Scandinavian Christmas

Since marrying into a Norwegian family, I have looked for traditional foods to prepare around the holiday season. "Scandinavian Christmas" does a great job of giving basic recipes for the Christmas season while also providing ideas for Advent, Christmas parties, and the popular Smorgasbord. This cookbook is well thought out and presented in easy-to-follow sections. The pictures are beautiful and give you a sense of being in Scandinavia for a holiday feast. Definitely check this cookbook out for new recipes from another culture or to rediscover family favorites once again.

Ashley C. / Marathon County Public Library
Find this book in our library catalog.
( )

I am ethically Swedish (by both heritage and choice), and this is a very inspiring book!

However, I think the recipes were not adequately tested. For example, the recipe for pate that calls for 8 oz of pork liver- and 8 POUNDS of pork fat!- is clearly not right. That will not give you a pate. And that huge fail makes me look at the other recipes with suspicion. Especially when a bread recipe calls for "whole wheat rye" flour, when there is not such a thing; a mix of whole wheat and rye? 100% whole-grain rye? Which????

Nonetheless, it does have most of the recipes that seem that they will work. I would recommend caution and knowledge, especially if you re experimenting with something your are not familiar with making.

It is a very pretty and inspirational cookbook, with a good combination of old-style and modern Scandinavian dishes. The photography is excellent.

I look forward to trying some of the more sensible recipes, including the bread (for which I will use whole rye flour). ( )

This is a beautifully photographed book, with photos that put one right into the spirit for winter celebrations. I tried the brussel sprouts and Clementines recipe for Thanksgiving, with mixed results. I liked the recipe, but then my palate is open to experimentation. I believe that most of the recipes are Danish, and have been modernized by the author so that the average U.S. cook is able to find most of the ingredients without having to order from the Internet. The beautiful winter scenes almost made me want to live in a cold climate...almost.... ( )