Wednesday, with lefse

Lefse on griddle

Picture credit: Lance Fisher

I apologize for not posting anything yesterday. The day worked out differently than I’d planned, and I didn’t get home until after 10:00 p.m. (That’s 22:00, for our European readers.)

At noon I tried out my Christmas present to myself (made possible by a gift card, given by my neighbor in thanks for clearing the driveway, plus a very deep sale discount at the store). It’s a GPS device. I bought it because I came to see with intense clarity, while spending two hours driving around Chicago last October, looking for my motel, that I’m lousy with maps, have no sense of direction, and lack a wife to sit in the passenger seat and navigate. I’m the man GPS’s were invented for.

I plugged the thing into Mrs. Hermanson’s cigarette lighter, allowed it to acquire the signal, and then did a search for Culver’s Restaurants. I love Culver’s, but the only ones I knew were too distant to visit regularly. The GPS found me one just 3.5 miles away. (The hamburgers are great, but I particularly crave the deep fried North Atlantic Cod dinner.)

So this looks like a good thing.

Then I got a call from my friend S. S. had talked to me about collaborating on an epic lefse-making effort. We had planned to do it on Thursday (that would be today as I write), but he thought the weather forecast for today looked bad (ice storms, for the record; in fact the temperature was high, so the streets were mostly just wet), so could I come over now?

I did this, and spent an intense afternoon and evening exploring the mysteries of the sacred lefse.

Lefse making is more than an exercise in cooking. It’s a discipline. An art. Almost a priesthood. Ask anyone who makes the stuff how it’s done, and the first thing they’ll say is, โ€œIt’s hard.โ€

Temperature mattersโ€”not only the temperature of the grill, but the temperature of the dough you work with. Your rolling pin, your rolling board, and your turning stick all have to be properly handled and coated with flour.

S. uses an ancient family recipe, which (I am told) is extremely valuable and not to be shared with outsiders. He was breaking tradition by just letting me help. I took turns at all the steps except rolling it out, which I somehow never got around to. I was happiest running the grill, for which I think I have a natural talent.

S. usually uses twenty pounds of potatoes, producing about 60 lefse, but because it was my first time he only did ten pounds this time. I’m glad of this, because I was exhausted by the time I wobbled out to Mrs. Hermanson and drove home with my portion of Every Norwegian’s Favorite Ethnic Delicacy.

I didn’t need to use the GPS to find my way home, but I considered it.

In any case, I have now moved up in my Norwegian status to One Who Has Helped Make Lefse.

This is no small thing.

I think I may be qualified to serve in Parliament now.

21 thoughts on “Wednesday, with lefse”

  1. This reminds me…I need to locate my krumkake griddle. I think it’s in my car, and I’ll be darned if I let the holidays fully pass before I make a batch.

  2. I too love Culver’s Norwegian Cod. One of the greatest disappointments in my life was the day I made the mistake of ordering “fish” while they were also serving walleye. The tough little breaded walleye couldn’t hold a candle to the tender flaky battered cod.

    Unfortunately I live a hundred miles from the nearest Culvers. I did eat at Culver’s last night, stopping in the Granite City enroute home from the vicinity of the tallest buildings in my state to the vicinity of the narrowest point of the Mighty Mississippi. However, after telling the kids they could only have frozen custard if they limited themselves to the $3.99 snack meals I didn’t feel I could get away with shelling out $10.99 for the three piece Cod Dinner which would be $15 by the time I added a drink and a scoop of frozen custard. So I settled for a Butterburger snack meal. Five of us ate for $32.

  3. I haven’t either. Perhaps I haven’t because there aren’t any of those restaurants around Chattanooga. I did have a Fuddruckers burger once, and it was commendable. Maybe, gentlemen, the world needs men willing to research these culinary options.

  4. Ah, the rituals of the lefsa maker! Going out into the wild cold wilderness. Jumping into the car, hazarding the icy streets and slipping and sliding into the supermarket. Cautiously searching each isle for that familiar, thin square box of natures and Norway’s best food stuff.

    Getting home again over those same icy streets, throwing off the heavy clothes, dashing to the kitchen sink and filling it full of hot water to soften the rock hard lefsa inside the box… Ya just can’t beat some freshly wetted lefsa and hot melted butter!!

    I know..I know… but some of us just aren’t blessed with friends who know the secret receipt for this national treasure…. what’s a guy to do?

    Well, no, I can’t get into parliament, but small matter if I have the flat heavenly dough to munch on!

    As for Fudruckers, they used to be Flakey Jakes.

    First saw them back in Iowa when I was in my 20s.

    “The world’s best hamburger”, they say… and I truly agree as I am that fellow who travels the world looking for the truly GREAT hamburger.

    No, I’ve never eaten a Whataburger or a Butterburger…perhaps I speak too soon. But when I get back sometime in June from traveling those areas in which they reside, (and my dad’s 100 birthday party), I will report and bring us up to date on Fudrucker’s still being Ichi ban.

    Fuddies does however have the best onion rings…if they are not over cooked.

    I am willing to be one of those men to continue this culinary research. Inquiring minds want to know.

  5. Those of us near the Red River Valley have the additional option of Burger Time. Drive thru only, cheap food, massive quantities. 1/3 pound Bigger Burger Combo with large fries and large drink for under $5 includes tomato and lettuce on the burger. 2/3 pound Double Bigger Burger combo is $6.59 last I checked. The Burger Time Bigger Burger reminds me of a Whataburger, but since there are about a thousand miles between North Dakota and Texas, I’ve never been able to compare the two side by side.

  6. Actually, the best burger I know is served at a local place called The Fifties Diner. But since only Twin Citians know about it, it’s more or less an un-falsifiable assertion.

  7. Lars, that may be a truism or common assertion type in that one’s local eatery, regardless of where it is, is indeed the best of its kind. The best catfish, the best pizza, or the best lobster martini can be found near you, more or less wherever you live.

    With all this talk of Lefsa, should the Philistines in the audience look into recipes to make themselves?

  8. Never forget about Sonic burgers! Always my favorite. And that holds true for when I lived in Texas and now that I live in Southern California. ๐Ÿ™‚

  9. If you want to talk about local diners, may I recommend the D&R Cafe in Bagley, MN. The D&R Burger is 1/2 pound of fresh beef topped with grilled green peppers and onions under melted swiss cheese and a dollup of sour cream. I have them hold the sour cream and replace it with some bbq sauce, but someone somewhere must prefer the sour cream. Usually it comes on a crusty hard roll, but depending on what the bakery delivered that day you may get a kaiser roll or a plain old wonder bun. Served with a huge plate of fries for $5.50. The fries have that wonderful small town greasy spoon flavor that tells you many portions of fish and chicken have been cooked in the same oil. Add a large diet pepsi with free refills and a generous tip for the waitress and you’re still under $10.

  10. It is my humble opinion that all those Norsky-ish folks should be willing, for the benefit of man-kind, to give up their truly great lefsa receipts and let the rest of the world enter into a true heavenly delight. Who knows, this might just start a world peace trend…like COKE-A-COLA did in the 60s or 70s…

    Can you hear the music now… and see all those rain-bow kids running up and down hills…..?

    “I’d like to help the world a lot and make it all peaceful………… but those nasty Republicans and Talibaners have got it all messed up!!”

    “Yes, I’d like to help the world a lot and make it all peaceful…. and fly the skys all ’round the place, dropping really good lefsa on everybody and then some KRINGLA too!!!”

    “It’s the real thing, LEFSA is…. Won’t you have some right now…. then you too can wear chainy maily shirts and sexy helmets tooooooooo”

    You too can be as round as john book.. come on! Belly up to the Lefsa wagon and chow down! Do some serious eatin’!

    Muuuuummmmmmm my mouth just waters!!!!

  11. By the way…. on a truely serious note;

    KRINGLA is the actual, one of a kind, only the greatest food stuff in the entire world!

    This comes from the fellow who would eat a burger at any time…given the chance.

    Kringla is a food Jesus brought with Him from Heaven. Yes,even some Norwegian folks get to Heaven and share some, what has become, truly Heavenly delights!

    And know this! I am being very very serious here!

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