Why buy it?
With its immaculate travel shots of pristine pine forests, pure glaciers and bright red farmsteads, and seriously cool white-space, type-driven design, The New Nordic epitomises the region’s globally envied style and is reason enough to buy this standout book. And that’s before we get to the food.
Simon Bajada – photographer, stylist, chef and writer – is the talent behind this comprehensive and evocative title. The Aussie, a contributor for the likes of Feast magazine, was based in Oz until he swapped his home for his wife’s in Sweden, where he became enamoured with the local food culture, dubbed ‘new Nordic’.
Bajada goes to great lengths to convey in words the heart and style of food that has emerged in Scandinavia in the wake of Noma’s fame – one that eschews traditional Western European technique in favour of experimentation, and embraces local ingredients and ancient cooking styles. Think cold-climate grains, such as rye and buckwheat, pickling, curing and smoking, and bold flavour combinations, like charred cucumber and duck.
There’s ample to read, but Bajada’s recipes, each accompanied with a perfectly styled food shot, speak a thousand words and compel you to delve into the clean flavours and inventive-meets-traditional approach of new-age Scandinavian fare.
Cookability We’ve test run a few of these recipes already and they’re easy to follow and work to a tee, thanks in large part to Bajada’s cooking tips, which add personality to the recipes, too. Some ingredients can be more challenging to procure, but most can be found at your local health food store or closest Ikea. We predict these delicious finds, like malt and cracked rye, will become permanents in your pantry.
Must-cook recipe There are many, but Denmark’s signature dream cake (drømmekage), here laden with berries and topped with sticky brown sugar barley lives up to its name. The ‘simpler Danish rye bread’ jam-packed with seeds is surprisingly straightforward and will have you baking fresh rye regularly at home.
Most surprising dish Bajada’s recipes are a reflection of Scandinavia’s current landscape – a mix of classic (yes, Swedish meatballs) and experimental, including venison, grilled plums and celery; and beetroot, goat’s cheese, pea relish and cocoa nibs.
Kitchen wisdom New Nordic cooking rests on the idea of kitchen freedom. “Come at an ingredient from a different perspective and try something you’ve never thought of before…” writes Bajada. “Some of your adventures in the kitchen might not work, but some might open up to an entirely new way of cooking for you.”
Ideal for Scandiphiles, wholefoods cooks, armchair travellers, coffee-table book collectors, design enthusiasts.
Cook the book
Carrot and cardamom cake Source: Simon Bajada
Baked cauliflower and juniper soup Source: Simon Bajada
Hot-smoked salmon, roasted garlic and apple salad Source: Simon Bajada
Ymer, ymerdrys and berries Source: Simon Bajada
