Christmas Fair Contents

Christmas Fair 2015 SWEA Los Angeles Christmas Fair today opens for the 36th year in a row. Agneta Nilsson, the founder of SWEA, is as actively invo...
Author: Blake Bennett
36 downloads 2 Views 4MB Size
Christmas Fair 2015

SWEA Los Angeles Christmas Fair today opens for the 36th year in a row. Agneta Nilsson, the founder of SWEA, is as actively involved today as the first time. Her contributions this year, like Anita Bergsten’s and Britt Kayaian’s, both fair planners from its start, have been invaluable. This says much about the stamina and spirit of the women of SWEA Los Angeles. Photo: Kerstin Alm Many more wonderful Swedish women have joined our organization over the years, and today young and old, veteran and newcomer, have all come together and worked their hardest to, hopefully, make the fair yet another success. As a third year member of SWEA LA, this will also be my third fair. All three have been at different locations, which is more of a coincidence than a sign of lack of roots. For years, the fair was held at the Hollywood Palladium or the Shrine Auditorium in Westwood, but circumstance beyond SWEA’s control has made us test new waters here at Torrance Cultural Arts Center. We hope everyone will like this light, one story facility with its large airy rooms and courtyard. Visitors will have an easy walk around all the booths and food areas, as well as a roomy outdoor place to eat. As one of the 3 Co-chairs, having worked closely with Anita Bergsten and Ingegerd Landström since the beginning of March, I marvel at the fact that we now are finally opening the doors. I thank you two hardworking women whose smiles, positive attitudes, and sheer hard leg work go such a long way! A huge and heartfelt thanks, of course, to each and every one who have so supported us in this lengthy build-up and are also here today. I hope the this Program Magazine will present you with some leisurely reading, while also offering guidance on where things are located and events take place. Wish you all a fun-filled fair day and a Merry Christmas. Sanna Wilkinson, Editor and Co-chair Xmas Fair Co-chairs Anita Bergsten, Ingegerd Landström & Sanna Wilkinson

Christmas Fair 2015 Program Magazine Publisher: SWEA Los Angeles Editor: Sanna WIlkinson Contributors Stefan Elming MInna Madzunkova Matilda Tennysdotter Sanna Wilkinson Mantaray Film Advertising: Mia Lundin Minna Madzunkova Sanna Willkinson Design & Production: SannArt Design www.sannart.com Cover & Photos, except were other credit is indicated, by © Fotolia.com

Contents Front Cover: Old Town Stockholm with Tyska kyrkan (German Church) Page 4 - 5 Lucia 2015 & Celebrity Presenters

Page 6 - 7 Map, directory & menu

Page 9 Schedule of Events

Photo: Kerstin Alm

Page 12-13 Ninja Thyberg, SWEA LA Film Scholarship Recipient 2016

Page 14-15 Meet two “SWEA -Swedes” 2

Los Angeles Christmas Fair 2015

Pages 16-17 Swedes love fish!

is a global non-profit organization for Swedish speaking women who live or have lived abroad. Our objective is to promote Swedish culture and to act as a professional and social network for Swedish speaking women around the world. The organization was founded in Los Angeles in 1979 by Agneta Nilsson. Today SWEA has approximately 7 500 members in 73 local chapters in 33 countries on five continents. For more information about SWEA Los Angeles visit www.losangeles.swea.org

lthough we don’t have snow in Los Angeles and the scenery is quite different from Sweden, Christmas spirit truly finds its way to the SWEA Los Angeles Christmas Fair. We will do all to make this a day to remember and cherish! You will be enjoying an enchanting Lucia performance and the youngest visitors will have the opportunity to meet “Jultomten” (Santa Claus). As every year there will be a variety of Swedish traditional Christmas meals and spirit such as meatballs and glögg to enjoy, and of course Swedish arts and crafts to purchase. I wish to thank SWEA-members, volunteers, vendors, and entertainers for making the fair happen through their hard work and dedication!

A special thank you to this year’s Christmas Fair co-chairs Anita Bergsten, Ingegerd Landström and Sanna Wilkinson. Extended thanks also to Agneta Nilsson, Britt Kayian, and Marti Baldecchi for many, many years of commitment! This year we are happy to announce that Volvo Cars of North America, Norwegian Airways and Sigtunaskolan Humanistiska Läroverket (SSHL) are supporting SWEA Los Angeles. Thank you for your much appreciated donations! Wishing you a wonderful Holiday Season! With love, on behalf of SWEA Los Angeles, Minna Madzunkova President, SWEA Los Angeles

Map, List of Exhibitors, and Menus: Pages 6-7 Program of Events: Page 9

Bli medlem i Världsvid vänskap • Global kompetens • Lokalt stöd SWEA Los Angeles är en aktiv och utåtriktad förening som ständigt har saker på gång. Tillsammans utgör vi i SWEA LA ett nätverk och en mötesplats för svensk-talande kvinnor bosatta i Los Angeles-området och vi hälsar såväl nya medlemmar som nya idéer och uppslag om framtida aktiviteter varmt välkomna. Medlemmar i SWEA Los Angeles får rabatter på vissa lokala affärer och service-företag. Vår förening blir vad vi alla tillsammans gör den till! För att bli medlem i SWEA skall man vara svenska eller svensktalande kvinna över 18 år, vara villig att verka för SWEAs ändamål, vara bosatt på orten genom permanentboende, långtidsanställning eller utbildning. Kontakta SWEA LAs Medlemsansvarig [email protected]

The Hillside Village 24550 Hawthorne Blvd, Torrance, CA 90505 (310)791-7117

Los Angeles Christmas Fair 2015

3

Meet SWEA Los Angeles Lucia 2015 My name is Julia Hansson. I’m from Växjö, Sweden.

I worked as an au pair in San Francisco in 2008, and that’s when I first fell in love with California. After a few years hiatus, last year I finally decided it was time to come back and this time to LA. Moving here was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I love the energy in LA and I am fortunate to have the full the support of my family and friends in my pursuit to make a life here.

4

Los Angeles Christmas Fair 2015

I have a degree in software development, but moved here predominantly to pursue my passion for music and fitness. I am currently at Santa Monica college, where I’m studying physical therapy and music.

Photo: Ola Ericson/imagebank.sweden.se

As is the tradition, SWEA Los Angeles is fortunate to have two celebrated Swedes as presenters of our Lucia.

Martina Jones & Paul Ottoson Martina is the daughter of music legend Quincy Jones and super model Ulla Andersson. She is a native Los Angelean but split her younger years living in both Los Angeles and Stockholm. Growing up in the music industry, it’s no surprise that Martina found herself pursuing a career in dance in commercials, music videos and dance shows. As she entered her 20s, the world of modeling opened its doors to her. She has been featured in ItalianVogue and appeared on the runway in Europe and Scandinavia. Martina ultimately knew she wanted to work with children. She now works as an early childhood education teacher and simultaneously pursues a career as a photographer.

Born in Lönsboda, Sweden, Paul Ottosson is one of the most notable Hollywood Sound Supervisors/Designers/ Mixers. Paul has won three Oscar Academy Awards, a BAFTA award for Best Achievement in Sound Editing and an Emmy Award with over 150 movies under his belt. He is also listed on one of the top 30 of the Oscar Winners Alive list. His credits include “The Hurt Locker”, “Zero Dark Thirty”, “White House Down”; “Spider-Man 2 & 3”; “2012” ; “Fury”; “ Men in Black III”; “ Penguins of Madagascar”, and soon to be released “ Independance Day 2”. After moved to United States in 1987, Paul is living in Los Angeles with his wife Karen Han and son Theo Ottosson. Paul Ottoson is also on the jury for SWEA Los Angeles Film Scholarship 2016, recently awarded to Ninja Thyberg (see page 13)

www.forujewelry.net

Los Angeles Christmas Fair 2015

5

SWEA Area within Torrance Cultural Arts Center Torino Festival Plaza

Lucia Stage

No Entryway!

Food Court Seating

Auditorium (F)

Torino Festival Plaza

SWEA Tombola & Flea Market

=Eating table

TOYOTA ROOM (T)

Main Entrance ASSEMBLY ROOM (A)

ken miller rec center

ENTRANCE LOBBY (L) SWEA PR and Info................. L-6 SWEA Raffle........................... L-5 SWEA Volunteer Check-in..... L-4 SWEA Entrance & Tickets...... L-3 ADUDITORIUM (F) SWEA glöggbar...................... F6 SWEA Bakery......................... F5 SWEA Café............................. F4 Church of Sweden................... F3 SWEA Hot Dogs..................... F2 Food from Swedes.................. F1 ASSEMBLY ROOM (A) Church of Sweden................... A-15-18 SWEA Flea Market and Books...A-9-17 SWEA Tombola...................... A-3-8 Anna Erneholm Artworks....... A-2 Rosemaling by Beth................ A-1 Children’s Corner.................... NE Corner Kerstin Alm............................. Plaza

6

Los Angeles Christmas Fair 2015

Entrance to Toyota Room from Torino Festival Plaza

TOYOTA ROOM (T) Berolina Bakery...................... T-15-16-17 SwedArt.................................. T-13-14 Norrdesign............................... T-11-12 Shoops..................................... T-8-9-10 Norw. Food............................. T-6-7 Brigitte Bergman..................... T-5 Swedish Sweets....................... T4 Eton of Sweden....................... T3 Eva-Marie’s Butik................... T-2 Tere Caro................................ T1 Sockerbit................................. T-39 Svensk Butik........................... T-38 Mindfullness Center of L A..... T-37 Miracle Mile Toys & Games... T-36 Sanco Gifts.............................. T-35 For U-Jewelry......................... T-34

TOYOTA ROOM(T) SACC-GLA............................. T-33 Scandia World Travel.............. T-31 Lund University Foundation... T-32 Skandi Shoppe........................ T-30 Joan Johnson, Artist................ T-29 Creations by Anne-Marie........ T-28 Christina Bikas........................ T-27 Zoega+ clogs........................... T-26 Solweigs Designs.................... T24-25 Mi Designs.............................. T-23 Elinore’s Scand. Woodcraft..... T-22 Candle Baker........................... T-21 Scandinavian Trends............... T-20 Swedish School of Los Angeles.. T-19 Marianne Sample Jewlery....... T-18

Caterer SWEA Los Angeles

Caterer Church of Sweden Los Angeles, Table F-3

SWEA Hot Dogs, Table F-2 Hot Dogs................................................. $4 Drink....................................................... $1

Swedish Pancakes (one)...............................$ 3 Swedish pancakes(two)................................. $ 5 Swedish Pancakes (three)............................ $ 7 Lingonberry drink......................................... $ 1

SWEA Glögg Bar, Table F-6 Glögg per Glass....................................... $5 Beer......................................................... $5 Water....................................................... $2 SWEA Café, Table F4 Cake & Cookie platter (2 items)................... $3 Coffe, Tea, or Hot Chocolate.................. $2

Food from Swedes, Table F-1 Shrimp & Egg open-faced Sandwich.................................... $8 Gravlax (cured salmon) open-face sandwich....................................... $8 Meatballs plate, incl. meatballs, gravy, mashed potatoes, lingon berries.................... $10 Herring delight incl. pickled herring, potatoes, red onion, sour cream....................$5 Lingonberry Drink........................................ $1

Som hemma fast utomlands Church of Sweden - Los Angeles Pastor Staffan Eklund, tel. 310-292-7080

Tuesday-Friday 7.00 am - 6.00 pm Saturday 7.00 am - 5.30 pm Closed on Sunday and Monday 3421 Ocean View Blvd. • Glendale, CA 91208 (818) 249-6506 • www.berolina.com

Vacation travel • Airline Tickets • Cruises & Tours •

For all your travel needs

Berit Stenhøj [email protected]

800-722-4322 • 818-766-4241 www.scandiaworldtravel.com

SWTBeritB-card.indd 1

Car Rental • International •

Princesstårta • Saffransbröd • Vörtlimpa •Limpa Kanellängder • Kanelbullar • Vetebröd Dammsugare • Biskvier • Mazariner • Semlor Tekakor • Smörgåstårta and more...

• Corporate travel • Hotel •

c/o Norwegian Seamen’s Church 1035 South Beacon Street, San Pedro, CA 90731

Los Angeles Christmas 2015 8/29/08 Fair 10:33:03 AM

7

Christmas Fair Mistress of Ceremonies: Margaretha Laseen 10 am Doors open. Minna Madzunkova, President, SWEA Los Angeles, declares the 36th SWEA Los Angeles Annual Christmas Fair open 11 am

Swedish Folk Dance Club of Los Angeles, led by Jane Kindig will perform on stage, accompanied by Leroy Andersson.You are welcome to join the folk dancers in the Auditorium where they will also teach you an easy dance.

11 am - 3 pm Visit with Tomten, the Swedish Santa Claus, at the Children’s corner or in Assembly Room for Photo opportunities. He will also walk around, greeting everybody and take part of the dancing around the Christmas tree. 11:45 am John Huldt, classical guitar 12 noon Lucia Pageant arranged by Marit Baldecchi.| John Huldt, classical guitar Actress and activist Martina Jones will honor SWEA Los Angeles Lucia, Julia Hansson The other members of Lucia’s court are:

Amelie Gustafsson, Annika Suderburg, Frida Lofegren, Kristin Wannemo, Lara McCarthy, Lisa-Savannah Howard, Louise Nyberg, Madelene Shah, Mathilda Tennysdotter, Maria Isaacs, Marit Baldecchi, Stefanie Morosini. Little maidens: Chloe Butler, Emma Goodvin, Grace Berger, Karolina Newall, Mikaela Newall, Sofia Stellar

1 pm

Dance around the Christmas Tree with Tomten in Auditorium and/or courtyard

2 pm

Swedish Folk Dance Club will perform accompanied by Leroy Andersson. Auditorium

2:15

Church of Sweden Los Angeles Choir performance

3 pm

Lucia Pageant arranged by Marit Baldecchi. John Huldt, classical guitar. Academy Award Winner Paul Ottoson will honor SWEA Los Angeles Lucia, Julia Hansson

4 pm Drawing of Raffle tickets - Auditorium Prices include round trip ticket to any of the 3 Scandinavian capitals, Copenhagen, Oslo, Stockholm, beauty products, jewelry prices, fashion apparel - and more! 5 pm

SWEA Los Angeles Christmas Fair 2015 Closing

Los Angeles Christmas Fair 2015

9

God Jul! use code SWEAJUL at checkout for 20% off your web order through Dec. 31, 2015

www.facestockholm.com

10

Los Angeles Christmas Fair 2015

FIND YOUR LOCAL SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA VOLVO RETAILER AT VOLVOCARS.US 11

SWEA Los Angeles Film Scholarship

A SPLASH OF FLASH



WEB DESIGN COPY EDITING & PRINT DESIGN IMAGE MANIPULATION photo restoration, constructing, re-coloring

SANNART DESIGN ENGLISH & SWEDISH call 949 854 8733 www.sannart.com

All proceeds from the SWEA Los Angeles Christmas Fair go to our scholarship fund. SWEA Los Angeles Filmstipendium (Film Scholarship) enables a young, Swedish filmmaker to gain international experience and build lasting relationships in the movie capital of the world. It was initiated by SWEA’s founder Agneta Nilsson, as a means by which to celebrate SWEA Los Angeles 25th Anniversary. Some time later the former Consul General of Sweden in Los Angeles, Thomas Rosander, became engaged in the project and the very first scholarship was awarded in 2007. The finalists, chosen by SWEA LA Film Scholarshop Committeee, have their work judged by a 3-panel jury. Its members are producer Richard Ulfvengren, Academy Award winning sound technician Paul Ottosson, and the founder of Scandinavian Film Festival James Koenig.

12

Los Angeles Christmas Fair 2015

SWEA Los Angeles Film Scolarship recipient 2016,

Ninja Thyberg

SWEA Los Angeles is pleased to announce Ninja Thyberg as its 2016 SWEA Los Angeles Film Scholarship recipient.The scholarship consist of $7,500 and a round ticket from Sweden to Los Angeles. The recipient will spend three months in Los Angeles, the movie capital of the world, focusing on work, education and networking.

Ninja Thyberg, 31 years old, holds a degree in Film Directing from Stockholm recipient is “a force to be reckoned Academy of Dramatic Arts. She gradu- cian Paul Ottosson and the founder with” who will spend her time in ated in May 2015, and is already the of Scandinavian Film Festival James Los Angeles for specialized study, recipient of numerous awards includKoenig: and working on a most interesting ing Canal Plus Award at Cannes Film ”We are always looking at wonderfeature film project about a Swedish Festival in 2013 for “Pleasure” and ful talent and dedication. And we’re girl working in the Los Angeles porn Student Visionary Award at Tribeca often seeing great talent at varying industry.” Film Festival in 2015 for “Catwalk”. levels of development. In the case of Thyberg is questioning the relation be- Ninja Thyberg we were looking at a During Thyberg’s stay in Los tween power, body and sexuality and rising star who has already been recAngeles she is planning on working she is digging into social hierarchies, ognized at Cannes, and at the Tribeca on the feature film project “Jessica” group dynamics and stereotyping in Film Festival. Her talent shows drive and attending workshops in directing her work. and individuality and her craft is alactors and script analysis. Ninja Thyberg made a tremendous ready fine-tuned to bringing her ideas impression on the jury consisting of from the page to the screen. All the Minna Madzunkova producer Richard Ulfvengren, Acadapplicants show outstanding achievePhotos courtesy Ninja Thyberg emy Award winning sound techniment. But it was clear that this year’s

SWEA Los Angeles Film Scholarship Award consists of $7,500 and a return trip Sweden-Los Angeles. Previous recipients include Gustaf Olden (2007), Lotta Lättström (2008),Ylva Forner (2009), Terese Andrén (2011) and Hanna Andersson (2012), Nanna Dalunde (2013), Anders Hellström (2014), and Caroline Ingvarsson (2015). Find out more about the scholarship and and earlier years’ scholarship recipients at SWEA Los Angeles PRtable in the front lobby. Find further information on SWEA Los Angeles web site, www.losangeles.wwea.org

Los Angeles Christmas Fair 2015

13

My name is Stefan Elming. I am born in the USA to immigrant parents fromSweden. My mother Gull “Jill” (Adolfsson) Elming was from the city of Stockholm and was one of the original members of SWEA . My father Curt Elming was from the town of Eksjö in Småland and was a former career Swedish Navy man and an officer in the Swedish Merchant Marine.

Hej tomtegubben! (Approximate translation: Hi Ol’ Santa Man!)

Ever present at the SWEA Christmas Fair, Stefan Elming, aka Tomten, writes about his mutual and long and dear friendship with SWEA Los Angeles.

I speak, read, write and sing in Swedish. I learned Swedish before I learned English, and we spoke Swedish daily at home. I served in the Swedish Army with Lapplands Jägarregemente I22 Lapland Ranger Regiment above the Arctic Circle in Kiruna. One of my duties as a Jägare was serving as an English Language Interpreter. I later served in the United States Army as a Medic and as a Swedish Language Interpreter. My family was very active in the Scandinavian community in Los Angeles. Our family business was owning and operating Swedish Smörgåsbord restaurants and a catering service for over 35 years. The restaurants were: “House of Sweden” in Redondo Beach and Torrance, “Royal Swede” in Santa Monica, “Little Inn” in Inglewood, “King Gustav” in Palm Springs, and “Swedish Corner” in Torrance. My father also had a popular Swedish radio show in the Los Angeles area for many years called “Curt Elming’s Swedish Radio Hour” where he would play old and new music from Sweden every Sunday morning on the old KKOP 93.5 FM. Tomten will greet children and adults, around the fair area when he is not sitting by the children’s corner for photo opporunites. He will also lead the ring dance around the Christmas tree. 14

Los Angeles Christmas Fair 2015

Clipping from SWEA Newsletter, December 2010

Thank you, Mathilda! Our Lucia photographer, SWEA-member Mathilda Tennysdotter, who also was last year’s Lucia, has donated a photo shoot as one of the prizes to the SWEA Raffle! Young and energetic, she aims for a career in LA. Here she introduces herself: I grew up on the countryside outside a very small village in the south of Sweden. I started working with my own projects at a subsidiary to IKEA while I was in upper secondary school studying media. When I finished school I got my first employment as a photographer for two big shoe companies in Sweden. After a few years I was longing for new challenges and felt the need to develop as a photographer. The summer of 2012 I decided to take a year off from my job in Sweden and moved to Santa Monica to study more photography. When I finished the studies in December 2014, I decided to stay and explore my opportunities in Los Angeles. Now I work as a photographer and my work can be found on my website www.tennysdotter.com. I became a member of SWEA in 2015. I really appreciate the Swedish traditions and for me it’s very valuable to keep them. When I moved away from my family it became very important to have some kind of safety and community where people help each other. The chance to win Mathilda’s photo shoot is given to anyone who buys raffle tickets sold only today during the Fair. The drawing will be at 4 PM.

Los Angeles Christmas Fair 2015

15

S

wedes’ great love affair with seafood and fish from any waters can be verified by anyone who has ever traveled there. Being that the Swedish elongated land mass is surrounded by water on 3 sides, with a coastal length of about 2000 miles and with many lakes, it is no surprise that this gastronomic inamorata historically goes back to the Swedes’ hunt for food in the Stone Age. Fishing has always been a major source of nourishment and thus income for Swedes, and it is still so today. The assortment of seafood available at the fish truck (similar to the catering trucks over here,) often seen outside a supermarket, is immense. Fresh and salt water fish are lined up neatly behind the glass counters, as are many kinds of freshly made gourmet sauces and an array of pickled, or in other ways preserved seafood. Besides eating it fresh, after heating it over a fire or stove, the other uniquely Swedish ways of serving fish might well raise some American eyebrows. Like any food that needed preservation in pre-refrigerator times, the Swedish advantage was that freezing of the catch was easy during the long winters. But when the short, often quite warm summer came around, other methods of preserving developed in directions some sensitive eaters could barely imagine. Who knows, maybe it was by an oversight or accident that some frozen fish might, given fortuitous circumstance, have fermented into sensationally tasty and safe fare. Over time, varieties of preservation methods, some undoubtedly imported from neighboring countries, developed into a large number of uncooked delicacies from the waters of Sweden on which we pride ourselves today.

O

ut of steaming, blanching, frying, grilling, smoking, marinating, pickling, or fermenting fish, the one method that stands out as the most Swedish is fermenting. This is closely followed by pickling, marinating, and smoking, although these are not exclusively Swedish. Most Swedes would firmly claim their pickled herring and smoked salmon to be the best, though. Gravlax, however, we can definitely claim as “ours.” Well almost. It goes back to Sweden of the middle ages, when the borders to our Scandinavian neighbors were a lot more loosely defined than today. In those days, fishermen salted the salmon and lightly fermented it by burying it in the sand above the high-tide line to keep it cool. The word “grav” in gravlax comes from the Scandinavian word “gräva”, which means “dig,” as in “dig a hole.” Today, most place the salmon filet, rubbed with salt, sugar, crushed pepper, and chopped fresh dill under a heavy weight in the refrigerator and leave it there for 48 hours. Thinly sliced and served with a mustard-dill sweet sauce and boiled potatoes, this Swedish gourmet meal is refined simplicity itself.

16

Los Angeles Christmas Fair 2015

Photo: Sanna Wilkinson

My American family and friends, mostly an openminded and happy-go-lucky bunch, receive the Swedish fare I often serve with mixed reactions. My seafood-loving husband draws the line, however, at lutefisk, a true Swedish Christmas meal. I find the white, tender, slightly translucent fish served with a white Béchamel sauce, sprinkled with allspice and with sides of boiled potatoes and “petits pois” (small peas) rather harmless, but with a very mild and clean taste. I marvel, though, at how the fish doesn’t kill me, considering how it is prepared. To start, the traditionally sun and air dried cod, slightly resembling a light beige colored translucent piece of stiff leather is soaked in fresh cold water for five to six days, changing the water often. After that, it is soaked again in a solution of cold water and lye, unchanged, for an additional two days. I am not lying, it is lye! The stuff you put in your bathroom drain if it clogs up!

A

dmittedly, I am myself not totally sold on all of the Swedish preserved seafood delights others swear by. The most poignant example would be “surströmming” (sour herring), a dish inspiring an almost religious devotion, especially among northern Swedes. With just enough salt to prevent the raw “strömming” (Baltic herring) from chemically decomposing, and fermented for half a year, the lightly-salted fish develops a strong smell and somewhat acidic taste. After that, the fish is canned to “post ferment.” When the can is finally opened, the smell spreads like wildfire around a whole block and yes, my friends, it stinks! Like the smell from a sulfate plant. The smell has even been given the dubious honor of being the worst food smell in the world! Never-the-less, many Swedes eat “surströmming” with gusto! They do concede it has to be consumed outside, though, together with buttered rye crisp bread and cheese, most often topped off with not just one, but often several shots of Akvavit (spiced vodka), aka “snaps”.

Fish, Fish, and Fish! But Nothing Fishy About Swedes’ Love of Seafood!

W

ith patriotic joy, I have seen my husband otherwise devour Swedish seafood. He loves “Matjessill”, also fermented and called “sill” (which is herring from the west coast – keep track of this!) and through a much different process, being fermented whole in barrels with salted water first. The “sill” is then filleted and canned in a spice mix of sugar, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves. When opened, the reddish sill fillets are cut up into bite size pieces and served, again with rye crisp, butter and cheese. And - you guessed it – a few shots of snaps. What Swedes call anjovis has no connection with the anjovis in most other countries. Our anjovis is the tiny filet version of “sill”, in taste and preparation much the same as Matjesill. It is used in a number of dishes, but most notably in Janson’s Temptation. It is potato au gratin, in which the anjovis filets are layered with potato strips and sliced onion. Topped with generous amount of cream and baked for about half an hour, it makes a heavenly meal, often served at Christmas.

O

ne of many things that may strike Americans as odd is our way of cooking, eating, and treating ourselves to what I’d like to call the Royalty of shellfish: The Crayfish (“crawdads” to Texans and Louisianans). Swedes wouldn’t touch a warm crayfish with a ten foot pole. No, boiled in a brine of salt, pepper, and most importantly, crown dill, these 9-10 inch long shellfish (including the claws) have to be served ice cold after a at least 12 hours of cooling. The crayfish now thrive in Swedish fresh water lakes, but were almost extinct in the 70s. A disastrous plague then struck the Swedish crayfish waters, which led to major importation of the crustaceans, mainly from Turkey, China,

By Sanna Wilkinson

and Canada. A national of any these countries with access to waters where crayfish could be found, a catch otherwise ignored, could easily make themselves rich by exporting a small, unimportant shellfish to some crazy people in northern Europe, who sactually enjoyed them immensely! Louisianans have always fished their own and prepared them Cajun style, almost a sacrilege to Swedes. Their crayfish have always been considered pretty much a regional specialty in the US. As with any delicacy, the true originals, the real thing, will always win out over a myriad of, to my mind, dubious imports. The Swedish crayfish will always be the champion, no contest. Of course, one must be willing to pay a hefty price for the pure luxury of having these lovelies on the table. Many readers may well have been to a Swedish crayfish party, complete with party hats, bibs for a messy, but oh so scrumptious meal, surrounded by song, crisp rye buttered bread – and – yes, you guessed it again!

T

he snaps, as you see, is the binding factor in all this seafood eating. Perhaps the tradition of having one or two or three during the course of the meal came about as some sort of a life insurance. Just in case something in all this fermenting and canning might have gone astray. Maybe it has always been a good idea to throw some antiseptic into the mix. Los Angeles Christmas Fair 2015

17

In Her Own Words - Jag är Ingrid

Text and photos courtesy Mantaray Film

Film legend Ingrid Bergman portrayed in the internationally acclaimed documentary, spearheaded by her daughter Isabella Rossellini. Cannes-awarded, paying a tribute to Hollywood star Ingrid Bergman and celebrating the centenary of her birth, comes this feature documentary by director Stig Björkman with voice over by Swedish actress Alicia Vikander. In spring 2011, director Stig Björkman meets Ingrid Bergman’s daughter Isabella Rossellini and she suggests him to ”make a film about Mama”. Through Isabella, Stig is able to tell Ingrid’s story through her own words and images. Seven time Academy Award nominee and three time Academy Award winner Ingrid Bergman was one of the most talented actresses of Hollywood’s Golden Age with great performances in films such as CASABLANCA (1942), GASLIGHT (1944) and AUTUMN SONATA (1978) . Through never-before-seen private footage, notes, letters, diaries and interviews with her children, this documentary presents a personal portrait and captivating look behind the scenes of the remarkable life of a young Swedish girl who became one of the most celebrated actresses of American and World cinema. EXCERPT FROM INGRID’S DIARY: I’m going to keep this diary and hide it away forever. I’m 14 years, two months and three days old. I was born on the twenty-ninth of August 1915. My parents were Friedel Adler and Justus Bergman. I was baptised Ingrid. /Ingrid Bergman 1929 I was spirited, irritating, stubborn and wild.

18

Los Angeles Christmas Fair 2015

DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT Some years ago I had a chance meeting with Isabella Rossellini, the daughter of Ingrid Bergman, and she presented me with a most direct proposition: ”Shall we make a film about ‘mama’?” I saw this as a most challenging project, and when I later got access to her rich posthumous work - diaries, letters, photographs, amateur movies - my appreciation of Ingrid Bergman as a strong and most determined artist grew even bigger . With INGRID BERGMAN – In Her Own Words (Jag är Ingrid.) I’ve tried to make a rich and multi-colored portrait of this extraordinary human being, based to a large extent on her own offerings, her opinions as expressed in her private diaries and self-made amateur movies, her art as documented in films over more than four decades. And I have called in people close to her - her children - to witness about her life and her great offerings to all of us who have only gotten to know her from the silver screen . Stig Björkman 2015 “In Her Own Words” is playing through December 17 at Nuart Theatre, 11272 Santa Monica Boulevard just west of the 405 Freeway. For tickets and further information, visit http://www.landmarktheatres.com/los-angeles

SPECIAL THANKS

from SWEA Los Angeles to the Advertisers in the Christmas Fair Program and to all Donors to the Raffle and the Christmas Fair! Also, our warmest THANKS to Marti Baldecchi,, Lucia Pageant coreogapher, Stefan Elming (Tomten), families, friends, and all our volunteers who have given so much of their time and efforts to make this fair possible.

Volvo Cars of N. America Norwegian Air SemCell Orrefors Odd Molly Mathilda Tennysdotter Photography Malibu Farm Moods of Norway Daniel Wellington Swedish Press Eton Sigtunaskolan (SSHL) ForUJewelry Hästens

Los Angeles Christmas Fair 2015

19