Swedish class in the kitchen

One of the best things about teaching cooking classes is the variety. Students, food, and even the language we speak in class all vary according to our lesson plans. Last week at the American Swedish Institute I co-taught a cooking class where students learned not only the basics of smörgås (open-faced sandwich) and kladdkaka (Swedish chocolate gooey cake) but also Swedish kitchen words and phrases. 

The kitchen is where we always seem to gather, why not throw in a language lesson now and then?

Nordic Cool Smörgås
Makes about 12 sandwiches

Half a loaf of Denny’s 5th Avenue Bakery Danish Pumpernickel bread or similar rye bread, sliced thin

Cream Cheese Butter Spread:
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
¼ cup butter, softened
Zest from half an orange
1 tablespoon minced dill

Stir together all ingredients.

Orange-Pickled Cucumber Salad:

½ cup sugar
½ cup distilled white vinegar
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons dried dill
1 cup ice
Zest and juice reserved from orange that has been sectioned
1 large cucumber, sliced thin
1 orange, sectioned and membranes removed

In medium saucepan bring sugar, vinegar, and salt to boil; simmer until sugar dissolves. Add dill and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in ice, orange zest and juice, and cucumber. Chill until ready to use. Add orange slices just before serving

Assemble sandwiches: 

Spread bread slices with Cream Cheese Butter and layer Orange-Pickled Cucumber Salad over spread.