Swedish Fika

This is an example of a Swedish Fika. We had this for the opening celebration of the New Tokara Office on January 15th. It's a bit different than Japanese tea time in that there are no savory items like sukemono. Mostly fika is coffee and sweets, though other drinks like tea and juices can be mixed in as well.

Some time after its introduction in Sweden it became prohibited to drink coffee. The fine if caught while drinking coffee was so criticized that after a few years the ban was lifted.

"Seven Kinds of Cookies" refers to a term and a tradition since the late 1800s. It refers to how many different flavors of cookies a host should offer. The most famous cookie is probably the Gingerbread cookie. It has been baked since 1444 at a monastery in Vadstena. Children also take fika breaks. They often dip the gingerbread cookie into milk or berry juice.

The traditional cup of Swedish coffee is stronger than the traditional cup of American coffee. A normal Swedish coffee cup measures 1 � dl or less then one cup of fresh cold water for one tablespoon plus a dash of grounded beans to serve boiled (kokkaffe) or brewed (bryggkaffe) coffee.

There are times, however, when less than a regular cup is served. Very small coffee cups called mocka cups are sometimes used at dinner parties. The mocha sugar cubes are smaller than regular sugar cubes. Coffee Kask also calls for less boiled or brewed coffee and is diluted with liquor.

BOXTY (Irish Potato Pancakes)

This isn't my original recipe. It was sent to me by a friend after I went on and on about the Salmon Boxty I had at Gallagher's in Dublin. A boxty is more like a crepe than a pancake in that you can stuff it with almost anything both savory or sweet.
I had it stuffed with salmon and mushrooms in a cream sauce.

1 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. mashed potatoes
1 c. finely grated raw potato
2 eggs
1/3 c. milk
1 tbsp. butter

Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. When well mixed, blend in cooked mashed potatoes. Squeeze the finely grated raw potatoes in a tea towel to remove excess moisture. Add it to the bowl along with 2 eggs, well beaten, and just enough milk to make a thick batter.
In a skillet, melt butter. Drop batter by tablespoons into pan. Press down to flatten. Cook pancakes 4 minutes on each side or until golden. Serve hot.