Travel & workshops

Points North workshop – Norway 2018

August 21, 2018 By linda Leave a Comment

It’s been more than two months since the Norway workshop at Melgården with Krissy, Liv, Kati and Sam. After workshops and travel, I need a lot of time to digest before I can write about the experience. There’s just so much to take in, so many new experiences and friendships, resulting in so many memories and photos to edit.

Last time we visited Melgården was back in December. Needless to say, it looked completely different then, all covered in snow. This time, everything was lush and green (perhaps a little brown and beige too from the lack of rain) and instead, the lilacs were blooming and there was heaps of rhubarb in Live’s garden.

Our journey began in Sweden, with our van filled to the brim with food, cameras, props and fresh herbs and flowers from Liv’s garden. We had a 5-6 hour drive ahead of us so of course we took every opportunity to stop at random flea markets on the way. One of them was absolutely lovely and I found some great things, like the cake stand from my previous post.

We arrived a few days ahead of the guests to prepare everything – Bake cakes, make pie dough, pick rhubarb and flowers, set tables and make sure everything was in order. We stayed at a nearby farm hotel, Søndre løsset, which was so charming, set in the most peaceful location.

I had an unexpected challenge at this workshop, the sun was shining all the time. And I’m not talking about how the sun never really set (which is also the case), no, I mean the sun was out all day every day! That’s lovely and all, but for outside photography in the middle of the day? Not so much.

We greeted our guests Hazel, Aniek, Birgitte, Kiri, Didi, Ida, Stefania, Andreea, Eileen and Sarah with welcome drinks in the greenhouse. You could already tell that this group consisted of the most fantastic women. Really, we couldn’t have asked for a better group! Thank you to each and everyone of you.

Liv prepared the most amazing dinner as always. She has a way with food that is so special. To me, she is a true genius. It’s very interesting watching her work in the kitchen, she’s like a whirlwind. Suddenly there is the most incredibly looking AND tasting food, with an accompanied mess of course! As there should be with true geniuses. 😉

The days are a bit of a blur, in the best way possible, but to sum it up they consisted of floral demos, pie demos, blowing out candle-demos, an amazing lunch set in a nearby field prepared by Kati and Sam, picnics in the garden, lightroom demos, talks about social media, a few glasses of wine here and there and a goodbye dinner made by Krissy (with the best pea soup ever). And I’m pretty sure I forgot half of it. Oh, and there was so much cake! Hopefully we all got back home with our hearts and bellies full, our skin slightly sunburned and with a lot of mosquito bites.

A huge thank you to our partners for this workshop, it wouldn’t have been possible without you!

Tine K (Website / Instagram) – for all the wonderful flatware, vases, pitchers, baskets and serving platters. They made our table settings look fantastic!

Magic Linen (Website / Instagram) – for the beautiful linens, napkins and table cloths. The most gorgeous selection of colors too!

Matchaeologist (Website / Instagram) – for the delicious matcha for our guests. I used it for the matcha cake too and it turned out so great. The best matcha I’ve tried!

Grain & Knot (Website / Instagram) – for the beautiful hand carved spoons and utensils. We loved them so much!

Pärlans Konfektyr (Website / Instagram) – for the lovely chocolate caramel boxes for our guests. Both beautiful and delicious! Make sure to to go there if you’re ever in Stockholm.

Sinikkaharms Ceramics (Website / Instagram) – for the gorgeous ceramics you provided us with. They made everything look amazing!

Gotland Workshop 2017 + A 2018 workshop announcement

March 11, 2018 By linda 11 Comments

Some days I just have to pinch myself to be absolutely certain that I’m not dreaming – that this is what I do for a living. Sure, freelancing can be hard at times, especially if you’re working from home, but all the wonderful, inspirational people I get to meet more than make up for it. Definitely one of the perks of social media and blogging!

It’s been a few months since the Gotland workshop together with Olivia of Adelasterfoodtextures and Krissy of Cottage Farm. I needed some time to let the whole experience sink in before sharing it with you, even if I’ve already shared some of the photos on Instagram. I thought I had already edited all the images I liked but boy was I wrong! I had lots more which I edited now, half a year later. And looking back at these photos makes me miss everyone, our beautiful Gotland farm house and summer! Thanks to all our lovely guests for making this experience possible, and a very special thank you to Sam whose help we couldn’t do without. And a special shoutout to the sweet bus lady for driving us everywhere and for being overall awesome.

I’m not very good with words, I think that’s one of the reasons I love photography so much. This was just such a special experience, and I don’t really know how to put that into words. I’m so very excited to announce our next workshop in Norway! The workshop will be a four day workshop (June 5-8) held at Melgården, a beautiful manor house in the most magical setting. Actually, we visited Melgården back in December when it was freezing – you can find my post about it here – so I’m very excited to see it in summer when the nights are super long (imagine being able to photograph those late dinners!). This time, Kati of Black White Vivid and Sam of The Botanical Kitchen will also join us. If you’re interested in joining us, you can read more about it and register at Points North Workshops! UPDATE: Workshop is now sold out! To receive early information about upcoming workshops, subscribe to my blog or sign up for Points North’s newsletter.

Thank you to our wonderful partners for our Gotland workshop!

Broste Copenhagen for the beautiful tableware, candles, the gorgeous flatware, glasses, votives, teapots and cheese boards which made our tables look amazing.

Kings Row Coffee for the delicious coffee. It definitely kept me (and I’m sure, everyone else too) going throughout the workshop!

Västergården for the beautiful plates, bowls and dishes which brought so much beauty to our styled tables.

Spara

A trip to Norway + Brownies with salted caramel and toasted meringue and a gingerbread bundt cake

December 22, 2017 By linda 50 Comments

Last week, I was lucky enough to spend a few days in winter wonderland… errr, I mean at Melgården in Norway with some wonderful friends, Olivia of Adelasterfoodtextures, Samantha of The Botanical Kitchen, Kati of Blackwhitevivid and of course, the lovely lady of the house, Live of Melgården. Only the sweet Krissy of Cottage farm missing! Melgården truly looked like my idea of winter wonderland, SO cold (-19°C one day, brrr) and lots and lots of snow. Rolling hills, fog and frost on the windows. Like a dream come true. It made me feel like a kid again on so many levels. My fingers and toes weren’t as excited as I was though, nor was my camera gear or my phone battery which died within 10 minutes outside. Melgården is like something out of a fairytale, or possibly a Wes Anderson movie, and I dare to say it’s every food photographer’s dream with all the rustic backdrops and props, and that GORGEOUS scenery. We drove through a snowy Sweden all the way up to snowy Rena, Norway, with the car full of fresh vegetables and props. We almost couldn’t fit in there!

I couldn’t believe how efficient we were. With about 5 hours of daylight each day and in two days, I shot FOUR cakes (I can only share two of them here though.. 🙂 ) and a whole bunch of other beautiful things that you can see in this post. That’s why I love working in a team so much, especially this team <3
And this is why I’m delighted to share that Olivia, Krissy and I will be hosting a workshop again, at Melgården in 2018! I literally can’t wait!! If you’re interested, make sure to subscribe by e-mail for more details and prerelease. You can fill in your e-mail address in the sidebar on the right 🙂

I’d also like to take the time to thank you for your continued support this year! It wouldn’t have been the same (or at all!) without you. Wishing you all Happy Holidays and a very Happy 2018!

BROWNIES WITH SALTED CARAMEL AND TOASTED MERINGUE

9-12 servings

Some notes about this recipe: If you’re not a fan of hazelnuts, you can definitely make these brownies with walnuts, pecans or almonds (I’ve tried all and they’re all delicious!). The brownies are also super delicious without caramel and meringue if you prefer that. When test baking, I baked my brownies for 32 minutes – it was almost set, slightly wobbly in the middle and it came out gooey and delicious. After a day in the fridge it has exactly the consictency I like in brownies! Make sure to have a look HERE in case you’d like to make an edible gift out of this recipe.

INGREDIENTS

Brownies

100 g (3.5 oz) hazelnuts
150 g (about 1 + 1/3 stick) salted butter
4 tbsp. (1/4 cup) coffee
150 g (1 cup) all purpose four
1/2 tsp. baking powder
30 g (1/3 cup) cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. flaky salt
135 g (1/2 cup + 2 tbsp.) granulated sugar
110 g (1/2 cup + 2 tbsp.) light brown muscovado sugar
3 large eggs
150 g (5.2 oz) dark chocolate, chopped

Caramel

110 g (1/2 cup) granulated sugar
50 g (3 tbsp.) salted butter, in small cubes
75 ml (1/3 cup) heavy cream
1/4 tsp. flaky salt

Meringue topping

2 large egg whites
90 g (1/3 cup + 1 1/2 tbsp.) granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
zest from 1 orange

INSTRUCTIONS

Brownies

Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Place the nuts in a baking dish and toast for 10-12 minutes or until fragrant and slightly browned. If the nuts aren’t already skinned, wrap them in a kitchen towel and rub until most of the skins come off. Let cool completely, then chop them coarsely.
Melt the butter in a saucepan and set aside to cool.
Butter a baking pan, approximately 17 x 17 cm (measured at the bottom of the pan, the top is 20 x 20 cm) and cover it with baking paper.
In a large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, cocoa powder, salt, granulated sugar and brown sugar. Add the melted butter, coffee, eggs, chopped nuts and chocolate and stir until completely smooth.
Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and bake for 30-35 minutes or until cake is almost set but the center wobbles slightly.
Remove from the oven and let the cake cool in the pan.

Caramel

Place the sugar in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Place the pan over medium to high heat until the sugar starts melting around the edges. Turn the heat down to low and stir gently with a wooden spoon until sugar is completely melted and golden brown. Be careful not to burn the sugar! Stir in the butter, piece by piece, stirring between each addition.
Little by little and very slowly pour the cream into the saucepan with the melted sugar and butter (it will bubble up so make sure to be careful as this stuff is hot!). Stir until smooth. Pour caramel into a heat proof bowl and let cool completely.

Meringue topping

Place egg whites, lemon juice and sugar in a clean and heatproof bowl (preferably stainless steel or glass).
Put the bowl over a saucepan with simmering water. The bowl should fit snugly, and the simmering water should not be touching the bowl. Whisk the sugar and egg whites constantly with a whisk until the mixture reaches about 65°C (about 140-150°F). If you don’t have a sugar thermometer, just rub some mixture between your fingers. If the sugar has melted and mixture is hot to the touch, it’s ready.
Remove the bowl from the heat, beat until white, fluffy and cool to the touch with a stand- or electric mixer. This step can take about 5-10 minutes. Stir in the orange zest.

Assembly

Place the cake on a plate or serving platter. Drizzle/spoon caramel on top, then spread the meringue over the caramel. Brown the meringue using a kitchen torch.

GINGERBREAD BUNDT CAKE

Makes 1 bundt

Some notes about this recipe:I used a 10 cup bundt pan to bake this cake and it was actually slightly too small for the batter so I would suggest putting a piece of baking paper underneath the pan while baking so the batter doesn’t end up on the floor of your oven, or reserving some of the batter to bake some muffins. A 12 cup pan would probably be more suitable.

INGREDIENTS

Gingerbread bundt cake

540 g (3 3/4 cups) all purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. flaky salt
1 tbsp. ground cinnamon
1 tbsp. ground ginger
2 tsp. freshly ground cardamom
2 tsp. freshly ground cloves
1 tsp. ground bitter orange peel (can be omitted)
4 large eggs
240 g (1 1/4 cup) light brown muscovado sugar (or regular light brown sugar)
200 ml (3/4 cup + 1 1/2 tbsp) cane syrup
250 g (2 + 1/4 stick) salted butter
200 ml (3/4 cup + 1 1/2 tbsp) heavy cream
300 ml (1 1/4 cup) milk

Cream cheese glaze

120 g (3/4 cup + 1 1/2 tbsp) powdered sugar
100 g cream cheese
1-3 tbsp. freshly squeezed orange juice

INSTRUCTIONS

Gingerbread bundt cake

Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Grease and flour a large bundt pan with 10-12 cup (preferably 12 cup) capacity. Set aside.
Mix flour, baking soda, salt, spices and ground bitter orange peel in a bowl. Set aside.
Beat eggs and sugar until fluffy and lighter in color, about 3-4 minutes. Add cane syrup and beat until smooth.
Melt the butter in a saucepan and stir in cream and milk.
Add dry ingredients and butter mixture to the egg mixture in additions, and stir until completely smooth.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake in the lowest oven rack for 55-65 minutes, but start checking doneness after 50 minutes. Keep an eye on the cake during the whole baking time so the top won’t brown too fast (if it does, carefully place a piece of baking paper or aluminum foil on top).
Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then unmold onto a cooling rack to cool completely. The cake will most likely come out domed, so feel free to even that out with a sharp serrated knife once the cake is cool.

Glaze

Combine powdered sugar and cream cheese in a bowl. Beat until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute.
Stir in orange juice to desired consistency. Pour the glaze over the cooled cake.

Croatia + a banana bundt cake with hot butterscotch sauce

October 15, 2016 By linda 21 Comments

You know when you go to a place that you’ve been to before, and your expectations are extremely high because your first time there was so perfect? I figured Croatia (to be more precise, Istria) would not live up to the high standards I’d set for it. But it was equally amazing this time. I’m a nostalgic person and I get so sad every time I have to say goodbye a place. Last year I said goodbye to this beautiful place and the kittens… oh the kittens! I didn’t expect to see them ever again, but they were still there this year with the addition of two (or three?) more, very shy kittens. Everything was exactly the same, as if time had stood still. I’m not much for change, so seeing that this place I fell in love with last year was exactly the same made me so happy.
And of course, meeting the wonderful group of people is the very best part. As introverted as I may be (like 94%, hehe), I really love meeting and hanging out with all of these amazing ladies, eating delicious food, talking about life, taking photos, truffleforaging and drinking lots of wine. And waking up to beautiful sunrises and morning fog. I mean, doesn’t that sound like a dream? So thank you again to the ladies of First We Eat, Carey and Eva, for bringing me along on this journey. And to Laurie, Inge, Christiann, Marta, Gia, Anya, Dasha, Maja, Tamara, Anja, Nikole and Joelle for being such an awesome group of people.
I made this delicious, moist banana bundt cake to style and shoot one of the days, and let’s just say it was appreciated by everyone. Even the cats snuck a taste.

…

Croatia photography & styling workshop

July 25, 2016 By linda 28 Comments

It’s been a few months since the Croatia workshop with the wonderful ladies of First We Eat (Eva and Carey), Maggie and Zhanna and thinking back, I can honestly say that it was one of the best experiences ever. Seriously, I will never forget this house. Or the wonderful group of attendees.
I’m not a morning person, not in any way, but waking up at the crack of dawn and seeing that magical view from the house.. totally worth it. And every morning when I came down to the kitchen, Carey, who is definitely a morning person, had already made coffee. Oh, and did I mention the kittens? I could go on about this workshop..
And therefore I’m happy to say, this January I’m coming to Costa Rica with them! I’m sure it will be mindblowing and amazing in every way possible. It’s about photography, chocolate and coffee, literally my favorite things in life. And maybe I’ll even make chocolate cake for you if you come. For more info and registration, please read more HERE.

At the table workshop in Dala-Floda and a triple chocolate cake

October 9, 2015 By linda 52 Comments

After what seemed like a long, long wait, it was finally time to host our very first At the table workshop. It’s been exactly one month since me, Made by Mary, Cashew Kitchen and Rania Maria met up on that sunny Friday in September at Dala-Floda värdshus. We immediately started preparing everything for our ten guests who were arriving in just a few short hours. I was filled with anticipation, but it was also pretty nerve-racking to say the least. I have never taught styling before and knew that it was going to be a challenge to put words on why, and how I do things without just stating the obvious “uhmm, because it looks good”. I knew that I had this chocolate cake up my sleeve though, to sway the guests just in case I would forget everything I was supposed to say (which is something I tend to do when I’m nervous). I didn’t get to see Maria’s styling session but I know she’s a natural teacher and really awesome at explaning her creative process. I did get to see Agnes’ session though and she was just fantastic.

I brought my favorite chocolate chip cookies for the guests styling session. It was so much fun to see them all at work, they were all so creative, talented and kind. I wish we had a couple more days to spend together!

I didn’t take a lot of photos this weekend, simply because there was no time with all the preparations. But I did get a few good ones. Rania filmed and photographed every move we made though so make sure to check that out!

Thanks to our amazing sponsors Broste Copenhagen (for the beautiful bowls and linen napkins for our guests, and bowls and plates for our welcome table below), Saltå Kvarn (for the delicious snacks and drinks for the guests welcome gift), Arla (for the delicious dairy products for our meals) & Wålstedts Gård (for the gorgeous biodynamic veggies)! This wouldn’t have been possible without you!

For more info on upcoming events, check out atthetable.se, and for more photos from this event, check out the photo gallery! Also, make sure to follow us on Facebook. Check the tag #atthetableworkshops on instagram to see all the photos from the event!

Organic milk from Arla.
Photo by Rania Maria

Organic juices from Saltå Kvarn.
Photo by Rania Maria

Bowls from Broste Copenhagen.
Photo by Rania Maria

Biodynamic veggies from Wålstedts Gård

TRIPLE CHOCOLATE CAKE
Makes one delicious 6-inch (15 cm) cake
Adapted from one of my own recipes, from my book Sweet food & photography

This cake is known as my favorite chocolate cake ever, the one I bring to almost all events and the cake that converts all the chocolate haters out there to chocolate lovers. Everyone who tries this frosting ask me exactly how I made it, and if it’s actually a mousse. Try it, it’s the best!

INGREDIENTS
CHOCOLATE CAKE
75 g butter (I use salted)
barely 1 1/2 cups (315 g) granulated sugar
1 1/4 cups (180 g) all purpose flour
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp (60 g) cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs, at room temperature
3/4 cup milk (175 ml), at room temperature
3/4 hot water (175 ml)

CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM
100 g milk chocolate, coarsely chopped
100 g dark chocolate (70%), coarsely chopped
2 3/4 sticks (about 300 g) softened butter (I use salted)
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp (90 g) powdered sugar
pinch of salt
1/4 tsp vanilla powder

CHOCOLATE GLAZE
75 g dark chocolate (70%), coarsely chopped
3 tbsp (45 g) butter

TOPPING
Chopped/crushed maltesers

INSTRUCTIONS
CHOCOLATE CAKE
1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter and flour two 6-inch (15 cm) cake pans.
2. Melt the butter and set aside.
3. Put sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add melted butter, milk and eggs and beat until just smooth.
4. Add the hot water and stir until smooth (batter will be very liquid, don’t worry, it’s supposed to be like that).
5. Divide the batter between the two cake pans. Bake for 35-40 minutes, checking doneness with a tootpick before removing from the oven.
6. Let cool in pans for 15 minutes, the invert onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM
1. Melt all the chocolate in the microwave or in a double boiler. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
2. Beat the butter until very pale and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar, salt and vanilla and beat for 1 minute.
3. Add the melted chocolate and beat for another 2 minutes or until very fluffy.

ASSEMBLY (check out my guide on how to fill and cover a cake here)
1. If cakes are rounded on top, even out with a knife. Cut both cake
layers in half using a sharp serrated knife (you’ll end up with four
thinner layers). Put the first layer on a cake board or a cake stand.
Spread buttercream on the first layer. Add the next layer and repeat
until you’ve used up all four layers
2. Spread a thin layer of buttercream all over the cake (this is the
crumb coating layer, to hold all the crumbs in place) using an offset
spatula. Put the cake in the fridge for about 10 minutes or until the
crumb coating layer has firmed up a bit (leave the bowl of frosting in
room temperature).
3. Spread the remaining buttercream all over the cake until cake is
smooth. For a totally even and smooth surface, dip an offset spatula in
warm water and dry it between every pass. Works like a charm!
4. Put the cake in the fridge while you make the chocolate glaze (this will make sure that the glaze will firm up quickly when you pour it over the cake, so don’t skip this step).

CHOCOLATE GLAZE
1. Place the chopped dark chocolate and butter in a saucepan and melt on low heat. Set aside until room temperature (but still liquid, not firm!).
2. Pour the glaze over the cake and quickly spread it over the edges of the cake to make it run down the sides.
3. If you have left over buttercream, pipe some blobs on top of the cake. Decorate with maltesers.

Iceland + iambear

October 24, 2014 By linda 18 Comments

I made a video for up-and-coming artist Iambear while I was in Iceland. Such perfect scenery for this song (which is called 16:40 by the way) I think. Listen to more awesome music from Iambear on Soundcloud. Note to self, next time, bring a working tripod to windy Iceland.

Iceland part II

October 18, 2014 By linda 17 Comments

As I mentioned in my last Iceland post, we were in Reykjavik the first day and for a few hours the last day. I was so tired the first day that I had to go to bed early so I didn’t get to see much. I was able to snap some photos the last day though.

I must say I was pleasantly surprised by the vegetarian options in the restaurants we went to! The first day I had vegan toast, not something you would find in my hometown exactly. Then in the evening I can’t even remember what I ate because I was so tired. The second day I had a “bygotto” (risotto but with barley instead of rice). Even in the lobster restaurant they had a vegetarian option. I was pretty impressed. It’s not often that I eat this good food whilst traveling. And in Sweden I’m used to having goat cheese and mushrooms in most dishes (ok, that might be an exaggeration but I hate goat cheese with a passion).

I also mentioned that we saw Northern lights. Twice. The photo below was taken the second time. The first time, we were outside for two minutes and I was thinking that we were probably NEVER going to see one. But suddenly, to my surprise, we saw the unmistakable green formation up in the sky (we literally had been outside two minutes). So lucky. I had of course forgotten my battery in our room so I ran in to get it. I was struggling with my tripod so those images came out a bit shaky. But it was so cool to see it for real. I was better prepared the second time but my tripod still didn’t want to cooperate.

Make sure to click the images to view them larger!

Iceland part I

October 12, 2014 By linda 74 Comments

I’ve seen mountains. I’ve seen northern lights, waterfalls, beaches with black sand and pink sunsets. I’ve seen long empty roads. I’ve seen more sheep than I could ever count. I’ve bathed in hot springs (and a jacuzzi!).
We drove in the highlands through water and gravel without seeing a single soul for hours. In the dark and through the thickest fog I’ve ever seen. For a few minutes I was quite worried, but we kept our spirits up in the car.
I’ve seen some unreal things that I never thought I would see. And in very good company. It has been a remarkable journey in so many ways and I will never forget it.
The beauty of Iceland has blown me away. It’s a place of magic.

The pictures of the turquoise ice blocks are from the ice lake Jökulsárlón. When we drove up to it my eyes started tearing up (and I was not alone) from the sight. It was unreal. I had never seen such beauty before. The ice blocks are constantly changing and when we were there they were relatively small. If you’re ever going to Iceland, I highly suggest you visit this place. We also went to Landmannalaugar, Blue Lagoon, Skógafoss, Seljalandsfoss, Vík, Gullfoss, Geysir and Thingvellir. And some places inbetween of course.

I went on this trip with Fotoresor, with a group of wonderful photographers. I’ve never done anything like this before in my life (and I never thought I would) but I’m just so incredibly happy that I did.
We didn’t spend much time in Reykjavik because there were so many other things to see. Next time I go there I need to spend more time exploring the city.

Did I see Björk you ask? Why yes. Yes I did (for real). For the complete Icelandic experience.

Click images to enlarge them!

Mallorca

September 29, 2013 By linda 22 Comments

I realized I never posted the rest of my photos from Mallorca. Honesty I didn’t take very many (I was on vacation, right!?) and I definitely didn’t eat enough dessert. I did eat croissants for breakfast though. Every day. That’s what I call a vacation.

By the way. Some of these photos are taken with my phone. I’ll definitely be using it a lot more for travel photography.

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