A Few Wintery Days in Copenhagen

TofC contributor, Ingrid Pankonin, has recently taken a trip to Copenhagen with some friends and has shared her experience here on the Trail of Crumbs. Ingrid is a private cook ( Miel Cooking ) and close friend who lives in Oakland, California. Thank you Ingrid!

When a dear firend invited me to join him at Noma, the celebrated Copenhagen restaurant, I pretty much HAD to figure out how to get to Denmark! I was to join a group of friends, and we found a really lovely home on AirBnB. Traveling to Copenhagen could not have been easier - there is an excellent public transit system. Once we had al arrived, we hit the ground eating!

Despite the cold weather, the citizens of Copenhagen were out in full force - shopping and drinking mulled wine from stalls in the outdoor markets. The architecture was beautiful and I loved the mix of old, old buildings with all the mid-century design.  We definitely found some amazing eating and shopping… 

No. 2

Our first, jet-lagged dinner of Copenhagen was at this modern, very open waterfront restaurant.  The vast space somehow managed to feel cozy, and the food was surprising, yet still recognizable.  Nice wine list, smart service, and literally one of the best tartares I've ever eaten - veal with tarragon and egg yolk.  It had all of the elements you want in a tartare, while opening your palate to something different, and with an obvious sense of place.  We also had delicious cocktails, like the Nordic Negroni, a twist on the classic using science-project techniques for marrying the flavors under pressure.

Lunch at Slotskælderen - a typical smørrebrød - the iconic Danish open-faced sandwiches - restaurant.  We somewhat stumbled upon this one, reputed to be the best in Copenhagen, and somehow snuck a group of six of us in at the last minute.  Apparently everyone in Denmark likes to have these lavish lunches around the holidays, and in general, reservations are recommended well in advance.  We started with special holiday-edition aqvavit, which had travelled around the equator twice, picking up spices along the way to infuse in it.  Skål!  We had beautifully fresh oysters, many sandwiches - tiny bay shrimp, fried and marinated herring, pork belly, hard-cooked eggs, lots of mayonnaise and the requisite capers, red onions and dill on most of it.  So delicious!  And all amongst a super cozy, family vibe - we left with warm hearts and bellies!

Changing of the Guard at Amalienborg Palace

Every day at noon, the changing of the guard at the Queen's palace happens - think Buckingham Palace-style uniforms and stern faces.  This was an amazing display of history and tradition, not to mention hardiness against the cold, in the plaza between the four identical palaces that comprise the Danish royal family's winter residence.

Lunch at Noma

Words can't really describe how amazing this meal was - from the cozy setting, to the flawless and super-personal service, to the mind-blowing food and wine and juice.  Believe the hype.

Shopping and Eating at Torvehallerne Food Hall

This is a gorgeous, modern, indoor-outdoor food market located just a block or so away from Nørreport Station - one of Copenhagen's central metro stops.  There are two large, glassy halls and a central outdoor area between them, filled with stalls selling everything from fresh produce to wine to Danish cheeses to seafood to artisanal licorice.  This is a wonderful place to have a casual lunch at one of the restaurant-y stalls, and to pick up typical Danish products to bring home.

Shopping in Ravnsborggade

This is a sweet little neighborhood with lots of vintage shops, little cafés, clothing stores, and galleries.  The vintage places range from fully-curated mid-century design emporium to sardine-packed bric-a-brac mess - which makes for a fun shopping experience!  The lovely Frederiksen boutique has a great selection of women's clothes, and Bevar's serves a cozy, slightly hipster smørrebrød lunch.

Geist

We made a reservation at Geist for the evening after the Noma lunch, cancelled it due to overwhelm, and then ended up in their lounge/bar area for a light dinner anyway!  As with pretty much anywhere we went, the staff was incredibly nice and helpful, with the bartender offering great advice on their interesting wine list.  We had just a few dishes, but they were delicious and inventive.  The suckling pig and crispy artichokes were rich and comforting, and the baked celery root and chestnut dish was a STUNNER.  The well-heeled, slightly older vibe matches the inventive but not bewildering cuisine.  

Almanak

Our last meal of the Copenhagen days was at this modern smørrebrød restaurant nestled inside the Standard Hotel along the canal front.  An airy, comfy space and an open kitchen started out lunch off right, and the updated versions of the sandwiches were exciting and still grounded in tradition.  As with all the restaurants we visited, there were myriad aqvavit selections, as well as nicely chosen beer and wine lists.  A perfect send-off, wrapping us in a Danish modern hug and leaving us wanting more!

All photos and text: Ingrid Pankonin

Tomatoes at Every Table

We had a beautiful tomato love affair while visiting friends and family in California and Marfa, Texas recently. Many sweet outdoor meals were made with products from home gardens with tomatoes, squash, runner beans, herbs, cucumbers, and magic galore.

Simone's crazy good tomatoes (with Burrata) from the West Paris garden in Marfa. You did it Simone! 

A potluck spread at Mark & Jen's Santa Barbara riviera balcony high above the pacific

Old friends and newlyweds gather 

Mark & Jen have converted an entire dry hillside into a produce giving paradise

Jen and Ingrid at my childhood home during golden hour on the Santa Barbara riviera

all photos Danielle Rubi-Dentzel, except the top tomato photo by Simone Rubi

Frico Egg!

TofC contributor, Ingrid Pankonin, sent us this sweet little egg recipe and we can't wait to try it. I bet you won't be able to wait either. How good does this sound? Merci Ingrid!

Sometimes the best simple recipes come out of combining two already delicious things - in this case, the frico, a Friulian cheese crisp, and a fried egg.  It's super easy, can be made with things you probably already have in your fridge, and is kind of a brunch game-changer.  Buon appetito!

Heres's what you'll need:
 
Egg(s). 
Butter - about 1/2 TBS.  I use salted because I like salt.
Parmesan - about 2 TBS, grated.  (Use your instincts on the amount and get a nice thin layer of cheese - you want it to crisp up evenly.  You can also probably use any hard grating cheese, like an aged pecorino.)
Salt + pepper.
A cast iron or nonstick pan.

Heat up the pan, put the butter into it(it should sizzle and melt right away), then sprinkle the cheese over it in an even layer.
 

After the cheese, immediately crack an egg (or more eggs, depending on the size of your pan and number of mouths - maybe try one at a time first?) over the melty cheese-butter. 

Salt and pepper it.  Put the lid on and cook to your desired doneness.  I'm a sunny-side-up gal, myself. Admire the crispy edges!

Slide it out of the pan with a spatula, and serve with whatever you like - in this case, some roasted summer vegetables and prosciutto.

  Can you imagine this on a Caesar salad?

BEEF TARTARE WITH GARLIC MAYONNAISE

Ingrid and I were were walking the streets of Paris one recent afternoon and quickly decided on having an evening at home with beef tartare, artisanal potato chips and champagne for dinner. Ingrid Pankonin, a private chef visiting from Berkeley, California, has been popping up in Paris over the last 5 years. We have enjoyed many beautifully crafted meals together.  From road trips to Piedmont, Italy and city escapes to the french countryside, when Ingrid is in town, so is laughter, grub and champagne.

We spent the afternoon collecting ingredients around my neighborhood, while ducking out of the rain and filling our market bags bit by bit. We hit rue de Bretagne and went to my local market to get organic veggies, Le Marché des Enfants Rouges, the oldest covered market in Paris. Next to the market, and along the food shops of rue de Bretange, we went to Fromagerie Jouannault, one of my favorite cheese shops, and lastly stopped at the Boucherie du Marais to pick up our beef to hand cut at home for the tartare.

This type of apron on a butcher my quality default check for Parisian butchers, it is the old Les Halles style of wrapping 2 waist aprons with a specific knot used to tie the shoulder stap. This style of apron shows a prideful butcher.

GARLIC MAYONNAISE RECIPE

by Ingrid Pankonin

Equipment you will need:

2-quartish bowl

Whisk 

Optional: A saucepan that will cradle the bowl, plus a towel - line the saucepan with the towel, then cradle the bowl in it for a non-slipping bowl. Also optional: a microplane, or mortar and pestle

Ingredients:

1 egg yolk + 1 extra egg in case the mayo breaks (curdles)
2/3 - 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil - this is not the time for a super-green, spicy olive oil. Use a mild extra virgin or even start with 1/4 cup of neutral vegetable oil and finish with EVO.
1 plump clove of garlic - minced, pounded in a mortar and pestle, or *shortcut* microplaned
salt to taste - 1/2 - 1 tsp
lemon juice to taste

First, make sure the egg is at room temperature!  This is my number one mayo breaker.  If you need to make mayo straight from a cold egg, fear not!  Warm the egg up in a bowl of hot tap water for a few minutes, keeping in mind that the warmth needs to make it all the way into the yolk, so it may take a couple of water changes.  I think the egg should feel ever so slightly warm to the touch on the outside.

Now, let's make the mayo!  I'm calling it mayonnaise because some people would argue that aïoli has no acid (and has a TON of garlic!), but I like garlicky mayo to have some lemon in it, and it goes well with the tartare.

Whisk the egg yolk to break it up.  Start by dribbling a few drops of oil in, whisking all the while.  Add a few more drops when the first ones are fully incorporated.  How hard or fast you whisk is much less important than just making sure the olive oil is fully absorbed before adding more.  Continue drizzling and whisking… as the mayonnaise starts to grow in volume, it may become a little too thick - just add a few drops of water or lemon juice.  Now is a good time to add a first pinch of salt, too.  Also, you can start to increase the amount of oil you add each time - moving up to a teaspoon or so for a few additions, then on to a tablespoon or so for the next while.  Again - just make sure it's fully incorporated before adding more!  Taste along the way for seasoning. Keep on like this until you've added all the oil.  Add the garlic, and lemon juice and salt to taste - since the mayo is mostly oil, it'll take a few minutes for the salt to dissolve.  The garlic will also get stronger as it sits, so just taste it again and adjust if necessary.

*If at any time the mayo gets loose and looks curdled, it has "broken".  You have to just start over with a fresh, room temp egg yolk.  Then add the broken mayo in the same manner as the olive oil on the first go-around: a few drops at a time, whisking.  And so on. Store leftover mayo in the fridge for one day.  As mentioned above, cold is the enemy of a stable mayonnaise - so if you want to use it as such, let it warm up a bit.  Or, use it as a base for a little vinaigrette!  Add a little mustard, some more lemon juice or red wine vinegar, and more oil to taste, plus S+P.  Yay!

For the mayo, delicately separate the yolk from your perfect egg and begin the emulsification process.

 

For the tartare, finely chop up some cornichon pickles, shallots and capers and lay them out on each individual plate or on a platter, family style. Other things you can add to the fixins on the tartare table are things like homemade thousand island, ketchup, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce and salt and pepper.  For ours, we seasoned the beef and simply used our freshly made garlic mayo along with the pickles, shallots and capers. It was delicious. You can mix up your own personal fave combo.

L'Etivaz, a french alp cheese...and Paris' only local cheese, Brie de Meaux

Valencay, a goat's milk cheese... and Fleur de Maquis, a sheep's milk cheese from Corsica