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Barbara and I have been best friends since seventh grade. Together we learned about make-up, dancing, and boys. Barbara is a very pretty blonde with a finely-sculpted face, a Swedish girl. I slept over at her house on many Saturday nights. Her brothers would drive us to the dances at Swisston Hall. In turn, I had to attend mass with her at 7 a.m. Sunday morning. The priest yelled at us in front of the whole congregation the few times we were late.
One tragic night my parents comforted her parents when they found out about their teenaged son’s death in a head-on collision. A few years later I lost both of my parents. Barbara and I have a deep unspoken continuality to our relationship.
Over the years I have been privileged to have dinner with Barbara and her family. Often they served a Swedish delicacy…cow tongue. Yes, it is a whole giant tongue standing tip up on an enormous platter. After prayers, the tip of the tongue is offered to the oldest person at the table. That person was always Barb’s grandmother, Mary, who lived next door.
After high school, Barb and I went off to different colleges and, as is the usual case, we lost touch with each other. A few weeks ago I met another long-lost friend from high school and she put me in touch with Barb. Barb is now a cop, a detective in a big-city force! She said her parents always asked about me and so she invited me to dinner at her mom and dads. The venerable cow tongue was served. We had spritz for dessert. Her grandmother is nearly ancient now. I told her that I was trying to become a swell cook. Mary gave me her treasured cookbook of Swedish recipes. It is the greatest gift. Since Barbara has no interest in cooking I think her Grandmother wanted to pass it on to someone who would use it. Actually, she said as much. The cookbook is a slim volume bound with a bright yellow plastic binder. It is titled “Swedish Recipes: Old & New.” The copyright says 1955.
I am reading the cookbook like it is literature. These recipes could open you up to a new way of thinking.
Broiled Sardines with Egg Sauce
(Sardiner med aggas)
¼ cup butter
2 T flour
¾ t dry mustard
1 ¼ cups light cream
1/4 t salt
Pepper
cayenne
3 hard cooked eggs, chopped
2 tins sardines
4 slices buttered toast
paprika
1. Melt butter in saucepan. Stir in flour and mustard and cook until bubbly. Add cream. Cook, stirring constantly until sauce thickens. Reduce heat and cook 10 minutes. Add salt, pepper, cayenne, and eggs. Reheat.
2. Arrange sardines on a cookie sheet. Broil 5 minutes. Place on hot toast. Cover with egg sauce. Sprinkle with paprika. Serve at once. Serves 4.
Here’s another fishy idea. This one has a check by it which I think means “very good!”
Baked Stuffed Smelts
(Stromminglada)
2 lbs smelt
3 ½ ounce can anchovies
4 T melted butter
½ cup bread crumbs
2 t anchovy sauce (drained from can)
1. Remove heads, tails and bones from smelt. Rinse under cold running water. Drain well on paper towels.
2. Drain anchovies reserving liquid. Cut anchovies in half and place a piece on each smelt. Roll.
3. Butter a shallow pan. Add rolled smelt. Dot with butter. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and pour anchovy sauce over all.
4. Bake 35 to 40 minutes at 375 degrees. 4 to 8 servings.
There are many recipes for pancakes, everything from traditional hotcakes to crepes, two recipes for coffee with egg, and one for a drink called “Raspberry Shrub (Hallonsaft).”
4 quarts red raspberries
1 pint vinegar
1 pint water
sugar
1.Combine raspberries, vinegar and water. Let stand overnight.
2. Bring to a boil. Boil hard for 1 minute. Drain in a jelly bag. Measure juice. To each cup add ¾ cup sugar. Bring to a hard boil for 10 minutes.
To serve: Add ¼ cup shrub to a glass of ice water and ice cubes. A few drops of lemon juice may be added.
And here’s one last clever idea: zip up your cabbage rolls by sprinkling on brown sugar, a shake of cayenne, and dots of butter just before baking.
