'Vaer sa god'

Nana's Norwegian cooking is fondly remembered

by Deborah Parkhill Mullis

Memories of my Norwegian-American grandmother are foremost in my mind after attending ScanFest in Indian Trail yesterday. Watching my two children enjoy eating Norwegian food reminded of this story I wrote about my Nana's cooking just before her great-granddaughter and namesake, Christiania, came into the world.

My grandmother, Edith Christiania Barth Hennigs, was the first of seven children born in America to Emil and Ebba Barth, immigrants from Oslo.

By the time I was born, Nana - as she was called by her grandchildren - used little of the Norwegian language- except in reference to food.

Ironically, when she began school in 1911 - at the age of seven - she knew only the Norsk that was spoken at home. She learned English in school and in turn helped teach it to her parents.

Like many who came to this country at the turn of the century, Nana's family assimilated into the "melting pot" of New York City. Sadly, by the time the third generation in America came along - including me - most of the Norwegian words and many of the Norwegian ways were lost.

Nana's cooking, however, remained true to Norwegian tradition. She often made Fiskeboller (fish balls), Farikal (lamb stew), Lapskaus (beef stew), Pannekaker (pancakes) and Vafler (waffles) when I was a child.

Fiskeboller are cod fish cakes in a cream sauce. A customary cuisine for what was once a nation of seafarers and dairy farmers. Although it was Norwegian pancakes and waffles - not fish balls - that were my favorites. (I should mention Nana's leg of lamb stew was also a favorite of mine. If I close my eyes and concentrate I can send my taste buds back in time ... mmm!)

It was years before I realized that most people ate pancakes for breakfast. Nana made them for supper. I can still see Nana standing at the stove, her hands on the handles of the two small frying pans on the two front burners. I'm watching as she adds butter, pours batter and jiggle, jiggle, jiggles both the pans.

She keeps both pans cooking with precision, sliding one pancake out after another until golden pancakes dappled with brown dots are piled high upon a plate. Sprinkled with sugar, spread with fruit topping or smothered in syrup, Nana's delicate crepe-like Pannekaker were always delicious.

I also did not know (until I started school) that in America, sandwiches are more often made with two slices of bread than one. Lunch at Nana's house was usually smörgåsbord style with fresh cold cuts and a variety of cheeses from my grandfather's delicatessen. Our sandwiches were open-faced. Our bread was spread with butter - not mayonnaise.

Norwegian flatbread was a common sight on Nana's table long before it became a popular diet aid for Americans. One of the cheeses on hand was gjetost or goat cheese. To be truthful, Nana was not fond of gjetost. She kept it on hand for me. I must have inherited some of my taste buds from a Norwegian dairy goat farmer because I fell in love with the the sweet and tangy block of brown cheese from the moment it first melted in my mouth.

Norwegian waffles are especially loved. So much so that in Norway, waffle irons separate each waffle into five heart-shaped sections. If you own a waffle iron (regular round or standard square one will work) try making them (recipe below) - you won't be disappointed. There is no comparison to the box mixes or frozen waffles people opt for today.

Norwegian waffles may be eaten warm but are meant to be eaten after they have cooled. Spread them with room temperature butter or with jam, top them with your choice of cheese (gjetost for me, of course) or if you prefer eat them plain. I remember Vafler being served for dessert and occasionally for brunch with plenty of fresh perked coffee.

As she was the oldest among her siblings, holiday meals were often held at Nana's house. I remember tyttebaer (mountain cranberry) being on the table during holiday dinners. After a blessing, usually said by Tante (Aunt) Esther, Nana would make a sweeping gesture toward the table with her arm and say, "Vaer sa god" which means "Be so good" (as to eat is implied.)

Afterwards, everyone would tell her "Takk for maten," which means "Thanks for the food."

*********************************************************************

Norwegian Waffles (Vafler)

2 cups flour

1/2 cup of sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

3 eggs, separated

1/2 tsp. salt

1 and 1/2 cups milk

1/4 tsp. cardamom

5 tbs. melted butter

* Sift flour together with baking powder, salt and cardamom.

* In larger bowl, add egg yolks to sugar, mix well. Add dry mixture and stir a little. The batter will be lumpy.

* Gradually stir in milk, then melted butter.

* Beat egg whites and fold into mixture.

* Cook in waffle iron, browning to preference (approx. 90 seconds to two minutes)

* Remove from waffle iron and serve warm or allow to cool 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

(Deborah's article was published February 3, 1994 by The Enquirer-Journal )