LET’S HYGGE JANUARY 2023

Let's hygge Lindbjerg Graphic Journal Blog

[definition of hygge]

a quality of cosiness and comfortable living that engenders a feeling
of contentment and well-being (regarded as a defining characteristic of Danish culture).

Add a little hygge to each month

I hope you are well and enjoying some time off with family and friends. This month I am sharing my recipe for homemade pizza topped with potatoes, rosemary, and herb pesto. It’s very popular in our house! If you feel like watching a good mini-series, I can highly recommend Becoming Karen Blixen. It takes place where we lived in Denmark so was a lovely reminder of our old neighborhood. Lastly, I am sharing with you a song from the playlist I am preparing for New Year’s Eve. It’s a bit of an oldie but brings back lots of fun memories and is great to dance to! I wish you a wonderful New Year filled with fun, laughter, and lots of hygge!

PIZZA WITH POTATOES & ROSEMARY DRIZZLED WITH HERBAL PESTO

1 PIZZA

DOUGH
250g flour Type 00
2×1/3 cup of water
pinch of salt
2 tsp dry yeast

TOPPING
Olive oil
5 rosemary stems
sea salt
5-7 potatoes, carefully scrubbed or peeled and finely sliced
220 g fresh mozzarella or bocconcini

HERBAL PESTO
½ cup of French parsley
½ cup of basil
½ cup of mint
½ cup of wild fennel leaves
3 cloves of garlic
½-1 cup of olive oil
salt

DOUGH
Mix flour, salt and yeast and gradually add the water. Knead the dough for about 10 min. Leave it to raise for at least 30 minutes, ideally longer. Roll it out on a floured surface using a rolling pin. I like to make it as thin as I can without it breaking.

HERBAL PESTO
Place olive oil in a food processor or a blender. Add a bunch of your favourite herbs and a pinch of salt. Blend until the pesto is smooth and runny. Adjust with salt and olive oil. (You can use any herbs you may have.)

PIZZA
Turn the oven to max heat. I usually do 220°C.
Sprinkle the pizza base with olive oil and a pinch of sea salt and scatter with the leaves from 5 Rosemary stems to infuse the potatoes. Layer the finely sliced potatoes on top and finish with the fresh mozzarella balls broken into pieces.

Bake the pizza for approx. 25 minutes or until the base is crisp! When serving, drizzle with the herbal pesto. You can easily use a pesto from the supermarket if you don’t wish to make your own!

Bon appetito!

I have immensely enjoyed watching the six episode mini drama about the Danish Author Karen Blixen (1885–1962) . After spending seventeen years in Kenya, Karen Blixen lost everything. She regains her will to live and takes up the writing dreams of her childhood. The actress Connie Nielsen plays Karen Blixen with such a beautiful balance of strength and vulnerability. I enjoyed seeing the architecture and elegant clothing of the time. You can watch “The Dreamer – Becoming Karen Blixen” on SBS in Australia or “Drømmeren – Karen Blixen bliver til” on Viaplay in Denmark

I can warmly recommend visiting Elizabeth Farm if you live in Sydney. It’s wonderfully interesting for all generations as you can touch and use everything in the museum. If you take your shoes off, your are even allowed to lay on the canopy bed! I recommend taking a picnic basket and enjoy the beautiful surroundings. Elizabeth Farm was built in 1793 for the young couple John and Elizabeth Macarthur and their growing family. Elizabeth Farm is one of the oldest properties in Australia. It’s definitely somewhere I will take future guests to visit.

This may not be to everyone’s taste, but I cannot listen to this song without wanting to dance and so “NEDE METTE” is on my playlist for New Year’s. It’s a bit of an oldie from 2016 by Danish artist BLAK. Have a listen – you may like it too! Listen on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music or YouTube.