skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Bløtkake
Nordic Heritage Museum, $4
In honor of the Syttende Mai constitutional holiday, many Norwegians work up an appetite by parading through the streets carrying the national flag, then sit down to a well-deserved slice of bløtkake, the beloved "wet cake" whose patriotic layers of white sponge, whipped cream, and strawberry jam echo two of the Norwegian flag's three colors.
Khapse
Tibetan Association of Washington, $15 with Losar dinner
Seattle's tiny Tibetan community puts on a Losar celebration that's everything I like a New Year's bash to be: colorful, well catered, teeming with raucous children, and equal parts mystery and welcome.
I wandered into the Shoreline Senior Center shyly, not knowing a soul, but in under a minute I was offered at seat at a friendly table. As we made introductions, a man came by with a large box and tongs, topping a paper plate already full of extra-spicy Cheetos with a delicacy I'd only ever read about, a treat both mysterious and hospitable: Tibetan "cookies", or khapse.
Made from dampened wheat flour and small amounts of salt, sugar, or both, khapse's appeal has more to do with appearance and texture than with flavor. The dough is rolled into sheets, cut into strips, and wrought into a variety of traditional or whimsical shapes. Finally, a dip in boiling oil gives the flimsy sculptures structural integrity and crunch.
In Tibet, Losar season calls for vast quantities of khapse, from elaborate coils and curls that are stacked into offering towers, to simpler twists stored in a tin and brought out to eat with tea whenever a visitor stops by. In the lead-up to Losar, professional khapse makers will make house calls, using portable deep fryers to create temporary outdoor kitchens for the freshest cookies.
My first bite wasn't promising; my butterfly-shaped khapse was so hard and dry that my jaw ached after two chews. Then a new acquaintance arrived back at the table with a round of hot, milky tea and some advice. A quick tea-bath transformed my khapse into something much more enjoyable, and I polished it off wing by wing as the adults around me discussed the difficulties of the past year and their brightly-dressed children dashed around the room, laughing.
Bougatsa
St Demetrios Greek Festival, $5
The organizers of the annual Greek Festival at Seattle's St Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church have clearly learned a few things since the festival was first held in 1960. After fifty-two years, they have celebrating down to a science.
Entering the festival is like arriving in a foreign country: exchange some cash for festival tokens and pick up a helpful map. Get the lay of the land by attending an informative sanctuary tour, then pick up some souvenirs at one of the shops or bookstores. Having worked up an appetite, chose from sit-down meals in the dining room, beer and snacks at the adults-only tavernas, or coffee and sweets--available by the box from the Agora market or by the piece from the Kafenion.
The bougatsa (above) is served warm from the oven, highlighting its great interplay of textures: crinkly phyllo pastry, creamy custard, and crunchy walnuts. Also available:
Baklava: a sweet sandwich of walnuts, cinnamon, and buttered phyllo, soaked in syrup
Bakalava sundae: a new spin on the old favorite, chopped baklava pastry with espresso, vanilla ice cream, and whipped cream
Kourambiethes: butter cookies coated in compacted powdered sugar
Kataifi: shredded phyllo pastry with walnuts, cinnamon, and sugar
Pasteli: candy made from sesame seeds and honey
Galaktoboureko: semolina custard with crispy buttered phyllo, soaked in orange blossom syrup
Koulouraki: pretty braided butter cookies
Melomakarona: olive oil cookies flavored with orange, brandy, honey, and walnuts
Loukoumades: doughnuts with honey and cinnamon
