Kristihimmelfartsdag

It's 10pm and the sun is just now setting on  Kristihimmelfartsdag, which is the name of the national holiday today. This is the first resurrection and takes place ten days prior to Pentecost. Danes had the day off of work; but not this mother and daughter author team! We were hard at work on our book, though eating and talking to chefs can hardly be called work.

A field of rapeseed with the Danish flag flying

We began the day by visiting with both daughters of our family friends, including their little ones (3 years and 2 months old respectively). Then we headed for the small island of Orø. On the drive we were treated to many views of stunning bright yellow fields of rapeseed, which in America is known as canola. The island is home to around 500 people and you have to take a short ferry ride to get there.

At the Hotel Orø Kro we had an enormous lunch which was well-photographed (again, patience!) before being devoured. I started with a salad and then had the stjerneskud m/stegt og dampet fisk which is (from bottom up): a piece of toasted white bread, lettuce, steamed plaice (fish), fried fish, red dressing, shrimps, 2 different kinds of caviar, a garnish of tomato, lemon, and asparagus, and a sprig of dill. The chef, Kasper Kallerup Hansen, was very kind and allowed us to photograph him preparing several of the dishes as well as holding them afterwards. 

Food styling and photography session

Among other dishes ordered, we also had dyrlaegens natmad, which means the veterinarian's night-time snack. This is a smørrebrød (open-faced sandwich) topped with pate, aspic, ham, bacon, beets, and onion. 

Stjerneskud m/stegt og dampet fisk

At dinnertime we were not very hungry, which has been a common theme, but had a very lovely meal (I believe it was the very first on the trip not to have been photographed though it was delicious) at the home of the mormor (grandmother) of our family friends.

Tomorrow, which also happens to be my birthday, we've got a full day of appointments with four different restaurants, all of very high caliber. Three of them are at Tivoli Gardens, which is where we'll end up the evening with a birthday dinner, and one is with Denmark's first female chef to earn a Michelin star, Anita Klemensen! Stay tuned for the full report...