Mountain Views News          Saturday, August 3, 2013

Mountain Views-News Saturday, August 3, 2013 9FOOD & DRINK Mountain Views-News Saturday, August 3, 2013 9FOOD & DRINK 
SCANDINAVIA MORE THAN A MID SUMMER 
CELEBRATION 

Any great food reporter who turns his attention to writing a travel piece should have a fork in one 
hand and a travel map in the other. Little did I know I would also need my credit card and plenty of 
Kroner. I planned a trip to Oslo and Norway to compete in the Rock N’ Roll Half Marathon (yes, the 
same series that hits the Rose Bowl every February), intending to do the run and drink as much beer 
as I could. My sources told me that Norway and Sweden had plenty of the cold suds that I love so 
much, and that to make it even better the most 

TABLE FOR TWO by Peter Dills 
thechefknows@yahoo.com 
popular was lager, or liquid gold as I call it. 

The most popular routes to get there consist of 

a layover on the east coast and possibly a stop 
in Frankfurt (another excuse to have another half liter of beer). Air Lufthansa, part of the Star 
Alliance, has plenty of flights and you can call your travel agent or, as we did, keep an eye on Orbitz 
or Priceline. You can plan to spend $1300 to $1600 for a roundtrip ticket. 


Most major hotel chains including Sheraton and Days Inn have locations in Oslo, but my friend Brad 
Turner, beat writer for the LA Clippers, suggested renting an apartment or flat in the cities that might 
otherwise have limited availability. We did that in Bergen, Norway and it worked out to be about half 
the cost of the major hotels, plus it came with a refrigerator so we could stock up on supplies like beer. 
Norway, while rich in oil reserves, gets you on a 25% alcohol tax whether you drink it a in a restaurant 
or buy it in a state run liquor store. 

National Geographic called the Fjords one of the top ten beautiful places in the world and I agree!! 
Make sure you take a boat cruise -- two-hour, half-day and full-day trips are available. We spent the 
night in Flam and took the boat through the fjords. Stunning. If you love a msuemem , please check 
out the Viking muesem, I was baffled on the smallness of the boat. In Sweden, I recommend the 
ABBA Museum - yes, the pop group has their own shrine - there is a small fee, but it’s two hours you’ll 
remember for the rest of your life. To get around Stockholm I took the hop on/off bus. I like this way 
of seeing an entire city in one day at your own pace. If you are lucky enough to be in Sweden in late 


June there are plenty of city and country mid-summer celebrations, a real treat!! 

For food, as you can imagine, salmon is plentiful and we enjoyed our fair share. An adventure like 
this calls for whale, elk, reindeer, and many restaurants have those. Do they taste like chicken? No. 
The whale is a little salty, and cured to be almost like a beef jerky. Reindeer can be bought at many 
restaurants or outside markets, sold almost like a pastrami roll. I had a fantastic elk burger at the Ardbeg 
Embassy in Stockholm. If you get frustrated paying the high prices, look for a bakery and get some 
of the best sweets and rolls I have had in the world. The restaurants are expensive, so look for Thai, 
Indian or Vietnamese. I agree, “why go on vacation to eat food available back home?” but if you get 

homesick there are McDonald’s 
(at $8, the most expensive Big 
Mac in the world) in Zurich and 
even Paris. 

The best time to go is late June 
through September. In some 
parts of Norway there is still 
plenty of snow, and the region 
does stay wet. Stockholm 
has more favorable weather 
conditions with temps reaching 
75 degrees on a good day, but 
come November expect cold 
and snow. The sun is out most 
of the day, and while it makes 
it difficult to sleep the 10 PM 
sunsets are spectacular. 


For a more in-depth article 
check out peterdills.com or my youtube channelListen to Dining With Dills on Sundays at 5 PM on KABC Radio. 

Taste of Arcadia is coming up fast. Get your tickets today and save $. Monday, September 23rd, 6 PM.
Over 40 restaurants and local merchants are participating.
http://arcadiacachamber.org/events/taste-of-arcadia/ 

SIERRA MADRE FARMERS MARKET 


The Sierra Madre Farmer’s Market hours have changed to 3:00pm through 7:00pm 
every Wednesday in fall and winter. Vendors include Dry Dock which has fresh and wild 
caught fish, Rustic Loaf with artisan breads, Cutie Pie with fresh pies and much more! 

For those interested in being a vendor contact Melissa Farwell with Raw Inspirations at 
818-591-8161 ext. 806. 

ROPA VIEJA - BRAISED BEEF IN 
SPICY TOMATO AND 
PEPPER SAUCE * 
INGREDIENTS: 

To braise the beef: 

4 pounds flank steak 

EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for drizzling 

Salt and pepper 

About 2 quarts water 

A handful of cilantro (for a bright flavor) or flat leaf parsley (for a grassy flavor)

 2 to 3 sprigs fresh oregano 

1 large onion, root attached, peeled and quartered 

A few ribs of celery, coarsely chopped 

2 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped 

4 large cloves of garlic, crushed 

2 large fresh bay leaves 

For the Sauce: 

2 tablespoons EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil 

3 medium bell peppers, green, red and yellow, seeded and chopped 

1 large red onion, chopped 

4 cloves garlic, chopped 

1 Fresno (red, fruity hot chili) or jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped 

1 1/2 teaspoons cumin, half a palmful 

1 sprig fresh oregano, finely chopped 

Salt and pepper 

A small handful of cilantro or parsley, finely chopped 

1/2 cup pimiento-stuffed Spanish olives, chopped 

About 3 tablespoons tomato paste 

1 can 15 ounces crushed or diced tomatoes 

Toppings: 

Very thinly sliced red onions dressed in lime juice and seasoned with salt and pepper

 Drained pickled sliced jalapenos 

DIRECTIONS: 

Dress meat with oil, salt and pepper. Brown the meat over medium-high heat in a Dutch oven. Add 
water, cilantro or parsley, oregano, onion, celery, carrots, garlic and bay. Bring to a boil then reduce 
heat to simmer and cook uncovered for 1 1/2 hours. Turn off heat and let rest for half an hour. 

Remove meat to shallow platter and shred with forks, cover and reserve. Strain the braising liquids 

and return to pot, reduce over medium high heat about 30 minutes more. 
Meanwhile, prepare the sauce: Heat EVOO, 2 turns of the pan, in a deep sauté pan over medium-high 
heat. Add peppers, onions, garlic and chili pepper to oil, and season with cumin, oregano, salt and 
pepper, and cook to soften 8-10 minutes. Add in cilantro or parsley, olives, tomato paste, stir a minute 
then deglaze with reduced braising liquid and stir in tomatoes to combine. 

Slide in shredded beef and simmer a few minutes more to allow beef to soak in sauce. 

Serve with rolls or tortillas for a party snack or serve with rice and beans as a meal. Top beef with red 
onions dressed with lime and pickled jalapeños for garnish. 
Serves 8 *Recipe courtesy Rachel Ray