The recipes that defined my childhood By EMMA ANDERSSON Staff Writer Growing up in a household led by a Swedish father on one side and a Jewish mother on the other, both sets of cultural practices weaved their way into my upbringing through holiday celebrations, summer travel, spoken language. Reflecting on my childhood requires acknowledging these distinct influences. Here I’d like to highlight one specific manifestation: food. For my brothers and I, being raised Swedish American meant eating pancakes and pea soup for dinner on Thursdays. While this duo seems random, its history dates back to the 15th century. Cheap and easy to make in large batches, Catholic Swedish kitchens served them together as a hearty meal on Thursdays leading up to the Friday fast. Despite Sweden transitioning to Lutheranism and eventually secularism, this tradition persists in
Sweden today, with many restaurants offering the sweet-and-savory combination as a Thursday specialty. Pancake Thursdays easily worked their way into the weekly dinner rotation, though we often passed on the pea soup — my brothers and I were picky eaters. While Swedish cuisine, mostly fish and potatoes, tends not to be much to brag about, my childhood friends expressed jealousy over this Andersson household staple. Below, you will find the simple recipe that most strongly reminds me of my Swedish-inspired upbringing. Pair these Swedish pannkakor with raspberry jam and whipped cream for a weeknight comfort meal, pea soup optional. Complementing that Swedish influence from my father, specific dishes likewise accompanied my maternal, Jewish roots. Recent years have witnessed the
dispersal of family — my brother to Denver, my cousin to Los Angeles — so holiday Seder attendance has become increasingly sparse. I look back on the Passover Seders of my childhood with warmth, nostalgic for those instances of complete family gathering. Reflecting on these Seders brings me back to the kid’s table, squished between my cousins with a big helping of my maternal grandmother’s matzo brei — fried matzo — on my plate. While the transition to adulthood begets hardship, I find consolation in the fixedness of these family recipes, which continue to evoke dear memories of my childhood even when I feel disconnected from it.
Despite celebrating Passover on campus this semester, I nonetheless reminisce on the dishes that characterized my earliest Seders. Visits to Sweden continue to entail a request for pannkakor from my paternal grandmother, who eagerly grants that wish every year. I invite you to take a moment to think about those recipes that defined your childhood. Try one of these recipes or one of your own for a reminder that childhood remains with us, no matter where we find ourselves.
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Blast from the Past The Johns Hopkins News-Letter
April 21, 2022
