Smorgasbord

Smorgasbord is a Swedish word that apparently translates loosely to a “bread-and-butter table,” or “butter-goose table.” Breaking it down even further, it refers to a general buffet style meal, where a variety of foods are set out and people are able to pick and choose what it is that they want.

In my house, setting up our meals as a smorgasbord is our best guarantee of meeting everyone’s expectations and satisfying all preferences. Nothing burns me more than sitting down for dinner and having a kid instantly pop up to pour themselves cereal because they don’t like what I have set before them (Just uttering the phrase “Don’t yuck my yum” adds a suggestion of yuck to what I have spent the previous hour preparing, and that annoys me). However, if I pair that main dish with other things that they like, even if it’s just bread or rice or potatoes or kale chips or roasted chickpeas or cut up vegetables (my son consumes raw veggies like a rabbit. He may in fact be an actual rabbit, dressed up as a human child, and the joke’s on us), then suddenly we’re all in sync and our time together pleasurable.

This idea has been reinforced during my culinary coaching classes that I am currently taking, as we think about ways to help clients cook more from home. I know from trial and error that having many options at meal times allows for acceptance over resistance, at least for my two teenagers.

One of the first things my kids say as they walk in the door after school is “What’s for dinner?” If I say “burgers” or “tacos” or “pasta” then all the follow up questions begin-
With real meat?
No, with beans.
UGGGGHHHH (stomps down hallway to room).

With meat balls?
No, with asparagus.
UGGGGHHHH (stomps down hallway to room).

But if I just say, “It’s a smorgasbord,” then they move on to chatting about their school day before stomping down the hallway (that comes later, when I ask if they have homework). I am not kidding that it works this smoothly. And the best part here is that a smorgasbord can consist of newly prepared foods OR leftovers OR a combination. Why say “leftovers” when you can say “smorgasbord”?

This video clip is how the word smorgasbord entered my life, and if you were also introduced to it this way, then bless us both.

Last night our smorgasbord meal consisted mainly of leftovers. It was clear we needed to empty some containers before I did any new cooking. The kids had tostadas, my husband had minestrone soup, and I created a spur-of-the-moment caprese salad for myself that I was SO excited about. We had leftover tofu that had been boiled a couple days before (just set the entire block of tofu into boiling water for 2 minutes- it creates a slightly firmer texture for the tofu. After it cools, you can cut it however you want, and it keeps in the fridge nicely too).

Vietnamese summer rolls from the Forks Over Knives: Flavor! cookbook by Darshana Thacker, where my leftover tofu and basil came from.
Tip- to keep the rice paper from splitting, try doubling them up and use two sheets for each roll :)

We had half a tomato in our fridge which I sliced up, then I took some of the leftover tofu, chopped it up, and spooned on top of the tomato. We also had some leftover basil from our summer rolls that needed to be eaten yesterday so I sliced those into ribbons (or we can be fancy and say I used the chiffonade technique). I sprinkled on just a bit of salt, cracked some black pepper, and then drizzled balsamic glaze over top. And it was amazing! I love how easily you can swap in tofu for cheese.

Also, can we talk about balsamic glaze? First of all, I hadn’t even heard of this up until a few years ago. It’s basically balsamic vinegar that has been cooked down into a syrupy consistency. You can make it on your own, but every time I have tried (okay maybe not EVERY time, but 90% of the time!) I end up burning it or turning it into hard candy that almost destroys our saucepan. Now, I just buy it ready made from the store - even Trader Joe’s has balsamic glaze, and I consider it a required staple now. Sometimes I make a salad with a spoon of hummus and a hearty drizzle of balsamic glaze over top; it becomes an instant salad dressing when you mix it all together before eating. Try it :)

From my smorgasbord home to yours, cheers.