Sunny and mild: Smoked Salmon Sandwich
Last night the Duluth TV weather man promised that the next few days would be "sunny and mild." Here in the frozen North that means a high of 20 degrees. Today we've been watching Lake Superior freeze and thaw. This morning when I took the daily Lake shot, I could hear the muffled sound of about a zillion ice cracks—tiny, soft snaps, more like crumpling tissue paper than breaking twigs. That lake is a thing of wonder—a weather system of its own melting and thawing in response to forces hidden far beneath the water's surface.
Nikki sent me a few Minnesota jokes, courtesy of Jeff Foxworthy:
Nikki sent me a few Minnesota jokes, courtesy of Jeff Foxworthy:
If you consider it a sport to gather your food by drilling through 18 inches of ice and sitting there all day hoping that the food will swim by,You might live in Minnesota
If you think that ketchup is a little too spicy,You might live in Minnesota
If vacation means going "up north" for the weekend,You might live in Minnesota
If "Down South" to you means Iowa, You might live in MinnesotaThere's a a truly harrowing fish story in today's Duluth News Tribune about an ice rescue that illustrates the veracity of that first joke.
Yesterday I had lunch at Takk for Maten, a Norwegian deli, high on my Duluth must-eat list. I figured that a Norwegian deli would be as true to place in Duluth as a pupuseria is in LA. Unlike LA, I quickly found a spot in front of the restaurant that guaranteed an hour of ticket-free parking.
Having eaten in more than one Lutheran Church basement, I did not expect to find Takk for Maten (Norwegian for thanks for the food) exceptional. Once again, I'm the last to know. I ordered a "wild-caught salmon sandwich with chopped egg, mayonnaise, and sliced radish on lefse " with lefse chips and lingonberry juice—all delicious. Below the pictures is my version of that fab sandwich.
Takk for Maten
Lunch menu
Table service
Lobby
The daily Lake Superior shot
My version of Takk for Maten's Smoked Salmon Sandwich
1 large piece of smoked salmon—not lox
1 or 2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped in large pieces
1 shallot, fine dice
1 stalk celery, fine dice
3 tablespoons mayonnaise, or enough to moisten
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 shake Tabasco
Salt and pepper
1/2 lemon, juiced
Provolone cheese slices
Red radishes, thinly sliced
Flake smoked salmon and mash about until it's consistently separated. Chop hard-boiled egg into chunks. In a bowl, gently combine the salmon, hard-boiled eggs, shallot, celery, and mayonnaise. Add seasonings and stir to combine. Add lemon juice and season to taste.
Lightly spread chosen bread with additional mayonnaise and Dijon mustard. Mound salmon salad on bread, top with sliced provolone cheese and thinly sliced red radishes.
Best of all grilled in a panini grill or browned on both sides in a skillet.
Posted by Marla Nichols at 1/27/2011 9:22 AM 
Categories: Lunch, Sandwich
Tags: Lake Superior Duluth News Tribune Takk for Maten Jeff Foxworthy
Categories: Lunch, Sandwich
Tags: Lake Superior Duluth News Tribune Takk for Maten Jeff Foxworthy
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