Cod Cake Correction

Apologies to Viking readers who discovered the Lofoten Cod Cake recipe (p. 25) in our June issue was incorrect. Here’s one to try instead. I tested the following recipe last night in my own kitchen, and my family thought these cod cakes were very tasty! I used frozen cod, which worked fine. Just make sure the fish is completely thawed and excess moisture is blotted with paper towels. I’ve also reduced the amount of salt called for in the original recipe.

Cod Cakes

2¼ pounds cod filet
2 teaspoons salt
¾ cup whole milk
½ cup onion, finely chopped
chives (to taste)
2 tablespoons potato flour
freshly ground black pepper
oil and butter for frying

1. Put fish in food processor along with salt. Salt will act as a binder. Transfer to a bowl and add in the rest of the ingredients: milk, chopped onion, a few chives, potato flour and freshly ground pepper. Mix well.

2. Form the dough into patties. Heat oil (or half oil, half butter) over medium-high heat. Fry on both sides until golden brown. Drain on paper towels before serving.

Photo courtesy of Nancy Bundt.

American Wins Holberg Prize

If you've seen the August issue of Viking magazine, then you've probably read our Q&A with Natalie Zemon Davis, the recent winner of Norway’s Holberg Prize. If you are looking for more information on Davis and her work, I encourage you to check out this New York Times blog post.

It's Festival Season

It’s high summer, and that means that there are events celebrating our Norwegian heritage happening all over North America. Two events featured in the July Viking calendar are coming up this weekend. The Hardanger Fiddle Association of America is holding its annual music and dance workshops in Dodgeville, Wis., July 22-26. Also, the city of Decorah, Iowa will celebrate its 44th annual Nordic Fest, July 22-24.

Each month, the Viking staff receives many submissions to be considered for our calendar. While we can only feature a few events, the Sons of Norway website provides a much more extensive calendar. Check it out to find some Nordic fun in your area this summer!

Image courtesy of Flickr user billrdio.

Amy Boxrud is editor of Viking magazine. She lives with her family in
Northfield, Minnesota, where she’s a member of Nordmarka 1-585. Amy is a Nordic folk music enthusiast, and when she’s not working or parenting, she can often be found making music with friends.

Knitting Fever

When I was a college student living on a tight budget during a semester in Oslo, I tried to save money almost everywhere I could. Yarn, however, was another story. I was surrounded by knitters, yarn stores and gorgeous hand knit sweaters everywhere I went. And while the prices of most items in Norway seemed high, yarn felt like a relatively good value. I bought far too much of it and I knit constantly that year—at home, at school, even on the subway. What didn’t get knit up got shipped home.

My knitting habit stalled a bit after leaving Norway. While I began working, got married, and started a family, my yarn collected dust. When I moved into a home with much less storage space, I confronted my yarn affliction head on and donated much of it to the local weavers’ guild. For a full 10 years, the knitting virus has been dormant in my system.

But in the past few weeks that’s all changed. I’ve been working on the September issue of Viking and I’ve got knitting fever again. I can’t wait to hit the yarn store and start in on the projects we’ll be featuring from Ingebretsen’s and Yarn Garage.

If you’ve got the yarn bug like me, beware. You’ll find patterns, resources and—perhaps most dangerous of all—inspiration in the September issue of Viking!

Image courtesy of Flickr user The Real Estreya.

Amy Boxrud is editor of Viking magazine. She lives with her family in Northfield, Minnesota, where she’s a member of Nordmarka 1-585. Amy is a Nordic folk music enthusiast, and when she’s not working or parenting, she can often be found making music with friends.

Gratulerer med dagen, Kronprins Haakon!

Today is Crown Prince Haakon's 37th birthday! Join me and the rest of Sons of Norway in saying a heartfelt gratulerer med dagen!

A couple points of interest about this Norwegian Royal:

• On birth he was named Prince Haakon Magnus but it was stressed in the announcement that he would go by the name Haakon.
  
  
• He became Crown Prince Haakon when his father ascended to the crown as Harald V in 1991.
  
  
• If Crown Prince Haakon becomes king as expected, he will be known as Haakon VIII of Norway.

A New Type of Ecology

We all know Norway is often at the forefront of most any ecological topic of discussion. However I just came across a video that takes the country's commitment to sound ecological endeavors into a whole new arena.

Prisons.

That's right, apparently Norway is the first country to have an eco-prison.

Check it out here:




Anyone have any thoughts? Leave a comment and discuss it.

More Heritage Sites

In my time working with Viking magazine, no story has generated as many letters to the editor as our July “Hit the Road” feature. I shouldn’t be surprised to learn that Viking readers are passionate about sharing their heritage!

We knew our feature couldn’t possibly include all the Norwegian heritage stops in North America, so we ended the article by inviting readers to tell us about favorite spots in their area. We got a letter about the first Viking settlement at L’Anse aux Meadows, Newfoundland, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We also heard about the Kendall Colony in New York, where Cleng Peerson led the first group of Norwegian emigrants to the U.S. in 1825. And we got several letters from readers in Seattle, politely reminding us that their Leif Erikson statue had fallen off our map!

Thanks to all who have taken the time to write. If there are more great heritage sites out there that weren’t featured, I’d love to hear about them. Contact me at vikingeditor@mspcustomcontent.com.


Amy Boxrud is editor of Viking magazine. She lives with her family in Northfield, Minnesota, where she’s a member of Nordmarka 1-585. Amy is a Nordic folk music enthusiast, and when she’s not working or parenting, she can often be found making music with friends.

Is Oslo's Bysykkel Program in Jeopardy?

I found a real interesting article over at my favorite Norwegian news site (in English!), newsinenglish.no, about Oslo’s popular bysykkel program. Apparently the program is experiencing some difficulty due to vandalism and theft.

The reason I'm interested in this article is that Minneapolis, my fair city, has recently begun a similar program. In fact, there's a half dozen of these bikes stationed just across the street from the Sons of Norway headquarters.

I think this kind of offering is a great idea. It cuts down on traffic and pollution, while encouraging folks to be more active. However I have to wonder if we are having a similar experience? Does your city have a program like this? What's it like? Is it similar to Oslo's program? Leave a comment and let me know.

Since we're on the subject of bikes, have you seen this?

$30 omlette? Ouch!

These days I hear a lot of people complaining about the price of food (myself included). Everyone's grocery bill seems to be getting bigger, while their grocery bags are getting smaller. It can be frustrating, for sure.

But, it could be a lot worse.

According to the Statistics Norway website, Norway has the highest food prices in all of Europe! As of 2009, Norway's food and non-alcoholic beverages were 54% above the average price level of the 27 EU member countries. Milk, eggs and cheese products were as much as 70% higher (which is ironic considering that Norway was once a heavily rooted in agrarian society).

To put that in perspective, the other day I bought some groceries for a Saturday breakfast, including a loaf of white bread, a gallon of milk, bacon, a dozen eggs and some cheese. All told, I spent about $16. Now, had I made this purchase in Norway, my bill would have been closer to $27.

I guess I won't complain so much the next time I head to the supermarket.

Three New Reasons to Love Viking

If you’ve looked at your July issue of Viking, you’ve no doubt noticed the magazine’s new look and feel.

Check out the new Nordic Life department—formerly Nordic Lights—near the front of the magazine. In addition to the news and calendar listings you already enjoy, you’ll find a history column by Jeff Sauve, archivist for the Norwegian American Historical Association. You’ll also find “Spread the Word,” a bite-sized language lesson that introduces a Norwegian word or phrase each month. Nordic Life opens each month with a profile of an inspiring Norwegian or person of Norwegian descent. And who better to grace our inaugural profile page than Leif Ove Andsnes, Norway’s renowned classical pianist?

The Viking staff is proud of the publication’s redesign, and we hope you like it, too! We welcome your input by contacting us at vikingeditor@mspcommunications.com.

PS: If you’re a fan of Andsnes, you’ll enjoy this clip of his performance of Greig’s Piano Concerto at the 2006 BBC Proms Classical Musical Festival.




Amy Boxrud is editor of Viking magazine. She lives with her family in Northfield, Minnesota, where she’s a member of Nordmarka 1-585. Amy is a Nordic folk music enthusiast, and when she’s not working or parenting, she can often be found making music with friends.