Evening star., 1962-05-03
II COURSES
The Danes
Entertain
LovishIy
By VIOLET FAULKNER
Food Editor Of The Star

when it comes to setting a
good table. They spare no
effort to make each dish as
pleasing to the eye as to the
palate and they seem to have.
a special knack for creating
a pleasant and relaxed at
moSphere at mealtime.
During my eating tour"
in March our group was en-
tertained by representatives
of the carsberg BRwery at
Kystens Perle, a charming
inn in North Zealand about
80 miles outside Copenhagen.
It's situated on the shores Of
the Sound. only a stones
throw from Kronborg Castle
where Hamlet's ghost is sup
posed to walk an old
myth the Danes think is
pretty funny.
The koldt bord (cold table,
that noon was an epicurean
feast, consisting of 81 courses
and lasting well over three
hours.
The Danes love flowers ).
, almost as much as food
and our dining room was q
bower Of blooms. Inside
window boxes were ablaze
with red and white azaleas,
stunning bouquets Of spring
flowers on the tables, and on
our table a spectacular CEN
terptece of purple, white and
green orchids arranged on
dr1ftwood. Scattered on the
snowy white cloth were single
blossoms of every hue sprin-
kled with star dust.
One beautifully garnished
platter succeeded another,
starting with paper-thin
slices Of smoked salmon, fol-
lowed by their national dish,
the tiny. tiny shrimp many
people think are baby shrimp
but which are really full
grown.
Each dish always rates a
fresh plate. One after an
other came smoked eel IAN
other Danish delicacy), lob
ster with mayonnaise, liver
pate, glazed boiled eel Cnot
up to the smoked in our
book, Danish caviar that's
truly delicious: cold chicken
dressed with fresh tarragon,
poached salmon with mayon-
naise, roast lamb, the platter
handsomely garnished with
small stuffed tomatoes and
mushrooms; chicken glace
with pate de foie gras and
truffles; a tray Of smoked
tongue with the slices ar
ranged ingeniously around a
figurine to form milady's
sweeping skirt. Chopped let
tuce, water cress. tiny toma-
toes and cups Of mustard the
garniture for this platter.
There's More to Come
The parade continued with
the walters offering platters
OF venison with a medley of
vegetables: beef tartare ac-
companied by coarsely
chopped horseradish, un-
cooked yolk Of eggs: roast
duck with picked red cab
bage and pruneS; slices of
rare roast beef arranged on
a mound Of cooked spinach,
served with grated horserad-
ish. thinly sliced tomatoes
and slivers Of Belgian endive.
A mushroom course brought
raves all around the table.
The small button mushrooms
were dressed with q sweet.
sour sauce that was simply
divine. The base, I suspect,
was whipped cream that had
been laced with horseradish.
hot mustard. slightly sweet
ened but still tart. They were
just about the best things I
ever ate and what q cocktail
hors d'oeuvre they would
make.
Finally, we worked our way
UP to the cheese tray which
was presented with shredded
red radiShes and miniature
fruit kebabs of snappy blue
cheese balls, pineapple wedg-
es. mandarin oranges and
topped with a maraschino
cherry. On the tray was every
sort Of cheese from the ia
nous Danish blue to Samso,
Brie. Camembert. Port Salut,
etc.
Throughout the meal the
walters passed light and dark
rye bread, white bread with
plenty of sweet butter to
spread on it. No Danish meal
would be complete without
the national beverage, beer,
and snaps" for "skaaling."
and. believe me, the Danes
delight In skaaling.
In this hospitable country
it's customary to move to
another room Cor at least to
another section Of the same
room for sweets and coffee.
The sweets in this instance
were small wedges Of choco-
late-covered pineapple and
the famous kransekager (al-
mond paste cakes) and to top ,
It all off still another special
ty of the country Cherry
Heering.
On another day when we (
visited the new Cherry Heer-
ing plant about 35 miles south !
80 Nox,onhonav, natovs rAA~