Scandinavian

The standard Scandinavian way of cooking a goose or duck is to stuff it with apples and prunes. When cooking a duck, adjust amount of stuffing to the size of the fowl; a 5-6 pound duck takes about 2 cups of stuffing.

Almond paste in the shortcake biscuits and fresh berries glazed with red currant preserves give this dessert a Swedish accent.

Based on a recipe passed down from Anna Pump's Danish grandmother, this European-style potato salad is dressed with a mustardy vinaigrette along with capers, chives, and fresh parsley.

Start the gravlax at least two days in advance (the sauce can also be prepared ahead of time, leaving just quick assembly on the day of the party). What to drink: Champagne (or sparkling wine) is a classic aperitif, and versatile enough to pair nicely with the salmon's slightly sweet mustard sauce as well as with the rich Foie Gras and Cream Eggs .

This dish, or some form thereof, can be found in most Scandinavian countries. The apples and prunes are usually stuffed inside the pork roast, but here we've put them in the sauce.

We like making our own pickled beets with spices and herbs that give these sandwiches a true Scandinavian flavor. You can, however, use bottled pickled beets if you don't have two days for marinating.

A splash of aquavit is the finishing touch to this practically-no-fat starter.

Have creamed spinach and sautéed carrots with these updated Swedish meat loaves. Then serve applesauce and spice cookies.

Root vegetables have always been popular in Scandinavia because they store well during the long winter months and are therefore available year-round.

In Sweden various combinations of matjes herring — a type of herring cured in a spiced sweet-and-sour brine — are eaten with the first tender white potatoes of the season. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

One bread that Swedish settlers brought to the heartland was limpa; these twists are a nice twist on that classic.

For a luxurious brunch, split open these rich biscuits and top them with smoked salmon, cream cheese and caviar.

The lingonberry, a relative of the cranberry, grows wild in the Scandinavian mountains. It adds tartness to the following traditional Danish sweet.

Gah Yan Tsui writes, via gourmet.com: "I recently enjoyed a delicious lunch at Aquavit in New York City. Marcus Samuelsson makes an incredible mussel and carrot soup. Would it be possible to acquire the recipe?" This soup tastes much better when made with fresh carrot juice. If you don't have a juicer, you can get some at your nearest natural foods store. Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 45 min