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For the second Foodbuzz Project Food Blog Challenge, I wanted to get a little crazy and who is crazier than the darn Swedish? No one! Ok, crazy Swedes are only partial inspiration for stepping out of my cuisine-comfort-zone for this challenge. Food is life, right? My life is now mostly compromised entirely of becoming a New Yorker. So much unbelievable stuff has already happened in my first month, I'm considering writing another blog about it. Tangent blogging aside, New York was formerly known as New Amsterdam back in the colonial days. Granted Amsterdam is in Holland, but its in the Scandinavian region none the less and the Swedes of America left their mark in New York while traversing its then wilder streets before making the Midwest their new home-away-from-home. Second, with no cable or Internet for the first few weeks I've watched our bootleg copy (from the super nice Polish guy in Greenpoint, Brooklyn) of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo approximately one zillion times. Most people will recall the violence and plot twists but I love Mikael's poignant moment with his niece preparing the Swedish Meatballs for Christmas dinner instructing her to wet her hands when forming the balls. Anyone who knows meatballs knows that, and Mikael knows his meatballs.

Lastly, while feeling the Swedish vibes and searching for a classic traditional recipe from a cuisine completely foreign to me I came across Aquavit's Swedish Meatballs with Mashed Potatoes, Cranberry Sauce, & Pickled Cucumbers in my Restaurant Favorites at Home by the Editors of Cook's Illustrated Magazine cookbook. Boom. Challenge #2, The Classics here I come. I know meatballs and I most definitely know mashed potatoes. Or so I thought.

Part of being a New Home Cook in Brooklyn is you have to go to each purveyor for ingredients and you have to carry it all on your walk back home. The first part I don't mind at all, but the second is seriously going to curb my affinity for overbuying groceries. Therefore when shopping for Brooklyn neighborhoods its important to find what you really like in a short walking distance from your apartment because you walk here. A lot. Everywhere. For everything.  That is why when I discovered Emily's Pork Store just a block and a half from my possible new residence, the wonky floor in the two-story walk-up sounded became the absolute best place to call home in Brooklyn.

I purchased my ground beef, pork, and veal from Emily's (for $7.29!) and then went scavenger hunting for most of my ingredients since our movers serendipitously showed up Saturday morning with all of our stuff. Three weeks late and on my only day to really attempt challenge two. Ah, the joys of moving. Still, with the setbacks surmounting I soldiered on pickling my cucumbers and attempted the traditional Swedish method of making cranberry sauce by leaving raw cranberries in a tray sprinkled with sugar out for a day then mixing them by hand every 20 minutes. I'll be upfront and let you know I did not complete this part of my challenge dish because who is home for 24 hours and has every 20 minutes to spare? No New Yorkers I know. This method was probably invented in the dead of a frigid Swedish winter when everything froze including the stove.  But give me props Project Food Blog for trying to be as authentic as I possibly could.

The Swedish meatball method was a little different to me with the mixing of breadcrumbs and heavy cream separately and then adding to to the mixed meats. Surprisingly it makes the meatballs silkier than my Italian versions. Plus, I bake meatballs not fry them but getting to know new things is what this challenge is all about! Speaking of new, Swedish mashed potatoes have literally blown my mashed potato mind. I love mashed potatoes like macaroni-and-cheese fanatics. I make them constantly, so the technique I learned (and had to adapt without a food mill) using browned butter, butter, olive oil, and a heavy cream and milk mixture with nutmeg really opened up my eyes to the nuances of fat flavors without salt. I don't think the Swedish even know salt exists because they barely use it. I kid, I kid. Lastly, my pan sauce turned out pretty well. The meaty flavor was very nice, but it didn't thicken the way I thought Swedish meatball sauce should thicken. Still, I considers this dish a success and I heart Sweden. Thanks Project Food Blog!

Pickled Cucumbers Recipe

• 1 Cucumber sliced very thin, use a mandolin if you have one
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 allspice berries
• 2 tbl white vinegar
• 1 cup white wine
• 3 cups water

1. Bring all the ingredients except the cucumbers to a boil in a deep pan. Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool uncovered about 30 minutes.
2. Slice the cucumbers and place them in a container with a tight fitting lid.
3. Once the liquid has cooled, add it to the cucumber container, cover and refrigerate for 12 hours.

Instead of a mandolin, because I don't own one, I used a vegetable peeler for cucumber ribbons. Also, my first pickling ever. Thanks PDF2010!

Swedish Mashed Potatoes Recipe

• 4 medium red skin potatoes
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup cream
• 3 tbl butter
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• S&P to taste

1. While the meatballs are cooking, put the cut potatoes, 1/2 tsp salt, and enough water to cover the potatoes by 1-2 inches in a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Bring to a boil over high heat and stop cooking them when a paring knife pierces the flesh easily.
2. Drain the potatoes and in a small saucepan, place 2 tbl of butter over medium-high heat. Cook, swirling frequently, for about 4 minutes until the butter is lightly browned and fragrant.
3. In a medium metal mixing bowl, add the potatoes, brown butter, 1 tbl remaining butter, nutmeg, S&P, and 1/4 cup olive oil. Combine using a hand-held potato masher.
4. In the same small saucepan, quickly and gently heat the milk and cream together. No more than 2 minutes over controlled heat. Add the milk mixture to the potatoes and whisk it in to combine.
5. Place a large pan or sauce pot on the stove and bring several inches of water to a simmer. Place the potato bowl on top of the simmering water until ready to serve.

The secret to Swedish Mashed Potatoes is let them simmer while you're finishing off the meat balls. Hello banana.

• 1/2 lb ground beef
• 1/2 lb ground pork
• 1/2 ground veal
• 1/2 sweet onion, diced
• 1 1/2 cups canola oil
• 1 cup breadcrumbs
• 1 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 egg
• 2 tbl honey
• 2 cups chicken stock
• S&P to taste

1. In a large sauce pan, heat 1/2 cup of canola oil over medium heat. Add the diced onion and let cook until tender, but not browned. Remove pan from the heat.
2. Combine the breadcrumbs and 1 cup of heavy cream in a mixing bowl and mix together using a fork.
3. Combine the meats, egg, honey, and sauteed onion in a large bowl. Add the breadcrumb mixture and salt and pepper until thoroughly combined.
4. Using damp hands, form golf ball size meatballs.
5. Add the remaining canola oil back to the pan over medium heat. Add meatballs when they sizzle once they touch the oil. Make sure the oil doesn't smoke as you turn the meatballs for a consistency cook over about 5 minutes. Transfer finished meatballs to a plate lined with paper towels to drain off excess oil.
6. For the sauce, discard all of the fat without wiping out the bottom of the pan. Add the remainder of the cream, chicken stock, and 1/4 pickling liquid to the pan.
7. Over medium-high heat bring to a simmer and maintain the simmer for 20 minutes using a wooden spoon to scrape the bits off the bottom every so often.

Bubble away, Swedish pan sauce. Bubble away.

The Girl with the Swedish Meatballs finally has her Nikon D90 back. Heart, heart, heart!

Behold my Swedish Plate for Project Food Blog 2010 Challenge #2.

Think I challenged my cuisine abilities enough? Radical. Vote for me to advance to Round 3 of Foodbuzz.com's Project Food Blog 2010! Go Sweden!