The Norwegian Ambassador

I had a fabulous time last evening as a guest of the Norwegian Ambassador and his wife at their residence in Washington, DC. It was a reception to thank me and everyone else who helped out with the Norwegian Bazaar at Union Station this past December. DH was invited as well. It was a wonderful experience and I was absolutely thrilled and honored to be invited.


Above left - me, Cecelia(the Ambassador's wife), Wegger (the Norwegian Ambassador), and my DH. Above right - my friends Melanie, Dave, and Ellen.

The food was absolutely fabulous! The Chef was also Norwegian and is Culinary Arts trained. She was very friendly as well as immensely talented. Photo on left - the Chef is holding the smoked salmon...oh, my was that good! Photo on right - a server circulating the delicious Krumcake. They also served a fabulous cooked salmon (DH's favorite), baby quiches, and a very tasty garlic and herb shrimp.

Of course, the presentation of the food was exquisite as well. The Chef really out did herself with a couple of very delicious taste treats. On the left is caviar, but it's presented as a picture - sour cream on the bottom herbs to form a flower stem, and chopped mild onion or cabbage for "flowers" all on a background of orange caviar all adorning a delicate bread base. It was FABULOUS! I normally don't care much for caviar, but this was not overly "fishy" tasting nor was it overly salty - it was perfect! The taste treat on the right was a very smoky slice of reindeer on a multigrain bread. It too was very tasty as well as nice and lean. I believe it would be a good diet alternative to beef...it appears to contain much less fat.

We were also served numerous desserts in addition to the Krumcake.
There were raspberry tarts, some heart shaped and square berry confections - one made from Lingonberries and the other from Cloudberries. The Chef told me the Cloudberries are a yellow berry similar to raspberries, only yellow in color and it's available in the north countries like Norway, Finland and Sweden. They are also found in Northern Canada...and other colder climates. There were also some absolutely delightful macaroons - hot from the oven! They were very tasty - light and delicious.

Finally, here's just a few random shots in the dining room and the salon. It was very elegant, yet remained a warm and welcoming environment. The Ambassador and his wife were fabulous hosts - their wit and warmth definitely contributed to the cozy atmosphere.