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KantarelltoastChanterelle toast

Kantarelltoast is the dish Swedes wait all year for: in August and September, after a day picking golden chanterelles in the forests from Småland to Norrland, they fry them in butter with shallot, add a splash of cream and pile them on toast for a quick supper or starter. The mushrooms are peppery and almost apricot-scented, and the cream turns them silky. If you forage, only eat mushrooms you are certain of; shop-bought chanterelles are safest. The most common mistake is washing chanterelles under the tap, which makes them soggy; brush them clean and dry-fry them first to drive off their water. Chef's tip: a little grated Västerbotten-style hard cheese on top is classic, but check it is made with vegetarian rennet.

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Moo manao (pork in lime and chilli dressing)

Moo manao is a drinking snack and dinner side from central Thailand, served in Bangkok bars and at home with sticky rice: thin slices of pork, blanched until just cooked, laid on ice-cold cabbage or lettuce and drowned in a fierce dressing of lime, raw garlic, bird's eye chilli and fish sauce. This is a pork dish. The mistake is boiling the pork for too long, which makes the thin slices tough and dry; poach them only until they turn white all through. Chef's tip: plunge the cooked slices into iced water for a few seconds, so they stay tender and take the dressing well.

17 minThaiMeatGluten freeSpicy
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Finska pinnarAlmond butter fingers

Despite the name, 'Finnish sticks' are a Swedish fika favourite, one of the classic 'seven kinds of cookies' that a proper Swedish host once laid out for coffee guests. The dough is rich and short, flavoured with ground almonds; it is rolled into ropes, brushed with beaten egg and coated in crunchy pearl sugar and chopped almonds, then cut into fingers. They are quick, need no cutters, and look neat on a plate with cinnamon buns and a pot of coffee. The egg is only the glue for the topping; brushing with milk works too if you want them egg-free. Chef's tip: cut the ropes into fingers before baking, with one decisive press of a sharp knife; sawing tears the soft dough and knocks off the sugar.

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GubbröraEgg and anchovy spread

Gubbröra, 'old man's mix', is a Swedish classic for the smörgåsbord and the Friday-night snack plate: chopped hard-boiled eggs folded with Swedish anchovies, red onion, dill and chives in sour cream, piled onto dark rye bread or crispbread. It is found on Midsummer and Christmas tables but is quick enough for a light supper any evening. Swedish 'ansjovis' are sprats cured in a sweet spiced brine, milder than Mediterranean salted anchovies; if you use those, halve the amount. The usual mistake is mixing the eggs while still warm, which turns the whole thing into a sloppy paste, so cool them in iced water first. Chef's tip: chop eggs and anchovies by hand into rough 5 mm pieces for a spread with texture.

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Khanom kleeb lamduanFlower shortbread cookies

Named after the lamduan, a fragrant cream-coloured flower with three curled petals, these tiny Thai shortbreads are a classic of the royal-style Thai sweets once made in palace kitchens and now sold in Bangkok's old dessert shops and given at weddings and merit-making. Each flower is three teardrop petals around a ball, pale and fragile, and they melt like sandy fudge. Their perfume comes from tian op, a special scented dessert candle: it is lit, blown out, and left to smoke inside a closed container with the cookies. If you cannot find one, a little jasmine water in the dough gives a different but lovely scent. The mistake is baking them hot or long; they should stay ivory, never golden. Chef's tip: candle smoke is real fire and smoke, so do it in a metal or ceramic pot, well away from curtains and children, with the flame blown out before the lid goes on.

78 minThaiBakingVegan
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Korv StroganoffSausage in tomato cream sauce

Korv Stroganoff is Swedish family food from the 1970s that children still ask for: strips of falukorv, a mild, smooth pork-and-beef sausage, browned with onion and simmered in a pink sauce of tomato purée, mustard and cream. It is a 25-minute weeknight dinner across Sweden, served over boiled rice with a grated carrot or cucumber salad. Falukorv is already cooked, so it only needs heating until piping hot; the common mistake is boiling the cream sauce hard, which can split it and toughen the sausage. Check the sausage label if you need it gluten free; Polish kielbasa or a mild smoked sausage works if you can't find falukorv. Chef's tip: brown the sausage strips properly before adding liquid, because that caramelised edge is where the flavour comes from.

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PyttipannaPotato and meat hash

Pyttipanna, 'small pieces in a pan', is Sweden's great leftover dish: diced potatoes, onion and whatever cooked meat is left from Sunday (roast beef, ham or sausage, often pork) fried together until crisp, then served with a fried egg on top and pickled beetroot on the side. It is a weekday lunch in every Swedish home and canteen, and a well-known hangover breakfast. The mistake that leaves it pale and steamed is putting everything in the pan at once; the potatoes need a head start to brown before the meat goes in. Reheat the leftover meat until it is steaming hot right through (74 °C). Chef's tip: cut potatoes, onion and meat into the same 1 cm dice, so every forkful has a bit of each.

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VaniljekranseVanilla almond butter rings

No Danish Christmas tin is complete without vaniljekranse, the ridged rings of buttery vanilla dough with finely ground almonds that snap and then melt. Many homes in Denmark make dozens in December, traditionally pressing the dough through a mincer fitted with a star plate to make long ribbons, then curling them into wreaths; a piping bag with a large star nozzle does the same job. They are eaten with coffee, gløgg or a glass of cold milk, and are a favourite for children to help shape. Some recipes leave out the egg, and a spoonful of milk works just as well here. Chef's tip: chill the piped rings on the tray for 15 minutes before baking so the ridges stay sharp; dough that is too warm is the trap, because the rings spread and lose their pattern.

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Moo tod kratiem (Thai garlic pepper pork)

Moo tod kratiem is a one-plate dinner sold at made-to-order stalls across Bangkok and the rest of Thailand: slices of pork marinated in garlic, white pepper and soy, fried until the edges caramelise, then showered with crisp golden garlic and served over rice with a fried egg and cucumber. This is a pork dish. The mistake is frying the garlic on high heat; it burns in seconds and turns bitter, so fry it gently and take it out when it is pale gold. Chef's tip: pound the garlic, pepper and coriander root together rather than chopping, so the paste clings to the meat.

22 minThaiMeat
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ÆggekageBacon and tomato pan omelette

Æggekage, 'egg cake', is a thick Danish pan omelette set slowly under a lid and served straight from the pan, topped with crisp strips of bacon (pork), slices of tomato and a shower of chives. It is a long-loved lunch and quick evening meal from Copenhagen to Jutland, eaten with dark rye bread and a dab of strong mustard. The common mistake is cooking it over high heat, which makes the base leathery and brown before the top sets; keep the heat low and be patient. Chef's tip: a spoonful of flour whisked into the milk gives the æggekage its traditional soft, almost custardy body that holds when sliced.

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Stuvade makaronerCreamy macaroni

Stuvade makaroner is a Swedish childhood classic, cooked on weekday evenings all over the country: small macaroni simmered in milk with butter and a grating of nutmeg until thick and creamy, served beside meatballs, sausages or, for a vegetarian plate, fried halloumi or eggs and a spoonful of lingonberries. It is mild, comforting and made in one pan. The most common mistake is cooking on too high a heat, so the milk catches and burns on the bottom; keep it at a gentle simmer and stir often. Chef's tip: boil the macaroni in water for 3 minutes first, then finish in the milk, so it cooks evenly without the sauce turning gluey.

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Pad thua ngok tao hoo (Thai bean sprouts and tofu stir-fry)

This plain, fast stir-fry is a fixture of home kitchens and made-to-order rice stalls across central Thailand, where it is eaten as one of two or three dishes shared over jasmine rice at dinner. Firm tofu is browned first, then the sprouts go in for barely a minute so they stay juicy and snap when you bite them. Thai cooks often season it with oyster sauce and fish sauce; this version uses soy and a mushroom-based sauce so it is vegan. The mistake almost everyone makes is cooking the sprouts too long, which turns them limp and watery. Chef's tip: pick off the stringy tails of the sprouts if you have five spare minutes; it makes the dish noticeably crisper.

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Tao hoo tod (Thai fried tofu with sweet chilli peanut dip)

In Bangkok and towns all over Thailand, tao hoo tod is sold from street-side woks in the late afternoon, scooped into paper bags with a little bag of sweet chilli dip and a spoon of crushed peanuts for snacking on the way home. Done properly, each cube has a thin, blistered, crisp skin and a soft, almost creamy centre. The mistake that ruins it is frying wet tofu in oil that isn't hot enough, so it soaks up fat and never crisps. It makes a good starter or a light supper with sticky rice and cucumber. Chef's tip: press the tofu under a heavy pan for 10 minutes while you make the dip; drier tofu crisps faster and spits less.

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Khai luk khoei (son-in-law eggs)

Khai luk khoei, son-in-law eggs, is a central Thai dish made for family meals and temple fairs, and a favourite way to turn a few eggs into dinner: boiled eggs fried until blistered and golden, halved and spooned over with a sticky tamarind, palm sugar and fish sauce sauce, then finished with crisp shallots and chilli. It contains fish sauce, so it is not vegetarian. The mistake is frying wet eggs in oil that isn't hot enough; dry them well and the skin puffs and crisps instead of spitting. Chef's tip: boil the eggs for 7 minutes for a jammy centre; give 10 minutes and fully set yolks for anyone pregnant, very young, older or vulnerable.

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Makaronilaatikko (Finnish macaroni and beef bake)

Makaronilaatikko, macaroni and minced beef baked in an egg-and-milk custard, is the dish Finnish children vote for again and again, at home and in school canteens, often eaten with a dab of ketchup. It bakes until the top is golden and slightly crunchy and the inside soft and custardy, ideal for toddlers from a year old. This version adds no salt, only white pepper, so adults can season at the table. It contains gluten (wheat pasta), egg and milk. Chef's tip: bake it until a knife in the middle comes out clean; a wobbly centre means the custard isn't set.

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Kagemand (Danish birthday cake man)

In Denmark, no child's birthday is complete without a kagemand or kagekone: a big cake shaped like a boy or girl, made from soft, cardamom-scented yeast pastry filled with vanilla custard and remonce, then iced and decorated with sweets and Danish flags. The birthday child traditionally cuts the head off first while everyone shrieks. It contains milk, egg and gluten. Chef's tip: draw the figure on baking paper first and shape the dough on top, so arms and legs stay in proportion.

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RieskaPotato and barley flatbread

Ten minutes in a very hot oven is all rieska needs, which is why Finnish cooks in Lapland and Ostrobothnia have long baked it on the spot whenever there were cold boiled potatoes in the larder. This version, perunarieska, is unleavened: mashed potato bound with barley flour, rolled thin and baked until speckled brown. It is soft and slightly chewy, with an earthy barley flavour, and is best eaten straight from the oven with plenty of butter melting into it, perhaps with cheese and cucumber or a bowl of soup. Barley gives it the traditional taste but means it is not gluten free. Using warm potatoes is the common mistake; they soak up far more flour and the rieska turns tough. Chef's tip: prick the rounds all over with a fork before baking so they stay flat, then stack them under a cloth as they come out to keep them soft.

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Fiskegrateng (Norwegian fish and macaroni gratin)

Fiskegrateng, a baked gratin of flaked white fish and macaroni in a thick nutmeg-scented white sauce, is classic Norwegian family food and a favourite way to get children to eat fish, served with grated raw carrot on the side. It is soft, creamy and mild, with a crisp crumb on top, and this version uses no added salt for toddlers from a year old. It contains fish, milk, egg and gluten (pasta, flour and breadcrumbs). Chef's tip: let the white sauce cool a little before whisking in the egg yolks, so they thicken it smoothly instead of scrambling.

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Bløtkake (Norwegian cream cake)

Bløtkake, 'soft cake', is what Norwegian families bake for children's birthdays, confirmations and above all 17 May, Constitution Day, when it is decorated with strawberries and blueberries. A light sponge is split into three, moistened with juice and layered with whipped cream and berries until it is soft enough to cut with a spoon. It contains egg, milk and gluten. For small children, quarter blueberries and halve strawberries. Chef's tip: assemble it at least four hours ahead; the cake needs time to soak and soften.

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Hot dogs in lompe (pølse i lompe)

On 17 May, Norway's Constitution Day, children parade with flags and then queue for pølse i lompe: a hot sausage wrapped in a soft, thin potato flatbread instead of a bun, with ketchup, mustard and sometimes crisp onions. The same snack turns up at every football tournament and birthday. Home-made lompe take a little time but freeze well; this recipe makes 8. It contains gluten and milk. Chef's tip: mash the potatoes while hot and let the dough cool completely before kneading in the flour, or it turns gluey.

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LimpaSweet orange and fennel rye loaf

Sweet, fragrant and a little dark, limpa is the soft rye loaf that Swedes slice thinly for breakfast and stack high on the Christmas julbord. Dark syrup gives it a gentle sweetness and a deep brown crumb, while orange zest, fennel and anise make the whole kitchen smell festive. The Christmas version, vörtlimpa, is made with wort or dark beer; this everyday loaf uses milk instead, so there is no alcohol. Eat it with butter and a sharp aged cheese, with marmalade, or with pickled beetroot and egg on the smörgåsbord. Rye dough is sticky by nature, and working in extra flour until it feels like wheat dough is the classic mistake that bakes a heavy brick; oil your hands instead. Chef's tip: brush the loaves with syrup and water the moment they come out of the oven, which gives them their soft, glossy, slightly sticky crust.

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Chocolate slices on rye (pålægschokolade)

Pålægschokolade, wafer-thin slices of chocolate made for laying on bread, is a Danish lunchbox treat, usually saved for Fridays or birthdays: buttered dark rye, a slab of chocolate on top, then cut into fingers. The sour, dense rye and the sweet chocolate are a famous match. Shop slices are thin squares; here you make your own from a bar, which lets you pick dark chocolate with less sugar. It contains gluten (rye and wheat), milk and soya (lecithin in most chocolate). Chef's tip: spread the chocolate as thin as a coin; thick pieces crack and fall off.

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Fiskeboller i hvit saus (fish balls in white sauce)

Fiskeboller i hvit saus, pale, pillowy fish balls in a white sauce with carrots and boiled potatoes, is the gentle midweek dinner of Norwegian childhood. Making the fish balls at home means you control the salt and can be sure every bone is out: they are just white fish, milk, potato starch and a little nutmeg, poached until soft and springy. It contains fish, milk and gluten (wheat flour in the sauce). Chef's tip: keep the fish and milk cold while blending, and the fish balls come out light rather than rubbery.

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MokkapalatChocolate coffee squares

Mokkapalat ('mocha pieces') are what Finnish parents bake on the big oven tray for a child's birthday, a school bake sale or a summer cottage weekend: soft chocolate sponge squares with a thin, glossy coffee-cocoa icing and a shower of coloured sprinkles. The coffee is gentle and only deepens the chocolate, so children love them, and you can use decaf. They are moist enough to keep three days in a tin and freeze well. Icing the cake while it is hot is the classic mistake; it soaks in and goes dull, so wait until it is just warm. Chef's tip: add the icing liquid a spoonful at a time; it should spread like thick paint and set with a shine.

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