Today´s Swedish word: gris. Means pig. And they say "Nöff nöff" here. I am sitting here in the middle of the night after a very tough week, waiting for the oven thermometer to beep. And I wonder: what on earth possessed me when I volunteered to cook pork loin for 55 people?
The story goes like this. As you might know I am a keen folk dancer and spend Thursday evenings dancing, first training a children´s group and then dancing myself. Midsummer is a very traditional day for most Swedes, and then most Swedes like to see folkdancing, and hence we spend midsummer dressed in our traditional costumes, very warm clothes by the way, dancing and dancing in at least three different places. Of course we love it, but it is also totally exhausting!
And that is why we tomorrow will celebrate midsummer the proper way, in the proper clothes (brrr, it is still rather cold here), with a folk dancing group coming to perform for us (but hush, it is a secret) and above all the proper food - and this is where my pork loin gets into the picture. At midsummer, you barbecue. Of course you eat herring, but barbecuing is at least as important. And that is why I am cooking 8.5 kilos pork loin in my oven. I have brushed it with soy sauce and a little liquid smoke, hoping that it will get the authentic, slightly burnt, aroma. Then tomorrow I will slice it, put it on plates and brush it with a marinade I still have to make up, with - I plan - more smoke, oil and a little garlic. We will eat it authentically with potato salad, we have bought 12.5 kilos and then do our traditional frog-leaping dance around the pole - of course we have one of those as well. I will get back to you with a full report when I come to my senses again.
The photo is of me in the clothes I won´t have to wear for "midsummer" tomorrow.
6 comments:
You look lovely in the traditional clothes and I'm sure the pork will be tasty and the dancing fun. Still have not understood why it is "midsummer", but it is sure to be a good time.
Happy almost-midsummer. I enjoyed all of the midsummer activities I attended. Your Aunt Ulla tried to teach me how to dance, but it was a lost cause. I hope her toes have recovered.
Do you do the Trondheim Hammerdance? In which the old ladies are struck upon their heads with round sticks, or "Kneudels".
you look so lovely in your outfit!
Happy midsummer! (Wait, its misummer? Not spring equinox? Must be the same thing...)
What a fantastic, elaborate dancing outfit. It has been so long since I offered to do something nice which kept me at the oven long into the night...I think it was a mocha chocolate chip cheesecake, in San Francisco many, many years ago... You are so kind!
elle, well I think that the late hour somewhat blurred my post - we celebrated midsummer because we don´t have the chance to celebrate properly on the real midsummer. And yes, the pork was fine and the dancing very very nice!
Steve, her feet seems to be A-OK
Pelle, the only Norwegian dance I know is Eikerill and no hammers there, haha.
Rachael, thank you! And no, it is not midsummer until June 22nd - we just couldn´t wait and also we have other things to do then than partying...
Libby, thank you too. I really like to wear my costume even though it is only a few times every year. My mother made it, it is a real treasure!
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