• Queen’s Berries Martini

    I grew up sipping gold from crystal glasses. Martinelli’s apple cider was the champagne of holiday feasts at my paternal grandparents’ house, and even as a child I interpreted that cider as I should have: a symbol of true Norwegian…

  • Kvæfjordkake: Norway’s National Cake

    Update on 7/1/20: Find an updated version of the recipe, without a paywall, here. If you’ve ever eaten a slice of Kvæfjordkake, you probably know that the cake pretty much speaks for itself. With its layers of buttery cake, delicate meringue, silky…

  • Syttende Mai with Grandparents 1980s

    Syttende Mai: Seattle, 1980s

    Old Ballard was about as Scandinavian as you could get. Though far from the Nordic countries, the little neighborhood north of downtown Seattle had drawn immigrants by the thousands over the years. It used to be as easy to find lefse as it was…

  • Bløtkake

    Celebrating with Norwegian Bløtkake

    When I was growing up, my birthdays always involved a special meal (or two or three, to be honest–I love birthdays) and the cake of my choice. There were the assorted decorated cakes–Barbie one year, a pink frosted sheet cake…

  • Verdens Beste Kake

    A Cake for Syttende Mai: Verdens Beste Kake

    Gratulerer med dagen! Wherever you are celebrating Syttende Mai, I wish you a great day. To mark the occasion, I baked you a cake. It’s called Verdens Beste, or World’s Best, which may seem like quite a claim unless you’ve…