Sirious Gift Guide: For the Fellas

Hi.  I'm traveling this week, which means I'm doing a lot of eating but not a lot of cooking.  So I thought that I'd share some food/drink/kitchen-related gift ideas for the season.  I'm not going to suggest you buy someone a Lexus with a giant bow (really, America?).  These will be practical, mostly.  So let's start with the menfolk...  

Beer Making Kit

because they think they're MacGyver

Bacon Marmalade

because what man doesn't like bacon?

Adam Perry Lang - BBQ 25

because the book (and the chef) are awesome

'Me Eat Meat' print

because, let's be honest, this is sort of for you too

Jumbo-Size Ice Cube Tray

because he's a cocktail snob

Personalized Apron

because deep down, they are dorks like us

A Mini Big Green Egg

because he likes to tailgate, and there are no words to describe this thing

Next up, for the ladies and for the kiddos...

Bacon, Leek and Potato Soup

Sweden is unseasonally warm this year. This doesn't mean warm, of course, but there's no snow yet which is really unusual. Today is nice and sunny, but still cold. Perfect day for a brisk walk, followed by a hot bowl of soup. I really enjoy this thick potato soup with leeks and bacon - I found the recipe over at Sweetsugarbean, and pretty much stuck to it. I did make bread, too, but that'll be a separate post.

Tomorrow, I plan to start blogging about christmas food and candy! Maybe not completely exclusively all through December, but mostly. I'll re-use some old favorites from the archives, and my goal is a recipe for every day until christmas!

Bacon, Leek and Potato Soup

70 g bacon, diced
2 leeks, white part only, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
8 medium poatoes, diced
1-1,25 liter stock - vegetable or chicken is good
2 tsp dijon mustard
cayenne pepper
250 ml grated cheese
125 ml cream
135 ml milk
salt, pepper

Fry the bacon in a large pot, until crispy. Remove it and set aside. Fry the leeks, in the bacon fat, for 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and fry for another minute. Add the potatoes and stock - it should cover the potatoes completely. Stir in the dijon mustard, and a pinch of cayenne pepper.

Bring to a boil, cover with a lid, lower the heat and let it simmer on low heat for about 20 minutes or until the potatoes are completely soft. Remove the pot from the heat, and mix until smooth using an immersion blender. (Or a regular one, if you'd prefer.)

Stir in the cheese, milk, cream and half the bacon, and let the cheese melt. Season with salt and pepper, and heat gently if it's cooled down too much.

Serve with the remaining bacon, and some extra cheese if you'd like.

Recipe in Swedish:
Potatis- och purjolökssoppa med bacon

Couscous with Kale and Mushrooms

Guess what?

I LOVE KALE!!!

I bet you were starting to worry about me and my sugar-fat-calorie intake.  Because I love that too, probably more than kale, but I digress... we're talking about green, leafy things rich in vitamins and minerals!!  KALE!  If you're thinking, "Ew, Siri, that is way too green for me, and bitter, and trendy" well, than I say to you, "green is pretty, it's only bitter if you prepare it wrong and yes, it is trendy, but let's be cool people."

Last night I chopped up some mushrooms into teeny, tiny pieces, sauteed them in olive oil... 

...chopped up kale in teeny, tiny pieces and let them wilt with the mushrooms...

...added one tablespoon of butter, one teaspoon of soy sauce and salt and pepper to taste, and then tossed it with a box of couscous.  The earthy mushrooms and the salty soy balance out the kale, and the small amount of butter adds depth and deliciousness and butter.  

You should try it, I'll be back to cookies soon.

Minestrone Soup is a Once in a Lifetime Experience

I always feel a little apprehensive when I post a recipe like this minestrone soup. It’s the type of dish I never make the same way twice, and the fear is that someone will watch and assume that this is my “official” version.

You don’t need a recipe for minestrone, just like you don’t need a recipe for a great sandwich, or an epic salad. To make minestrone soup precisely same way every time, using a very specific list of ingredients and amounts, is to trample on the soul of this Italian classic.

Having said all that, what if you happen to make it so incredibly delicious one time that you want to experience the exact same shuddering soupgasm in the future? That seems like a perfectly sound reason for why you should write down the recipe…except cooking food doesn’t work that way.

Your perception of how a recipe tastes involves so many factors above and far beyond the list of ingredients. Remember that time you made that super awesome whatever, and it was so perfect, and then you made it again, exactly the same way, but somehow it just didn’t taste as great? This is why.

So, I hope you give this amazing minestrone recipe a try soon…but only once. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
3 oz pancetta

2 tbsp olive oil

1 diced onion

1 cup diced celery

4 minced garlic cloves

4 cups chicken broth

1 (28-oz) can plum tomatoes, crushed fine

2 cups water, plus more as needed

salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp dried Italian herb blend (mine was thyme, oregano, rosemary, basil)

red pepper flakes to taste

1 cup freshly shucked cranberry beans (aka shelling beans)
2 or 3 cups chopped cabbage

1 (15-oz) can garbanzo beans, drained

1 bunch swiss chard, chopped

2/3 cup raw ditalini pasta

extra virgin olive oil, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and fresh Italian parsley to garnish the top

New & Notable Chocolate

"Eat food. Not too much. Mostly chocolate."
--Debbie Moose



Each holiday season there are new chocolates and I am first in line to try as many as I can. This year there were so many I packed them all up and took them to Thanksgiving dinner to let my friends and family try them too. Here are the highlights:

I adore Kika's Treats. Kika is one of the most successful graduates of the La Cocina incubator program in San Francisco. Her caramelized graham crackers dipped in chocolate are unique and a wonderful melange of buttery toffee and rich chocolate. But her latest confection is equally compelling.


Luscious caramels dipped in dark chocolate with a pinch of sea salt and a surprising twist. They are lightened up with the addition of puffed brown rice that gives them the perfect crunch. A 9-piece assortment is just $16 (and the box is absolutely adorable)

Another local favorite confectioner, Michael Recchiuti is also known for his terrific caramel truffles which are so dark he calls them "burnt." No gooey treat, his version is intense.


Adding to the line up of chocolate confections are bars, made from Valrhona chocolate. While I liked the classic all chocolate bars in bittersweet, semisweet and dark milk for their purity of flavor, I really fell for his bars with crunchy and chewy additions. My favorites were the sesame nougatine bar and the orchard bar. The orchard bar has a bewitching mix of currants, mulberries and toasted almonds. It's like the grown up version of the Nestle chunky bar. The sesame bar also has crispness to it and a lovely nougat flavor. Recchuiti is masterful at toasting and roasting nuts to bring out their best flavor and texture so it's no surprise that all his bars with nuts were good. At only $6 a bar, they are a very affordable indulgence.


Chocolates with liqueur are always a holiday favorite. The most recent addition is a truffle made with the Italian liqueur Frangelico. Frangelico is a beguiling hazelnut liqueur that also includes hints of cocoa, vanilla and berries. It's complex but mellow and pairs wonderfully with chocolate. Marie Belle is making exquisitely beautiful chocolate tiles with a Frangelico truffle ganache. They are not boozy, but rich, creamy and subtle. If you like Frangelico, you will love them. They are available in boxes, starting at $15 for 4.

Turkey Fried Rice

I survived the day of indulgence, well, attacked is probably a better word. I definitely let myself have the day off and it was glorious. It's amazing the things you realize that you miss, like dark meat, and sour cream, and good old SUGAR. Needless to say, we had a very delicious day, but I'm happy to be back on the Livefit wagon.

This is a recipe that's come in handy quite a few times. One of the most important parts of our meals is that we're getting in the right balance of protein, complex carbs and veggies. This dish covers it all in one big skillet, and it's so delicious and filling. Brown rice with egg whites and ground turkey. It might not sound as appetizing as the real thing, but it's flavored so well that I honestly couldn't tell much of a difference. The kids loved it and it's very filling. Go ahead and use chopped up leftover turkey if you still have some in your fridge.





Turkey Fried Rice
Adapted from The Best of Clean Eating from Clean Eating Magazine

Ingredients

1 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon olive or safflower oil, divided
1 lb lean ground turkey
fresh ground black pepper, to taste
2 teaspoons plus 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce, divided
1/2 yellow onion, sliced thinly
1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1 bunch broccoli, cut into bite sized pieces (1 cup)
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
sea salt, to taste
3 minced garlic cloves
1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
3 cups cooked brown rice
4 egg whites (or two regular eggs)
1 tablespoon fish sauce (optional)
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
fresh cilantro for garnish
chile sauce for garnish

Directions

In a very large nonstick skillet or wok, heat one teaspoon oil over medium high heat. Add turkey and break up to form a single layer in pan, season with pepper. Brown meat, stirring occasionally until cooked through, three to five minutes. Stir in two teaspoons soy sauce. Remove turkey and set aside.

Return skillet to stove and add remaining tablespoon of oil. Add onion, red pepper, carrot, broccoli and ginger and season with salt and black pepper. Cook over medium-high heat until vegetables are slightly soft, about five minutes. Add garlic and cook for two more minutes.

Stir in peas and rice, and cook until completely heated through, about five minutes.

Push rice mixture over to one side of pan and add eggs to now empty side. Allow eggs to fully cook, stirring occasionally, three to five minutes, and then stir eggs into rice mixture.

Add turkey and any accumulated juices to skillet. Stir in fish sauce, remaining two tablespoons soy sauce and green onions. Garnish with cilantro and chile sauce if desired.

Sesame-crusted Salmon with Noodles

I know I rarely post fish recipes, and that's simply because I don't eat much fish. It's not that I dislike it, but I never crave it and there's just so much food I prefer... anyway - once in a while I try to make an effort to cook fish, in part because Titus really likes it. He wasn't very fond of the sesame seeds in this dish, though...

Sesame-crusted Salmon with Noodles
serves 3

3 portions salmon fillet, skinless
1 lime, zest and juice
1 + 1 tbsp light Japanese soy sauce
fresh ginger, about 5 cm, finely grated
1 tbsp sweet chili sauce
sesame seeds
125 g egg noodles
250 g mixed veggies (I used a frozen wok mix)
100 g snow peas
oil for frying

Stir together lime zest, lime juice, 1 tbsp soy sauce, fresh ginger, and sweet chili sauce. Coat the salmon pieces in this, and then in sesame seeds. Save the marinade!

Bring a pot of water to boil, and cook the noodles according to the instructions on the packet. Don't over cook them! Add the snow peas for the last minute, then drain and rinse in cold water.

Fry the salmon in oil on medium heat, about 3-4 minutes on each side. The sesame seeds burn fairly easily, so watch the heat.

Heat more oil in a large frying pan or wok, and cook the vegetables for a few minutes. Add the noodles and snow peas and pour over the reserved marinade and the remaining tablespoon of soy sauce. Stir well for a minute or so, and then serve, with the salmon on top.

Recipe in Swedish:
Sesamstekt lax med nudelsallad

Brown Sugar Cookies

The time has come.

Do you hear what I hear?

Said the night wind to the little lamb...

You guessed it, I'm going mental.  Because I hear the sound of Christmas Cookie season, right around the corner.  Just around the river bend.  If you could see me right now, I look like a cross between that freaky Target lady and a gerbil (I need to shower).  

These cookies are like sugar cookies but with brown sugar instead, which adds depth and richness.  There is also a hint of spice, thanks to the cinnamon and ginger.  THANKS BE TO THE SEASON!

Recipe found HERE.

Rum Baller, Shot Caller?

I was playing with some rum balls today, for a video next week, and the first one I pulled off the silpat left this perfect chocolate smiley face. That has to be a great sign, right?

Christmas cookies on the brain.

Want to make ALL of these.  My neighbors Marge, Earl and Merv better be hungry.

Cran-Pistachio Cookies

Mini Vanilla Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Colorful Spiral Cookies

Frankly, my dear...

I watched Gone With the Windfor the 7,539^th time on Thanksgiving. We couldn’t find Home For the Holidays on TV and Maggie had never seen it before. Seemed like a good idea. That film has always had a profound effect on me, but usually in that hopeless-romantic-why-can’t-Rhett-and-Scarlett-just-figure-it-out-already-and-realize-they’re-meant-to-be-together way. As usual, I was a bumbling mess of tears and sniffles when Rhett walked out the door, but this time, for a different reason. I again found myself really identifying with Scarlett, but for a different reason.

Yes, I always appreciate her spirit, her determination, her independence, her fortitude, her bitchiness, her passion. Her moxie. But this time I really saw what propelled these qualities.

Tara.

It made me think hard on that from which we draw our strength. Or, perhaps, that from which I feel I’ve drawn my strength recently.

The little brick house with the big blue doors. Grove Ave. Richmond. Home.

I don’t know what it is. I realize that, while the climate changes with each season, and, depending on where you fall on the matter, global warming, it also changes in our public and private lives. In our cities, our communities and ourselves. And I feel a new wind blowing through mine.

Los Angeles is so many things to me. The most complicated relationship I’ve ever had in my life is the one I have with this city. And yes, I do call it home. But, even at a fairly steady seventy-five degrees year-round, it can often feel very cold.

It loves me and I love it but rarely at exactly the same time do we love each other exactly the same way. And isn’t that always the rub?

I fancy to label myself as strong. And while, I think if I were in a horror movie, I’d probably play dead to fool the killer and not get killed, I really am a fighter. Or, perhaps, I am a survivor. I left home right after I graduated high school deigning never to return (to live). And since graduating from college in Ohio in the mid-1990s, I have been on a trajectory that has taken me to city after city, each one bigger and busier (and traffic-ier) than the one prior. And all the while I’ve been fighting. I’ve been trying prove something. Right now I’m just not so sure what.

And so lately I think It has all been catching up to me. I’m really tired. I mean, really tired. I feel like I’ve been a player in Running Manor something. I want to sleep.  I want to sleep for a long time. Like, a whole day. I want to sleep and I want someone to rub my head. I want to be the Scarlett that Rhett so longed she would let herself be, but just didn’t know how. And I don’t want to be the Scarlett that realized all of this when it was too late.

Or maybe it wasn’t. 

Photo by Maggie.

I mentioned a month or so ago that I think I just need to go home more frequently. I think it’s as simple as that. I think that once the holidays have passed, and my work slows down, I will do just that. Then and there I will sleep (if Dad lets me). I will fuel up, regain strength. And then I can return to my City of Angels bright-eyed and bushy tailed.

After all… tomorrow is another day.

My mom has been baking cranberry nut bread for as long as I can remember, usually around the holidays. And, although I have never wanted anything to do with cooked fruit, for some reason I have always loved this bread. And so - not unlike Scarlett and Rhett, or me and my City of Angels - here we have another complicated relationship. And one that’s worth it.

This bread is perfect lightly toasted with butter alongside your morning coffee and, perhaps your Scarlett or your Rhett...

Classic Cranberry Nut Bread

Makes 1 loaf

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
2 tablespoons shortening
1 egg, well beaten
1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup chopped pecans

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan.

Mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a medium mixing bowl. Stir in orange juice, orange peel, shortening and egg. Mix until well blended. Stir in cranberries and pecans. Spread evenly in loaf pan.

Bake for 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a rack for 15 minutes. Remove from pan; cool completely. Wrap and store overnight.

Printable recipe

Two years ago: Bool BBQ Truck

Gingerbread Biscotti with Toasted Hazelnuts

Today is the first Sunday of Advent, which to me means that christmas season has begun! I've hung my advent stars, lit my candles, and finally there is something festive-looking lighting up the increasingly dark Sweden.

To celebrate properly, you must of course have some proper baked goodies to share with family and friends. I'm always fond of biscotti (or cantuccini, which is perhaps a more correct name), which are so easy to make. They keep very well in the freezer. This version is perfect for the holidays, and has a strong flavor of gingerbread spice, which is basically two parts cinnamon, two parts ginger, one part cloves and one part cardamom, all ground up. Make up a jar and keep for baking - it's actually good in bread and some savory dishes as well!

Gingerbread Biscotti with Toasted Hazelnuts
makes 40 biscotti

100 g toasted hazelnut, coarsely chopped
2 eggs
180 g brown sugar
1 tbsp gingerbread spices (see above)
1 tsp salt
240 g all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
100 g dark chocolate, coarsely chopped

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Mix the nuts, eggs, sugar, gingerbread spice, salt and baking powder.
Add the flour and chocolate, and mix into a somewhat sticky dough.


Roll out into thick logs - about 3 cm wide - and place on a lined baking sheet.

Bake at 180°C for 20 minutes, or until the dough is lightly golden. Remove from oven, and when cool enough to handle, cut into small biscotti. Dry in the oven, at 100°C for 40 minutes. (Place them with the cut side up, and turn them over after 20 minutes)

Recipe in Swedish:
Pepparkaksbiscotti med rostade hasselnötter

Smoked Ham and Butternut Squash Spaghetti – Short on Daylight, Long on Flavor

I never film at night, since I don’t like the look of the video when I use artificial lights. Sure, I could actually learn how to use a real lighting kit, but it’s easier for my simple brain to just film during the day.

However, once in a great while, I’ll starting making something, like this smoked ham and butternut squash spaghetti, that looks like it’s going to be so good that I don’t care about lighting quality, and film it anyway.

Other than this less-than-subtle warning about the lighting quality, there’s not a lot to say about this simple and very delicious winter pasta. It will work with literally any type of ham or smoked sausage; and as I mention in the video, bacon would also shine.

Despite the rich and decadent mascarpone, the sauce is actually pretty light when you consider much of the sauce is really just chicken broth and squash. By the way, I didn’t add it, but I think a squeeze of fresh lemon juice at the end would have been a great idea. I hope you give this hearty pasta a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

14 oz package dry spaghetti

2 tbsp olive oil

4 oz thinly slice smoked ham

3-4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

red chili flakes to taste

1 1/2 to 2 cups chicken broth, or as needed

3 cups diced butternut squash

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup mascarpone cheese

1-2 tbsp chopped Italian parsley

freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Know Your Cheese

As most of your know, I LOVE cheese, and two of the most commonly used varieties in my kitchen are fresh mozzarella, and mascarpone. In addition to this recipe, I’ve used mascarpone in several recent videos, and received numerous inquires as to which brand I used.

My usual go-to brand is Galbani, so I was thrilled when Michele and I were recently invited to an event hosted by Lactalis Foodservice. Along with Galbani, Lactalis owns many of markets’ top cheese brands, such as President, Sorrento, and Precious, just to name a few.

This Chef’s Table event was held at Farina, San Francisco, and not only did we enjoy a very nice meal, but we got to talk directly to the people making the cheese. One reason I love shopping at Farmers Markets is that you get to meet the people producing the food you’re about to cook, but it’s not often you get the same experience for a product you buy at the supermarket.

Here are a few highlights from the evening.

Pardon the poor quality photo, but I just had to show this Foccacia di Recco, featuring Galbani’s Bel Paese. It’s sort of like a stuffed pizza, which uses a very basic, unleavened bread dough that’s rolled, spun, and stretched very thin, before being stuffed with the creamy cheese. It’s baked in a very hot oven, where it puffs up, and gets crispy on the outside, while the inside stays soft and cheesy. It was awesome, and something I must figure out how to make!

Chef at Farina spinning the dough for the Foccacia di Recco. By the way, the videographer seen here is my friend Vincent McConeghy, a fellow western New Yorker, and author of the novel, Gastro Detective.

This was my favorite course of the night. A golden and red beet timbale with Istara Petit Basque and shaved black truffles. What glorious combination of flavors!

I want to thank Lactalis Foodservice for hosting such a fun evening, and the chefs at Farina for taking such good care of us! For those of you that requested more info about the mascarpone cheese, you can check out the official website here. Grazie!

On the Scene with Turkey Ballotine

I got a few of emails from people curious about how I ended up doing my turkey this year. Well, here you go! For the first time, I decided to serve a classic turkey ballotine. 

I removed all the bones, applied a generous layer of herbs and spices, and then some buttery, cranberry bread stuffing. I rolled, tied it up, and slowly roasted it until I had the crispy-skinned beauty you see below. It was so good!

Another highlight was this crisp and colorful winter salad of apples, pears, persimmons, pomegranate, walnuts, and Pt. Reyes blue cheese. When served with the meal, the green salad is usually lost in a sea of side dishes, and becomes nothing more than an afterthought. This time we decided to use it as a separate course to start the meal. It’s nice for doing toasts and giving thanks, since you don’t have to worry about food getting cold. After the salad, we took a short break while the rest of the meal was finished and served. 

I was so preoccupied with the food, I didn’t get many photos of the rest of the items, but we had a great dinner, and used several of the recipes you’ve seen posted on the blog. By the way, I’ll be back with a brand new winter pasta recipe video tomorrow, so stay tuned!

Chilean empanadas at La Morenita

I love backstreet suburban shopping strips.  Like little rockpools, they foster small, unique shops.  On unremarkable, semi-industrial Berkshire Road in North Sunshine, La Morenita is definitely the pearl in the oyster.

The sign on the windows still points to the old occupants, but inside La Morenita remains a hub of the Chilean and wider South American community.  A range of Latin American grocery products are on offer, from yerba mate, a herbal infusion beloved in Uruguay, real paprika-rich chorizo sausages and other smallgoods, and bundles of thick dried seaweed or cochayuyo used to make very rustic Chilean dishes.

Stop in for a surprisingly decent coffee and a caramel-stuffed sweetie or loosen the belt for some homestyle Chilean sandwiches.  Order at the counter and then settle down while your meal is whipped up out the back.

Empanadas can be a light meal or entree.  Their edges lovingly folded up, they can be baked and filled with beef mince, olive and hardboiled egg or mildly-spiced chicken and tomato.  Alternately my favourite are their fried cousins, melty with cheese, the pastry golden, crisp and bubbly.

Chorizo and cheese empanada, $3

Hello sailor!  Gorgeous little morsels of rich, smoky chorizo sausage with golden stringy cheese in a crackly pastry shell.

Sandwich #9, $5 ($5!!!!)

This sandwich was unreal - great bread filled with wafer-thin, tasty steak, lightly-cooked emerald-green beans, gooey cheese, tomato, mayo and extra green chilli relish.  The mayo mixed with the meaty juice, soaking into the tender bun, while the chilli gave a tangy, delicious kick.

If you can bargain with your stomach to find some room, try the fabulous house-made sweets.  The alfajores are shortbread biscuits sandwiched together with deep brown caramel sauce then rolled in coconut.  Or try the ones filled with more caramel and spread all over with glossy white meringue.

Viva La Morenita!

La Morenita Latin Cuisine (Facebook)

67 Berkshire Road, North Sunshine

Phone:  9311 2911

Hours:  Tues-Wed 11am-5pm, Thurs-Fri 8am-5.30pm, Sat 8am-5pm, Sun 8am-3pm

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Happy Thanksgiving!

I want to take this opportunity to wish you all a very happy Thanksgiving weekend, and give my sincerest thanks for all the amazing support you give to this blog. I hope you're all fortunate enough to be able to enjoy a wonderful meal with your family today, and hopefully a few of our recipes found their way on to the table.

I'll be taking a few days off and getting away from the computer, so my apologies if I'm not able to respond to those last minute questions and comments. Have a great weekend, and as always, enjoy!

Mushroom crêpes

(sorry, no photos of the actual crêpes...)

So, I'm still trying to master the art of pancakes. Swedish pancakes - thin ones, the size of a frying pan. We eat them with jam, some people add whipped cream as well, but I find that puts them firmly in dessert territory, and I like them as actual dinner. These photos show my new pancake pan - it's a little smaller than my other pans, very non-stick, and with short sides to make the flipping easier. I still can't flip pancakes in the air - definitely not - but this still makes frying pancakes a lot easier.


The trick to good pancakes? Lots of butter.

When I make pancakes for just me and Titus, we end up with lots of leftovers. So, that means we can eat crêpes! Crêpes are basically filled pancakes, and I like to fill them with a thick mushroom stew. Delicious!

I've got my pancake recipe here. (And omit the vanilla sugar if you're planning on making crêpes - just saying.)

Mushroom crêpes
8 crêpes

70 g bacon
300 g button mushrooms, finely chopped
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
1-2 tbsp flour (I use something called "ideamjöl" which is specifically for thickening)
200 ml milk
100 ml cream (full-fat)
1 tsp worcestershiresauce
2 tsp cognac
salt
pepper
8 pancakes, cold
handful of sharp cheese

Fry the bacon until it starts to crisp up. Add the mushrooms and onion, and fry until the mushrooms lose most of their liquid. Mix in the flour. Gradually add milk and cream, stirring all the while, and season with worcestershiresauce, cognac, salt and pepper.

You might need more flour (in which case you need to whisk it with some liquid beforehand), or more milk, to thicken or thin the stew to your liking.

Fill the pancakes, roll up and place, seam-side down - in a snug oven-proof dish. Sprinkle with a little sharp cheese, and gratinate at 225°C for 8-10 minutes.

Recipe in Swedish:
Svampstuvning till crêpes