Gunnar Karl Gíslason - The hygge life: embracing the Nordic art of coziness through recipes, entertaining, decorating, simple rituals, and family traditions

Acknowledgments

There are so many people who helped make writing this book a hyggeligt experience for us. We would like to thank our editor, Jenny Wapner, photographer, Peter Frank Edwards, creative director, Janine Ersfeld, prop stylist, Gufinna Mjll Magnsdttir, agent, Amy Collins, and designer, Ashley Lima.

Gunnar would like to thank his mother and father and especially his wife Freyja Rs Oskarsdttir and children Hildur, Salka, and Indrii, with extra gratitude to his son Mikael who helped cook many of their favorite dishes during the writing of this book.

Jody would like to thank her beloved grandmother Evelyn Bragelman and her mother, Mary Eddy, who passed away while this book was being written. She would like to thank her family and friends who provided abundant love and comfort during this heartbreaking time, including Colleen Foster, Mark Anderson, Theresa Hillesheim, Peter Rosene, Sheila Pearson, Daniel Rosene, Matthew Rosene, Shelly Rosene, Emmelia Rosene, Anne McBride, Bridget and Ari McGinty, Maneet Chauhan, Vivek Deora, Sean Sherman, Dana Noelle Thompson, Jamie Simpson, Rita and Leon LaChapelle, Melissa Henderson, Jeanna Christiansen, Martha Holmberg, Claire Handleman, Erin and Dan Jurek, Janice and Tom Honeycutt, Pat Sweeney, Anna Painter, Susana Trilling, Ruth Alegria, Jean Stearns, Kjartan Gislason, Lois Ellen Frank, Kristin Teig, Lee and Mary Jones, Mike Ineson, Claudia Woloshin, Cortney Burns, Fernando Salazar, Paula Perlis, Raychel OKeeffe, and Prannie Rhatigan.

We would also like to thank our many Icelandic friends who helped us realize the vision for this book in so many kind and generous ways: Villi Goi, lafur rn lafsson, lafur gstsson, Inga Magnea Skuladottir, Bjrn Steinar Jnsson, Hrefna Osk Benediktsdottir, mir Bjrgvin Arthrsson, Muni Asgeirsson, Torfi Thr Torfason, Binni Smiur, Hfdn Pedersen, and the teams at Dill, Kex, H12, and Mikkeler & Friends.

STARTING THE DAY
BREAKFAST AND BRUNCH

A cozy morning enriches mind and body. Its fortifying rituals prepare us for whatever obstacles might arise in the ensuing hours. Morning is a time to map out what lies ahead, take time to care for yourself and others, wake up the imagination, and create a solid foundation for a successful day.

Developing a routine we can count on is one sure way to feel cozy the whole day through. Its the hygge way to do the morning. But there is more to a hygge morning than organization; it is also a time to arouse the creative mind and enliven the imagination. Its the luscious moment when everything seems possible, the day filled with promise. There is strength to be derived from a cozy morning routine. A brisk walk invigorates your body and charges your mind.

Treating those we love with tenderness the instant they open their sleepy eyes wraps our relationships in love and respect. And inviting friends and family into our homes at the beginning of the day to nourish them with healthful food and warm company is the hyggeligt way.

COFFEE AND TEA

There are so many ways to create a morning infused with the spirit of hygge. One of the best is to jumpstart the day with coffee or tea. It goes without saying that coffee and tea are the king and queen of most mornings throughout the world, and Scandinavia is no different. But even these fundamental sunrise mainstays can be made extraordinary with a little tweaking.

Our coffee of choice in Reykjavk is roasted and served at Reykjavk Roastersa cozy caf a few blocks from Gunnars restaurant, Dillwhere coffee creation is an art form. Reykjavk Roasters owner is an award-winning barista from Iceland, who learned his craft at the Coffee Collective, a beloved Copenhagen coffee shop. He returned to Reykjavk with a passion for coffee that has turned his little caf into the place to go for a perfect cuppa in a setting that is hygge through and through, with its basket of yarn and knitting needles on a shelf for anyone with a hankering, a vintage record player in one corner, and inviting nooks and crannies where coffee lovers settle in for a long morning of good conversation and cups of rich, perfectly brewed coffee.

With a bit of planning, the ritual of coffee or tea drinking can be elevated in your own home on even the busiest days, just as it is at Reykjavk Roasters. Stage everything youll need the night before to avoid scrambling for the beans, filters, mugs, and spoons in the morning. Consider adding a sprinkle of ground cinnamon or nutmeg or swirling in a few drops of high-quality vanilla extract to elevate the usual routine. Buy a mug or traveling cup that feels unique, not utilitarian. Pick up coffee beans or tea during your travels to bring back memories from a relaxing vacation with each morning cup.

How to Make a Perfect Cup of Coffee or Tea at Home

COFFEE

Scandinavians love coffee. The average person enjoys around twenty pounds of coffee annually, with Finland in the lead at twenty-eight annual pounds per individual. Coffee breaks are an important part of the culture. In Finland and Sweden, a coffee break is called a fika, which is also the word for a coffee shop and even coffee itself. Norwegians and Danes refer to it as a kaffeslabberas; and for Icelanders, a coffee break is a kaffibo, which, similar to a fika, is often accompanied by a light snack.

Selecting Coffee Beans

Be wary of inexpensive coffee beans. They are often of poor quality and dubious origin and will leave a bitter taste in your mouth. A good bean begins its life at the farm where it was cultivated. Look for green, or unroasted, beans that can be traced back to their source and were grown sustainably by farmers who were paid a fair wage. Companies that source this kind of bean usually proudly display it on their label. Now, its time for roasting; freshly roasted beans are ideal. Many coffee shops roast their beans in-house and are an excellent place to begin your search. The best bean flavor exists within the first two weeks of roasting, when the roasting oils are unspoiled and the overall flavor is broad and complex. Whole beans are essential because there is significant flavor loss once they are ground. Ground beans should be processed immediately. Invest in a coffee grinder or even an inexpensive spice grinder to grind beans yourself. Do not overgrind; your beans should be ground to order to avoid the bitterness that arises when the oils are overly agitated.

Brewing

There are many ways to brew a perfect cup of coffee. The result should be acidically well-balanced with a barely there, toasty-sweet note that emerges with each sip. It should have a slight velvety mouthfeel and a lingering sensation that is not bitter but is instead animated by subtle notes of nuttiness and depth. If you live in an area where there is a high concentration of fluoride, calcium, or chlorine in your water, use neutral distilled water or filtered spring water instead. Here are a few options that result in multiple cups of flavorful coffee.

French Press

Equipment: French press, freshly ground coffee beans, very hot but not boiling water, and a spoon

• Depending on the size of your press, place approximately 6 tablespoons of freshly ground coffee beans into the press.
• Pour the hot water into the press; the ratio between liquid and grounds should be 10:1. Let this steep untouched for 5 minutes.
• Scrape the surface of the liquid with the spoon to remove accumulated froth and stray grounds.
• Using the plunger, gently press it down into the coffee to push the grounds to the bottom of the press. Pour into cups and serve.

Drip Filter

This is not the filtered coffee produced by a machine. Instead, its the pour-over method that enables you to retain control of the speed at which the water is filtered through the grounds.