question

Sometimes I plan a dinner in the morning, and when it comes to the evening I no longer want this dinner and I make something else. Sounds familiar? This was the case last week when I planned to make a tomato based vegetables stew with butter beans. Now these beans have been soaking on the kitchen counter for a week. I have changed the water ca every other day. I'm new to using beans so I wonder; can I still cook them and eat them??

båttå

This is my kind of snack. My dad's family in Trøndelag call it "båttå". I have no idea where word comes from, but this is what it is: flat bread, sour cream, boiled potato and a kind of cured meat/sausage called morrpølse. When I get that special morrpølse from Trøndelag, I'm in heaven.

The knife is German craftsmanship and was a gift from my friend Mathias in Berlin. The big mug is from Norwegian Acanthus and the cutting board is from IKEA.

dinner

As I mentioned last Sunday, I will from time to time share dinner highlights. You will find these posts under the label "food".

Sunday January 9: roasted filet of veal with vegetables roasted in white wine and stock, pan fried mushrooms, rocket and red wine sauce (photo above)

Monday January 10: a stew made with Sunday dinner leftovers

Saturday January 15: Sølve's amazing beef stroganoff

PS: the book is finished | food = happiness

breakfast bliss

Minolta SRT 101, Fuji Superia X-tra 800

It's way passed breakfast time in my part of the world, but right now I wouldn't mind a bowl of plain yoghurt with müsli, fresh blueberries and acacia honey - and a double cortado. Instead I'm having a cinnamon Yogi tea with milk and honey to soothe my soar throat. What is your soar throat remedy? By the way, it's snowing again.

breakfast

everyday stories, week 52 + 1

Saturday January 1
at our friends' place, Sandnes

Sunday January 2
home, Bergen

Monday January 3
home, Bergen

Tuesday January 4
home, Bergen

Wednesday January 5
new office, Indre Arna

Thursday January 6
on my way to the office, Bergen | office, Verftet

Friday January 7
on my way to the office, Bergen

Saturday January 8
home, Bergen

Sunday January 9
home, Bergen

- - -

My friend Lori, aka The 10 Cent Designer, told me she use to read my weekly Dinner Project post aloud for her husband every Sunday. She has begged me to share this week's menu. Unfortunately I will disappoint her, but I will from time to time share highlights.

This week's highlights were the Icelandic Christmas dinner at our friends' place Friday night + the Saturday dinner (seen above) made by Sølve; pan fried halibut served with boiled potatoes that were also pan fried in butter together with onion, leek, green beans and snap peas + an amazing sauce made from homemade reduced fish stock, crème fraiche, chili, fresh coriander and fresh shrimps.

Talking about food; after that delicious halibut dinner, we saw Julie & Julia and we loved it. I think we need a copy of that "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" now.

Artist Brian Gonnella's work is at Remedy Bar and Restaurant

Artist Brian Gonnella's work is at Remedy Bar and Restaurant until January 2, 2011.

5121 Butler Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15201
(412) 781-6771
Bus: Butler St at 52ND
Get directions

Hours of operation

Monday: 4pm - 2am
Tuesday - Friday: 3pm - 2am
Saturday: 4pm - 2am
Sunday: 12:30pm - 2am

Remedy's Beer and Food Blog.

...

The Pittsburgh Art Blog

The Pittsburgh Art Blog features selected pittsburgh artists and upcoming exhibits with photos from the artists and galleries. since the major press outlets do not go beyond a directory listing of exhibits, blogs are needed to promote pittsburgh artists and their work. the blog also calls attention to the inferiority complex of pittsburgh art and how it's perpetuated by the major players in town. Started on August 20,2007. pittsburgh area galleries and art venues are listed at the sister site www.PghGalleries.com.

the blog and website are volunteer projects from fine art photographer and pittsburgh artist advocate rick byerly.

the food festival

A Sunday in September was spent strolling between the stalls at the food festival at Bryggen. In the evening we had a lovely Sunday dinner with goodies bought there (described here).

Canon EOS 500N, Kodak Portra 160vc + Rollei Retro 100, Olympus mju

Pittsburgh Food, Beer Blogs

Pittsburgh Food Blogs

This may be one of the first non-visual arts posts I've done on the blog but I thought it time to give a shout out to many of the varied Pgh food and beer blogs out there.

Binge Eating in Pittsburgh

Burghertime

Burgh Gourmand

Burghilicious

Corduroy Orange

Dinestein

EatPgh

Eatsburgh

FoodBurgh

The Fork and the Road

Forked Pgh

Gretchen Mckay

Pittsburgh Hot Plate

Remedy Beer and Food Blog

Table and Spoon

Taste of Pittsburgh




...

The Pittsburgh Art Blog

The Pittsburgh Art Blog features selected pittsburgh artists and upcoming exhibits with photos from the artists and galleries. since the major press outlets do not go beyond a directory listing of exhibits, blogs are needed to promote pittsburgh artists and their work. the blog also calls attention to the inferiority complex of pittsburgh art and how it's perpetuated by the major players in town. Started on August 20,2007. pittsburgh area galleries and art venues are listed at the sister site www.PghGalleries.com.

the blog and website are volunteer projects from fine art photographer and pittsburgh artist advocate rick byerly.

sodd

Sodd is a soup-like meal with meatballs, mutton and/or beef, potatoes and carrots. It's a traditional meal from the Trondheim area where my dad is from (and where I was born). It's typically served for big occasions like weddings, funerals and birthdays. I absolutely love it! Especially when my grandmother or aunt make it - like she did when we were all gathered at her house in July.

Article about sodd on Klikk.no (in Norwegian).

Film: Fuji pro 160S

By the way, if all goes as planned, I'm meeting a certain someone who lives in Trondheim later today. I wonder if she loves sodd as much as me.

al fresco dining, part III

While it's still snowing like crazy outside I'd like to remember these days of early summer. These shots were taken on Sunday June 13 when we had grilled filet mignon of beef with Greek salad and garlic butter baguettes for dinner in the garden. Dessert was leftover roasted rhubarb from the day before. This very early snow of October looks pretty, but we haven't plated the tulip bulbs yet, so I hope it's not here to stay for the rest of the autumn and winter. Time to bundle up and head to the office!

Film: Fuji Pro 160S

apple muffins

A couple of weeks ago my mother-in-law brought us three big bags of apples from Åsly. Since then our kitchen has been like an apple muffins bakery. I have served these muffins to lots of people and everyone loves them. Here is the recipe.

Start with marinating the apples. I'm not sure how many I used; 5-6 maybe. Cover them in sugar, cinnamon, the juice from half a lime and a splash of cognac (I used Braastads new organic cognac). Brown sugar, cinnamon and lime is also a good mix.

Mix 250 grams of butter (room temperature) and 250 grams of sugar until...

...it looks like this. Put the bowl in the sink with warm water to make the mixing a little easier.

Add three eggs. Stir until it's all well combined.

Sift in 250 grams of flour, 1 tsp. of baking powder and 1 tsp. of vanilla powder, and stir well until it's all combined.

Fill the muffin cups about half full,

and add as many apple cubes as possible. Use your fingers and push them into the dough.

Bake for about 25 minutes at 200°C.

Yield: ca 24 muffins, depending on the size of the muffin cups. You can also make a cake of it. I think a 24 cm springform pan is a good size, and it should bake for a little longer than the muffins; 45 minutes maybe. Both the muffins and the cake freeze very well.

Sweet regards from your muffin princess, Astrid

;-)

chocolate mousse

This is my go-to chocolate mousse recipe. It's quick, simple and really delicious. I got the recipe from my mom, who got it from... I don't know. I have adapted it a bit from my mom's original handwritten copy; I use very strong coffee instead of orange juice or some kind of other liquid, which could for example be cognac or whiskey or any other kind of liquor that goes well with chocolate.

100 grams chocolate (70 % cocoa)
2 tbs strong coffee
3 eggs
3 tbs sugar
2 dl cream

Melt the chocolate with the coffee and let it cool down. Whip egg yolks with sugar. Add the chocolate. Whip egg whites until stiff. Whip the cream. Carefully mix it all together. Put it in the fridge for a couple of hours.

Yield: 5 cocktail glasses