prune goes svenska!

You know what? I was just about to go off on my rant praising Swedish food and all of it's wonderfully subtle nuances when I realized something. I've never had my Swedish food rant. Not once! How could this be?! For the record, I consider myself half Swedish and half Norwegian. Whether that's entirely true is a different story. But since my mom is, in fact, half Swedish and half Norwegian, I just say I am too. Whatever. Deal.

Scandinavian food, in general, is extraordinarily underrated in the sense that it's rarely seen. Everyone assumes it's all Swedish meatballs, all the time, and while I too am a sucker for the little guys, there's so much more to indulge in. Herrings, Crayfish, Lingonberries, Toast Skagen (open faced shrimp sandwich), Gravlax, Wild Moose Stew (thank you, Lennart). But where are you to go to try? Well, there's Marcus Saumuelsson's Aquavit of course, and then there's Smorgas Chef for a more affordable route (and a great outdoor seating area at the West Village location). But to be honest, it wasn't the best representation of the simplistic wonders of Scandinavian cooking.

All of which is why I am particularly excited to hear that Prune will be serving a special Scandinavian spread on Sunday, May 17th. The dinner, from 5:30 p.m. till 8:30 p.m., is $75. Reservations at 212-677-6221.

And if that price point is not in the budget (because frankly, it's not in mine) I'm going to post some recipes for you to try at home. I really think you'll enjoy the flavors and textures of this misrepresented cuisine.

Prune

54 E. 1st St. (nr. 1st Ave.)