Heading off to an Icelandic gathering soon? Well, I hope to be. So I put a message out on the Iceland Weather Report forum. What do Icelanders bring to such events? Here’s what forum member, Elin, wrote:

Here is the English language website (and blog) for Icelandic cuisine: – maybe something will catch your eye.

Also, there is a very good cookbook by Nanna Rögnvaldardóttir called Icelandic Food & Cookery, should you want a great book for your own collection.

Some of the things I’ve seen at gatherings like this are kleinur, jólakaka, vínarterta, pönnukökur filled with whipped cream and jam for sweets and rækjusalat, rúllupylsa and herring salad for savories. Also an assortment of little open faced sandwiches on different types of bread. Some of these items are more Western-Icelandic than Icelandic, I think, (esp. vínarterta). It would be fun to know what you end up bringing!

So that web site is http://icecook.blogspot.com/. What does pönnukökur mean? Pancakes! Har.

Kleinur = Twisted doughnuts
Jólakaka = Icelandic Christmas Loaf
Vínarterta = Icelandic Vienna cake
Pönnukökur = Pancakes
Rúllupylsa = Roller sausage

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