Rona Yuthasastrakosol wrote:
>
> Arri London wrote:
> >
> > From 'Icelandic Food and Cookery'
> >
> > Vinaterta
<snip>

> This recipe is very similar to the one I used. Except...for the filling, I
> was told specifically to used prunes that have not been pitted. The filling
> doesn't firm up as well if made with pitted prunes, or so I was told. It
> was a bit of a pain to remove the prunes after cooking the filling, but also
> rather fun :-)

Ah well. This is an Americanised recipe and perhaps the author thought
the punters would prefer pitted. Sieving the filling should remove the
pits.
>
> Some vinaterta recipes use a more cake-like layer rather than cookie-like
> layer. They're not nearly as good, but are easier to make.

Apparently that's the version that is more popular now in Iceland. Sadly
I never ate a single bit of vinaterta in the times I was there.
>
> And yes, the cake definitely improves with age. I remember when I made it
> for the first time (Christmas, 2000) I was so pleased with my effort (it
> took 4 or 5 hours in total--including the time to let the filling cool a
> little) that I gave some to my mother right away. She made such a face (she
> thought it was very unpleasant tasting at the time) that I became very angry
> and told her that she couldn't have any. I think I hid it in a cupboard,
> but my parents found it and since it had aged a little, it tasted much
> better. They would secretly cut large chunks of it and nibble on it in
> their room. Did they think I wouldn't notice that half of it was gone :-)?

LOL! Seems as though other spiced cakes also taste better with time such
as lebkuchen and the dark British fruit cakes.
>
> One piece of trivia--vinaterta is very popular in Manitoba and at every
> Icelandic celebration, one can always find vinaterta. I read in an article,
> however, that vinaterta is not so frequently found in Iceland anymore.
> Apparently, vinaterta was very popular around the time that Icelandic people
> immigrated to Canada and as is usual, these immigrants maintained the
> traditions and foods they knew, and passed them on to their children.
> Iceland, however, changed as all cultures do, and vinaterta is no longer as
> popular there.

That makes sense. The Icelanders are so busy working two and three jobs
to support their trendy lifestyle they don't have time to fuss LOL.
>
> rona (btw, I think I'm staying in Japan till 2007, so that's another year
> for you to think about visiting Japan!)
>

Desperately wish I could but it isn't likely to happen. TY anyway! (Am
working on my kana though but for other reasons LOL)