Monday, March 15, 2010

Join the Klub

Spellcheck doesn't like the word "klub". I know how to spell club. Klub or potet klub is a Norwegian potato dumpling. When I Googled klub, I got excited reading a site that says it is from the Trondheim region of Norway. Hello. That is where my Norwegian ancestors hail from.

My husband grew up loving knoedels (potato dumplings) made my his paternal grandmother. She was Austrian. Germans also have knoedels but they are made with cooked potatoes. Her recipe used raw grated potatoes. We learned ordering knoedels in Germany or Austria would always get us a slightly different, light dumpling that was not like grandma's.

The closest thing we ever ate to his family recipe was palt, found at a church dinner in McKinley, WI. I can't remember if that was Swedish or another ethnic food, but it was close.

Last year we were watching a local TV show done by Jason Davis. He travels the region doing stories on small town life. He highlighted a restaurant in the small MN. town of Milan which is across the state almost on the So. Dakota border. A Chinese restaurant has a klub dinner every Tuesday during the cold months. Town folk are of Norwegian heritage and turn out to eat the klub and enjoy a little accordian music. Klub is almost like Jon's family dish.

Since the snow has melted and it was a balmy 64degrees yesterday, we are feeling some urgency to drive to Milan for some klub. We can celebrate my Norwegian and Jon's Germanic heritage.

Would it be dishonest to write a note on Facebook stating we are off to Milan? Would that be misleading? Would friends think we were racking up frequent flier miles flying to Italy? Would they be jealous that I am going for the spring fashion week in Milan? Would they envy us eating Northern Italian food?

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