SC - The "stench" of lutefisk

[kat]

Just to throw my two cents into the fray...

	What I remember most about my singular experience with lutefisk was not the smell.  In fact, it was the complete absence of smell--or taste--or color--that got to me.

	That and how upset my poor dad was.

	The story in a nutshell:  The annual (Decemberish) lutefisk feed put on by the local Sons of Norway.  $10 a pop, and this was in the late seventies--a lot of money for a fundraising dinner.  Nonetheless, my dad scraped together $50 for the five of us to go.  

	All I really remember was the heavy white industrial ceramic dishes, the white fish, the white cold boiled potatoes, and the white white-sauce on top.  There was also some white stuff vaguely referred to as "pudding" which was somewhat edible, when liberally dosed with the only colorful, flavorful stuff on the table--the lingonberry jam.  

	Now, keep in mind that this experience is filtered through a ten-year-old's palate; and at the time I thought broccoli was disgusting too, so take it with a grain of salt... but I must add that my mother, sister, and grandmother had the exact same reaction as me... we fled in horror to my brother's house nearby to be "revived" with cheesecake and cappucino, and left my poor long-suffering dad alone there with $50 worth of lukewarm lutefisk... which I must say he blissfully enjoyed.  Probably enjoyed being left alone as well, the poor dear; we were not being quiet about our opinions.

	In retrospect, the experience probably could have been much worse.  I think I probably *will* try lutefisk again at some point; if only because it's been given such a bad rap.  I'm happy to report that my relationship with my dad is a lot better too.. <g>

	- kat

p.s.  My late Aunt Louise really loved those lutefisk TV dinners, too...
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