Issuu

Photo: Per Pixel Peterson/Imagebank Sweden

The Swedish North Star, continuously published since 1872. Price per copy $3.50. Volume 148 No. 02, February 01, 2020.

A scenic winter day in the western archipelago of the Bohuslän province, and of an earlier year—so far, winter has only arrived in Sweden’s north.

Return to Queen Street

Most cities are dynamic, ever-changing and never fail to surprise. Reader and contributor, Dr. James Kaplan returns to his favorite Stockholm street, the lively pedestrian Drottninggatan—aways feeling at home there doesn’t mean it is always the same, however. / p12

new nordic

cuisine

Bauhaus, possibly the most famous architecture movement of the 20th century celebrated its centennial last year. A Swedish designed home in a Stockholm suburb offers a timeless rendition of the tradition originating at the Weimar art school, often considered the birthplace of Modernism. / p18 Maybe not so new after all? The curator at the ASHM in Philadelphia explains how, despite being “new”, this culinary system embraces the Old Nordic cuisine of the pre-industrial era, encouraging the use of historic techniques such as drying, smoking, pickling, and curing with local ingredients. / p14

“... food is one of the most effective vessels for carrying on our cultural heritage and memories.”

dashboard | february 01, 2020 SCANDINAVIAN QUIZ

is one of the laws of Jante? A) Don’t laugh at a Scandinavian B) 1 What Don’t cross against the green light C)

6 What is the name of the spot where three Nordic countries meet? A) Kokkola B) Arvidsjaur C) Heimetslokko D) Treriksröset

Don’t open the surströmming indoors 7 In Sweden, Fettisdagen (this year on Feb. 25) D) Always smile at your neighbor

The Law of Jante, known well among Danes, Norwegians, Swedes, Finns and Icelanders, illustrates a social code specific to the Nordic region. Albeit an unwritten law, Jante is modeled upon a concept that author Askel Sandemose wrote about in his 1933 book set in Jante, Denmark, A Fugitive Crosses His Tracks (En Flyktning Krysser Sitt Spor). Jantelagen (the law’s name in Swedish) focuses on collective accomplishments and wellbeing in order to maintain equality and stability. It simultaneously frowns upon individual achievements, with 10 basic guidelines that are part of every Scandinavian’s up bringing - they basically mean: “You are not to think you’re anyone special or that you’re better than anyone else.” Name’s Days of the Swedish Calendar Namnsdagar i Februari

February 01 February 02 February 03 February 04 February 05 February 06 February 07 February 08 February 09 February 10 February 11 February 12 February 13 February 14 February 15 February 16 February 17 February 18 February 19 February 20 February 21 February 22 February 23 February 24 February 25 February 26 February 27 February 28 February 29

Max/Maximilian Kyndelsmässodagen Disa/Hjördis Ansgar/Anselm Agata/Agda Dorotea/Doris Rikard/Dick Berta/Bert Fanny/Franciska Iris Yngve/Inge Evelina/Evy Agne/Ove Valentin Sigfrid Julia/Julius Alexandra/Sandra Frida/Fritiof Gabriella/Ella Vivianne Hilding Pia Torsten/Torun Mattias/Mats Sigvard/Sivert Torgny/Torkel Lage Maria Skottdagen

February 1

New York Chicago Stockholm Kiruna Lund Los Angeles 2 NORDSTJERNAN

Sunrise & Sunset

7.06 am 7.03 am 7.59 am 8.57 am 8.01 am 6.50 am

5.13 pm 5.05 pm 4.03 pm 2.49 pm 4.40 pm 5.23 pm

3 Which landskap (province) isn’t a landskap in Sweden but lies in Norway? A) Nordland B) Dalsland C) Medelpad D) Lapland 4 What is Skåne’s province flower? A) buttercup B) Marguerite C) linnea D) birch

5 What area of Denmark is attached to the rest of Europe? A) Sealand B) Fyn C) Falster D) Jutland

CULTURE

Namnsdagar

Sigfrid – February 15 Sigfrid or Siegfried is a German male name meaning “victory” and “peace.” The name has been used in Sweden since the 13th century but is rare today. In 2019 there were 3,172 Sigfrids and 259 Siegfrieds in Sweden. (Saint Sigfrid was a Benedictine monk and bishop in Sweden, he converted King Olof Skötkonung in 1008. After Ansgar, Sigfrid is revered as the Second Apostle of the North. He died in Växjö in 1045.)

has become a popular day to do what? A) skip work or school B) eat a semla C) go to church D) buy a car

8 A modern nyckelharpa (key harp) has how many “keys”? A) 8 B) 16 C) 37 D) 51 9 What gets “beat out of the barrel” in the Nordic celebration of Fastelavn? A) cats B) flour C) akvavit D) rain

10 How many semla did King Adolf Frederick eat on Fettisdagen 1771, allegedly causing his death? A) 10 B) 14 C) 17 D) 77 Answers: 1:A, 2:B, 3:A, 4:B, 5:D, 6:D, 7:B, 8:C, 9:A, 10:B

The happiest countries in the world may be the most equal - and humble.

2 What is the first thing to do when entering a public place of business in Scandinavia? A) take off your shoes B) get a queue number C) silence your phone D) greet everyone

Februari

Sigvard – February 25 The name Sigvard has been in use in Sweden since the 12th century, although Sigur was often more common. The name is a combination of the two words meaning “victory” and “watchman.” Thanks to Prince Sigvard Bernadotte (born in 1907), the name became popular. Today however, few men are christened Sigvard. In 2019 there were 10,859 Sigvards.

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this week…

February TO DO 02.02 CROSS FINGERS: “HÅLL TUMMARNA” (hold thumbs) - maybe the groundhog won’t see its shadow today. 02.06 RAISE THE SAMI FLAG: SÁMI NATIONAL DAY / Sámi everywhere celebrate by flying the flag, wearing the national costume, attending cultural events, eating national foods, and singing the national anthem in their local languages. 02.06 BE THANKFUL FOR COMPUTER KEYS: SEMIKOLONETS DAG / Semicolon Day reminds us that during the 1980s, Swedish typewriters required three keystrokes to create a semicolon and many therefore refused to use it; this could be why the semicolon is no longer used much in Swedish ... 02.14 SPREAD LOVE: ALLA HJÄRTANS DAG / Valentine’s Day has been recognized in Sweden since the 1960s but increased during the years around 1990 when the theme day got its place in the calendar and a lot of attention in schools and businesses serving the public. 02.25 EAT GRAPEFRUIT + A SEMLA. It’s SHROVE TUESDAY: FETTISDAGEN (Fat Tuesday) but also GRAPEFRUKTENS DAG / Day of the Grapefruit, which falls on Fettisdagen this year; a great balance for your daily diet. In case you were able to wait this long it would be a good idea to start preparing or looking for a semla. If not a semla, set your sights on a pancake, this is also INTERNATIONELLA PANKAKSDAGEN / International Pancake Day.

18 issues per year

A Swedish architect designs her own home with modern simplicity and affordability in mind. /p18

Dashboard, p4-5

Golden Globe for Skarsgård / Zlatan back at Milan / Bloomer Accelerator / U.S. Ambassador visits Göteborg / The golden bridge of the new “Slussen.”

Events calendar, p6-10

What’s going on in Swedish America.

Your next issu e will be dated March 1, 202 0

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Return to Drottninggatan. /Page 12

Readers Comments, p11

Who won the Nordstjernan word scramble?

Discover Swedish, p23 Swedish News, p26

Weak support for January agreement / Gävlebocken put to rest / Falling church membership / Reduced need for share capital / Foreign born find employment faster.

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FEBRUARY 01, 2020 3

dashboard | february 01, 2020 IMMIGRATION

More trains are arriving on time Just over 91 percent of all passenger trains in Sweden arrived on time last year, which is a record high, according to preliminary statistics from the Swedish Transport Administration (Trafikverket). The large increase is due to the fact that passenger trains hit a record low in 2018, when punctuality was about 88 percent. Despite the improvement, there is still some way to go to the goal of 95 percent of passenger trains arriving on time. In the definition of punctuality, trains are allowed a delay of no more than five minutes.

The stories, the traditions, the people behind the news. founded in new york city in september 1872 executive editor & publisher:

Ulf Barslund Mårtensson (editor@nordstjernan.com) editor:

Amanda Olson Robison (editor@nordstjernan.com) managing editor & production: Everett Martin graphic design: Nadia Wojcik (design@nordstjernan.com) contributors:

Chipp Reid - Ted Olsson - Leif Rosqvist - Kitty Hughes Ulf Kirchdorfer - Valorie Arrowsmith Bo Zaunders - Göran Rygert - James Kaplan - Gunilla Blixt publications director:

Mette Barslund Mårtensson (mette@nordstjernan.com; 800.827.9333, ext 12)

nordstjernan p.o. box 1710 new canaan ct 06840 contact us at 1.800.827.9333 ext 10 for reader services, email: subs@nordstjernan.com; ext 12 for advertising, email: ads@nordstjernan.com www.nordstjernan.com Covering three worlds: Sweden, America and Swedish America. Order your own copy, $55.00 for a year (18 issues) Choose ‘subscribe’ at www.nordstjernan.com or call 1.800.827.9333, ext 10 4 NORDSTJERNAN

“Big Gust,” the tallest cop in America “Big Gust” Anderson, newly appointed to Grantsburg Marshal interviewed by the reporter A.L. Evans for the local newspaper in 1902.

Grantsburg, Wisc. by the border to Minnesota in NW Wisconsin, 60 miles north of Minneapolis, proudly features a statue of a former marshal, “Big Gust.” Anders Gustaf Anderson, known locally as “Big Gust” was born in 1872 in Sweden. He immigrated to America with family and settled in rural Grantsburg. Gust, who grew to the height of 7’ 6” and weighed 325 pounds, became a U.S. citizen in 1902. He became the Grantsburg Village Marshal in 1902, serving for 25 years in that position in addition to other duties such as assessor, street commissioner, dog catcher, lamp lighter, and fire fighter. Big Gust is remembered as a big-hearted, gentle man, one who

was never known to say anything to hurt anyone’s feelings. Even though he was a shy fellow, his height made it much easier for him to enforce the law. There are many stories of Big Gust and his law enforcement strategies. When a call was made for him to deal with two drunken men at a local saloon, Big Gust took each of them under one arm and carried them towards the jail. He died in 1926 at the age of 54 of pancreatic and stomach cancer. The Big Gust statue, located in front of the Community Center building, was carved by Alf Olson and dedicated in 1980. Sources: University of Wisconsin, Grantsburg Historical Society

dashboard | february 01, 2020

Golden Globe for Skarsgård

Stellan Skarsgård won a Golden Globe on January 5 for best male supporting role in a mini-series or TV movie. Skarsgård was rewarded for his role as Soviet minister in the HBO success Chernobyl, which in turn won the class for best miniseries. Skarsgård thus repeated his son Alexander Skarsgård’s victory from last year when he was awarded a Golden Globe for his contributions in the miniseries Big Little Lies. “It’s fun to catch up a little with Alex,” Skarsgård told Swedish newspapers when the nominations became public. Swedish music producer Ilya Salmanzadeh was also nominated for the work on the song Spirit for Beyoncé from The Lion King, which was nominated in the best film song category. Known mononymously as ILYA, the Swedish Persian songwriter and producer has worked on hits for Ariana Grande and Jennifer Lopez, among others. Elton John won the Golden Globe for best original song.

Zlatan back in Milan

Soccer star Zlatan Ibrahimovic has returned to Italy and Milan, the Serie A club that the 38-year-old played for in 2010-2012. He played his last game in the U.S. on October 25 when the Los Angeles Galaxy, which he played for in 2018-2019, was knocked out in the MLS playoffs (3-5 against LA FC). When Ibrahimovic last played in Milan seven and a half years ago, it was a major club in Europe. The team has declined in recent years and has not played in the prestigious European Champions League since the 2013–2014 season. Last spring, the team finished fifth in the league and did not qualify for the Europa League, the second most prestigious club team tournament in Europe.

Declining air travel Air travel to and from Sweden’s major airports decreased by 4% in 2019 compared to the record year 2018. In particular, domestic flights fell, according to Swedavia’s statistics based on the ten airports operated by the state-owned company. In total, more than 40 million passengers traveled to and from the ten airports, of which 28 million were foreign travelers.

The new main bridge for Slussen in Stockholm, which is gold in color and manufactured in China, is on a cargo ship en route to Sweden. The trip is expected to take seven weeks with the bridge arriving on February 8. Skanska is the main developer of the new Slussen area and the 460-feet-long glittering bridge that will connect Södermalm with Gamla Stan - Stockholm’s south with the Old Town. When the bridge arrives, work remains to mount it onto the bridge abutments, paving and installation of lighting. The debated reconstruction of Slussen (The Lock) will increase road safety and accessibility for pedestrians and cyclists, and greatly improve the regulation of water levels in Lake Mälaren.

U.S. Ambassador in Göteborg

The newly-appointed U.S. Ambassador to Sweden, Ken Howery, was visiting Göteborg and spoke on the subject of “The United States and Sweden: Strong Partners for a Better Future” at Chalmers University of Technology. The new Ambassador presented his credentials to HM the King on Nov. 7, 2019 and made his first official visit to Göteborg already in January. The Ambassador comes highly qualified to the Unicorn capital of the world and the overall tech-savvy country. Howery was born in Texas in 1975 and graduated in Economics from Stanford in 1998. That same year, he co-founded Confinity which a year later offered a new money transfer service: PayPal. After later merging with the online banking company X.com founded by Elon Musk, the company’s name was changed to PayPal and became publicly listed in 2002. Since then, the new ambassador has worked with business development, as an entrepreneur and venture capitalist, spe-

Ambassador Kenneth “Ken” Alan Howery

cialising in creating and financing technology companies, through measures including the venture capital fund Founders Fund, which he started with partner Peter Thiel, and which has a turnover in the billions of dollars.

Bloomer Accelerator

Supermarket chain Coop, Norrsken foundation and Sweden Foodtech, with the goal of finding the next big thing to make food distribution and the grocery store more sustainable, have cofounded an accelerator. The new company Bloomer is looking for foodtech entrepreneurs who have solutions that can contribute to a more sustainable world and make Coop’s offer more profitable through a digital solution or service. They are not looking for lab-grown meat or edible insects; it can instead be eg. solutions that reduce food waste in stores using technology, such as Whywaste or Karma. The accelerator program is open for applications and expects to start at the end of March 2020 with six to eight companies. For more info, see www.bloomeraccelerator.com FEBRUARY 01, 2020 5

local events

Local Events California Thousand Oaks 02.07, 5:30 PM Magic, Creatures and Legends - A Journey into Nordic Folklore: 21st in the annual Nordic Spirit symposium series is this program of talks and storytelling about Nordic magic, folk legends and creatures by scholars and a folksinger from Sweden, Iceland and the U.S. On the campus of California Lutheran University, 805.497.3717 / www.scandinaviancenter. org

Illinois Chicago 02.01, 11 AM-3PM Pop-up Café - Pea Soup and Pancakes: To celebrate vegetarian day and Andersonville Hygge Fest, the Museum will serve split pea soup and Swedish pancakes. This Swedish soup, known as ärtsoppa, is a gratifying, warm soup traditionally made from dried yellow peas and served on Thursdays in Sweden. Swedish pancakes are often served afterward. The tradition of eating these things on Thursdays goes back hundreds of years to when Sweden was more heavily populated with Catholics. They would fast on Fridays, so the day before required a big, hearty meal. A large serving of meaty pea soup followed by a heavy dessert of pancakes with sweet toppings was both filling and commonly available to even those on a tight budget. Our pea soup is a vegetarian version, come try it with some pancakes for $6. Swedish American Museum, 773.728.8111 / museum@samac.org/ www.swedishamericanmuseum.org 02.02, 11:15 AM - 12 PM Dream of America Guided Tour: Dive into the history of Swedish immigration to Chicago with a guided tour of the museum’s permanent exhibit, “The Dream of America.” Uncover the stories of real immigrants like Karl Karlsson, who left Sweden with his family in 1893, or Elin and

What’s in a kjolväska? (a skirt bag) Birgitta Hedman, who made the journey in 1924. Learn what awaited the millions who came to America via Ellis Island and what life was like in Swedish neighborhoods such as Andersonville in Chicago. The tour is free with admission, and members are free, reservations recommended. Swedish American Museum, 773.728.8111 / www. swedishamericanmuseum.org 02.09, 10 - 11 am Bullerbyn: Taking place on alternative Sundays in tandem with Svenska Skolan, Bullerbyn is a time for singing cherished children’s songs, reading humorous tales and having lots of fun in Swedish. For ages 6 months to 5 years with parents. Only Swedish is spoken in Bullerbyn! Reservations are recommended. Swedish American Museum, 773.728.8111 / www. swedishamericanmuseum.org

SAN FRANCISCO Söndag 9 Februari kl 11.00

GUDSTJÄNST

i Norska Sjömanskyrkan på Hyde Street. Kyrkoherde Hans Bratt Hernberg predikar och organist Ragnar Bohlin. Kyrkkaffe serveras efteråt. Se Facebook för mer info!

SVENSKA KYRKAN SAN FRANCISCO Norska Sjömanskyrkan, 2454 Hyde Street, San Francisco Tel: 415-632-8504 Epost: sanfrancisco@svenskakyrkan.se Hemsida: www.svenskakyrkan.se/sanfrancisco 6 NORDSTJERNAN

Find out on February 12 at 1-2 p.m., during Afternoons at ASI—Kjolväskor, A Story In a Bag, when local artist Natalie Norman shares the history and beauty of kjolväskor, the waist bag of the Swedish costume. She will talk about her collection of antique waist

bags; and Natalie has made hundreds of them over the past 25 years, taking inspiration from traditional designs and courses in cultural traditional embroidery she took in Sweden. American Swedish Institute, 612.871.4907 / www.asimn.org

02.21, 11 AM Hejsan! Story & Crafts: Join us at the Brunk Children’s Museum of Immigration for story and craft time on the third Friday of each month. This year’s theme is animals, meet a different animal every month. All ages are welcome with a caregiver for this free (with admission) program, reservations appreciated. Swedish American Museum / 917.495.8396 / www. swedishamericanmuseum.org

Come and get your bun and a beverage for $6. Swedish American Museum, 773.728.8111 / museum@samac.org/ www.swedishamericanmuseum.org

02.20, 12-1:30 pm Book Club: A different book by a Swedish author or Swedish inspired book is chosen for our new book club. The event is free with admission and an optional lunch will be served at a small cost. Registration is encouraged to museum@samac.org, Swedish American Museum / 917.495.8396 / www.swedishamericanmuseum.org 02.23, 1 pm Knitting Group: All knitting levels are welcome. Bring your project, share your favorite patterns and learn from each other. There will also be chances to learn specifically Swedish knitting patterns and techniques. Registration is encouraged to museum@samac.org, Swedish American Museum / 917.495.8396 / www. swedishamericanmuseum.org 02.25, 11 AM-3PM Pop-up Café - Semlor: These Lenten buns were originally consumed on Fettisdagen, or Fat Tuesday, as a celebration before the Christian fasting period of Lent. In modern Sweden, since strict adherence to Lent has waned, semlor make their appearance in bakeries from January through Easter. However, Semla Day (semmeldagen) is still celebrated on Fat Tuesday every year.

Massachusetts 02.08, 1 PM Voices of Scandinavia: Brothers Lawrence Wilde and Charles Boguinia come together to present a program of piano music by Edward Grieg and new compositions for the Swedish nyckelharpa, violin and piano inspired by Swedish and Norwegian folk music. Lawrence is a composer, violinist and nyckelharpa player, Charles is a pianist and composer. The Voices of Scandinavia concert will open with a pre-concert discussion about Scandinavian folk music and a demonstration of the Swedish nyckelharpa. The Scandinavian Cultural Center, 617.795.1914 / www.scandicenter. org 02.15, 1:30 PM Scandinavian Film: See Borg Vs McEnroe (100 minutes, with English subtitles). It’s the summer of 1980, and Swede Björn Borg is the top tennis player in the world, dominating the sport both on and off the court. A powerful and rigorously disciplined player, there is only one obstacle in his pursuit of a recordbreaking fifth Wimbledon championship: the highly talented but ferociously abrasive young American John McEnroe. With three days until the tournament begins, Borg trains religiously with help from his coach and mentor Lennart and girlfriend Mariana. / Refreshments served at 1 p.m. The Scandinavian Cultural Center, 617.795.1914 / www.scandicenter.org

local events Minnesota Minneapolis 02.05, 9:30-11 AM Swedish Landskap with Nils: Learn about the provinces of Sweden, from Skåne to Lapland, through the eyes of Nils Holgersson, a fictional boy who traveled on a goose’s back through all 25 Swedish landskap (regional landscapes). During three fun and informative sessions (Wednesdays, Feb. 5, 12 & 19), find out about the Old Norse history of the Swedish landskap (which included Finland until 1809), as well as the historical and contemporary aspects of each area’s geography, cultural celebrations and gastronomic delights. $40/members, $50/non-members. American Swedish Institute, 612.871.4907 / www.asimn.org 02.07, 10-11:30 AM D for Dala Horse: Celebrate the iconic Dala horse as we craft, play and read during this action-packed preschool program. Children will paint and decorate their own Dala horses to take home. This program is specially designed for children ages 3-5 and their important adults. $15/member child, $20/non-member child, free/adults. American Swedish Institute, 612.871.4907 / www.asimn.org 02.12, 1-2 PM Afternoons at ASI - Kjolväskor, a story in a bag: Local artist Natalie Norman shares the history and beauty of kjolväskor, the waist bag of the Swedish costume. She will talk about her collection of antique waist bags; Natalie has made hundreds of these bags over the past 25 years, taking inspiration from traditional designs and courses in cultural traditional embroidery that she recently took in Sweden. American Swedish Institute, 612.871.4907 / www. asimn.org 02.12, 6-8 PM Swedish Crime Fiction: Swedish TV’s crime mysteries are among the best in the business, and watching and discussing them is a great way to learn more about the culture and language. This season we are watching eight episodes of Wallander season 2, first shown in Sweden in 2009. While this is a series, each episode can stand alone; it is not necessary to have seen previous episodes to follow the current show. Receive cultural context before the episode; after viewing, discuss the episode, touching on plot, production and society. The shows are in Swedish with English subtitles. All discussions in English. Four Wednesdays at 6-8 p.m.: Feb. 12, 19, 26 & Mar. 4. American Swedish Institute, 612.871.4907 / www.asimn.org 02.13, 10-11:30 AM Carve a Wooden Heart: Michele Vevang will walk you through the steps of carving a tiny heart for your pocket or to give to a loved one. What a nice way to slow down and be mindful for an hour, and then be reminded of your experience every time you find your carved heart in your pocket. Class is for beginners and those who already love

Storytelling in Central Park On Saturdays throughout the year, New York’s Scandinavia House hosts a special storytelling workshop for children of all ages. The Hans Christian Andersen Storytellers share their expertise and energy, retelling tales told first by Hans Christian Andersen. This month, on February 1 at 11 a.m., they tell tales of tricky trolls and that plucky, undaunted duckling! Following is a workshop for creating your own Dual Ugly Ducking-Splendid Swan puppet. When the weather is cold, meet inside at Scandinavia House, 212.847.9729 / www.scandinaviahouse.org/events/saturdaystorytelling-workshop-february-2020

A bronze Hans Christian Andersen sits in Central Park with his ugly duckling.

carving. $35. Ingebretsens, 612.729.9333 / www.ingebretsens.com/classes/cooking Through Feb. 16 Wee Thee Vikings: Imagine navigating the open seas as a Viking adventurer, or finding a quiet corner to read, relax and learn about Norse gods. This hands-on, play-based space for our youngest visitors was designed by and with illustrations painted by local artist and illustrator Lauren Emmons. American Swedish Institute, 612.871.4907 / www.asimn.org

Life Made Sweder (where it really counts)

The “Wettex disk trasa,” a Swedish invention, will make life much Sweder in the kitchen - guaranteed! 6 3/4” x 8”, machine washable (use it over and over again) 100% biodegradeable. Two designs: God Jul for Christmas and Life Made Sweder for all year round. Mix and match designs, get five cloths for $20.

Ongoing Frederick D. Somers: Borders & Betweens - a retrospective of the work of Minnesotabased artist Frederick D. Somers who explores then, now and when. From his time in Sweden to the woods near his home in Northfield, Fred’s oil and pastel paintings reflect themes from the land and are recognized for their peaceful sensitivity. American Swedish Institute, 612.871.4907 / www.asimn.org

02.14-02.16 Midwinter Folk Music Festival This Folk Music Festival is a weekend full of concerts, workshops for youth and adults, beginners and advanced musicians, and drop-in musical opportunities. Our guest musicians include folk musicians from Malmö, Sweden and nyckelharpa players, a National Heritage Fellow and local celebrities. The event opens on Valentine’s Day with an evening concert and dancing, then throughout the next day are workshops and opportunities for young and old alike to learn a new instrument or play along with experts, sing or dance to new and familiar folk songs. On Sunday gather again for a send-off concert. Some events are free and others require registration - more information and tickets can be found online www.asimn. org/programs-education/events/asismidwinter-folk-festival.

Price: $4.95 — order five now for $20.00 Incl. S&H (in continental U.S.)

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FEBRUARY 01, 2020 7

local events 02.29, 2-3 PM Fastelavn Workshop: Celebrate the Carnival season in the Nordic fashion with this family-friendly afternoon event. Sometimes called “Nordic Halloween,” the holiday Fastelavn originated in Denmark. On this day, children wear costumes and go from door-to-door, singing for candy. Join us for a celebration of this holiday, which includes dress-up, traditional games, goodies, and songs. Scandinavia House, 212.779.3587 / www.scandinaviahouse.org Shelter Island Through May 2020 Helena Hernmarck exhibit: Shadow and Light is showing at Shelter Island Historical Society, 631.749.0025 / www. shelterislandhistorical.org

Oregon

Many cultures have their own ways of celebrating Fat Tuesday (which falls on Feb. 25 this year), AKA Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras, Festival and Fettisdagen, to name a few titles for the day. In Denmark, it’s called Festalavn, which means kids dress in costumes, hit a barrel with a stick and get lots of candy. Usually there’s a cat involved in some

way. And of course, there is their version of the creamfilled fastelavnsboller - as important as king cake or hot cross buns, paczkis or semlor. Above, an international Festalavn celebration takes place in Ireland, where a Swedish Pippi takes a swing at the candy filled barrel. Image source Twitter

New York 02.01, 11 AM Saturday Storytelling & Workshop with the Hans Christian Andersen Storytellers: Tales of tricky trolls and a plucky, undaunted duckling! LuAnn Adams and Regina Ress tell great stories from Norway, Sweden, and Denmark followed by a workshop in creating your own Dual Ugly Ducking/Splendid Swan puppet. ages 5+. Scandinavia House, 212.847.9729 / www.

National archives and library for Swedish-American historical research Publishers of Swedish American Genealogist 639 38th Street Rock Island, IL | 61201-2296 309-794-7204

www.augustana.edu/ swenson 8 NORDSTJERNAN

scandinaviahouse.org 02.07, 6-9 PM Screening of Nordic & Baltic Oscar Contenders: See the winner of the NDR Film Prize at the Nordic Film Days in Lübeck: A White, White Day is an emotionally complex exploration of the ravages of loss set across the hypnotic landscape of Iceland. Directed by Hlynur Pálmason (Iceland, 2019). Scandinavia House, 212.847.9729 / www.scandinaviahouse. org/events 02.25 Nordic Book Club: Scandinavian literature in translation as part of our Nordic Book Club - this month we’re reading The Summer of Ellen by Agnete Friis, co-author of the New York Times bestseller The Boy in the Suitcase. In the Halldór Laxness Library at Scandinavia House (and online in our Goodreads group during the last week of the month), Scandinavia House, 212.847.9729 / www.scandinaviahouse. org 02.27, 7-9 PM Music on Park Avenue: Swedish pianist Per Tengstrand returns to Scandinavia House with a special presentation of Grieg and Brahms concerti, performed with musicians from Princeton chamber music group Opus 21. Attend a pre-concert talk at 7 p.m. Scandinavia House, 212.779.3587 / www.scandinaviahouse.org

Portland 2.7, 7:30 PM Nordic Voices: Artistic creativity, versatility, technical precision, and indescribable audience appeal – these are the elements that make up Nordic Voices. An internationally acclaimed six-voice a cappella ensemble praised for the depth of its programming and extraordinary vocal skills, they perform a repertoire ranging from medieval to contemporary works, with an unusual blend of sophisticated music-making and stylish performances. At St. Philip Neri Church, 5-3.224.9842 / www.focm.org 02.11, 6:30 PM Cook and Eat: Guest chef Jean Akre leads us through making Kvæfjordkake, or in English, “The World’s Best Cake.” This traditional Norwegian cake is made up of a buttery sponge cake layer with meringue baked right on top. It’s typically made in a half sheet pan and baked together for just 30 minutes. After it’s cool, you just cut it in half so you have two rectangular pieces, spread some cream or custard on top and decorate with toasted almonds and raspberries. Nordia House, 503.977.0275 / www.nordicnorthwest.org 2.22, 4-6 PM Fastelavn: Celebrate the Carnival season in the Nordic fashion with this familyfriendly event. All tickets are $5 (free/ age 3 and under) and provide access to unlimited crafts and games, plus a bar for adults. Costume contest, photo booths, snacks and cream-filled fastelavnsboller buns. Make fastelavnris, tree branches decorated with string and pom poms and slå katten af tønden, hit the cat out of the barrel (cats are an ancient Danish symbol of wintertime and the yearly Nordic chill). Once the decorated barrel is cracked open, springtime is that much closer to commencing and whoever breaks the barrel first will be crowned the king (kattekonge) or queen (kattedronning) of cats! Nordia House, 503.977.0275 / www. nordicnorthwest.org

local events Save the Date: 03.10, 6:30 PM Cook & Eat - The Secrets of Curing (gravlax and pickled things): Guest chefs Mike O’Bryant and Sandra Nelson Miller will explore the age-old preservation methods of salting to make gravlax and pickling to make pickled beets and other vegetables., so widely recognized now in New Nordic Cuisine. You will use these methods again and again in your home kitchen. Nordia House, 503.977.0275 / www. nordicnorthwest.org

Pennsylvania Philadelphia 02.08, 11 AM-2 PM Semlor & a Movie: Treat yourself to a rich semla, a cream and almond paste filled Swedish pastry, along with a cup of hot coffee and a Swedish film. Semlor are often eaten before the start of Lent, celebrating the Swedish version of Fat Tuesday, Fettisdagen. $13/advance and $15/door includes one semla; additional semlor are $6 each. Walk-ins welcome or pre-register by phone or online by Feb. 3. American Swedish Historical Museum, 215.389.1776 / www.americanswedish.org 02.18, 10:30-11:30 AM Toddler Time – Animals of Sweden: Specially designed program for children ages 18 months to 4 years old that helps young minds grow through interactive stories, engaging hands-on activities and social interaction. $5/child or free/ members and accompanying caregivers. American Swedish Historical Museum, 215.389.1776 / www.americanswedish.org 02.29, 6-9 PM New Nordic Cuisine Reception, A Nordic Tasting Menu: ASHM invites you to join us for an exclusive evening featuring a multi-course tasting menu prepared by Swedish Embassy Chef Frida Johansson in tandem with the New Nordic Cuisine exhibit. The chef’s tasting menu will feature local, seasonally inspired Nordic ingredients. Each course will be introduced by Chef Frida who will share her creative insights on the elements of cuisine. Don’t miss this exclusive dining experience! The event is all inclusive, space is limited and preregistration is required. American Swedish Historical Museum, 215.389.1776 / www.americanswedish.org

Washington Seattle 02.06, 10-11 AM Nordic Stories - Finland: Ricky, Rocky, and Ringo’s Colorful Day by Mauri Kunnas. The first Thursday of the month, Nordic Stories features children’s tales along with a fun craft project. Free. Nordic National Museum, 206.789.5707 / www.nordicmuseum.org 2.13, 6:30 PM Scand30 Lecture - Money can’t buy you hygge: Hygge, no other Scandinavian topic has drawn more attention over the last decade. Hundreds of books and articles have been written to explain the quaint

Nordic Lights Film Festival Nordic cinema returns for the 11th annual Nordic Lights Film Festival in the Pacific Northwest on February 28-March 1. For a decade, NLFF has given Seattle audiences an experience of Nordic cinema in all its forms, featuring contemporary, award-winning films from Finland, Iceland, Norway, Denmark, Sweden,

combination of coziness, candles, woolen socks and hot chocolate to the American audience. But there is more to hygge than meets the eye. This talk with Kristian Næsby, UW lecturer in Danish, looks beyond the tranquil representation of hygge outside of Denmark to discuss the real pros and cons of this sensation. Free, RSVP appreciated. Nordic National Museum, 206.789.5707 / www.nordicmuseum.org 2.20, 6-8 PM Crafts & Cocktails: Join us after work for this new “crafting happy hour.” Recharge from your day with an evening of creativity, inspiration and fun! Craft is co-developed and facilitated by local writer, artist, publisher and producer, Anna Brones. Ages 21+. $25/members, $35/non-members includes craft supplies and one drink. Nordic National Museum, 206.789.5707 / www.nordicmuseum.org 2.23, 3-5 PM Mostly Nordic Chamber Music Series - Mother Sweden: Some of the 20th and 21st centuries’ most sumptuous choral composers hailed from Sweden. The Emerald Ensemble returns to the Mostly Nordic stage and will expertly and beautifully demonstrate why Sweden has long been a cornerstone of choral music. $25/members; $30/general admission; $10/students. Nordic National Museum, 206.789.5707 / www.nordicmuseum.org

Happy Ending (a comedy from Hella Joof, Denmark), 2018

Greenland, the Faroe Islands and Sapmi. All films are screened at SIFF Cinema Uptown in Seattle’s Queen Anne neighborhood. Passes for the 2020 Nordic Lights Film Festival are on sale on SIFF’s website (Nordic Museum members should use code NORDIC2020 at checkout), www.nordicmuseum.org/nlff

2.24, 6:30-8:30 PM Suds for Cinema: Support the Nordic Lights Film Festival films - each beer you buy directly supports this year’s festival, which is definitely a reason to cheer. Attendees find food, fun and a special preview as well as automatically joining the new Suds for Cinema Circle—a special donor group of NLFF supporters. $10 includes entry and food at Lagunitas Brewing, 206.789.5707 / www.nordicmuseum.org 2.28-3.01 Nordic Lights Film Festival: Experience the richness of Nordic cinema at the 11th annual Nordic Lights Film Festival, featuring

contemporary, award-winning films from Finland, Iceland, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Greenland, the Faroe Islands, and Sampi. At SIFF Cinema Uptown, www. nordicmuseum.org/nlff

Do you know about an upcoming event in Swedish America? Submit it any time to our online calendar at www.nordstjernan.com/ calendar

h a i s s e M 2020

CELEBRATING WOMEN IN THE ARTS

APRIL PERFORMANCE TICKETS & SCHEDULE WWW.MESSIAHFESTIVAL.ORG

FEBRUARY 01, 2020 9

local events

the most popular films and tv shows from sweden

swedish dvd releases Order Swedish language movies on DVD. All videos are in the original language with English subtitles.

Price

19.95

d: $ duce

Becoming Astrid: About the life of the creator of Pippi Longstocking, Sweden’s beloved author Astrid Lindgren.

Immerse yourself and family in swedishness with the latest dvd releases from Sweden. Becoming Astrid $29.95 = _______ A Man Called Ove ($29.95) $19.95 = _______ The Last Sentence $29.95 = _______ The 100 Year Old Man ($29.95) $19.95 = _______ The Dragon Tattoo Trilogy Extended Boxed Set $39.95 = _______ Wallander Series 2 Boxed Set ($74.95) $59.95 = _______ Max Manus: Man of War (in Norwegian) $19.95 = _______

Please send me:

Total = _______

Incl. S&H (in continental U.S.)

Name ____________________________________

Address __________________________________ City, State, Zip ______________________________ Telephone Number ___________________________ Check enclosed payable to Nordstjernan

Please charge my credit card:

Card # ________________________ Exp. Date: ___ / ___ / ___ Signature ___________________________ scc Code: ______ Mail order form to:

NORDSTJERNAN P.O. Box 1710 New Canaan, CT 06840 or call 1.800.827.9333 Ext. 10

10 NORDSTJERNAN

Semla.. fastlagsbulle, hetvägg or fettisdagsbulle - “Kärt barn har många

namn” / A loved child goes under many names … The chosen name aside, whether you call it “Fettisdag,” Shrove Tuesday, Fat Tuesday or Mardis Gras, if you’re in Sweden you celebrate with a ‘semla’ or ‘fettisdagsbulle’ on February 25. They have been eaten already since January or December but no one can deny the lure of the semla … The image above is from Ingebretsen’s (www.ingebretsens.com / 612.729.9333). in Minneapolis, which sold semlas from Swedish Crown Bakery (www.swedishcrownbakery.com / 763.427.056) for the first time last year. The 350 semlor flew out the door before lunch on last year’s Fat Tuesday, March 5. The traditionalists running Scandinavian Butik (www.scandinavianbutik.com / 203.529.3244) in Connecticut start baking on Fat Tuesday - call to order in time, no deliveries - while California’s Berolina Bakery (www.berolinabakery.com / 818.249.6506) serve semlor from January to Easter. Berolina also offers a Build-Your-Own on mail order— a package of cardamom bun, home made almond filling and powder sugar with instructions arrives in the mail, add whipped cream, no tools from IKEA required. New Yorkers, still sad about the disappearance of the FIKA coffee shops, will this year be able to sample the semla at Fabrique (www.fabriquebakery.com / 917.261.2476), which opened in May last year. Two out of three bakers at the bakery are Swedish and if the cardamom buns are any indication of the quality of the semla, you simply don’t want to miss a visit if you’re in the Big Apple.

Augusta’s Daughter Ever wonder what made so many emigrate from Sweden in the nineteenth century? Judit Martin’s novel, “Augusta’s Daughter,” about 19th century Swedish peasant life made such an impression on us, we decided to offer it to the Nordstjernan readership. call 1.800.827.9333 for your own copy ($24.90 incl. S&H to continental U.S.).

Through

NORDSTJERNAN 1.800.827.9333 Ext 10

readers forum

InBox The swede

I was so amused by the rutabaga article! I had heard about rutabagas but I have never eaten them (that I know of). When I began reading some English novels set in rural areas I read about crops of “swedes” and “marrows,” and had absolutely no idea what they could be! I had to look them up to discover that swedes were rutabagas and marrows were zucchinis. So the term “swede” may have been used in some parts of the U.S., but not where I grew up. In my fabulous Nordic Cookbook (by Magnus Nilsson) both words are used in the index as titles for recipes. Annette Olson, WI!

Some years ago you looked a Swedish words spelled with “Sj …,” “Skj …” etc. As a youngster in Sweden my grandfather told me about the five words in the Swedish language that are pronounced just as “Stj …” in Nordstjernan. He said one easy way to remember these words is in the sentence: “Den skällande gåsen stjälpte sig på stjärten bland stjärnbloms-stjälkarna” Lars Giers, FL This was a good reminder. The sound created by the combination of stj, sk, sj is among the trickier ones for an English speaker. Note that stjärt (the behind) is often misspelled as sjärt and Lars, here’s another tongue twister for most Americans: Sjutusensjuhundrasjuttiosju sjösjuka sjömän sköt en stjöstjärna i stjärten. /Ed.

As were we Annette. We were also inspired to try the rotmos. Delicious! /Ed.

Not just another Swede holiday contest

In our December 1 issue, you were given a task of creating different English or Swedish words with the letters of NORDSTJERNAN. Soooo, we’ve been counting words ‘round the clock here but were recently at a point where we mailed out the limited edition polka flavored Juleskum bags to six lucky winners: Lesley Swanson, PA Linda Norris, CA, Marty & Rolf Bergman, OH, Petra Liljestrand, CA, Gerd Brigiotta, NY and Amy, Annabel and Elizabeth Johnson, IL. We unfortunately had to disqualify a number of entries for using letters that are not part of the word NORDSTJERNAN but were happy to see so many had fun with the year’s Swede holiday contest. /Ed

Titanic Sailing Again A new book by Lilly Setterdahl

The passengers dress in period clothing, dance, flirt and fall in love on the maiden voyage of the newly-built Titanic Princess sailing from Jiangsu, China to Dubai, United Arab Emirates in 2018. But will the ship reach Southampton, England and New York without serious threats? True to her tradition, the author creates Scandinavian characters and fits them into the story. Whether or not you are a Titanic fan, you will love reading about the surprise onboard meeting of the grandsons of two Titanic survivors, the lady’s maid Anna and her rescuer, Roberto, both featured in Setterdahl’s previous Titanic novels.

Please send me ____ book(s) “Titanic Sailing Again” x $20.90 = _______ Including S&H (in the continental U.S.) Total: _________ 6” x 9” soft cover, 319 pages

Name Address City State Zip Tel. m Check enclosed payable to Nordstjernan m Please charge my credit card: Card# Signature

Exp. Date:

SSC Code:

Mail to: Nordstjernan, P.O. Box 1710, New Canaan CT 06840

FEBRUARY 01, 2020 11

readers forum your bun hot out of the oven with a steaming cup of coffee. (You don’t even have to wait for your next trip to Stockholm to enjoy these treats. They have a bakery in the Meatpacking District on 348 W. 14th St., near the High Line in New York.) Down the hill on Drottninggatan is Butterick’s famous party store. It has been in the same Art Nouveau building since 1923. They sell seasonal party goods, joke gifts (think fart cushions and exploding cigars), costumes, magic tricks, masks, etc. They were featuring Halloween when I was there, with zombies, skeletons, witches and pumpkins, a completely imported holiday in Sweden. They have stores in several large cities in Sweden and do a big internet business too. What all these places have in common is that they fill a certain niche in commerce and they offer exceptional quality in what they are selling. I’m sure you can find such truly unusual shops all over Stockholm, but for me I always return to my favorites on Drottninggatan.

Return to Drottninggatan Drottninggatan used to be the street of antiquarian bookstores. They had boxes of used books out front like in Paris by the Seine. But the used book stores are now gone as are the thrift shops that used to attract shoppers on Upper Drottninggatan near the Strindberg Museum. The street, or at least my part of it on Upper Drottninggatan, has become a haven for small ethnic restaurants and fashion boutiques. Noteworthy new additions are signs in some of the store windows: “Kontantfritt,” meaning cash free. They only take credit cards or various payment apps. This saves them the time and expense of counting and moving cash as well as security worries. Nevertheless there are some old landmarks remaining. My favorite is Aether och Essens Fabrik. This shop, on Wallingatan 14 right around the corner from Drottninggatan and down a few steps from the sidewalk, looks like an old Bergman movie. It opened in 1889 and has remained there ever since with no changes in the old wooden counters and shelves. They sell herbs and spices, aromatic oils and mixtures to flavor akvavit and Christmas glögg as well as an extract for making your own punsch and akvavit. Some of these products are left over from the time when Sweden had fanatically complex rules governing the sale of alcohol. Whenever I’m there I also make a little pilgrimage to Adolph Fredrik’s Church to stand and meditate in front of Olof Palme’s grave in the little cemetery next to the south transept. The prime minister and his wife had been walking to the movies when he was shot dead on Sveavägen right around the corner from the church in 1986. Lisbeth Palme died in 2018 and now her name 12 NORDSTJERNAN

is on the stone next to her husband’s. When I last visited, it was wet from the autumn rains and sprinkled with golden leaves, a good place to meditate on the fragility of life. Right next to my hotel is a picturesque little shop selling charming hand carved and painted wooden figurines of famous people. Sven Gunnarsson started this plucky company in Borås in the early 1930s. In 1940 he moved it to Stockholm. For a few years Sven and his brother Nils did their whittling at the outdoor museum Skansen and at Gröna Lund Amusement Park. Since 1947 they have run their business at Drottninggatan 77. It is astonishing that this little workshop with a busy, working craftsman has survived in this high-rent district. It is Sven’s youngest son Urban who has continued the family business. The figures are lovingly whittled according to old family tradition. The female members of the family do the painting. Their most popular figures are famous politicians like Winston Churchill, Barack Obama and Donald Trump (complete with orange hair)! Also popular are workers and tradesmen, policemen, firemen, carpenters, nurses, fishermen, hunters and bums. You can even bring photos and order a figurine of a friend or relative, a highly appreciated gift. Fabrique is a popular chain of high quality bakeries and there are several in Stockholm. They feature stone ovens that Vikings might have used and their breads look like they were kneaded by dinosaur hooves — rough, dark, primitive. At their shop on Drottninggatan 102 you can buy their beautiful pastries, especially cinnamon and cardamom buns, and sit and enjoy

James Kaplan

readers forum

Drottninggatan is my favorite street in Stockholm. I have lived there at least three times and always feel at home on this lively pedestrian street. Always feeling at home there doesn’t mean it is always the same, however. A street can be a dynamic, ever-changing being.

FEBRUARY 01, 2020 13

feature

New Nordic Cuisine

14 NORDSTJERNAN

Purity, season, ethics, health, sustainability and quality—all summarized by the Nordic kitchen manifesto (p14).

Photography previous page: David Back / This page, clockwise from top left: Moa Karlberg,Elina Manninen, Jakob Fridholm

ost people recognize that food is one of the most effective vessels for carrying our cultural heritage and memories. Whenever we focus on the meaning behind our foods, it is often when celebrating our ethnic background or reminiscing on special meals prepared with family and loved ones. Perhaps less obvious are the values hidden within our food— how our meals represent beliefs and principles we hold important. The choices we make on our plates help define who we are and what we value. The New Nordic Cuisine movement, first advocated in 2004 by its front figure, Danish chef Claus Meyer, embraces local production, seasonality, ethical agriculture and innovation in both the cultivation and preparation of traditional Nordic ingredients. Despite being “new,” this culinary system embraces the Old Nordic cuisine of the pre-industrial era and encourages the use of historic techniques such as drying, smoking, pickling and curing with local Scandinavian ingredients like reindeer meat, moss, seafood, berries and root vegetables. It is a return to foods grown or gathered locally, a return to the underlying balances of the earth and especially the seasons—leafy vegetables in the spring and summer, meats and wheats in autumn, and root vegetables and seafood in the winter. By reconnecting food to the rhythms of the land, New Nordic Cuisine uses the most local, organic ingredients possible. New Nordic food is fresh, flavorful and unmistakably wild.

Old Nordic with a twist

At its core, New Nordic Cuisine is as much about a set of values as it is about food and ingredients. The culinary style’s ingredients and techniques for preparation express the Nordic region’s widely held emphasis on environmentalism through sustainable Continues on next page Left: One of Copenhagen restaurant NoMa’s earlier often asked for specialties, smoked quail eggs on a bed of hay. Right: Not an easy find in the USA, cured reindeer with pickled chanterelles, root vegetable compote and fresh berries.

A new exhibition at Philadelphia’s American Swedish Historical Museum explores the value-driven culinary movement emerging from the Nordic region over the past 15 years. For more info, see www.americanswedish.org

FEBRUARY 01, 2020 15

Photography, far left: Clive Tompsett; Left: Miriam Preis

feature

production, accessible healthy lifestyles for all, and simplicity. By setting these beliefs at the center of a world-class culinary system, Nordic chefs have contributed to the value-based cultural capital of the Nordic region—a resource they export as much as any tangible good. The Nordics are renowned around the world today for their systemic emphases on social liberalism, environmentalism, transparency, innovation, and a host of other commonly held societal values encouraged by their governments and cultural bodies. New Nordic Cuisine is an element of this image. If it is based more on values and less on regional ingredients or specific techniques, perhaps the movement is not intrinsically “Nordic” at all. Its biggest proponents and chefs have recognized this disjoint, often preferring the term “authentic cuisine” over “New Nordic Cuisine” as its goals of simplicity, sustainability and reconnecting to the land are intended to be appreciated anywhere and everywhere. New Nordic Cuisine’s first advocate, Claus Meyer, notes that it is “a food language and belief system that has universal application” (Meyer to Nordic Kultur 2017). Enjoying a meal of locallycaught seafood in Maine, sustainable oysters from New York, or farm-fresh cheese and bread in Pennsylvania are as “New Nordic” as any reindeer and moss dish in Stockholm. No worries, though: If you are a Scandinavian foodie, there is still much in this exhibition you will enjoy. Learn about the history of this movement and more about its underlying values. If you have children, they can design their own recipes in a mini Nordic kitchen. If you too are feeling brave in the kitchen, pick up a few Nordic-themed recipes for tasty dishes such as Icelandic skyr yogurt with blackberries, wild garlic soup, Swedish gravlax with blackberries, spicy pickled beets, and many more! New Nordic Cuisine opens at the American Swedish Historical Museum on January 25 and runs through August 23, 2020. New Nordic Cuisine was organized by the Museum of Danish America, Elk Horn, Iowa. Trevor Brandt 16 NORDSTJERNAN

The Nordic kitchen manifesto The manifesto, a kind of chefs’ dogma manifesto, was drawn up in 2004, summarizing purity, season, ethics, health, sustainability and quality in 10 points. Claus Meyer, the visionary and frontrunner of the New Nordic Cuisine movement, had in France encountered the regions of French food culture and different dishes they could profile as their own. Meyer returned home to Denmark and wanted to eradicate the prevailing Danish food culture, which he felt was entirely based on “hot dogs, frozen food and dinners without community,” and invited 12 other Nordic chefs to a meeting in Copenhagen in 2004. He had written the manifesto with author Jan Krag Jacobsen (New Scandinavian Cooking, 2003), and after a couple intense days of discussions, a manifesto was decided upon and everyone signed it. “This kind of ideological conversation about what we are and what we have, and the opportunities available, had probably not occurred before,” said participating Swedish chef, Matthias Dahlgren. The other participants were Erwin Lauterbach and René Redzepi from Denmark, Gunndur Fossdal and Leif Sørensen from the Faroe Islands, Eyvind Hellstrøm from Norway and Hans Välimäki and Michael Björklund from Finland. In 2005, the chefs handed over the baton to the Nordic Council of Ministers, which introduced “New Nordic Food” on the political agenda. The aim was to involve local producers, the food industry, trade, education, government agencies and researchers. The New Nordic Manifesto kicked off

a variety of projects, and for a variety of reasons interest in food has never been stronger than it is today. Both production of and demand for organic products have multiplied, slow cooking has seen a renaissance, and utilizing resources correctly and smart climate thinking are on everyone’s mind—a lot of it part and parcel of the original manifesto. In 2017 the agricultural organizations from each country or region, through the Nordic Farmer’s Council NBC with the support of the Nordic Council, initiated the Embla Food Awards to be presented every two years; and in 2018 Nordic Council launched the Solutions Menu - a Nordic guide to sustainable food policy and a natural read for those in charge of food policies in the world: www.norden.org/en/solutionsmenu. For more info, see www.norden.org NoMa, mentioned with our photo on the previous spread was co-founded by Claus Meyer in 2003. Known for its reinvention of the Nordic cuisine it ranked as the best restaurant in the world between 2010 and 2014, as of 2019 ranked second after the French restaurant Mirazur. In June 2016, Meyer opened Great Northern Food Hall and Agern restaurant, both in the Vanderbilt Hall of Grand Central Terminal, New York, bringing culinary concepts, flavors and ideas from the Nordic countries to New York. /UBM (Our small image on page one is from the launch of Nordic Solutions to Global Challenges. Photo: Silje Katrine Robinson/norden.org)

Edible country Sweden In 2019, Visit Sweden, the official tourist information of Sweden, took things up a notch or two ... the Edible Country project - marketed as “100 million acres of fine do-it-yourself dining” - transforms all of Sweden into an outdoor gourmet restaurant. People can choose from menus co-created by four of Sweden’s top chefs, book a picnic table (at www.

visitsweden.com or www.bookatable.com) in one of 13 remote locations, then forage and cook your own food. Recipes along with information on how to properly cook the multi-course menus, a cooking kit containing the necessary tools along with a personal guide or chef are also available online. A basket of ingredients is also optional.

cod on the menu Lightly salted cod fillets with beetroot rösti ... codfish is coming back after years of alerts of overfishing. If you have a hard time finding cod, substitute with haddock, pollack or Boston Blue. Swedes consume a record amount of fish: over 12 kilo fish (26 pounds) per person a year, according to statistics. Salmon is still the favorite fish to eat — the average Swede consumes over 6.6 pounds of salmon each year — but codfish is coming back after years of alerts of overfishing. Among all the semlor, pancakes and waffles, it seems right to share a lighter recipe. Besides, fish in every thinkable way has been a food of choice for Scandinavians for a very long time. Dried fish, preferably cod and ling, were the Vikings’ most important provision during their long journeys at sea. This eventually evolved into lutfisk and wasn’t served more often during times of fasting than it is today. During the Catholic period in Sweden the Christmas fast wasn’t over until Christmas Day. That is why some Swedes still dine on lutfisk on Christmas Eve.

Lightly salted cod fillets with beetroot rösti and horseradish cream Serves 4

For the cod 1-1/2 to 1-3/4 pounds (600–800 g) cod fillets 3/4 cup (200 ml) sea salt 1/4 - 1/2 cup (50-100ml) white wine 1 cup (250ml) water 3/4 cup (200ml) leek, coarsely chopped 4 white peppercorns Beetroot rösti 1/2 cup (100ml) plain flour 3/4 - 1 cup (200ml) milk 1 egg 1 tsp salt 4 large potatoes, finely grated 4 large beetroots, finely grated 2 tbsp butter Horseradish cream 3/4 - 1 cup (200ml) créme fraiche 1 tsp French mustard 1 tsp grated horseradish salt and white pepper Vegetable strips 1 carrot, julienned 1/2 leek, julienned 4 slices bacon

Instructions Cut the cod fillet in 4 pieces and rub in the salt. Refrigerate for 2 hours. Rinse the fish. Boil the wine, water, leek and peppercorns in a saucepan with low sides. Put in the fish and let sit with the lid on until it is white in color, 8 to 10 minutes. Beetroot rösti: Mix flour, milk, egg and salt. Fold in the grated potato and beetroot. Brown the butter in a frying pan and fry 4 plate-sized cakes. They should be crispy and golden but a bit soft in the middle. Keep warm until serving. Horseradish cream: Mix all the ingredients for the cream and add more horseradish if desired. Vegetable strips: Blanch the vegetable strips quickly in lightly salted boiling water. Then roast them in a hot frying pan. Fry the bacon crunchy. Plate the rösti alongside the vegetable strips. Plate the fish with a slice of bacon on it. Drizzle the horseradish cream over top. (Another good way to salt fish is to mix 70 grams of salt in 1 litre of water, put in the fish and let sit for 8 minutes.) Fish in all honor; Swedes still eat more meat and more than the EU average: The Swedish consumption is over 80 kilos (176 pounds) of meat per person and year. The message that fish is healthy has, however, seeped through, and it’s become trendy to eat healthy so fish is constantly gaining. FEBRUARY 01, 2020 17

feature

A Swedish architect designs her own home with modern simplicity and affordability in mind.

Text: Dori Kelly Photography: James Silverman Discus: Belatchew Arkitekter

For architect Rahel Belatchew Lerdell, the biggest challenge she faced was situating the home she designed for herself and her family on the proposed building site in a suburb 10 miles east of Stockholm, Sweden. The site was not only extremely rocky, but local building regulations restricted the size and height of any new houses to be built in the area. She solved these design issues by taking advantage of the stony topography for the orientation and placement of the house. In an area where standardized prefabricated houses lacking authentic building methods or true architectural expression have become the norm, Rahel wanted to design a modern single-family 18 NORDSTJERNAN

home, one that would echo the traditional Swedish summer cottages that once populated the area. The house, although built in the early 2000s, has all the attributes of the architect’s focus on sustainable and smart urban living. The strict rectangular form is covered in horizontal, untreated larch panels, and simple geometric architectural elements that create interesting and contrasting accents. Sitting high above street level, the house is not large in size but it’s big on impact. “I wanted to build a house for a reasonable price,” says Rahel. “I wanted to show that houses of modern expression didn’t have to cost a fortune.” The house consists of two stories: the private

Rear: The back of the home was oriented facing south. Large windows allow optimal sunlight deep into the first floor living space. Warm lighting is seen through the large windows, making the home an inviting and cozy retreat from the cold and snow.

Sparsely furnished yet elegantly inviting, the upper level of the house becomes the central living area for the family. A beautiful pinewood floor - stained black and highly varnished is smooth as ice - grounds the simple furniture, a combination of modern, custom and industrial, in the space. Large windows facing south let in optimal natural light all year round, including during Sweden’s short winter days.

zone is placed on the ground floor; the living room and kitchen are on the first floor. The front of the house faces north, and therefore the back faces to the south. Rahel took these directionals into consideration to orient the rooms during the design phase. On the west side, she provided wide sliding windows that open up to a large terrace, allowing plenty of natural light into the space. On the north side, facing the street, long horizontal windows allow light in, while providing maximum privacy from the street. From the street, the house looks impressive set on the steep, stony hilltop. Vertical and horizontal lines beautifully balance the architectural expression on the north façade. There is a terrace on the ground floor accessible from the master bedroom and the guest bedroom. A balcony on the first floor is accessible from the main living area. Rahel says she designed the façade with these elements in mind, not only for the purpose of ventilation, but also as an interesting composition. The main entrance into the house is accessed by a metal and wood stairway that goes to a recessed portal that provides cover when it rains or snows. The main entrance is on the ground floor, and a simply stated black stained beech stairway with an elegant, slightly curving handrail ascends to the first floor. The ground floor consists of two bedrooms, a dressing area, and a large bathroom. The bathroom is a simple, clean, yet elegant retreat for the family. The luxurious Jacuzzi tub, supplied by Tonga, is strategically placed beneath a large window, taking advantage of the view of the rough stone indigenous to the property. For extra drama, the stones are illuminated at night, showcasing the beautiful, natural scene. On the opposite side of the bathtub is a simple, extra large walk-in shower finished in elegant rectilinear white tiles. Across the room is a set of pure white wash basins supplied by Sanova of Sweden, with gorgeous fixtures manufactured by Mora Armatur. They are attached to the wall, perfectly symmetrical, and appearing weightless in the space they occupy. The floor is

feature

finished with slate-colored tile, which contrast the pure white tile on the walls that create a smooth transition between the two planes. The tiles, measuring 100 x 430mm, repeat the rectangular design element on the long horizontal mirror above the washbasins. The mirror stretches horizontally across the wall, reflecting the window, bringing natural light deep into the room. Recessed spotlights above the bath and in the shower keep the minimal space sleek and free of obstruction. The master bedroom contains all the elements of a purists’ modernist vocabulary: simple, clean, linear and functional. The naked bulb 20 NORDSTJERNAN

hanging in the center of the room offers an exclamation point to the starkness of the room, however, the soft billowy comforter on the bed gives an organic softness to balance the space. The beautiful black stained floor is a dramatic contrast to the all white plaster walls. Also on the ground floor is a large guest room that has the option of being divided into additional rooms in the future, if needed. When asked about the lack of art work and other decorative ornaments throughout the house, Rahel explains that she feels the lack of those objects accentuate the linear quality to the space, giving it interest based on its own merit.

A rendition of the Bauhaus tradition

In the overall design, Rahel also focused on small simple luxuries that make life a bit more comfortable. First, the bedrooms are generously equipped with large cupboards providing plenty of storage and keeping the rooms uncluttered. To avoid dark corridors, she installed a motion detector to activate a light when someone walks through. The pinnacle of luxury, however, is that all the floors throughout the house are heated. A practical luxury that warms the feet during cold winters as it is customary for Swedes to remove their shoes upon entering a house. In the main living space on the first floor are the living room, kitchen and dining areas. With a simple modernist statement, the main floor is basically one large room, allowing maximum interaction between the living area and the kitchen. A timeless rendition of the Bauhaus* tradition, the beautiful open floor plan maintains a smooth ease of mobility through the space. With taller than average ceilings and an overall white interior, the space remains simple and crisp with accents of black leather, steel and wood. The integration of the outdoors with the interior is carried off with large, wide sliding windows that face south, allowing generous amounts of sunlight to penetrate into the house all year round. Nature is also carried in through a long horizontal window on the north wall, allowing treetops to be seen while shutting out street activity. “It’s almost like living in a forest,” says Rahel. In contrast to the white walls, a beautiful black stained varnished pinewood floor, shiny and sleek, ground all aspects of the design elegantly into the space. The furniture in the sitting and dining areas are a mix of the Modern classics, industrial and customdesigned pieces. A black leather Le Corbusier sofa is placed in front of a wonderful hand-crafted coffee table. Dag Irdall, grandfather of Rahel’s husband David, custom designed the piece with chromiumplate metal and sandstone from the Swedish island, Öland. The comfortable sitting area faces large floor-to-ceiling built-in bookcases on the west wall that contain not only books, but also the TV and other media components. “These bookcases keep the space clutter free by concentrating everything only on this wall,” says Rahel of its practical function in the space. The dining area, which shares the same space as the sitting area, is defined by the contemporary furniture chosen with simple functionality in mind. The large dining table is actually a white painted upholstering table. Its original function was to provide a large area for cutting and pasting wallpaper for ease in applying to walls. Rahel liked its industrial design as well as its size and ability to fold in or out to accommodate small or large dinner parties. Six beautiful, chrome-plated and black leather covered directors’ chairs, Armchair X75-Z, produced by Swedish firm Lammhult, complement the minimal theme throughout the house. The main floor has a ceiling height of 3.5m, and the kitchen is designed with a lower ceiling, givFEBRUARY 01, 2020 21

feature ing an impression described by Rahel as “a room within a room.” The kitchen is long, sleek and beautifully efficient. The cupboards and drawers are white painted MDF boards with routed handles for a smooth look. Kitchen supplies and food items can be stored in the abundant full height cupboards. The vertical and horizontal lines are delicately played out to accentuate length and height, giving the kitchen a clean, airy feel. There is a very practical, large pass-through on the kitchen wall allowing ease of food service to the dining table. The counter on the pass-through runs horizontally across the whole length of the wall and repeats the rectangular shape of the window on the north wall, opposite of the kitchen. The main appliances, the refrigerator, oven and dishwasher are built into the walls in order to maintain the minimalist, streamlined look and overall efficiency of the kitchen. Off the kitchen is a small bathroom which boasts a grand surprise! While the rest of the house is a pure black and white theme, this little bathroom is painted in a bold deep purple, picked out by David. Rahel says it offers an element of surprise in an otherwise neutral environment. Another small detail Rahel selected for this bathroom is when anyone enters the room and flips on the light, a radio turns on! Both the color and the radio add a fun personal statement to the sometimes rigid rules of minimalist design. Rahel Belatchew Lerdell knows and understands the concepts and principles of the 20th century Modernist movement and smoothly incorporates them into her distinctive design. With the completion of the house, Rahel has successfully synthesized the elements of the Bauhaus* philosophy: use of visual space and light; use of the landscape to support the house; traditional indigenous materials; and, the functional simplicity in the interior scheme. Rahel says she has an overall good feeling on the completion of the house. “I’m quite happy,” she says, “but never entirely satisfied. I can always find things that could be done differently, but overall it worked out well.” She adds that while the minimalist look may seem simple, it really is difficult to achieve. “It demands a lot of thought to get it so pristine, but overall, I feel that the end result has been very positive!” *Bauhaus, possibly the most famous design movement of the 20th century, was named after the Bauhaus art school which opened in Weimar in 1919 and is often considered the birthplace of Modernism. Founded upon the idea of creating a Gesamtkunstwerk (“total work of art”) in which all the arts were brought together, the movement had a profound influence upon subsequent development in art, architecture, graphic design, interior design, industrial design and typography. The school, which moved first to Dessau then later to Berlin, was closed in 1933 under pressure from the Nazi regime, which saw it as a center for communist intellectualism. The centenary of the school’s opening was celebrated all over the world in 2019. 22 NORDSTJERNAN

Belatchew Arkitekter

A present Belatchew project, the Discus high-rise, Nacka City’s new landmark building (southeast of Stockholm, Nacka City is part of the Stockholm urban area), has received two international architectural awards: the 2018 World Architecture News Award and the Architecture MasterPrize. A former juror of the Swedish Wood Award, Rahel Belatchew, MSA / SAR, DESA, chief architect and founder of Belatchew Arkitekter, received her Master’s Degree in Architecture from the Ecole Spéciale d’Architecture in Paris 1996 and has worked as an architect in Paris, Luxemburg, Tokyo and Stockholm. Rahel Belatchew has been appointed Architect of the Year and Belatchew Arkitekter and Belatchew Labs have received several awards, including Architectural Review MIPIM Future Project Award, Smart Living Challenge and the Swedish national design award Design S. She often gives speeches about architecture and city planning in Sweden and abroad. For more info, see www.belatchew.com

language & culture

Lesson 5

Discover Swedish is not a regular language course. Teachers and other professionals in the language field may object to the fact that it leaves out bits and pieces, and simplifies language learning. That is a calculated move: These lessons are for regular readers, maybe even beginners, trying to get a grip on another language. Subscribers eager to look back at earlier lessons, 1-4, please check our online digital content in issues 16-18, 2019 and 01, 2020: www. nordstjernan.com/digital_issues Discover Swedish concentrates on grammar, hopefully in a playful way, but serious at the same time. The playfulness is illustrated in the examples and exercises. It aims at pointing out similarities but also differences between the two languages. Apart from grammar and the overall structure of Swedish, these lessons also teach how to use your own experience with vocabulary. Discover Swedish demonstrates shortcuts, mainly based on the influences of Latin and Greek—languages

Uses:

jag hade: I had du hade: you had han hade: he had hon hade: she had den hade: it had det hade: it had vi hade: we had ni hade: you had de/dom hade: they had

that are the foundation of English, Swedish and the Germanic languages. The lessons will include crosswords, fill-in sections, personal questions, Odd Man Out, word groups (like family, colors, animals), jokes, silly translations, short texts in Swedish, all in a kind of Swedish atmosphere. By partaking in Discover Swedish you will no doubt get a grip on Swedish and you may even learn a lot about svenska (the language) och svenskarna (the people of Sweden). Christer Amneus

Hade (ha, hade, haft - have/ has, had, has/have had) Preteritum/the Preterite: Hade/had. Past tense, as in “I had an old friend” Ordlista i slutet av varje övning/Vocabulary at the end of each exercise Sammanfattning/Conclusion: Again, notice that the Swedish grammar can be quite simple. We have one word hade for the English had. How easy can it get? Silly translation: “Taste is like the (your) bum – divided” (You find the key on page 25) Övningar / Exercises on page 25.

1. Löpande text/Running text:

När jag var barn/When I was a child “Vi hade tre rum och kök. Mina lekkamrater hade hund, katt eller akvarium. Jag hade aldrig ett tennis racket eller en fotboll. Vi hade inte så mycket pengar, men familjen hade kärlek och empati. Jag hade ett bra liv.”

Kajsa

was just released. The story of 15-year-old Elsa-Carolina’s illegitimate daughter Kajsa,who was cast out into the world from a foster home at the age of 8.

Ordförråd/Vocabulary rum: room/-s / kök: kitchen / lekkamrat: playmate / aldrig: never / så mycket: that much / pengar: money / kärlek: love / bra: good Continues on page 25

Please send me ____ book(s) “Augusta’s Daugheter” x $24.90 = _______ Please send me ____ book(s) “Kajsa” x $24.90 =

_______

Incl. S&H (in continental U.S.) Total: _________

Name Address City State Zip Tel. m Check enclosed payable to Nordstjernan m Please charge my credit card: Card# Signature

Exp. Date:

SSC Code:

Mail to: Nordstjernan, P.O. Box 1710, New Canaan CT 06840

FEBRUARY 01, 2020 23

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book(s) x $16.95 = Inc. (in the continental U.S.)

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language & culture 2. Bortglömda sångtitlar/Song titles you thought you HAD forgotten. Insert had in Swedish: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Om jag _______________ en hammare (Trini Lopez) Du _______________ mig (Joss Stone) Jag _______________ en dröm (Kelly Clarkson) Vi _______________ det allt (Waylon Jennings) Old MacDonald _______________ en gård (Frank Sinatra)

Ordförråd/Vocabulary om: if / hammare: hammer / mig: me / dröm:dream / allt: all (in the singular, one) / gård: farm

4. Live Nature Korsord/Crossword kalv katt ko kut (mammal in water) lo (wild Swedish cat) lus nos Puh ros

3. Odd Man Out. Vilken ska bort? Varför? Which one does not belong? Why? 1.

kalv – katt – ko – ishockey

häst – sto – varg – get

Insert the following words in Swedish. Find similarities in spelling or simply guess. ara apa böla (let out frustration) ek enar (bushes) får (lambs and others) gam (bird, eats dead animals) get hö

Continued from previous page

råtta sto (mamma horse) säl utter uv (hooting night bird) val varg (lives in packs) älg (king of the forest)

4. 5.

nos – ros – ek – hö

får – uv – säl – utter

lo – katt – varg – älg

Ordförråd/Vocabulary kalv: calf / katt: cat / ko: cow / ishockey: hockey / nos: nose / ros: rose / ek: oak / hö: hay / häst: horse / sto: mare / varg: wolf / get: goat / får: sheep / uv: eagle owl / säl: seal / utter: otter / lo: lynx / älg / moose KEY to silly translation/use of words from page 23: “Taste is like the (your) bum – divided” would be a direct translation of “Smaken är som baken – delad,” a common expression in Swedish, which translates to “opinions may differ.” Other KEYS, see page 27 Välkommen till nästa övning. Welcome to the next exercise, on the perfect tense of ha: har haft, have/has had in issue 03, 2020.

FEBRUARY 01, 2020 25

news in brief

Swedish News New car sales in Sweden

The car year 2019 became the third best ever for new registrations of passenger cars — and in December, the monthly record was set with an increase of 108 percent compared to December 2018. But the same conditions that caused the peak can also cause the figures to fall this year, according to industry organization Bil Sweden, as many wanted to avoid the new vehicle tax that came into force on January 1. A total of 355,704 new cars were sold in Sweden in 2019. Compare that to California (with four times the population but the same land area as Sweden), where a little over 1.9 million new cars were sold last year. The global automotive industry is changing and following three major trends, according to analysts. The first is of course the switch to cleaner cars. The second is about safety and automation of the vehicles to prevent traffic accidents. (Nine out of 10 accidents in the world depend on human error.) The third trend is the sharing economy, where we try to make better use of the cars. (Vehicles are stationary on average 94 percent of the time.)

Gävlebocken put to rest

The often burned down giant straw Christmas goat in Gävle was dismantled on January 2. It set a record for surviving both the Christmas and New Year holidays three years in a row. This is the first time this has happened during Gävlebocken’s 53-year history.

Baltic cod suffers from vitamin deficiencys

Cod in the Baltic Sea are seriously lacking thiamine, according to research at Stockholm University. The lack of thiamine, vitamin B1, can alone explain the species’ decline and the symptoms cod have shown lately. The research shows that at least 75 percent of cod are affected by thiamine deficiency. The same vitamin deficiency was the cause of earlier deadly outbreaks of disease among the Baltic Sea salmon.

Weak support for January Agreement The government’s policy based on the one-year-old “January agreement” with the Center and Liberal parties has weak support among voters. Even the government parties’ own voters do not think the policy being pursued is good, according to a study by Novus on behalf of SVT. Six out of 10 voters believe the policy is quite bad or very bad. Only one in 10 voters classifies the government’s policy as quite good or very good. Forty-two percent of the parties’ own voters think the policy pursued is bad, and 23 percent see it as good. The study was conducted in a randomly recruited Sweden panel

Reduced need for share capital

In 2010, the capital requirement for Swedish private limited companies, aktiebolag, was reduced from SEK 100,000 to SEK 50,000, and as of January 1 this year, the minimum level was further reduced to SEK 25,000. According to the Ministry of Justice, the first reduction contributed to making the corporation form accessible to more people who want to start businesses. The share capital provides protection for the company’s creditors and thereby contributes to maintaining the trust of the limited company as a form of corporation. During the 2000s, the trend in many European countries has been to reduce or completely eliminate the requirement for a minimum amount of share capital. Today, the equivalent of a private limited company can be formed entirely without share capital or with a share capital of only one euro in 18 EU member states. The current change is in line with the European trend, but will also cause creditors to make greater demands on collateral for their claims on the company in the form of mortgages or guarantee commitments from the owners.

Falling church membership

The Swedish Church continues to lose members. The latest statistics show there are 5.9 members,

Riksdagshuset, the House of Parliament in Stockholm, viewed from the Norrbro bridge

with 1,004 interviews of a nationally representative group aged 18-79 year between December 12 and 18, 2019. but 72,025 requested exit in 2018. Most of them leave the church in October; members pay the annual fee on November 1, often around one percent of their income. A trend is for families to choose one family member with the highest income to leave the church — the family saves money but still has access to church services.

Foreign born faster employed

In the last 10 years, the number of foreign-born residents has increased significantly in Sweden. But integration has also been speeding up, according to Swedish newspapers. From 2008 to 2018, the proportion of foreign-born persons increased from 14 to 19 percent, almost 700,000 people, according to Statistics Sweden. In 2010, it was taking seven years until half the refugees and their relatives of working age had a job. In 2014, it took four years to reach the same level of employment for program participants. Skanska has signed a contract with North Shore University Hospital (NSUH) to construct the new advanced surgical pavilion at their Manhasset, NY campus. The contract is worth USD 238 M and construction will begin in March, 2020.

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news in brief

KEYS to Discover Swedish exercises (p23, 25 KEY 1. När jag var barn/When I was a child: We had three rooms and a kitchen. My playmates had a cat, a dog or an aquarium. I never had a tennis racket or a football. We did not have that much money, but the (my) family had love and empathy. I had a good life. KEY 2. Bortglömda sångtitlar/Song titles you thought you HAD forgotten. Hade in all blanks!

DID YOU KNOW?

Electrons in motion. Jonas Wenström (1855-1893) invented the three-phase electrical system, which uses three electrical lines instead of the normal two. Together with Nikola Tesla, he is honored as the father of alternating current systems (Wenström was first, according to one court judgment). Wenström produced a number of other electrical inventions, including his classic direct current generator. His inventions formed the basis for the multinational company ASEA (today half owner of the Swedish-Swiss ABB). ASEA’s early expansion was due in part to the royalties Wenström received for his patented three-phase system. In the vein. In the 1940s, the Swedish physician and medical researcher Arvid Wretlind (1919-2002) decided to try to design a system for complete intravenous nutrition, as an alternative to ordinary food, in patients who could not eat. At the time his idea was considered bizarre and impossible to realize. Wretlind developed Intralipid®, a fat emulsion and source of calories and essential fatty acids which was approved for clinical use in Sweden in 1962, and in the United States in 1972. Fotografiska in New York. The Swedish photography hub Fotografiska is now open in the historic Church Missions House on Park Avenue South. The original Stockholm institution, which opened in 2010, has in short order become a leading photography destination and New York City, and joins the Stockholm and Tallinn locations with another in London soon to open under the umbrella of the successful Swedish cultural concept. For more info, see www.fotografiska.com/nyc Next big thing: An anti-depression helmet? Malmö based Flow Neuroscience wants to cure depression with a headdress that sends electrical impulses to the brain. According to Flow Neuroscience, nearly 5 percent of the world’s population is affected by periodic depression. At the same time, dissatisfaction with antidepressant drugs, whose adverse side effects are commonly reported, affect 65 percent of users. Research shows that brain stimulation with a weak current can affect brain activity in a way that reduces the symptoms of depression. The stimulation method is called transcranial direct current stimulation (TDCS) and Flow Neuroscience has created a wearable headdress based on this technique. The stimulation is also combined with a treatment app. “It’s partly a hardware, a wearable for the head that emits weak current. Several major clinical studies show that it can suppress depression by 30 percent. The app, which you use at the same time, is based on behavioral therapy and helps the user to sleep, eat and exercise in a way that further reduces depression,” says Daniel Månsson, the company CEO. The product’s medical technology has been approved in the EU and the UK. An app, which addresses behavior and areas such as sleep, nutrition, exercise and meditation, is free; a head set and pads for a 6-week program will set you back around $400. The company offers a 30-day money-back guarantee in Sweden and the UK. For more info, see www.flowneuroscience.com

KEY 3. Odd Man Out. 1. ishockey (a sport, the rest animals) 2. nos (part of a body, the others part of nature) 3. varg (a wild animal), the others tame/household animals 4. uv (a bird), the others animals 5. katt is a pet, the others wild creatures KEY4. Live Nature - Crossword:

U A L R A T K O K A T T A Ä L G E N V A R G R O M E K S R V T A P A K S U L U S S T O H

F S Å A R S B H Ö Ä L S A T

Not yet available in the U.S. Flow is partly hardware, a wearable for the head that emits weak current, partly a free app to learn more about the causes of depression. FEBRUARY 01, 2020 27

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