Oprah Winfrey once said, “I love bread!” I love bread, too, and I really love this Pear, Sage and Hazelnut Bread boasting Nordic flair.
“Nordic cuisine is grounded and earthy,” said Simon Bajada, an Australian-born chef who lives in Sweden and is author of “Nordic Light: Lighter, Everyday Eating From a Scandinavian Kitchen.”
It uses ingredients that are part of the landscape and are prepared using traditional techniques, which are reflected in the flavors. The Nordic cuisine is rich in seafood, grains, berries, seasonal vegetables and lean meats showcasing a rather healthy diet.
Scandinavians are big on bread and not just the common white and sourdough varieties. Icelandic flatbreads date back to A.D. 874 and toast well the day after making, crispbreads are deeply red with beets or loaded with seeds, crunchy wafer crisps work beautifully in salads or topped over soups to replace the boring croutons, flourless savory buns are great with coffee, while pull-apart breads can feature beloved Mediterranean flavors such as fig and fennel.