Dutch drinking snacks, are simple and delicious. Every bruin cafe will have a selection of meats and cubed cheeses served on toothpicks, as well as tosti - Dutch style panini, and  bitterballen - breaded and deep fried balls of meat ragout. Many bruin cafes also serve breakfast, larger meals and great desserts, including the famous appeltaart met slagroom.

My Favourite Bruin Cafés in Amsterdam

 1. Cafe Chris - Walking into Cafe Chris you wouldn't guess that it is possibly Amsterdam's oldest bar. Open since 1624, no one seems to make a big deal about this, and it thrives as a local drinking hole without a sense of reverence or touristy atmosphere. Everything is really old, and the toilet is a closet that is so small the toilet tank and flushing cord are on the outside, which people will pull on before you are finished for a laugh. We spent a whole afternoon here drinking beer and jenever and smoking. Yes smoking! This is the  only place we found where you could smoke indoors in Amsterdam, so don't ruin it! If you don't like smoke, drink somewhere else please and leave us in peace. The old timers were friendly and we has a plate of meat and cheese as a snack

2. De Twee Zwantjes - we ducked into here to avoid a downpour after visiting Noordmarkt, and after the owners Jos and Trees gave us a small introduction to the different jenever styles, they began singing old 80´s Eurovision songs. Singing and karaoke are apparently a big thing here and as more people showed up and more jenever flowed, the afternoon became more raucous and my memory of events grows dimmer. This place is huge fun and very popular, so I recommend going in the early afternoon so you can have some time enjoying the owners hospitality

3. De Ooievaar - This is a great old place near the Red Light District. The low bar and hand written labels on jenever bottles give the bar an old apothecary feel. The bartender is a professional guy in a vest who remembers everyone's drinks and seems to keep the tabs in his head. A cozy place for quiet drinks, you can imagine pirates could walk through the door at any time.

4. Café ‘t Smalle - This is probably the prettiest bruin cafe in Amsterdam. Beautiful stained glass windows and cosy wood on two floors, it oozes charm and character. It definitely seems more cafe than bar, but we never went in the evening, Tourists flock here for the canal side patio and the traditional cafe food. The appeltaart is huge and very good.

5. Cafe Papeneiland - Yet another old and charming place with antiques and an old fireplace. We had a few beers and a big plate of meats and cheeses. The huge two story windows look out over the canals. Great place for a quiet romantic time.

6. Cafe Brecht - Not quite a bruin cafe, I've added this because of it's cool interior and good food. Comfortable couches and chairs to lounge in, it's a great place to hang out and have beers and snacks after visiting the nearby art museums.











I have the locations shown on my World Map of Food, but I haven't figured out how to zoom in on Amsterdam yet :-/

 photograph of cheese in the old Dutch style

 Dutch Cheese for Hapjes

Our Aged Unpasteurized Gouda

Did the Dutch invent cubes of cheese on a toothpick? I don't know, but it seems to be the most common way to eat cheese in The Netherlands. Gouda is the king of Dutch kaas and is available in many ages and flavours. You can also try Beemster, Leerdammer, Maasdam, and Parrano to name a few others. Mia and I spent over an hour tasting cheeses at Henri Willig Kaas, which has shops all over Amsterdam. We bought an unpasteurized wheel of Gouda to take home and aged it on our kitchen window for 5 months before we ate it. Great taste and crystallization!

                                                                   Dutch Meats for Hapjes

Every borrelhapjes plate should have some worst - Dutch sausages on the menu. The four most common types are:

Metworst - an aired dried sausage similar to salami

Leverworst - a dense liver pate made in a sausage shape

Rookworst - a smoked sausage similar to a frankfurter

Ossenworst - a fresh raw cured sausage with a uniquely spongy texture

Appeltaart at Cafe t' Smalle

Pannenkoeken for Breakfast at In De Prins

I made my own variation of bitterballen with pork cheeks.

Fastelavn - Danish Mardi Gras

Fastelavn is the Danish version of the pre Lenten celebrations, such as Mardi Gras, Shrove Tuesday and Carnival, that are common all over the world at this time of year. In many ways it's a time for children. Costumes and candy make Fastelavn similar to Halloween, but instead of collecting candy by trick or treating, the treats are knocked out of a barrel in the same way as a piñata in a tradition known as "slå katten af tønden" ("hit the cat out of the barrel").

One of the Great old Photos Of Fastelavn from Politiken.dk

In medieval times this game had supersticious origins - a live cat would be placed in a barrel, and the barrel was beaten with sticks until it broke and the cat escaped. It was then chased out of the town, and people believed that it would take the collective bad luck and evil spirits of the town with it. Now a black cat is traditionally painted on the side of the barrel instead of a live cat and the child who causes the barrel to fall apart is crowned "Kattekongen" ("the King of cats"). In Amager, the part of Copenhagen I live in, "slå katten af tønden" was an adult contest done on horseback in a tradition that goes back many years. A man is chosen from each area farm and smashes the barrel with a club. The rider who breaks the last piece of the barrel, the "Kattekongen" , was rewarded with his farm being exempt from paying taxes for that year, a prize that made for a serious competion.

Mia and I took a bus to the village of Store Magleby, where they still "slå katten af tønden" on horseback. We watched the festivities then headed to the Amager Museum for æbleskiver and Amager Punch - a hot toddy made with a special strong rum.

Most pre-Lenten celebrations have special food traditions associated with them. Pancakes for Shrove Tuesday in the English world, paczki for Ostatki in Poland, cannoli for Carnevale in Sicily, king cake in New Orleans for Mardi Gras, and in Scandinavia fastelavnsboller or semlor.

Classic Swedish Semlor

Almost every konditori will have fastelavnsboller or semlor in their shop window in the weeks leading up to Fastelavn. In Sweden Semlor are a sweet bun with marzipan and filled high with whipped cream, Sometimes they are served as hetvägg, where warm milk is poured over and cinnamon sprinkled on top. Apparently one of the kings of Sweden died after overindulging in 14 bowls of hetvägg.

Various Fastelavnsboller

In Denmark fastelavnsboller can take various forms. Some bakeries offer something similar to semlor, while others are more like "danishes" with a jam or custard center. "Gammeldaws fastelavnsboller" are filled with a custard creme before they are baked and topped with a dollop of icing or chocolate. I end up buying a lot of these, and this year I decided to make my own. I used a basic semlor recipe for the buns, and got a bit creative with the fillings. I made half with a mocha filling and half with a chai latte filling.

For the chai latte cream I warmed about 100ml of 35% cream with 3 tbsp chai latte powder and 1 gelatin leaf. I whipped 400ml 35% cream to soft peaks and slowly poured in the chai latte while still mixing. I did the same for the mocha cream, but used 1 tbsp ground espresso, 1 tbsp cocoa powder and 2 tbsp icing sugar instead of the chai latte powder along with the gelatin leaf

   

Link to Basic Semlor Recipe from Sweden.se

 

 

 

 

After baking the buns I scooped out the centers and mixed half with marzipan and raspberries, and the other half with marzipan and chopped poached pear. I glazed the tops of the raspberry bottoms with chocolate and ground hazelnuts, and glazed the tops of the poached pear bottoms with salted caramel, chopped pistachios and chopped poached pear. I let them set for a bit then piped in the mocha and chai latte creams

 

 

 

 

Chai Latte Semla with Pistachio, Caramel and Poached Pear

Mocha Semla with Raspberry, Chocolate and Hazelnuts

Although these aren't traditional Swedish semlor, or traditional Danish fastelavnsboller, they turned out to be pretty delicious, and I think kept with the spirit of Scandinavian Fastelavn treats.
They were very rich and one with a coffee was more than enough. Next year I think I'll make them again and try out different fillings and flavour combinations.