LUTEFISK SUPPER

                                               

Every fall, some of my friends and I, travel to Staples to the annual lutefisk supper at Faith Lutheran church. This is an annual festival that has been going on for a long, long, time. How long? I remember it when I was kid and believe me that has been a long, long, time. I go for a couple of reasons, number one being my Brother Huck and his crew, consisting mostly of his sons, have long cooked the fish so its kind of a family affair for me. Number two is, I have a soft spot for that church and although I’m not a member or a Lutheran, I recognize the good they do for the people of that area. Maybe you have noticed, I didn’t say, “I go for the fish.”

Eating Lutefisk, for me reminds me of when I was ten and played house with the little neighbor girls. Those of you who have your mind in the gutter can stop right here, because I said playhouse, not doctor. In our role-playing, the girls would bring out their little tin dishes and make us boys mud pies. We would smack our lips and throw the mud over our shoulders as if it was the best mud pie we ever ate. Now to be sure Lutfisk-- unlike mud-- is edible but it has to be covered with melted butter and salt to bring out the taste.-- Of butter and salt. The fish has no taste. It is akin to a tofu turkey at Thanksgiving time. There is an odor however that you can smell as you approach the church and it does get into your clothing. My dog picked up on it when I came home from the meal and proceeded to rub her shoulder on my pants legs for some time.

To be sure it’s the trimmings that make the meal for me. Lefsa, to me, the Norwegian flat bread, was long a favorite in my parents family and it is for me today. I’m addicted to the stuff. I could eat it everyday. Couple this with sweet potatoes or rutabagas, homemade mashed potatoes and Swedish meatballs, cranberries and homemade pies-- well it don’t get much gooder then that-- ya sure yu betcha. I think the Swedish meatballs were a concession of sorts because I have long considered Lutefisk and Lefsa a Norwegian dish. A lot of jokes have been made about the differences between Swedes and Norwegians but this being a family paper; I will have to keep them to myself.

I want to congratulate the people of Faith Lutheran Church for the fine meal and carrying on the tradition. There were a lot of young people there that night but they were serving the Lutefisk, not eating it. I’m not sure where this tradition will be in twenty years but maybe we will be having Lutefisk Tacos or Norwegian burritos. Served with melted butter and salt of course. But in retrospect I didn’t eat it either when I was young, but here I am eating it now. My dad used to say,” The only thing different between Lutefisk and snot was kids will eat snot.” He always said that while you were dishing up your Lutefisk of course.

To the people of Faith Lutheran I say, “Ser deg nesta ar.” Or see you next year.

Mike Holst