Santa Lucia

Today is Santa Lucia day, a festival of lights celebrating Saint Lucia typically in Scandinavia. I experienced my first Swedish Lucia ten years ago when I visited Stockholm over December 13, traditionally the darkest day of the year, where they honor the winter solstice and go all out decorating with candles and of course, food. In Sweden the traditional celebration has a girl selected as the Santa Lucia to lead a candlelit procession wearing a wreath adorned with lit candles on her head (fire hazard, I know) bringing a tray of sweets and goodies. In Swedish homes this is the oldest daughter who brings coffee and sweet buns to her parents, wearing a white robe and singing a Lucia song. Nowadays they have public processions in the city as well, where they hand out steaming hot glogg, spiced holiday wine, and pepparkarkor, gingerbread. Nothing says the holidays to me like candles, singing, and sweets, so naturally I love to replicate the Swedish traditions back here in the States.

First I began by making mulled wine on Friday night, adding cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves to a deep red wine in a simmer pot on low, stirring in a clementine peel for an orange-zest infusion. Though real Nordic glogg can be tricky to find in the States, it's available if you know where to look - other than the food mart at Ikea (believe it or not, those products are authentic!) you can find glogg at European speciality shops in most major cities. My personal favorite is Cardullo's in Harvard Square. They also have classic Swedish food staples such as ligonberry jam and Marabou milk chocolate ... oh joy.

Next I baked a loaf of gingerbread last night (*my trick to making the best gingerbread: cook it two minutes less than the suggested cook time. Turn off the oven and leave the bread inside - with the center still uncooked - to finish baking slowly. The result is super moist gingerbread that's dense and rich and delicious.) This morning's Santa Lucia breakfast of fudgy gingerbread slices and hot coffee can't be beat! Next year I'll make sticky buns, too.

Tonight I will make the timeless favorite Swedish meatballs, which my mother taught me how to do right. The trick is to first soak breadcrumbs in milk and saute onions in butter, mixing with an egg and ground pork and/or beef into plump nuggets that you fry up and create a creamy, meaty sauce in the pan, serving over egg noodles. Swedish meatballs equal the holidays for me, a tradition that I will surely pass along just as my mother shared her heritage with me. Trevlig helg! (Happy holidays!)