A fascinating look at Swedish food and culture. Lots of delicious-sounding recipes that I am keen to try.

Well done book on a classic Scandinavian dish. I love the mix of ideas and ingredient recommendations. This is a really easy book to integrate into cooking routines.

A great introduction to this Scandinavian way of eating

This is a really useful book for those who wish to recreate the wonderful food sampled on holidays. I find this style of eating very attractive as I would far rather eat several small plates of different dishes than a large plate of just one.

The word Smorgasbord is made up of two separate words; 'smorgas' meaning open sandwich and 'bord' meaning table. Far from being a selection of cold sandwiches, the bord today consists of hot food as well as cold and covers all the food groups including bread, cheese and butter, the eponymous meatballs (always with lingonberry jam) and of course several types of pickled herring.

The recipes in this book are really accessible to the keen cook and each is explained clearly with the author's comments on what goes with what and substitutions for ingredients difficult to find outside of Sweden. It also includes the most comprehensive guide to creating a sourdough starter I have ever seen and for that alone, I am truly grateful!

I have made a list, and will be working through quite a few of the recipes this winter; many thanks, Johanna!

Pashtpaws


Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

A gorgeously designed cookbook/social lesson on the Swedish smorgasbord. This wraps around you like a comfy blanket that probably smells like good coffee and cinnamon buns. I tend to use the modern cookbook as a jumping off point for daydreaming of the perfect cottage life and this completely ticks that box. On the plus side, the recipes appear super simple and accessible and appear to aid you in creating a mood rather than just a meal. A strong recommend for cookbook enthusiasts, especially for the armchair cookbook traveler.

Oh it's just the best little book. I was charmed by 'Fika' a few years ago and now must own 'Smorgasbord' so I have an adorable, complementary set of Swedish recipes. I had a very emotional, nostalgic reaction to seeing a collection of recipes that includes several my Nana used to make for us. It's really a wonderful book to own, or to gift.

Great book! Super informative and packed with information, historical background, and much more. If I could complain about one thing, it is only that the ebook text seems to run together a bit - perhaps it needs more differentiation, such as colored headings or something, to make all the parts stand out and not look so messy. But I love it!

If you are looking for a cookbook full of sumptuous colour photographs of food, then this is not the book for you. If, however, you want some excellent recipes for good wholesome food, a few lessons on the meaning of smörgåsbord, its history its common ingredients, then look no further.
The recipes start with a section on Swedish breads – probably the section I used most in this book. I had never baked sourdough bread before, it always seemed too fiddly. But now with such clear instructions to follow, I am a convert. The sourdough starter has pride of place in the kitchen and we have been baking sourdough bread at least once a week for the last few months. The Scalded Rye bread looked disgusting (a slab of clay) before it went in the oven, but we were amazed when we got a proper looking and tasty, dense loaf at the end. We tried all the loaf breads, like them all, but the Cast-iron Whole Wheat Bread was the real star. It takes a lot of time – mixing, resting, kneading, folding and proofing – so you need to set aside lots of short preparation times over 2 days. We are now into a set schedule, and it fits easily into our daily routine.
The next section was on everyday smörgås with Swedish staples such as meatballs and beetroot salad (pickled beetroot recipe later in the book). But, the standout recipe for me was the Chicken Liver Mousse, where the livers were boiled instead of fried. It made for a much more healthy, smooth and tasty pâté than any of my previous efforts at pâté making (sorry, Delia, you have been usurped).
The outdoor seasonal spreads had some lovely salads and a variety of smörgås combinations. Again, there were healthier versions of well-known recipes such as potato salad, where taste was definitely not sacrificed for health.
The smörgåsbord celebrations section gives an introduction to Nordic parties and seasonal festivities, with the attendant recipes. I was interested to try a new (for me) recipe for gravadlax, using fennel seeds rather than dill weed – an excellent dish, and very easy. From the final section, condiments and sides, I tried out the pickled beetroot and lovely quick pickled vegetables. The other recipes also looked interesting, but I have yet to try them. The book ends with a selection of websites (mainly American) for sourcing ingredients and further recipes.
The recipes are always very easy to follow. Measurements are given in imperial and metric quantities. For the slightly more involved recipes – such as for the breads – there are clear line drawings of each step. While many of the recipes would be for light lunches, they can also be successfully combined with other dishes to make a full dinner with a difference.
I loved this book. A number of the recipes have slipped effortlessly into my standard menu plans – and there are plenty more to try in the future. I would highly recommend it.

We started studying Swedish this past year. My daughter has been learning the language as well as the culture. One of the first books we looked into in regards to culture was Fika also by Kindvall. It was a great introduction to the afternoon snacktime popular throughout Sweden. Smorgasbord opened up the world of Swedish entertainment even further.

Smorgasbord shares not only the concept of the self-serve dinner party with finger food but has many wonderful recipes to get you started. I tried several of them with great results. Including creating a sourdough starter and making a lovely scalded rye loaf from it.

The starter uses small amounts of flour/rye from the beginning, making it less expensive and less wasteful than other starter recipes I've used in the past. It takes a week to get it to the point of being able to use it, but well worth the effort. And it makes a fun science experiment.
The scalded rye loaf used only the starter for leavening and yielded a dense, moist bread perfect for open face sandwiches. I was surprised by it at first because I'm so accustomed to using commercial yeast in bread. But once I actually had a bite with some toppings, I was sold.
I also tried my hand at the homemade butter recipe which uses the addition of some plain yogurt and a long rest before churning to add some tang. It was amazing and very simple to make.
Overall, it's a great book, especially if you love open face sandwiches and are looking for some new to you flavor combinations. It is also a fun read if you are interested in Swedish culture. There are a variety of other recipes including breads, cheeses, toppings, meats, and drinks. Looking forward to sharing a spread with some friends after mastering some more of these recipes.

Great book about swedish sweet and savoury baking . The illustrations looks beautiful.......

A great introduction to the world of Swedish smorgasbord food and traditions. The book is well laid out and the snippets of information on ingredients and food culture made for interesting reading. I loved the comment that the best way to conquer a smorgasbord is to “take small portions and eat slowly” What a great way to enjoy such interesting food!
I imagine there will be some criticism that there are no photographs in the book. For me that was not a problem as the description of each recipe was so informative and the delightful sketches livened each page.
The instructions for each recipe were precise and clear (what a relief not to have these over-friendly “now take your butter and pop it into your biggest saucepan” type comments which drive me crazy!) Plain, clear writing made it easy to follow – I made the hot smoked salmon following the instructions, with great success. The flat breads and meatballs were also a success, but I am also intrigued by some of the more unusual combinations such as butter fried chanterelles with walnuts and making orange zest powder. For me the success of a recipe book is in the number of recipes I would want to try, and there certainly are many worth trying in this book!

Lots of recipes really badly presented.

The ARC I was sent was so full of mistakes, ill-formed sentences, and other woes that it was unreadable. I pushed on through the text, struggling to see the recipes. As far as I am concerned, this book should be given to a different editor and completely reorganized before it is released.

I will not review this book online because I do not think the book''s shortcomings are the fault of the author. She needed more editorial help.

I love to cook. To me it is more of a hobby then a means of sustaining life. This book is more then just a bunch of recipes. First of all you get a history to go with some of the dishes. This book features Swedish recipes. It gives you better understanding of why these dishes are served at certain holidays. It also has a bunch of tasty recipes. Including a starter recipe for sourdough. Which I have on my kitchen counter. The bread from it is AWESOME!! The books has recipes for soups, condiments, breads, main dishes, veggie dishes, desserts and more. This book is well worth it.

I actually read this book a while ago but was asked to hold my review until publication.

I received this book from the Author or Publisher via Netgalley.com to read and review.

It seems that when The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was first published and became an overnight bestseller, people became interested in all things Scandinavian, including food. Smörgåsbord: The Art of Swedish Breads and Savory Treats is Johanna Kindvall’s second book of Scandinavian recipes, this emphasizing everything you could need to know in order to set up a scrumptious and authentic Swedish smörgåsbord. Of course, the most popular and well-known aspect of a smörgåsbord is the incredible variety of open-faced sandwiches, and this cookbook not only includes ideas for toppings, but recipes for good sauces which can be used on almost any sandwich you decide to assemble. Other essentials for your smörgåsbord are jars of herring, an assortment of Scandinavian breads, and several condiments. Fish is usually included, as well as sides like Red Cabbage with Prunes (Yum), and Creamed Kale.

Although the term smorgasbord is often used interchangeably in the US for a buffet, Kindvall sets us straight as to where the term came from “(The word smörgåsbord is composed of two words: smörgås (open sandwich) and bord (table),” and what a real smörgåsbord is composed of. After reading the book, it will be very clear that an American buffet isn’t anything close to a Swedish smörgåsbord.

Some of the recipes in this cookbook will take some getting used to – they are quite different from traditional American cooking, but no less exciting. Some of the best recipes are Smoked Salmon Salad with Horseradish, Christmas Sausage, and Hot Smoked Salmon. There is also a chapter with excellent Scandinavian breads.

Kindvall is also an accomplished illustrator, and uses her talent throughout the book; the illustrations are delightful. It is a bit disappointing, however, that there aren’t real pictures of the finished recipes. The book is well-organized, and the notes of Scandinavian holidays are worth reading. If Scandinavian food is what you’re craving, this is the perfect cookbook.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

Really beautiful compilation. It's not only a feast for your belly but also your eyes!

I liked this book a great deal. I enjoyed learning about the variety of foods served in Scandinavia. I can't wait to try some of these recipes. I also enjoyed the back story given by the author explaining the culture and food set-up over there. It makes me want to get on a flight and go there straight away just to eat. This is a great book for people wanting to try foods from other cultures or learn more about your own.

A lovely collection of Scandinavian recipes, with a focus on Swedish cuisine. Honestly, it's amazing the number of ways the Swedes can think to include herring in...well, everything. If you're not overfond of fish, then there isn't much you'll find in this cookbook, because pretty much all of Scandinavia survives on fish.

This cookbook seems very authentic. It is more than just a cookbook, it gives a nice overview od some swedish vocabulary, customs, and habits. My husband is from Sweden, so I always enjoy a chance to learn more about his culture.

The recipes themselves seem well-written with good instructions included. I am a picky eater and a vegetarian, so many if the recipes in this book don't appeal to me, but seem to be an authentic representation of swedish food. I'm very happy to have an authentic knäckebröd recipe now!

Very interesting and some great looking recipes! Like a foodie tour of Sweden.

This is a wonderful, unpretentious cookbook.The name says it all,Smorgasbord, bread(of some kind)on the table.The recipes really do sound good,are not over complicated and feasible for those who don't live in Scandinavia( I'm thinking pickled dill cucumbers, chicken salad with peppery cress ,smoked salmon salad with apples and horseradish, Danish remoulade and many more...)The drawings that illustrate the recipes are adorable but it would have been nice to have some photographs of for instance :different jars of pickled herrings and vegetables, a set table(winter,summer )with all the trimmings of a real Smorgasbord...

I really wanted to love this book. But I don't. The illustrations are basic and do not inspire the flavour and passion that you want in a cook book. The illustrative style is flat, not like flat illustration, but basic, amateurish, which is a real shame. I know they are trying to use illustration, but they are alike child's illustrations. Small and in one corner and fail to instruct, promote or inspire and this is the real shame. Most cook books do exciting things with images and the typesetter will do something brilliant with text, but you just are left feeling that this was more of a school project executed in MS Word. I had high hopes for it, but it is vibrant as poached salmon. Muted and forgotten.

Out of respect for the Author who has gone to efforts researching and working on this book, I will not be posting this review anywhere but NetGalley. If a future edition was created with more punch then I would be interested to review again.