On Saturday, May 17th (Syttende Mai), native Norwegians and Norwegians at heart will celebrate Norway's Constitution Day. In Norway, children and teenagers dress in traditional costumes, called "bunads," and parade through the streets. In several American cities, children and adults alike take the opportunity to reconnect with their inner Viking by donning horned hats and consuming substantial amounts of pea soup, krumkake, and – for 12 intrepid fish-eating contest participants in Viking Fest at Poulsbo, WA – lutefisk (dried cod traditionally cured in lye).

While I will selflessly sacrifice signing up for the lutefisk-eating contest so that others may enjoy that gastronomic delight, I've already begun to make krumkake, fragile, beautifully imprinted Norwegian cookies, for our family to enjoy while we participate in the celebrations.

If you're in the Pacific Northwest, why not come out and be a Viking, too? In the Seattle area, check out Ballard's Syttende Mai celebration, an institution since 1889, or attend the 40th anniversary of Viking Fest in Poulsbo (in addition to the lutefisk-eating contest, this year Viking Fest will be hosting its first-ever "Iron Chef" competition as well! Anyone care to guess what the secret ingredient will be?).

In Alaska, vikings and valkyries will re-live the good old days at the 50th Anniversary of the Little Norway Festival in Petersburg, AK.

Do you have a local Syttende Mai festival? Tell us about it – and the food it spotlights! – in the Scandinavian Food forums!

Krumkake image ©2008 Kari Diehl, licensed to About.com.

Image: Lingonberries in bloom. A Wordless Wednesday blog entry.

Lingonberries image ©2008 Kari Diehl, licensed to About.com.

When baking special Scandinavian coffee breads for teachers, it's hard not to include a plate of Norwegian School Bread (Skolebrød). Not only is the name of this sweet bread apt for the occasion, but the buns themselves are crowd-pleasers. Filled with vanilla cream or vanilla pudding and sprinkled with coconut, school bread buns are sure to earn a gold star from your favorite teacher.

Norwegian School Bread image ©2008 Kari Diehl, licensed to About.com.

When it comes to Scandinavian specialty baking, X ≠ Frt: time does not equal effort! While many excellent Scandinavian recipes do require time to prepare (to allow dough to rise adequately, for example), often the hands'-on effort is minimal. This is especially true when preparing sweet yeasted breads like vetebröd. The basic cardamom dough takes perhaps thirty minutes of direct attention to mix before rising, with another ten-minute hands'-on session of rolling out and braiding the dough. 30 + 10 = 40. That's hardly more than a half-hour of actual labor in order to produce a bakery-caliber coffee bread … less time than it takes to run to the store and back again. Too bad all math problems aren't as easy as this one to solve!

Vetebröd image ©2008 Kari Diehl, licensed to About.com.

Have you ever seen Babette's Feast? If not, give yourself a treat and rent it over the weekend. It's an incredibly beautiful 1987 Danish film about a Frenchwoman who decides to prepare a life-enriching feast in gratitude to the residents of a remote Jutland community.

I have my own feast of gratitude to prepare over the next few days – to celebrate the elementary school teachers and staff who have given so much to our three children over the years. Because I, unlike Babette, have never gotten the hang of plucking quail or butchering sea turtles, I've opted instead to cater a Scandinavian-style coffee table for our teachers, with a selection of specialty coffee breads, cakes, and cookies.

My cardamom dough is on the rise and my krumkake iron is warming. Please join me over the next week, National Teacher Appreciation Week, as I prepare my Top 5 Teachers' Table Recipes.

Cardamom dough image ©2008 Kari Diehl, licensed to About.com.

In Sweden, Norway, and Denmark, Scandinavia's three constitutional monarchies, the birthdays of royal family members are recognized as national holidays. Today Swedes will raise their flags in tribute to King Carl XVI Gustaf's birthday.

Although called "Princess Cake," Swedish Prinsesstårta might tempt a king as well! Commonly served as a birthday cake in Sweden, it offers a rich combination of white cake layers, pastry cream, raspberry jam, whipped cream, and green marzipan icing.

Swedish Princess Cake image ©2008 Kari Diehl, licensed to About.com.

Our kids love pancakes—for breakfast, for dinner, for dessert, at any time of the year. When I don't have the time or the inclination to stand over a griddle or my plattar pan and make individual pancakes, I opt for making Pannukakku, the puffy oven-baked pancake favored in Finland. Served with a dollop of freshly whipped cream and fresh fruit or fruit compote, Pannukakku is a trouble-free way to quickly satisfy those unavoidable pancake cravings.

Pannukakku image ©2008 Kari Diehl, licensed to About.com.

Quick. Can you name five favorite foods that share names with movies?

Possibly the first title that would come to a Swede's mind would be "Janssons Frestelse," or "Jansson's Temptation," a popular potato casserole that plays a starring role on most holiday smörgåsbord and casual late-night buffet tables. There's some argument as to which came first: the movie or the dish. Some food historians say that it was developed during the filming of the 1929 Jansson's Frestelse. Others date it back to the 1800's, attributing its creation to opera singer and food lover Pelle Janzon. Still others claim that it was the undoing of Swedish immigrant and pietist sect leader Eric Jansson, the founder of Bishop Hill, Illinois.

No matter what its origin, Jansson's Temptation deserves its name. Whether enriched with cream or – in this version – half and half, Sweden's most famous potato dish is difficult to resist!

Jansson's Temptation image ©2008 Kari Diehl, licensed to About.com.

It's Walpurgis Night soon! This is a very special event and a great way to experience local traditions like big bonfires and old folk songs, especially in Sweden. Walpurgis (in Swedish: Valborg) on April 30 is widely celebrated in Scandinavia and is a public holiday in Sweden.

On the same date, King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden also celebrates his birthday, making this day an even bigger annual event. And the best thing about those late-night bonfires during Walpurgis Night? The event is followed by Labour Day (May Day) in Scandinavia, a public holiday, so no one has to get up early the following day.

Yet if you can't make it to Scandinavia this year, celebrate your own holiday at home by indulging in a few traditional Walpurgis Night / May Day treats. When bonfires light up the night skies across the Scandinavian peninsula, families and friends gather for the season's first picnics, enjoying dishes like gravlax, herring salad, and fresh strawberries. Finns welcome Spring on May 1st by frying up delicate, bird's-nest-shaped Fritters (Tippaleivät) and drinking lemony Spring Mead (Sima).

Co-written by Kari Diehl, Guide to Scandinavian Food & Terri Mapes, Guide to Scandinavia Travel.

Of all of the specialty Scandinavian baking tools that I use, I think that my favorite is my aebleskiver pan. Aebleskiver, or "Apple Slices" in Danish, are one of Denmark's most famous pastries. They're also beloved in Danish-American communities across the United States and Canada—if you're ever lucky enough to visit Solvang, California, check out the Solvang Restaurant, home of "Arne's Famous Aebleskiver." During the summer months, there are also numerous Scandinavian festivals across America that serve these light, delicious pastries.

Traditionally made with apple slices inserted into the batter, aebleskiver can also be prepared with jam, cheese, or other fillings in both sweet and savory variations. A cross between a pancake and a donut, they offer all of the delight of these treats without the sugar and fat overload of commercially prepared pastries.

Invitation: If you have a favorite aebleskiver recipe you'd like to share or a local Scandinavian festival you'd like to promote, tell us about them on the Scandinavian Food forums!

Aebleskiver image ©2008 Kari Diehl, licensed to About.com.