Patrice Johnson
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nordicfoodgeek.bsky.social
Patrice Johnson
@nordicfoodgeek.bsky.social
Author of Land of 10,000 Plates & Jul: Swedish American Holiday Traditions. Lover of Nordic food, cats, cocktails, biking, the 80s, cold weather, good books, bad TV, and joy. Gen X. Minnesotan.
Nordic Food Geek Newsletter about to drop (signup at NordicFoodGeek.com — link in bio, or find me at Substack)w/details about next week’s American Swedish Institute Nordic Table on a Stick & a Nordic spin on MN State Fair fare 😋

Thu, Aug 7, 2025 | 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm. Register at asimn.org
July 31, 2025 at 6:51 PM
Still a spot open for next week’s Swedish Pizza class 🍕 We’ll cover our bases, from banan curry to caviar, kebab to sallad—all of the usual suspects and a few surprises. 😋

Register at asimn.org/event/swedis...

#swedishpizza #nordictable #caviar #banancurry #kebab #pizzasallad #immigrantstories
July 2, 2025 at 3:25 PM
First grilled pizza of the season and still experimenting with crust after years of dabbling in a quick-rise from the Test Kitchen. Loved this latest version—00 flour and a 24 hour rise. Very near perfect.

#grilledpizza #landof10000plates #10000plates
May 6, 2025 at 7:18 PM
Next Nordic Food Geek Newsletter: story of why faux crab cakes remind me of my beloved first father in law (who hated seafood). Plus a shoutout to Alzheimer’s Association of MN/ND who provide resources to families facing Alzheimer’s. Also: recipes 🦀🍄‍🟫 www.nordicfoodgeek.com/newsletter
May 5, 2025 at 10:33 PM
Last night ASI invited Pim Pauline Overgaard to woo us with æbleskiver & her gorgeous book “Æbleskiver: A new take on traditional Danish pancakes.”
Pim will be at a couple more Twin Cities book signings today and tomorrow including Ingebretsens.

#æbleskiver #nordickitchen
May 2, 2025 at 2:15 PM
Thanks WCCO for having Megan Fox from Alzheimer’s Association MN-ND & me on this morning to talk about the Purple Gala! And thanks R&R for the tasty Lion’s Manes (faux crab cakes). Fund raising should always be delicious 😋

#alzheimersassociation #purplegala #wccomorningshow #fauxcrabcakes
April 30, 2025 at 5:02 PM
Thanks R&R Cultivation for these Lion’s Manes, all set for WCCO where we’ll talk about Alzheimer’s Association MN-SD’s Purple Gala & auction. Tune in around 9:40 a.m. to learn more (& donate to this fantastic organization to support, educate, advocate for families facing Alzheimer’s).
April 29, 2025 at 9:42 PM
Sustenance for what’s ahead… the day, the week, the world.
April 27, 2025 at 6:13 PM
An outtake from today’s Vesterheim Smörgåsbord 101 class. We prepared a small plate to represent each table at a proper smörgåsbord, and talked about the history of SOS, brännvinsbord, modern smörgåsbord, and proper etiquette. Super fun students! Tasty dinner!

#vesterheimfolkartschool
April 20, 2025 at 12:15 AM
Final fish fry 2025 at Churchill with a tasty battered walleye plus waffle fries and we needed that side of artichoke dip because: sides!

#fishfry #lent #landof10000plates #10000plates
April 19, 2025 at 12:46 AM
Happy World Aquavit Day!! To honor this auspicious date, this week’s Nordic Food Geek Newsletter is all about my favorite tipple. Sign up over at NordicFoodGeek.com(link in bio). Skål!

#worldaquavitday #nordicfoodgeek
April 13, 2025 at 1:19 PM
Today’s ASI Nordic Table Kringle class was a celebration of Danish, Swedish (sort of), and Norwegian Kringle, kringlor, and kringla. What a blessing to spend the afternoon surrounded by rowdy regulars & enthusiastic new-bies, willing to hangout and find joy in Scandinavian pastries.
April 13, 2025 at 1:20 AM
Six down, one more to go: Lenten fish fry! Great fish, fun sides Howe with @msleigh.bsky.social 😋

#fishfry #lentenfishfry #cheesecurds #buffalocauliflower #landof10000plates #10000plates
April 12, 2025 at 12:32 AM
Six years ago this week we celebrated the 9th Annual (& finsl?) Minnesota Congressional Delegation Hotdish Competition where a very excited, so youthful (practically a baby) Patrice was an official judge and mingled with the cool kids.

Hotdish is the flavor of democracy.
April 11, 2025 at 5:47 PM
Wow! Now THAT’S a fish fry! Kudos to Coastal Seafood’s The Dive for a fantastic meal. Awesome sides, malt vinegar, plenty of options. 😋

#fridayfishfry #lent #landof10000plates #10000plates
April 4, 2025 at 10:55 PM
Still a couple of spots left for Smörgåsbord 101 (online) April 19 — each table represented in five+ courses. Head over to store.vesterheim.org/collections/... to register!

#smörgåsbord #vesterheimfolkartschool
April 3, 2025 at 2:12 PM
New obsession: beer cheese soup with addition of butternut squash. Thanks @penzey_spices for Arizona Dreaming. It’s the perfect spice for this perfect soup. And yes, we still have last autumns squash in storage and it’s still delicious!

#beercheese #butternutsquashsoup #penzeys #arizonadreaming
April 2, 2025 at 6:20 PM
Next Nordic Food Geek Newsletter dropping today. Purging, marrow sucking, and 3 a.m. panic attacks: how we survived the first three months of 2025.

Sign up at nordicfoodgeek.com

#nordicfoodgeek
March 31, 2025 at 12:39 PM
Fish fry week 3: we had to change our dinner plans three times tonight & landed at our neighborhood Culver’s: Walleye, cheese curds, coleslaw, onion rings, and warm roll plus a glass of chilled Yes Way Rose 😋
#fishfriday #lentenfishfry #walleye #landof10000plates #10000plates
March 29, 2025 at 12:53 AM
I’m usually too busy prepping for class to enjoy a leisurely meal at Fika, I never get to sit with the rowdy ASI regulars during class, but last night I got to experience both!

How uplifting—experiencing Beth Dooley & Mette Nielsen ‘s Local Sweets class & a gorgeous meal at Fika 😋 #community
March 28, 2025 at 12:43 PM
En jätte bra och glad våffeldagen! Began Waffle Day with a fun demo at Fox Good Day then treated myself to possibly the best most brilliant waffle & topping ever at Fika (Swedish American Institute)—porkbelly and sea buckthorn 🤯🤤.

#våffeldagen #waffleday #nordicwaffle #fika #foxgoodday
March 25, 2025 at 9:04 PM
March 25 is Våffeldagen! The scandi name for Annunciation is Vårfrudagen (Our Lady’s Day). It was mispronounced and eventually became Waffle Day. 😋🧇

I’ll be on Fox Good Day tomorrow chatting waffles both savory and sweet!

#waffleday #våffeldagen #vårfrudagen #annunciation
March 24, 2025 at 8:06 PM
Whenever one of my talented childhood friends performs out in the wild, you’ll hear me bragging in the audience. “We were in high school choir together.”

Today watching @msleigh.bsky.social perform her gorgeous smooth jazzy self at Gloria Dei was a thrill. 🥹
March 24, 2025 at 12:08 AM
Last night we celebrated two of the people I love most in all the world. 🎉🥰🥂
March 23, 2025 at 4:45 PM
Fish fry on the go w/a solid My Burger fish sandwich and sweet potato fries. I got my fish with cheddar and sweet pickles,served with the same Vouvray bubbles we had at our wedding, in honor of our dear friends Tiffany and Chris whose wedding is tomorrow 🎉🥂
March 21, 2025 at 11:20 PM