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ISSUE 20 Winter 2016 BANFF SPRINGS

FOR PEOPLE WHO LOVE TO read, LOVE TO eat AND LOVE TO travel

Expand your culinary horizons

PLUSMÉRIDAST MARTINKANSAS CITYPOCONOSNEW YORK

SURINAME MEDLEY

CANADA’S SWEET HISTORY

NORWAY FJORD FRESH

IRELAND LUCKY CHARM

SINGAPORE SUGARBABY

Local Mission

FOLLOWING THE

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WHERE ON EARTH

Norway

THIS SPREAD Norway’s epic fjords.

by ELYSE GLICKMANNORTH STAR

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WHICH GASTRONOMIC Norway is the authentic Norway? Is it defined by homey, hearth-appointed kitchens and an adherence to a simpler way of life? Or is it a modern, progressive

place where chefs push local produce to its most flavourful heights? It’s both. However, once you experience Norwegian cuisine in a variety of different settings, you realize the answer “both” is quite complex.

There are components of the Norwegian diet appearing at almost every meal. Salmon is what people around the world are most familiar with, and it appears in many glorious forms. The same goes for other fish indigenous to Norwegian seas, including trout, hake, herring, cod and tusk, cod’s buttery cousin. One also has to factor in superb dairy products, hearty breads that can stand up to piles of cured fish, cheese and charcuterie, pickled vegetables, and when in season, vegetables benefitting from rich soils and 20-plus hours of sunlight in spring and summer.

Whether presentations are traditional or modern, however, a common thread runs through the kitchens of the hotels and restaurants I visited during a ten day stay — a goal to ensure each ingredient in every dish maintains its identity. There is no excess or “fusion”—just harmonious flavours and textures. It also evident that lunch is an afterthought, while breakfast is the day’s most essential meal, and dinner, formal or casual, is the most social.

Hmm… All of this could partially explain why Norway

has been found in various university studies to be one of the world’s fittest and happiest countries.

After a breakfast of salmon, exceptional eggs and mixed berry yogurt at the Thon Panorama Hotel on my first morning in Oslo, I make my way to The Nobel Peace Center, The National Gallery, and the Museum of Decorative Arts and Design (a must for interior design buffs, especially with the cool mid-Century kitchen and home entertaining pieces) and The Jewish Museum. I top the day off at at Fru K (‘Mrs K’), a hot new restaurant at an even hotter hotel address, The Thief, located on Thieves’ Island, once Noway’s answer to Alcatraz.

Here, I receive my first formal lesson on the differences between ‘Neo Nordic’ and ‘Neo-Fjordic’ cuisine. Fru K’s generous tasting courses may be as stunning as the works of art housed in the Astrup Fearnley Museum across the way. However, there are no foams, gelatin olives or deconstructed vegetable sculptures. The ingredients are still quite recognizable — and comforting — in sight and flavour.

“New Fjordic cuisine (integrates) locally sourced ingredients that have been used for many years, but grown or made with sustainable methods by local farmers and producers we have solid relationships with,” says Tobias Persson, sous-chef to executive chef Johan Laursen, who previously made a name for himself at Oslo’s Michelin star-awarded Maaemo.

“It goes beyond what is ecological,” says Persson. “Our tasting menu is designed as a sort of journey through various regions of Norway, incorporating the best of what

…These hotels are as different as snowflakes…

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THIS SPREAD CLOCKWISE FROM

TOP LEFT Storfjord Hotel, Glomset; Embarking on a journey with 62° Nord; A residential village within Oslo; View of Oslo’s harbour; The Thief Hotel’s mixologist Chris Grøtvedt; Den Blinde Ku’s shop at Mathallen Oslo; Oslo’s busy city centre; Den Blinde Ku cheesemonger at work; Ålesund by morning; Hake main course at Festningen, Oslo.

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Jerusalem Artichokes 1 kg, scrubbed

Whole Milk 1.25 L

Cream 1.25 L

White Vinegar 1 tsp

Sugar 1 tsp

Salt and Pepper to taste

Cod fresh or frozen and defrosted, 8 x 100 g pieces

Fresh Rosemary 1 sprig

1 BOIL the Jerusalem artichokes in the milk and cream until they are tender. Add the sugar and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Pureé the soup in batches in a blender, strain and return to the pot. If you want the soup to be thicker, stir in a little cornstarch that has been mixed with cold water.

2 ARRANGE the cod pieces in a deep skillet and add cold water to barely cover. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes, until the fish is opaque all the way through.

3 REMOVE the cod pieces with a slotted spoon and place in soup bowls. Pour the soup over and garnish with a few leaves of rosemary.

SERVES 8

Creamy Jerusalem Artichoke Soup with Cod

CHEF LARS VIKANES of MAKI at Hotel Brodunset in Ålesund serves this earthy soup with tempura cod tongues and cheeks. It is also delicious, and easier to make, with simply poached cod.

comes from the ocean and the land. However, it’s not the traditional preparation people think of when Norwegian comes to mind, just put out as is.”

The next crisp, sunny day starts with a trip to the trendy Grunerlokka neighbourhood to explore Mathallen Oslo, open at 8 a.m. It is more manicured boutique food shopping than everyday farmer’s market. The flagship location of Den Blinde Ku (The Blind Cow) makes the jaunt worth it, and not just because of the samples. Although gjetost (brown cheese, made by slowly heating and caramelizing whey, cream and milk) can be found in shops and restaurants around the country, Den Blinde Ku’s version is velvety, indulgent and beautifully packaged in wax for easier packing and transport.

After shopping in Grunerlokka and Oslo West, enjoying soft serve Hennig-Olsen ice cream dipped in toffee near the Vigeland Sculpture Garden and exploring Akershus Fortress and its museums, I meet up with my companions at Festningen (‘Fortress’) Restaurant. Though it is helmed by UK-born chef Jonathan Howell and billed as a French brasserie, Norwegian culinary hallmarks are ever-present, including salmon, hake and fresh asparagus — which in May is something every chef we encounter is excited about.

“Norway’s food scene has evolved because farmers are growing more things and Norwegians are becoming more adventurous in what they eat and where they want to eat it,” Howell affirms, musing upon his challenges as an expat chef.

Beyond Oslo, it is interesting to explore the way different Norwegian hoteliers reinvent the concepts of ‘boutique’ hotels and ‘historic’ properties, with differing approaches to architectural restoration, recipe adaptation and making the most of the outdoor surroundings. While these hotels are as different as snowflakes, they reinforce the fact that a traveller is unmistakably in Norway. 62° Nord, a travel company specializing in adventure excursions originating in Ålesund (500 miles northwest of Oslo), creates an itinerary that connects the dots between eastern Norway’s dramatic geological attributes (their Wildlife Sea Safari is, indeed, pretty wild) and three of these hotels, Hotel Union Øye, Hotel Brosundet and Hotel Storfjord.

At this point, I grasp another unique aspect of Norway’s modern culinary movement — a shared belief that no customer should ever have to settle for bland food. At practically every hotel and restaurant we visit, menus are painstakingly labelled with different allergens and sensitivity-related ingredients. Even more remarkable, most offer at least one type of gluten-free bread, many of them baked in-house.

After braving a juxtaposition of bracing seas and serene fjords, we are greeted like royalty at the pier near Hotel Union Øye. This makes perfect sense when we, after removing waterproof oversuits, step inside the lovingly restored 1891 structure. It provided rest, relaxation and unsurpassed luxury

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Cook it

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT A suite at Konigs Winger Hotel; Lom’s landmark Stave Church; The Sognefjellsveien Mountain Pass; Fru K Chef Tobias Persson; Ocean-fresh salmon at Festningen, Oslo; Café life in the resort town of Geiranger; Hotel Union Øye, Hjørundfjord; Maki’s perfect tusk main course; The fjords and mountains near Geiranger.

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THIS SPREAD CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT

A river runs through Hjørundfjord; A military greeting at Konigs Winger Hotel; Vigeland Sculpture Garden; Wildlife Sea Safari-ing with 62° Nord; Chilling out in a trendy Grunerlokka café; The Thief Hotel’s Nordic Ninja cocktail; Hotel Union Øye; Carpaccio at Hotel Union Øye; Chef Jonathan Howell of Festningen.

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The Thief/Fru Kwww.fru-k.nowww.thethief.com

Mathallen Oslowww.mathallenoslo.no

Den Blinde Kuwww.denblindeku.no

Festiningen Restaurantwww.festningenrestaurant.no

Kingswinger Hotelwww.dehistoriske.com//hotel/konigs-winger/

Hotel Brosundet/Restaurant MAKIwww.brosundet.no/en/the-hotel

Sostrene Frydwww.sostrenefryd.com/english

Union Øyewww.unionØye.no/thehotel

Storfjord Hotelwww.storfjordhotel.com/en

1858 Røisheim www.Røisheim.no/english

Los Angeles-based writer ELYSE GLICKMAN’s last story for TASTE& TRAVEL was about about Norway’s signature spirit, Aquavit.

to royals and literary figures, including Karen Blixen, Arthur Conan Doyle, Kaiser Willhelm II, King Haakon VII and Queen Maud. While the one-of-a-kind rooms and public areas have a museum feel, the dinner is plated very traditionally, but has everything required to royally satisfy modern appetites.

In Ålesund, we settle into our Constitution Day weekend digs at sleek Hotel Brosundet. The interiors are minimalist chic softened by green and gray watercolour hues, while its historic underpinnings stem from its original existence as a warehouse for dried cod. Restaurant MAKI, helmed by Chef Lars Vikanes, earned accolades since its opening with such dishes as Bacalao Tartare, poached tusk with seasonal vegetables, and fried shrimp and seafood soup appetizers with a subtle Asiatic twist that never overpowers the natural flavours.

On the town in Ålesund, a fellow traveller and I run into each other at Sostrene Fryd (‘Sisters of Joy’) as a storm hits. The just-opened restaurant founded by entrepreneur Turid Smoor is more than a hip gallery-bakery near Ålesund’s Art Nouveau downtown core. It is a haven of culinary freedom. Practically everything baked is gluten-free (down to a divine carrot cake), with a substantial number of vegetarian and vegan items and healthy plates with organic proteins. A fish ‘burger’ is essentially a flavourful grilled cod filet on focaccia with potato wedges and a four-bean salad.

Hotel Storfjord, en route to the spectacular fjords of the Geiranger area, opened its doors in 2006, and therefore, is not officially historic. However, it completes 62° Nord’s trifecta in that it was built using traditional methods. Like Hotel Union Øye, it has individually decorated rooms and views that transcend time if not stop it. Its chefs describe their food as modern-traditional Neo-Fjordic, and we experience it twice, for a light lunch (with the Constitution Day Bløtkake adding patriotic fireworks to meal), and a more extravagant dinner with fish and game from the area.

Beyond the fjords, we settle into the rustic 1858 Røisheim Hotel, where chef Erik Teigum not only oversees the menu (which he describes as, “traditional, with the smallest hints of Neo-Fjordic and French techniques”) but also the entire hotel, with his sister and a college-age employee from Poland. Even with a few modern amenities, Røisheim’s individual rooms provide an idea of what merchant travellers the late 19th century may have experienced, down to an outhouse-style toilet and barrel tubs. Their breakfast ranks as the best morning spread of the trip, with several varieties of salmon, herring, smoked whitefish, homemade fruit preserves and herbal teas crafted from plants growing near the property.

After crossing through the Sognefjellsveien Mountain Pass from mountainous Western Norway into the tame, green rolling hills of the east, we arrive for our final evening at the Hotel Konigs Winger, an hour from Oslo. While it boasts an excellent military museum, sleek contemporary suites and access to one of the best golf courses in Scandinavia, you can literally dine like a king (it’s dining room has hosted 13 of Norway’s last 15 monarchs) and sip fine wine in their converted catacombs down below.

If any place exemplifies ‘less is more,’ it is Norway, even at its most luxurious. Fresh, simple food and landscapes dwarf all else — including the troubles of the world. In a place like this, I could not help but go home feeling well-rested and inspired to make the world a cleaner, better place.

…Breakfast is the day’s most essential meal…

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