Kirchsteiger - Swedish Christmas traditions : a smorgasbord of Scandinavian recipes, crafts, and other holiday delights

Ernst Kirchsteiger

C hristmas isnt a competition; its not as if the person who throws the best Christmas celebration wins. For me, Christmas is about something completely different.

We celebrate a pretty minimalist Christmas at my home in Ernstorp. We dont have all that many Christmas lights and decorationsbut we have a lot of friends around. Of course, when you have people around, its always fun to be able to offer them something nice to eat. Our fridge and cookie jars are fully stocked from the end of November.

To be able to just sit down and share a traditional ham sandwich and a beer with a good friend: that brings the spirit of Christmas to me. To have the time to relax, socialize, and just be a kid for a while.

I grew up as an ordinary immigrant kid in Degerfors, a blue-collar town. My mother was from Poland and my father from Austria. They did everything in their power to serve up impressive Christmas smrgsbords every year. A big spread with traditional Swedish dishes was a sign that they had made it, even though they still bought two of everything because they were embarrassed not to know the correct words for one when they went shopping.

But my parents did something else for Christmas as well. They invited immigrant workers from the factories in town who hadnt been able to go home to their families and countries over the holidays. All of a sudden, Id find myself at the Christmas table eating red cabbage with a rumbling old man with a wooden leg, the sort of person who had great stories to tell after a life spent sailing the seven seas.

I remember that as a child, I was incredibly proud of the fact that we opened our home to complete strangers. Ive spent many Christmases working in mental institutions, seated on uncomfortable chairs, but still filled with the spirit of the holiday. And Ive spent Christmas as a very nervous host on Swedish televisiona benchmark in my career Ill always remember.

In other words, theres no right or wrong way to celebrate Christmas. Thats what I want to show with this book. There is no Christmas Police that will come knocking on your door to judge if youve managed to pull off that picture-perfect Christmas. Do the holiday your own way.

I hope I can help you have a Christmas thats just right for you. Its all about focusing on the right things. Cut down on the expensive gifts; spend more time with the people you care about. You dont have to drive yourself crazy. Its not the number of decorations that are important, but their quality.

An honest Christmas lasts longer.

Christmas has its symbols: the Christmas tree, the presents and, last but not least, the food. In Sweden were a little unusual with our special Christmas smrgsbord laden with food. Its as if we want to prove that we can cook everything.

In Austria, where my fathers family is from, people go to a restaurant for their Christmas meal. It ends up being just as cozy as cooking at home. I wish we could all relax like that, and not think about Christmas food in terms of strict, unchangeable traditions.

How many different kinds of pickled herring you make isnt importantwhat matters is which ones you end up serving. Quality rather than quantity is what matters. Start to think about the reasons behind why you make certain dishes. Maybe Grandmas sister loved the jellied veal, but she passed away ten years ago.... You might have been making the jellied veal for the last decade as a symbolic act, not because anyone actually eats it. Make the dishes that people actually like instead and you wont have as much to throw away afterwards.

My favorite Christmas food is fried pickled herring, so I always have a jar ready in the fridge around Christmastime. I also always have a couple of rolls of gingerbread dough ready in case people drop by for coffee, which happens all the time.

My Christmas food is quite traditional. Im faithful to all the Swedish classics, but I like testing the boundaries and putting my own twist on things.

Im lucky enough to live in a family of food lovers and I really enjoy cooking for them. Theres no better spice for a cook than having people around who like your food.

A fresh and tart herring that is also easy on the eyes. The apples are a little unexpected, but add both taste and color. Note: Leave the peels!

Theres no better spice than being surrounded by people who like your food.

Warm fish alternative to Janssons Frestelse. Matjes herring is tasty as is, but it is divine when heated. The dish can be enjoyed next to the Christmas tree, or paired with new potatoes in a springtime lilac garden.

A must-have on my Christmas table. I love that these cheap ingredients come together to make what I consider a delicacy. Unsurprisingly, fried pickled herring is often served at the Kirchsteiger familys midsummer buffet as well.