Ten days of boiling, broiling, roasting and toasting

Copenhagen Cooking – Various venues across Greater Cph; ongoing, ends Sep 2 www.copenhagencooking.dk

Aug 23, 2012

Copenhagen Cooking is back on the menu for an eighth time, as organisers invite locals and visitors alike to come along and experience this remarkable gastronomic celebration that lasts for ten days.

With over 130 experiences to choose from, northern Europe’s biggest food festival promises to be an unforgettable event. Running until 2 September, the festival is inspired by this year’s Copenhagen Cooking poster (see cover), which depicts a merman emerging from the sea with a seasonal catch of, among other things, mackerel and oysters.

Copenhagen Cooking 2012 will be particularly focusing on the Nordic region’s culinary heritage, seasonal produce and sustainable principles. The range of events are overwhelming and include Nordic tastings, gastronomic street parties, urban gardens, sustainable seafood, oyster cruises, chocolate lunches, underwater guerrilla dining and much more.

The festival events have been divided into ten categories: culinary adventures, fine dining, green revolution, food at kids’ height, master the culinary arts, sweet nectar of the vines, the sweet tooth, worth a detour, the bounty of the sea, and bargain meals.

Helping you to make ease of the programme, we have handpicked our top picks for each category.

The Sweet Tooth:

Copenhagen Cake Festival – Cake-lovers this is the event for you! The Copenhagen Pastry Guild will be showcasing the best of Copenhagen’s baking scene, as they present their delicious cakes in the gardens of the Carlsberg Brewery.

Carls Have, Valby Langgade 1, Valby; 25-26 Aug, 12:00-18:00; 150kr incl a piece of cake and a coffee/tea/cocoa; Reservations at www.madbillet.dk

Worth a detour:

Smoke in the Summer Kitchen – The historic Esrum Monastery has been firing up their smoke house since 1151. Looking to continue this tradition they will be serving food prepared from the kitchen garden, beneath the apple trees, with cloisters beer. Tours of the monastery will also be available.

Esrum Kloster & Møllegård, Møllehaven, Klostergade 11-12, Esrum, 3230, Græsted; 29-31 Aug, 12:00-16:00; 128kr; Book www.esrum.dk

Culinary Adventures:

Copenhagen Taste Odyssey –This eight-part culinary walking tour of the city is sure to tickle your tastebuds with tastings from the Nordic kitchens of Aamann’s Smørrebrød and the Organic Hot Dog Man, gold prizewinning apple dessert wine, three organic cheeses, Sømod’s boiled sweets, Summerbird chocolates and the Bornholm Store. The tour ends with three specially selected beers at Nørrebro Brewery.

The Organic Sausage man at the Round Tower, Købmagergade 52A, Cph K; 24, 30 & 31 Aug, 16.30-20:00; 480kr incl. food and drink; Reservations at info@cphfoodtours.dk or 5012 3645

Sweet Nectar of the Vines:

Schnapps Tasting and Food Matching – If you’ve ever wondered if schnapps and food could go together, then this is the event for you. Adam Aamann will be inviting people to sample his home-made flavoured schnapps together with side dishes. He’ll also be talking about how to make extracts from foraged herbs, how to use them to flavour schnapps, and how best to match schnapps with food.

Aamanns Etablissement, Øster Farimagsgade 12, Cph Ø; 30 Aug, 16.10-17.45; 355kr; Reservations at www.aamanns.dk

Green Revolution:

Seasonal Cooking School – The green revolution is all about utilising the season’s best produce, and on this course you’ll learn how to do just that. Participants will make two courses, including organic pork with black pepper, apple vinegar and herbs, along with the freshest of the season’s vegetables and a scrumptious dessert. Remember to supply your own beverages.

BISQUITfabrikken, Jægersborggade 20, Cph N; 30 Aug, 15:00-17.30,18.30-21:00; 250kr; Reservations at kontakt@runesmad.dk

Food at Kids’ Height:

Baking School for Children at Meyer’s Madhus – At this fantastic baking workshop, kids will learn how corn is made into flour and then used to make fresh bread and rolls. With lots of tastings and plenty of bread to take home, this workshop is great for introducing kids to the benefits of home baking. Participants need to bring their own wooden spoon and mixing bowl.

Meyers Madhus, Nørrebrogade 52, 2200, Cph N; 2 Sep, 08:30, 10:30, 12:30, 14:30, 16:30; 150kr; reservations at www.meyersmadhus.dk

Master the Culinary Arts:

Bacino Backstage – Ravioli Masterclass – Making ravioli can be of the most demanding but – if you get it right – impressive pasta dishes. Helping you to master the arts is Chef Vincenzo Mastruzzo, who will let you in on his tricks, followed by a scrumptious four-course menu.

Bacino, Custom House, Havnegade 44, Cph K; 27–29 Aug, 13:00-17:00 followed by dinner at Bacino; 1,490kr for the cooking school and 4-course dinner for 2; Reservations at reservations@customhouse.dk or 3331 0130

The Bounty of the Sea:

Do you like Oysters? – Inspired by a pioneering project to raise oysters in the Copenhagen Harbour, Restaurant SALT will present a six-course menu focusing on these exquisite shellfish and other local ingredients. A matching champagne menu will be available for those wanting to truly live the life of luxury.

SALT restaurant, Toldbodgade 24–28, 1253, Cph K; 24 Aug, 18:00; 450kr excl. beverages; Reservations info@salt.dk

Bargain Meals:

Nordic Menu at Gefährlich – Nørrebro’s leading restaurant-bar presents a special, three-course Copenhagen Cooking menu based on superb Nordic ingredients, featuring Carrot and corn soup with smoked scallops, Danish rump steak with crushed potatoes, and Pickled apple and Madeira foam with liquorice baked plums and vanilla ice-cream – all for just 275kr.

Gefährlich, Fælledvej 7, Cph N; 24 Aug-1 Sep; 275kr; Reservations info@gefahrlich.dk or 3524 1324

Fine Dining:

Very Gentlemanish Tour – Ever wanted to learn how to become a gentleman in just one evening? It may just be possible with this seven and a half hour event in which you learn how to tie a bow tie at one of Copenhagen’s leading menswear stores; cook a Michelin-level meal under the watchful eye of Restaurant Kokkeriet’s Michelin-starred chef; and smoke a cigar in the right way at Davidoff.

Men’s section Magasin, Nørregade 20,, Cph K; 31 Aug, 15:30-23:00; 1,995kr incl. welcome bubbles, bowtie, Mikkeller beers, 4-course menu, wine list, coffee, sweets, cigars and Avec; Reservations at www.madbillet.dk

FREE EVENTS

And finally, here are all of the free events taking place this year:

Max Frey’s Mobile Kitchen

Amagertorv, Cph K;

Sat 1 Sep, 12:00

Diversity Festival – Taste the World

Rantzausgade, Cph N;

Sat 1 Sep, 12:00-20:00,

Sun 2 Sep, 12:00-18:00,

Free adm, dishes cost 30kr each

Produce Market at Meyer’s Deli

Gammel Kongevej 107, Frederiksberg;