Lutefisk - the forgotten condiment

Okay, I'm kidding about that, but I just spent a day at Ikea so Baby Balsamic could experience a dying art form in the midst of a burgeoning art form -- theater performed in the store. Three adorable playlets were presented at the entrance, in the children's furniture section and in one of those glamorous Ikea bedrooms. Baby Balsamic was entranced and attempted to make off with a prop -- the princess' tiara.

Of course, a day at Ikea would not be complete without a visit to their unique cafeteria experience. Baby Balsamic enjoyed two plates of meatballs. Yes, you read that right -- two plates. And she especially enjoyed dipping her meatballs and french fries in this raspberry sauce that was slopped onto the plate with the rest of the food. I savored the lox on a bed of greens with a mustard dill dipping sauce. And I discovered the language of mustard with dill is Universal: they were bottling this sauce in the store as a Swedish specialty. Well, I think Mr. Norman Bishop would have something to say about that! The bottles were tempting, but the sauce tasted pretty much just like Norman Bishop's Seafood Dill sauce so I passed. But I did buy a can of dried onions to dribble on a salad.

And the lutefisk did not tempt me in the least, but I like typing that word so I'm finding ways to work it into the blog post. Lutefisk, lutefisk, lutefisk. It's a great word, but even were it deep fried and offered up to me with an array of delectable dipping sauces including rosemary mayonnaise, garlic aioli, G*D mustard, Pickapeppa sauce and fine condimento balsamic vinegar, I would have none of it.

And yet, I will type it once again. Lutefisk. The uncondimentable food.

Condiment Grrl