An evening fit for a prince or princess

I don’t know about everyone else, but I am trying to return to normalcy. I am avoiding the traditional news outlets with their reports of death and impending war in order to preserve my sanity. Recently, I took a look at European Web sites and discovered the very charming Norwegian Royal Family. Their newest member, the newlywed Crown Princess Mette-Marit, is a fascinating and interesting woman. I was enthralled with the photos of her recent wedding to Crown Prince Haakon. Maybe it was the stark contrast of the sight of the elegant bride and groom exchanging rings or cutting their seven-tier cake against the vision of the still-smoldering remains of the World Trade Center; maybe it was the escapism that many women find in the institution of royalty; maybe it was the fact that the cake looked darn tasty! I don’t know. I was immediately captivated.

As I began thinking of this week’s column, I kept coming back to visions of grand ballrooms filled with beautiful people in exquisite clothing and blinding jewels eating decadent meals. I envisioned menus with unusual and exquisite foods that I have never prepared or eaten. So, I decided to prepare a meal of foods I’ve always wanted to try – Rock Cornish Game Hens and a dessert flan. I kept the preparation of the hens simple, as you can see in the following recipe, and I stayed in season for the flan – this one is made with pumpkin. Both were delicious and I am pleased to share my experimental recipes with you.

Since I was on a “Norway research kick,” I surfed back to some Norwegian sites to explore their food. What would I serve at an elegant dinner party in Norway? I found out that food is a very important ingredient of Norwegian celebrations. Especially Christmas -- as early as November restaurants begin serving their Christmas specials. One dish popular in the fall and the Christmas season is lutefisk. It is a Scandinavian dish made with unsalted dried cod. The ancient preparation method is to soak the dried cod in regularly changed cold water for a period of eight days. The cod is then soaked for two additional days in a mixture of water and potash lye, after which it's soaked for two more days in fresh water. Sounds like a lot of work, doesn't it? Thankfully, I found prepared lutefisk at my grocer’s and all I was required to do was simmer the fish for 10 to 15 minutes, just until it became translucent. Before serving, make sure sprinkle the lutefisk with salt and white pepper. It's usually accompanied with white sauce and boiled potatoes.

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