Starting with Magnus Nilsson: Fäviken, and The Nordic Cookbook
There are many cookbooks to go to when I need reference. But when I’m looking for a nordic cookbook, this is where I go.
In any cuisine you like to cook. You will start with something that triggers an interest to you whether it be a show, specific chef you like, or a cookbook. (Usually from one of those chefs). For me, there are multiple that I specifically go to when it comes to Scandinavian foods.
It is a very hard to find type of food here in America. I grew up hearing all about it and occasionally getting some that my grandmother made from an old recipe she found. Overall, It is very hard to find. You do not hear about Scandinavian bakeries across America. Nor do you see Nordic restaurants really anywhere outside of New York City or Minnesota. And so, I have to cook it myself.
Most people think it is all salmon when they think of this type of food. But that is a very small way of thinking about the cuisine. There is much more to it than that. Lamb is in the national dish of Norway, not salmon. Baked goods and wild game also play a large role in the food culture. I remember being on a trip with my grandma and having reindeer. This is a very large piece of the northernmost parts of Scandinavian food. There are a people known as the “Sami” that herd reindeer as part of their culture.
Magnus Nilsson is a major point of reference for me. His “Nordic cookbook” is the absolute best jumping off point for all sorts of Scandinavian cooking. And you will see that salmon is rarely seen in this book.
The Nordic Cookbook
You can find almost anything you could possibly think of in this amazing encyclopedia of Nordic cuisine. It was created through years of research collected by traveling all across Scandinavia talking to families and getting recipes that had been passed down for generations. I add that my shortbread cookies base comes from this book.
He decided to do so at first by creating a poll online across the countries that make up Scandinavia. The goal was to show that each country had its own cuisine as much as any countries have their own distinctions from each other. He makes a very good point considering many think that all Nordic/Scandinavian food is the same. But they are all different countries. For example, France and Germany have a very different style of cuisine. Or saying that all of America has the same food culture. It is plain to see that even though we are all neighbors, it doesn’t mean that we all have the same food and culture around it.
Another great thing about this book is the way it approaches the distinctions of each country. All of the recipes have a little quotation below them stating their country of origin. And there are even parts stating how they do something different on a recipe from one country to the next.
It is a must have book for all things Scandinavian.
Fäviken
There is also an astonishing book about his recently closed restaurant Fäviken. It shares the name of his restaurant. This is a much more in depth look at Michelin quality food but in a way that really shows off the foods of the region surrounding. A beautifully composed cookbook that is very interesting as well as easy to read. There is a wealth of information detailing how he sources food as he speaks on where everything comes from.
And even more, a list of menus in the back that show how the food served at the restaurant changed through the seasons. It is a very good example of using what should be available in the seasons and to follow this way of cooking sustainably.
Some things will taste great in one season but that’s because it needs to be eaten at that precise time. Other foods just do not taste as good as they had in the past because it is not the right time of the year. Season means everything with food.
This book is a beautiful example of an area specific expression of seasonal cooking. It is also, surprisingly simple for what you would expect out of a world renowned and recognized Michelin starred kitchen. This restaurant has also been placed in the list of top 50 restaurants in the world.
A New Discovery:
The Nordic Baking Book
Yet another book of his is The Nordic Baking Book. I can’t speak highly enough about this one. If you are raised Scandinavian at all, then you most likely grew up with many different types of treats and baked goods. I’m guessing that is why even after the creation of the encyclopedia that is The Nordic Cookbook, this book came around and is not that much smaller.
This particular book is so good because it essentially has any Nordic baking recipe I have ever tried to find. Many recipes we remember from childhood or something we heard about and want to try are very hard to find on the internet.
We don’t all have the money to go out and buy a library of cookbooks. But we almost all have access to the internet. So that is where we turn most often to find a good recipe quick when we need it or want to try something new.
Which is why I say to buy this particular book. Because it is one that is filled with a massive amount of information that can be very hard to find normally. It is kind of like having a college textbook that has the information that you just cannot find anywhere else.
These recipes are also all guaranteed in that they have been tested by multiple generations of families. So you know that the’ll be good!
Magnus Nilsson
Magnus Nilsson has had an award winning restaurant, multiple cookbooks as well as a photography book, and a family. That is a lot to be proud of. He is an astounding example of somebody that really believes in the food and culture that surrounds it. Magnus is at the forefront of the preservation of Scandinavian cuisine. And it makes me so happy to see this type of food represented in this world.
I highly recommend looking up his talks and recipes on YouTube.com as well as his episodes on Mind Of A Chef on PBS, and Chefs Table on Netflix. He is a visionary of Scandinavian food and culture from the past, present, and the future!