Last Wednesday evening was the making of the lefsa. Jen learned how to make lefsa from Andy. His family makes lefsa. Lefsa is mainly potatoes and flour. From what I understand every family has their own recipe, handed down from generation to generation. Andy's family has honeybees so they put honey in the potato mixture…so does Andy. ( I was not paying close enough attention to tell you exactly what the recipe was…besides that it may be a family secret.)
I will eat lefsa..even though potatoes are one of my favorite foods..lefsa is not. IF I eat it I like it with butter and sugar.
I took some photos whilst the men worked!
Andy is mixing and rolling..Far Guy is frying the lefsa on the lefsa griddle. You pick it up with that stick and flop in on the griddle..it looks easy..but I think it might involve a wee bit of coordination.
You need special tools to make lefsa..a special board with a cover and a rolling pin..and a lefsa stick and a griddle. The potatoes must be cooked ahead of time and riced in a potato ricer.
After it comes off the griddle it is folded in half and then half again to cool..then these triangles are cut in half again and packaged. There are no preservatives..so it must go into the freezer until it is used. Take it from me..lefsa can grow some great looking penicillin mold in the fridge if it is kept there too long.
I think this one might be an oops.. maybe Far Guy did it on purpose..he loves lefsa!
I asked Far Guy, “how was your lefsa experience?” He replied “ Fun! I learned how to flip lefsa.”
My Aunt Skip used to work at a lefsa factory, I am not sure where it was located..it might have been in Lake Park or perhaps Hawley. I know there is an old lefsa factory in Hitterdahl Minnesota because there is still a sign on the old building.
Lefsa is a “holiday food” that many people in Minnesota enjoy:)
Sounds delicious!
ReplyDeleteIs Lefsa originally from Scandinavia - say Finland?
Never heard of it or tasted it. looks good though. Nice to men in the kitchen hehe ! Have a wonderful day !
ReplyDeleteI also never heard of it. It looks very... interesting. I wonder if the tradition also included men cooking it up rather than women? Wikipedia says it is a traditional Norwegian soft bread cooked on a griddle but nothing about the secret recipe.
ReplyDeleteI had never heard of it until blogger KathyB in WA posted about her family's tradition last year. Thanks for sharing the photos!
ReplyDeleteWe have neighbours across the river that have a lefsa and potato dumping day....I always show up to eat.....they have some secret family recipe they won't share but always invite us over for the feast....I really don't mind not having to be in all that mess.
ReplyDeleteMy sister in Fargo occasionally made lefsa when I visited for the holidays: they were yummy.
ReplyDeleteI'll have to keep that in mind next time I have left over mashed potatoes. Sounds good:)
ReplyDeleteOn another note...I just finished reading a book, and one of the characters, who was from Minnesota, said 'Uff da'. It was written as two words. The only
time I've seen that other than on your blog!
Even though lefse is Norwegian, I have tried it as an adult. Good with butter, sugar, and cinnamon. As a Swede we never made lefse in our family, but always had Potatis Korv (Swedish Potato Sausage) and lutfisk on the holidays (I hated the rotten fish, though). My grandmother made the potatis korv from scratch with her secret recipe. We always made Spritsar or Spritz cookies, Swedish Butterballs, Ginger cookies (Pepparkakor), Krumkake (even though I believe the Norwegians claim that one--LOL!), and Rosettes. Everything but the ginger cookies were bland, white, and buttery...just like we liked them. ROFL!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the memories, Connie!! :):)
New to me but sounds so good.
ReplyDeleteladyfi, It is originally from Norway. It is also called Norwegian Flatbread.
ReplyDeleteKaren Uff Da is a great word..I often say Uffda! All one word or two..it is all the same!
Rita..Yes white and buttery..typical Scandinavian food! :)
Wow! Ok my Norski half comes to the fore (over the German side)when the subject of lefse comes up. My mom always made it at Christmas now I'm reduced to begging it off our friend and neighbor who (with her husband) makes it by the ton. And yes warmed up with butter and sugar is the only way to go. I do manage to make "Klub", which is softball sized potato dumplings cooked in pork hock water. Yum!
ReplyDeleteI love it hot. Never put any sweeter in my recipe. Used to make potatoe dumplings but Dave didn't like them haven't made them for years. Good to see guys cooking.
ReplyDeleteWe use to have this for Christmas when I was a child. My grandparents came from Norway in the 1800's so this was every Christmas when they were alive. I loved it but my mother made this once year after I was married and my husband hated it. Our children loved it. The fish was ordered from some place in MN and shipped to Kansas. After it was boiled it was rolled up in a lefsa round and then dipped in white sauce but that isn't what it was called. So delicious. Would love some today.
ReplyDeleteFor Karen, it seems to me that Garrison Keilor(sorry about the spelling) used uffda in one or more of his pieces. I like His humor.
ReplyDeleteLefsa is made quite widely. We have it here and my friend who makes it is Ukranian.
Very interesting! Is it used instead of rolls when eating dinner, or do you spread something sweet on it and have it for dessert? I'm always interested in traditions where men are the cooks!
ReplyDeleteOnce again I learn things at Far Side. I had never heard of lefsa : but I suspect we have a similar type of potato pancake over here under a different name.
ReplyDeleteI love lefsa and I do believe we are going to have it and some other Swedish delights on Christmas, special requests from the girls, lefse, lutefisk, lingonberries and korv.
ReplyDeleteMy granddaughters and I made lefsa yesterday -- and they took most of it home -but we still have mashed potatoes and I'm going to make some more tomorrow ... Norm loves (gork) peanut butter on his. I was raised with butter and sugar on room temp. or chilled lefsa. Love it!
ReplyDeleteMy late wife's mother was Norwegian and she made lefsa every year. In her later years she bought it from a lady in town. The butter and brown sugar were the best part. My son's should really learn the tradition in honor of that lost heritage.
ReplyDeleteOh how I miss Lefsa! I was born in Minnesota and my Grandparents/Family came from South Dakota...and Lefsa was the bomb growing up! I like it with butter and sugar, but a lot of my cousins would put mashed potatoes and gravy in instead and roll her up! I am half Norwegian and half Swedish so Lefsa, Ludafisk (sp), and saying UFF Da are all very familiar and takes me back to a very very happy childhood!
ReplyDeleteI love potatoes, too, but just looking at that, I don't know if I would like it - - - since I am not a tortilla fan - - and it looks somewhat like that. However, I love quesadillas - - - so maybe if I could put some toppings on one? - - - might like that a lot.
ReplyDeletewe went to a little get together last night with hubby's biking friends and one of the wives was talking about Lefsa. She is of Norwegian descent and her mom still speaks it.
ReplyDeleteAnyway.... she took her LEFSA grill over to a retirement home where some of the old "Norwegians" are and cooked for the residents. It was a big hit. She was the Queen of LEFSA and they all want her to come back. The owners of the place told her not to worry about getting a food handlers license because he was considering it their "home" and she was a guest. Now I need to try it since I've heard it mentioned twice in two days!