Monday, December 5, 2011

Sweetish Swedish

I'm not gonna say there's nothing Chris likes more than a pancake breakfast, but he sure does enjoy a pancake breakfast. So yesterday we attended one at the Swedish Cultural Center. I'm not a big pancake fan in general, but Swedish pancakes are so much better than regular pancakes! They're light, like crepes, and the ones at the cultural center were served with a choice of lingonberries or strawberries, with whipped cream, plus a side of ham.

Apparently Swedish pancakes are also very popular! We spent about 20 minutes searching for parking, as the parking lot there is quite small, and then spent at least another 10 minutes or so standing in line. But it was worth it. The people at our table, all of Danish descent, were really nice and welcoming, and there was a folk band playing, with people dancing. There was also a selection of Scandinavian sweaters, crafts, and bread for sale. A woman handed out the words to some holiday carols -- in Swedish -- for a sing-along, but we didn't stick around for that, though it might have been amusing to try to pronounce those words.

I'm so intrigued by the cultural center -- which celebrates all Scandinavian heritage, not just Swedish. It has lots of cool artwork and bric-a-brac on display: dolls, Swedish horses, folk art, and of course, now, a big Christmas tree. I learned there are lots of interesting events there. Top on my list is the Swedish Kafé & Happy Hour, which is held every Friday and features Smörgås sandwiches, Swedish meatballs, and homemade Swedish pastries. There's also a Viking lecture every Friday at 5:30! Also every Friday, they show Scandinavian films with English subtitles at 2 p.m.

The center also offers various levels of language classes, genealogy services, a book group, and lots of parties and events. But if you want to start with the pancake breakfast, the next one is on Sunday, January 8, from 8 a.m. until 1:30 p.m., with music by Skolkis, Mäd Fiddlu, and Nyckelharpa. It costs $9 for adults and $5 for children 5-12; $7 for members. See you there?

5 comments:

  1. I am not fond of pancakes but your description is making me hungry.

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  2. Carrie, is that a childhood photo of you in Swedish garb? Swedish pancakes, yum.

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  3. Yes, a photo of my childhood in Sweden at the turn of the century. :-p

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  4. That looks SOOOOO much better than the supposedly authentic Belgian waffles we had last weekend in Harvard Square. I'm also a fan of lingonberries and ham, although I've never had them together.

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  5. TK, I didn't even know what a lingonberry was until I went here. I like the tart taste a lot; reminds me of cranberries. I gave my ham to Chris.

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