Wednesday, November 14, 2012

To Do List turns into explanation of how to make lefsa?



So I decided to start looking at the week ahead of me and start trying to write a list. I've found that writing this list is very hard either things seem very trivial that I need to keep up on all the time anyways or they seem so vague it looks like one itty bitty item while inside I'm screaming "That's a huge job to tackle!". I'm sure I'll add more to the list as time goes on. 

In the end I know I have in truth til Monday to get the house prepared because Tuesday I will have my last dance class of this semester and then I will have to come home and get right onto making lefsa! I normally start this process much earlier in the day so I expect to be up late and to see how my new mixer handles this... Truthfully I don't think it'll hold a torch to my old one. 

What is lefsa (also spelled lefse)? Well it is ... think of it like a potato tortilla.

It's a two day process for me. I will peel, cut and boil about 5 lbs of potatoes and then I will go through the process of ricing them.
Potato Ricer
My big pot for cooking potatoes

My big mixing bowl

After the potatoes are riced you add the other ingredients (heavy whipping cream, butter, salt, sugar and lots of flour). Mix this well then roll it into balls. Needless to say you have to coat your hands in flour quite a lot because there is nothing like flour and potatoes to stick to everything! 
Lefsa dough rolled into balls

Refrigerate til it is cool (I normally do it over night because I will be cooking it all day Wednesday.




Griddle and pastry board and tools

 Alright so far? Well now you coat your board with flour (I have mentioned this uses a lot of flour right?) and coat your cotton covered rolling pin and you roll it out til it's pretty darn thin like at least as thin as a tortilla if not thinner if you can manage it and then you put it on a preheated griddle (oh 400+ degrees). The idea is to quick fry not to 'cook' really.

Lefsa and much deserved glass of wine
And there you go lefsa! Spread some butter and sprinkle with sugar and you get a dessert, wrap up turkey in it and you get a yummy snack or meal. No matter how you dress it up lefsa is something everyone loves (at least I've never found a person not amazed by it).

I'm not sure why I went on a lefsa spiel. I guess I'm a little nervous it is the most complex thing and it is the most anticipated item by everyone.

I guess I should stop rambling and get myself off to work.

Happy Wednesday folks we are half way through the work week!


**All pictures are from Last Years Lefsa ~ No I have not made it yet this year!**

2 comments:

  1. I don't think my culinary skills are ata Lefsa level but I think they look wonderful! You know I have the same struggle with the to-do list making of items seeming either trivial or like huge projects. I'm starting to accept it is okay to put the trivial (to me) items on there because they are the ones I can actually accomplish most days.

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  2. I'm there with you on listing trivial stuff especially on just a daily To Do list otherwise I'll be tired as heck and looking at my short list going... what did I accomplish?!
    And yeah I've been making it for some years now (it being lefsa) but trust me you won't see pictures of my first few years of attempts! LOL

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