Kringle and good music...

Copenhagen Songwriter Festival and the Kringle

While in Copenhagen performing at the Songwriters Festival I was quite occupied with music rather than food. I was also only there for a few days, so this entry will be a bit different. :) I saw some great musicians well worth mentioning, which I feel I must do here, since nobody in the States will have heard of them. I of course, got up and did my thing on the main stage (unfortunately I was sick with a fever), and will probably do it again next year, hopefully under better circumstances. :) 

One thing I always make extra effort to consume while in Copenhagen is Kringle. Danishes are famous in America, but after eating them in Denmark I don't wish to try them anywhere else. :) Pastries shaped in a circular fashion or historically, like a pretzel (brought over by Roman monks in the 13th century), they are extremely thin layers of dough (like Viennese pastries, only with more egg I'm told), with some sort of filling in the center between the layers. Below, as you can see, chocolate, marzipan, etc. is used for filling. The one I like has a custard filling and is sprinkled with roasted sweet almonds and sugar. The Viennese have influenced Danish Kringle but the Danes have their own way of doing it, and it's delicious. 

Kringle is a little different than the smaller danishes shown above. It is prepared in a much larger circle, and is one kind I really like to consume. Here it is more close-up (in the photo below) - not shaped in a circle, but perhaps cut it into lengths as the traditional circle is a bit too large to sell all at once to individuals just walking into a bakery. 

Danish Kringle

Aside from this, food was replaced by new artists I enjoyed while at the festival. Sturle Dagsland, two young brothers from Norway stuck out - both with the soundscapes they created and their emotional performance on stage. Their show was genuine and passionate, something that is quite important for me when out to hear live music. One of them reminds me strongly of a young Kurt Cobain..

Another super soon-to-be hot player in my mind (virtually unknown and one that real hipsters would drool over)  is 'EED'. Although she promised me she would put her songs up in several weeks you won't find a trace of her on the internet yet. Also Norwegian - living in Copenhagen for now she is, simply put, DOPE. She sports a very child-like hipster look but doesn't seem pretentious at all. She drums a simple rock/pop beat while singing with a keyboard player and one other female vocalist. The songs are sparse and so very 'on' and rhythmic that you find yourself digging the show immensely as your jaw drops at the rather complicated vocal arrangement interplay by her and her backup singer. She also balances out the poppy stuff with melodic singing on other tunes. I was completely into everything she did and am desperately awaiting a recording. I hope I'm not disappointed as recordings often don't measure up to a great performance, which in her case, was *totally awesome*. I have serious hope for her though, as her writing was solid. 

Otherwise, I'm heading for Prague with my man soon and will eat from Grandma's backyard garden, rabbits included. That will be a major post for me as we will make the whole meal from scratch, including fresh rabbit. For now, Kringle (and music) will have to do from Denmark. Cheers!