It is the labor that makes the pre-soupcan recipes special. The anticipation, nurtured by heavenly aromas. I'll makes these and send psychic flavors your way!

Interesting and touching history. It seems most of the ethnic culture in MN lives - or at least originates - on the range. I grew up with the metropolitan area tradition of parents fresh off the farm abandoning their ethnic traditions as fast and thoroughly as possible. But my German-Slovenian mother always made those "Swedish" cookies at Christmas, too - spritz.

It's funny how many people in Minnesota still call it EYE-talian spaghetti - even when it's made with a jar of Ragu.

Thank you, Paul - I hope they live up to my hype!

nerd cred - even though I grew up on my mother's tales of Hibbing's diversity, I still find it odd, having an overlay of ideas about Midwestern blandness imposed from elsewhere. And I will admit others made meatballs like the Swedes, along with butter cookies, but of course, I was firmly indoctrinated with the idea that Swedish was best. The Swedes did not have potica, alas.

It's been fascinating to see how cultures from all over the world both change and remain the same here in America. Another country heard from. Well done. :) Rated

It reminded me of Like Water for Chocolate, the hours of labor that go into the cooking. Tamales are a Christmas specialty, as they take so long to make, and often involve several days with all the family members working.
My danish grandmother used to make a rather divine poached cod, covered with a "cream" sauce, boiled eggs, white asparagus. Not sure. Lots of white food there. The secret spice was paprika, hardly one for putting in heat, for most of us. When I lived in DK, I worked at a huge tex mex restaurant nightclub, and noted that the Swedes were the least adventurous for spice, and least tolerant of "heat", especially northern swedes. When I was in Spain, years before, my roommate was a chef, and they also love bland, creamy food. Black pepper is "spicy" and rarely served with the meal. She thought my food was crazy hot, for using red pepper flakes.

"Life in America had not proved to be perfection, anymore than it was in Sweden. But occasionally, there were meatballs."

Life in a nutshell.

Lovely post. I'm very fond of scalloped potatoes but find the Richard Olney Gratin Dauphinois version way too rich (probably my Lutheran upbringing), so I'm very glad to have this more moderate recipe.

(I trust you've seen Babette's Feast, where the French woman cooks a feast for the dour Swedes, who are transformed by the experience of eating it, at least temporarily.)

Theresa - thank you. America is sort of a casserole, isn't it?

Oryoki Bowl - white meals, yes, with the Scandinavian standby - paprika! My maternal ancestors would be horrified at the way I eat. Cayenne, not paprika. I didn't realize Spaniards were wimps equal to Swedes re spices. Most interesting. Glad it didn't stop them from spreading chili peppers to others. Life without chili peppers is unthinkable.

Laurel - yeah, no cream for Lutherans! Babette's Feast was one of my mother's very favorite movies. I think it spoke to both sides of her culinary life.

This is a truly wonderful post. I especially loved the comment " Lutheran sensibility in calling for milk, not cream, and judicious seasoning" when it comes to cooking scalloped potatoes. 30 years of living in the Upper Midwest (the closest to the Mesabi Range I lived was in Brainerd) have provided me with an appreciation and, indeed, a yearning for that part of the country with its simplicity and straightforwardness pretty much not found anywhere else except maybe in the Kentucky hills of my own ancestors.
Thanks.

This is a beautifully written celebration of food, family and history. I am so glad to have a new association to Swedish meatballs other than the one I've created by eating in the Ikea food court so many times! R

Walter - thank you very much. Brainerd looks pretty close. I'll bet the - er - dare I say foodways? - were close. My paternal side has a whole bunch of Kentucky in it, so I understand what you're saying. But I do think they could stand to use more garlic.

Lisa - thank you so much. Ikea meatballs - I have heard of these things. I hope it's easier to eat them than put together that furniture.

A fascinating read! I loved your family's interesting history, and thank you so much for sharing Swedish meatballs. I make Italian meatballs from our own secret family recipe, and your recipe here tempts me to try something new.... Thanks for this wonderful culinary and historical journey!

Alysa - thank you. I wouldn't bet on them being better than your family's Italian ones, but they are very Swedish. If I were making them, I'd go heavy on the black pepper.

Had some very tasty meatballs at brunch yesterday, but now feel the need to try out your recipe. Of course, I hate the feel of raw, ground meat, so may have to get the husband and daughter involved!

A keeper for sure. I'll use veal instead of pork since I don't it the latter. I loved the history, thank you.
♥R

This was everything I took away from the setup for the challenge. Marvelous in its depth of exposition as much as for the recipes. Well done.

I've copied the recipe, but won't state for a fact that I'll be using plain milk. Just sayin.

Interesting history.

Beyond interesting history! Loved it!! My mom's family comes from Minnesota(hers is down in Southwestern Minny-so-ta!! Closer to Northie Dakota!! :) ) It's has the good food too!!!

Rated. And Tink Picked!!

Which is worth like 12 cents on the open market, if you can find someone to give you 12 cents!! Teeheee!!!

bluesurly - I hope you like them. Let me know.

FusunA - I'm glad you enjoyed it. It should work with anything - I might try it with turkey myself. And cayenne.

Stacey - under Tink's tutelage, I have to say "I write shit!" But thank you very much. I tried.

Gabby Abby - milk in the meatballs? Or the potatoes? I'm not a Lutheran! Use all the cream you want!

Tink - omg, we're double cousins - Indiana and Minnesota. I'm putting you on the family tree in the black sheep section. It's kind of crowded, but I'm there, too. Thank you for visiting, and have a bar.

I make them from an old recipe from one of the original crock pots. People rave . . . go figure . . .

A great melancholy post - you're the last of the line and you're giving a meatball recipe while being vegetarian (or at least not eating mammal meat). I kinda like Swedish meatballs - and might try these. When I was a kid, we had a meat grinder. Probably healthier ground meat that way - all from one hunk of the animal rather than randomly mixed like today. But damned if I'll do any meat-grinding. We made meat-loaf: ground meat, bread crumbs, egg, can of Campbell's tomato soup. I didn't know there were such things as meatballs until I was an adult...

From the Midwest - appliance booklets often have good recipes. I guess it's to their advantage not to give you bad ones.

Myriad - oddly, I loved to work the meat grinder for my mother, who felt more like you. Thank you. And again I say, - use butter.

Okay. Just this once.

The nutmeg is clearly key. Thanks for this. Whenever we go to IKEA in the Minneapple a bag of frozen Swedish meatballs and a jar of lingonberry sauce is a don't miss.

Kathy - I've been stressing the allspice, but you're right. The nutmeg is crucial.

I love these glimpses into the past, into other cultures and other families and their food. You make meatballs seem very...exotic! Meatballs weren't common in our household (cocktail fare), and non-existent in the homes of my country kin. I have been making vegetarian "meat"balls for a while now and it's nice to feel like I'm a part of a wider world when I make them...even if they're not strictly traditional.

!/???