Sunday, July 7, 2013

Ärtsoppa and Vege Hitler


Swedish Pea Soup (Ärtsoppa)

I’ve read somewhere that Swedish pea soup started being served even before the Vikings came into existence. It became the traditional Thursday meal when Sweden converted to Catholicism. Around 1530 Sweden converted to Lutheranism but the soup remained a Thursday meal. Even today restaurants serve this on Thursdays, along with pancake.

Small confession. I didn’t completely follow the recipe. I added some harissa, which is very un-Swedish, and I left out pork, which is very un-Swedish. It still turned out nice. The recipe is available here


Today's Favourite Photo
Source: Cakewhiz



Today’s Favourite Blog
Source: Reuters
Hitler was a vegetarian. I don’t know why but I was surprised to read this. I suppose vegetarians too can have all sorts of traits. 

Margot Woelk was one of Hitler’s 15 food tasters.  For almost 2½ years her job was to taste, or test, the food for poison.  So every day between 11 and 12 in the morning she was forced to eat a lavish meal. If she did not fall ill, the food was packed into boxes and taken to Hitler at the Wolf's Lair, a military headquarters located in Poland.

I guess there are not many occasions in life where one is forced to eat a lavish meal, every day. And I guess there are not many occasions in life where you eat every meal thinking it could be your last meal.

This job was not advertised. I don’t think anyone would have applied if it was advertised. But maybe I am wrong, we have all sorts of people in this world. “Lucrative food testing opportunity. Lavish meal served daily, for free. We make sure your last meal is a lavish one. Salary paid daily in advance”. 

Margot escaped when Hitler was killed. The other 14 food tasters who had stayed behind were all killed, I guess not by food.



7 comments:

  1. I love pea soup and I think adding harissa was a great idea! My favourite dried pea soup is with smoke pork ribs (simmered together for hours.... it's a pure delight but I have never seen it in France or Switzerland).
    Oh, yes, Hitler being vegetarian is quite a famous history fact -or rather anecdote- for us, Europeans.

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    1. Smoked pork sounds awesome. I've had soup once made with pork hock, really nice. I still remember the taste even though I had it long time ago, like more than 10 years ago! Time to try again, this decade:) Smoked pork is not difficult to find.
      Being vegetarian - at least he spared other animals. I am very tempted to share more thoughts but I think its best to stop:)

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    2. Here smoked pork is everywhere too, but not smoked pork ribs (with bones). They are just another dimension. Haha! I think I know what you mean ;-)

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    3. I've never seen nor tried smoked pork ribs. I will buy it if I come across it

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  2. Nice looking soup, good call on the harissa. Would be fun to compare it with a French Canadian pea soup.

    Gee, not a food job for me!

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    1. Maybe a soup fest to compare different soups?

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  3. a very interesting article. i even clicked on the link to view the full article.

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