Danish Sandiwiches: Friday Fabulous (Saturday) Photos and Memories #3

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Danish Sandwiches

Do You have Family Memories associated with FOOD?

These are actually new photos of the Danish luncheon I prepared for my cousin and his wife for their Saturday visit.

First of all, my cousin is really my mom's cousin, but he was the last born of his generation, so we were closer in age than he and my mom.

I prepared traditional open-faced sandwiches with the products available to me here in Chicagoland without going MILES away.

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Danish open-faced sandwiches are traditionally made on crustless thin breads, slathered with butter (to keep the bread from sogging) and then heaped with meats, poultry, or seafood. We were only four for this lunch, so I made them all half size and in limited styles.

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I was so disappointed to not be able to get any thin bread at our supermarket with the best choice of European foods. Sadly they have been bought and are slowly trimming away some of their product, now with an emphasis on Italian, Polish, Eastern European and Asian products. 

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This sandwich is thinly sliced ham, stacked on a dark, dark rye with whole seeds in it. Normally it would be a dark pumpernickle. Very tasty with a thinly sliced fresh dill pickle and dill blossom as the condiment.

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Thin sliced turkey piled on lettuce covered sweet white bread is garnished with cranberries and mustard mayonnaise. (The mayo keeps the cranberries from bleeding into the meat--not very appetizing). Normally I would use Lingonberries, but the store no longer stocks them? But, this was delicious!!!

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Next, boiled egg slices on marble rye...piled with thinly sliced tomatoes and garnished with parsley. So simple and so delicious. Other traditional garnishes are wine anchovies, or fish roe.

We also served were two kinds of pickled herring, smoked trout, and a traditional Swiss cheese with crackers. A white wine or beer is also traditional. Coffee was served with fresh fruit (watermelon), fruit sorbet, and butter cookies. 

We were too busy visiting for me to take more photos.

The memories conjured up by this  menu were my teens when I worked for a local caterer and also in a banquet hall. Huge platters of these sandwiches were made early in the day, minus the garnishes. Usually a huge group effort. Lots of fun in a big kitchen.

CATERERS TIP: Plastic wrap is draped all over the platters, then a wet squeezed out fresh dishtowel spread on top, and another layer of plastic wrap.The trayswere then stored in the refrigerator, and quickly garnished just before serving. Even overnight the sandwiches are as fresh as when you make them.

 An older memory is my grandparent's cottage with my mom and aunt helping my grandmother make all the sandwiches, everyone sitting at a long table on the screened porch, skol-ing with beverages, over platters of what seemed like endless sandwiches.

Some other choices were fried bluegills with tartar sauce, liverpostej (coarsley ground liver paste) garnished with sweet pickles or pickled beets, tiny shrimp on homemade mayonnaise and the thinnest possible lemon slices on my grandmother's homemade sweet white bread. Roast-beef medium rare with horseradish sauce, head-cheese (preserved chopped pork parts with peppers,onions in gelatin), herrings, smoked eel, rollepolse (homemade rolled lamb or pork with onions, parsley and seasoning), frikadeller (ground veal, pork fried cakes) with glazed onions...and so many other choices. 

Finale: Back in the 50's, ice cream cups were the biggest treat for dessert of course with pound cake and/or butter cookies. Special events were celebrated with Citron Fromage--a fresh lemon and whip cream dessert or Rhubarb pudding. 

Tak for Festen...Thank you for the Feast!

and my old Family Memories. 

Do You have Family Memories associated with FOOD?

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Sandi