Patrice Johnson

Nordic Food Geek Newsletter about to drop (signup at NordicFoodGeek.com — link in bio, or find me at Substack)w/details about next week’s American Swedish Institute Nordic Table on a Stick & a Nordic spin on MN State Fair fare 😋

Thu, Aug 7, 2025 | 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm. Register at asimn.org

Pizza topped with caviar and shrimp

Still a spot open for next week’s Swedish Pizza class 🍕 We’ll cover our bases, from banan curry to caviar, kebab to sallad—all of the usual suspects and a few surprises. 😋

Register at asimn.org/event/swedis...

#swedishpizza #nordictable #caviar #banancurry #kebab #pizzasallad #immigrantstories

First grilled pizza of the season and still experimenting with crust after years of dabbling in a quick-rise from the Test Kitchen. Loved this latest version—00 flour and a 24 hour rise. Very near perfect.

#grilledpizza #landof10000plates #10000plates

Next Nordic Food Geek Newsletter: story of why faux crab cakes remind me of my beloved first father in law (who hated seafood). Plus a shoutout to Alzheimer’s Association of MN/ND who provide resources to families facing Alzheimer’s. Also: recipes 🦀🍄‍🟫 www.nordicfoodgeek.com/newsletter

Last night ASI invited Pim Pauline Overgaard to woo us with æbleskiver & her gorgeous book “Æbleskiver: A new take on traditional Danish pancakes.”
Pim will be at a couple more Twin Cities book signings today and tomorrow including Ingebretsens.

#æbleskiver #nordickitchen

Thanks WCCO for having Megan Fox from Alzheimer’s Association MN-ND & me on this morning to talk about the Purple Gala! And thanks R&R for the tasty Lion’s Manes (faux crab cakes). Fund raising should always be delicious 😋

#alzheimersassociation #purplegala #wccomorningshow #fauxcrabcakes

Lions man mushrooms

Thanks R&R Cultivation for these Lion’s Manes, all set for WCCO where we’ll talk about Alzheimer’s Association MN-SD’s Purple Gala & auction. Tune in around 9:40 a.m. to learn more (& donate to this fantastic organization to support, educate, advocate for families facing Alzheimer’s).

Sustenance for what’s ahead… the day, the week, the world.

An outtake from today’s Vesterheim Smörgåsbord 101 class. We prepared a small plate to represent each table at a proper smörgåsbord, and talked about the history of SOS, brännvinsbord, modern smörgåsbord, and proper etiquette. Super fun students! Tasty dinner!

#vesterheimfolkartschool

Final fish fry 2025 at Churchill with a tasty battered walleye plus waffle fries and we needed that side of artichoke dip because: sides!

#fishfry #lent #landof10000plates #10000plates

Happy World Aquavit Day!! To honor this auspicious date, this week’s Nordic Food Geek Newsletter is all about my favorite tipple. Sign up over at NordicFoodGeek.com(link in bio). Skål!

#worldaquavitday #nordicfoodgeek

Today’s ASI Nordic Table Kringle class was a celebration of Danish, Swedish (sort of), and Norwegian Kringle, kringlor, and kringla. What a blessing to spend the afternoon surrounded by rowdy regulars & enthusiastic new-bies, willing to hangout and find joy in Scandinavian pastries.

Six down, one more to go: Lenten fish fry! Great fish, fun sides Howe with @msleigh.bsky.social 😋

#fishfry #lentenfishfry #cheesecurds #buffalocauliflower #landof10000plates #10000plates

Six years ago this week we celebrated the 9th Annual (& finsl?) Minnesota Congressional Delegation Hotdish Competition where a very excited, so youthful (practically a baby) Patrice was an official judge and mingled with the cool kids.

Hotdish is the flavor of democracy.

Wow! Now THAT’S a fish fry! Kudos to Coastal Seafood’s The Dive for a fantastic meal. Awesome sides, malt vinegar, plenty of options. 😋

#fridayfishfry #lent #landof10000plates #10000plates

Still a couple of spots left for Smörgåsbord 101 (online) April 19 — each table represented in five+ courses. Head over to store.vesterheim.org/collections/... to register!

#smörgåsbord #vesterheimfolkartschool

Thanks Karen! I’m a little mortified that the formatting didn’t work and the big middle section was goofy, but hopefully the sentiment still made sense 😆

Bowl of butternut squash beer cheese soup garnished with tortilla chips

New obsession: beer cheese soup with addition of butternut squash. Thanks @penzey_spices for Arizona Dreaming. It’s the perfect spice for this perfect soup. And yes, we still have last autumns squash in storage and it’s still delicious!

#beercheese #butternutsquashsoup #penzeys #arizonadreaming

Next Nordic Food Geek Newsletter dropping today. Purging, marrow sucking, and 3 a.m. panic attacks: how we survived the first three months of 2025.

Sign up at nordicfoodgeek.com

#nordicfoodgeek

Fish fry week 3: we had to change our dinner plans three times tonight & landed at our neighborhood Culver’s: Walleye, cheese curds, coleslaw, onion rings, and warm roll plus a glass of chilled Yes Way Rose 😋
#fishfriday #lentenfishfry #walleye #landof10000plates #10000plates

I’m usually too busy prepping for class to enjoy a leisurely meal at Fika, I never get to sit with the rowdy ASI regulars during class, but last night I got to experience both!

How uplifting—experiencing Beth Dooley & Mette Nielsen ‘s Local Sweets class & a gorgeous meal at Fika 😋 #community

En jätte bra och glad våffeldagen! Began Waffle Day with a fun demo at Fox Good Day then treated myself to possibly the best most brilliant waffle & topping ever at Fika (Swedish American Institute)—porkbelly and sea buckthorn 🤯🤤.

#våffeldagen #waffleday #nordicwaffle #fika #foxgoodday

March 25 is Våffeldagen! The scandi name for Annunciation is Vårfrudagen (Our Lady’s Day). It was mispronounced and eventually became Waffle Day. 😋🧇

I’ll be on Fox Good Day tomorrow chatting waffles both savory and sweet!

#waffleday #våffeldagen #vårfrudagen #annunciation

Whenever one of my talented childhood friends performs out in the wild, you’ll hear me bragging in the audience. “We were in high school choir together.”

Today watching @msleigh.bsky.social perform her gorgeous smooth jazzy self at Gloria Dei was a thrill. 🥹

Last night we celebrated two of the people I love most in all the world. 🎉🥰🥂

Fish sandwich with sweet potato fries

Fish fry on the go w/a solid My Burger fish sandwich and sweet potato fries. I got my fish with cheddar and sweet pickles,served with the same Vouvray bubbles we had at our wedding, in honor of our dear friends Tiffany and Chris whose wedding is tomorrow 🎉🥂

I’m often asked if I eat the food we prepare during Nordic Table classes American Swedish Institute. The truth is I take bites and taste everything during prep and demo, so by the time we serve, I feel like I’ve had a nice light meal. Once I get home, I reach for a comforting snack.

Two cans of Guinness Stout next to some foil-covered chocolate coins, a ceramic bunny, and a vase of daffodils

Easter bunnies are sharing space with leprechauns today thanks to Dawn & Billy & their annual Gift a Guinness delivery: May love unite us, Faith guide us, & Guinness connect us. Sláinte, cheers, skål 🍻🍀♥️

#giftaguinness

When choosing a pastry from Diane’s Place, ask your server for their top three “can’t live without tasting” & bring those home to share (hopefully they survive the drive home without accidentally finding their way into your mouth). Every bite from Diane’s is exquisitely sublime.

Whole round unsliced pizza topped with potato chips and dill

The only pie/pi I really desire is a pizza pie!

In time for St. Patrick’s Day, this one is loaded with corned beef, pickles, cabbage, potato chips, and dill. Best of all, the crust is made from Guinness Extra Stout. Recipe is up over at calledtothetable.blogspot.com?m=1 🍀🍕