semiswede

When the rhubarb (rabarber in Swedish, ruh-BAR-bur) comes up in Sweden, you know spring is here. This past week the warm weather and sunshine made a welcome return to what seemed to be a very cold spring, and the rhubarb in my mother-in-law’s garden is just big enough to make use of.

We had a lovely summer, and an unseasonably warm fall, but now the dark and rain are settling in. It’s time for soup season and looking through the pantry for inspiration, I came across a lonely bag of wild rice. I love the nutty flavor of wild rice, and this slow cooker soup has turned […]

Despite the fact I have now lived in Sweden for six years, I still have not adjusted to the reality that summer can be downright cold. It hovered in the low 60s for much longer than I appreciated, and then suddenly we had three weeks of temperatures that reached up to the 80s. It was a […]

The first Christmas we were dating, my husband spent the holidays with my family and made Janssons frestelse as his contribution to the Christmas Eve meal. Translated at Jansson’s Temptation, the casserole of julienned potatoes, onions, pickled sprats, and cream is standard fare for the Swedish julbord (Christmas table). The idea of fish layered with potatoes […]

This may not be one of the most photogenic recipes ever, but it’s definitely a good one that is worth sharing. It’s also unusual in that it has black currant juice concentrate (svartvinbärssaft) in the sauce. The subtle flavor of black currant, paired with thyme and juniper berries, is an intriguing combination for this quick […]

Early fall has arrived in Sweden. The nights are cool, and the days struggle to reach 70°F (21°C). A sure sign of the change in seasons is the appearance of lingon (LING-ohn) at local markets, and even supermarkets. Lingonberries, as they are most commonly known in English, are native to Scandinavia and have a long-standing history […]

Now here is a riveting post……baked potatoes in Sweden. What could possibly be so different? Well, for someone who grew up in northern Utah bordering Idaho Russet potato country, the answer is….a lot. I miss fluffy Russet baked potatoes so much that they are always on my list of “must eat” when I travel back home. […]

I am just going to squeak this post in before Waffle Day 2013 is over! Last year I wrote a post about the history of how Waffles + The Annunciation = Waffle Day. It all seems to be a bit of a word mix-up that Waffle Day ended up being on 25 March, but so […]

Last year I made a post about Easter (Påsk) traditions in Sweden, and this year I am sharing something that has always meant Easter to me. When I was growing up, my mother made panoramic sugar eggs every year (actually, she is still making them and has made 7 dozen this year!). They varied in […]

Things have been a bit quiet on Semiswede lately, and they become especially quiet in February as I gear up for my oldest daughter’s birthday. This year she turned six. I don’t know what it is about six years old that feels like a milestone. Perhaps it is because she will start school in the […]