Viking Magazine - July 2021 - 17

Nevada, referring to the late-19th-century
migration of Norwegians to America. " So
now here we are on this lovely little farm, and
it's really adorable and inspiring. "
So inspiring, in fact, that Nevada has
built an entire career out of life on the
farm, combining her passions for writing,
photography, history and storytelling into
" North Wild Kitchen, " which she launched
in 2016. There she aims to not only share
her twist on classic Norwegian dishes but
the traditions behind them, as well as stories
from local food makers and cultural guides
on embracing the Nordic lifestyle-think:
" Beginner's Guide
to Spring Foraging "
and " 10 Norwegian
Tales to Read by
the Fire. "
Nevada's expat
approach to her
new home's culture
struck a chord with
her audience and
the food industry
alike. Nine months
after launching " North Wild Kitchen, " it
won Saveur magazine's coveted " Blog of
the Year " and " Editors' Choice: Best New
Voice " awards. That led to an internationally
published cookbook, named one of 2018's
best cookbooks for fall by The New York
Times.
" I felt the extraordinary responsibility
to deliver a book that was worthy of being
called a Norwegian cookbook, " Nevada says
of " North Wild Kitchen: Home Cooking
from the Heart of Norway, " which features
everything from Bergen cinnamon buns to
Nordic-inspired hot dogs. " When you're
writing about a culture that's not your own,
the most important thing is, how will the
Norwegians respond, and does it do them
justice? I'm an outsider looking in, so I'm
happy that I had people coming to me and
saying, 'I read it, and it brought tears to my
eyes.' Norwegians don't always recognize
how special their food culture is, so that was
the best compliment I could ever get. "
Continually Inspired
The past five years of running " North Wild
Kitchen " have allowed Nevada to foster
deep relationships within the Nordic food
community. She's currently working with
Kvarøy Arctic Salmon and TINE Brunost
cheese, partnerships that give her free rein to
experiment with iconic Norwegian foods to
develop new recipes, like her brunost burger.
Even Nevada's Norway-native husband was
skeptical of a burger topped with lingonberrybacon
jam, sauteed onions and brunost-a
sweet brown cheese that's typically sliced to
enjoy with bread.
" It takes a little bit to convince Norwegians
to try something new, especially when it comes
to something that's traditional, " Nevada says,
" But then once he tried it, he goes, 'Oh, it's
actually really good.' That's what's kind of
fun-helping people see a newer way of using
these ingredients. "
Though Nevada is currently a one-woman
show, she hopes that will change in the near
future. She recently moved into a studio space
inside an old train station in town, where she
plans to offer food courses and workshops, a
community garden run by kids and a boutique
filled with handmade goods from Norwegian
producers. Also in the works: a second
cookbook.
" The most fun is when I get to visit people,
and learn about what they're making and
doing, and tell their stories, " Nevada says.
" To inspire Norwegians to look at their food
culture and continue to highlight it is exciting.
I'm inspired by them as well. It's really
incredible. "
sonsofnorway.com VIKING JULY 2021 17
PHOTOS BY NORTH WILD KITCHEN
http://www.sonsofnorway.com
Viking Magazine - July 2021

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