Cookbook Hoarding

Recently a former classmate gifted me with two lovely cookbooks which she brought back from Sweden during her studies there. She understands my cookbook hoarding affliction, and generously added to the Scandinavian portion of my collection. Festmat för fattig gourmet (Party Food for the poor gourmet) is a playful guide to throwing a perfect party on a budget. There are tips on party behavior and international recipes. Hela Sveriges Husman (roughly translated All of Sweden's People) breaks down foods by region, and provides helpful anecdotes about pickling, meatballs, and cocktails.

"The Swedish Diet Lives!" The forward in Hela Sveriges Husman proclaims what I have been insisting for years. It has been refreshing to be validated in recent months, as CNN called Scandinavian food the next big thing, and NOMA won World's Best Restaurant two years running. Last month, our Governor's sons opened Bachelor Farmer, a Scandinavian-themed restaurant in downtown Minneapolis. Friends and I are making plans to head there in a few weeks. My dining out mantra is "I'll try any place that serves gravlax."