Photo of Dried Cod ready to become Lutefisk by Neil Faz
via Flickr.
This is one for those adventurous foodies who are eager to try unusual delicacies — the more obscure, the more adventurous, the better (I’m looking at you, Eddie Lin). For those who have not yet experienced this delicacy, lutefisk is dried whitefish, normally cod, which is treated with lye. The lye breaks down the protein in the fish to create a gelatinous texture. The fish must then be treated to remove the lye, making the entire process take up to two weeks.
This weekend, Friday November 10th, and Sunday November 11th, from 4pm until 8pm, The Sons of Norway in Van Nuys will be serving up a traditional lutefisk dinner for $22. Even better, it’s all-you-can-eat. For $50, you can get the dinner and sign up as a new lodge member, which will give you the opportunity to attend special dinners and to join their cruises. My uncle and his friends were Norwegian lumberjacks in British Columbia, and I can guarantee you, those guys knew how to have a good time
Beyond the thrill of a dare food like lutefisk, it’s a nice evening to celebrate the coming of Winter with Nordic traditions, gathered around the table in festive sweaters. Come drink aquavit and peruse traditional crafts, before being seated at long tables for a holiday feast that will also include meatballs for those (sissies) who are hesitant to dig into the gelatinous lutefisk, and delicious lefse bread.
Norrona Lodge #50 14312 Friar St., Van Nuys, California. Facebook page. (818) 780-4778. First come–first served– and reservations are not required.
Gahh!!! Thanks to that picture, I’m now going to associate them with “Tremors.”