(It's pronounced LEF-suh and is occasionally misspelled lefsa.)
It's a very thin flatbread made of potatoes, flour, butter and milk or cream.
When the dough is combined it's then rolled out as thin as possible and baked on a grill.
I have an old friend named Carsen Aasen who is known to his family and friends around Rapid City, South Dakota as the Lefse King.
Every year he makes a big batch which he proclaims are thin enough to read a newspaper through.
Looks like he consumes quite a bit of it too.
But I'm sorry.
His efforts do not compare to those of my nephew Larry Taylor of Minot, North Dakota.
He hosts a family reunion at Thanksgiving every year.
The next day every one gets involved in his garage in what is known as "The Lefsepalooza ".
These pictures were taken a few years ago.
When it was over, Larry posed with the finished products.
194 Lefses!
The custom made aprons everyone wears proudly state "Taylor Lefsepalooza"!
The way I always ate lefse was by buttering the surface and sprinkling sugar over it, then rolling it up and eating it like a burrito.
I have heard some people lay the piece out flat and cover it with mashed potatoes and meatballs and gravy.
Or perhaps lutefisk, about which I shall say no more.
Skoal, Norskes!
I have some Swede in my background but I don't think I have heard of these. They look yummy!
ReplyDeleteMy grandmother Clara's (maiden name Gullikson, daughter of Gullick Gullik Gullikson) Lefse was killer, rolled with butter, sugar a sprinkle of cinnamon or jelly or plain. And she cooked Lutefisk too, I loved everything she cooked except that shit.
ReplyDeleteI haven't heard of this before, but it sounds good!
ReplyDeleteI haven't hear of it either, but I'm pretty impressed with the garage assembly line kitchen. Plus, anything that involves a -palooza is bound to be good!
ReplyDeleteBeing Norwegian, really this is best with oily fish rolled in it. Though I would prefer a Mexican burrito! I would love to be in that garage! Daughter of Halvor Halvorson Gun's Stead, Gonstead.
ReplyDeleteGood lesson and photos.
ReplyDeleteSteve
I have never in my life heard of lefse. (Which my spell check wants to change to "legs.") You taught me something!
ReplyDeleteIt mus be soooooo good! I think I saw a few pictures of these before on your blog and remember liking what I saw.
ReplyDeletegood to see Lefsepalooza getting some good press. We started this event after our mother passed away and we realized that if we wanted Lefse for the holidays, we would have to make it ourselves. As it turns out, making Lefse is hard work and we came to appreciate Mom more than ever. Lefsepalooza has become a memorial to our Mom ever since.
ReplyDeleteIt has also progressed over the years into an event where we invite friends and relatives to try their hand at making lefse which cuts down on the amount of work WE do and increases the fun level considerably. Slowly, we have come to make some pretty darn good lefse. In 2017, my sister Loretta took second in the lefse-making competition at the Norsk Hostefest held in Minot. We are all very proud of her but concerned that she will become overbearing and we will eventually have to take after her with a rolling pin.