:: disclaimer ::

this blog supports responsible drinking. you must be of legal age in your country of residence to continue on this site.

definition

from L., lit. "water of life," 1471 as an alchemical term for unrefined alcohol. Applied to brandy, whiskey, etc. from 1547. Cf. whiskey, Fr. eau-de-vie "spirits, brandy," lit. "water of life."


Akvavit (also spelled aquavit or akevitt) is a flavored spirit that is produced in Scandinavia and typically contains 40% alcohol by volume. Its name comes from aqua vitae, the Latin for “water of life,” and is pronounced /AHKV?-veet/.

history

An apocryphal story holds that akvavit actually means “water from the vine,” a picturesque folk etymology derived through conflation of Latin vitae (genitive of vita) with the Italian vite (vine).

about

10:44 AM | Posted by kelesney | | Edit Page
Hi, my name is Karen Elisabeth Lesney.

You see, I was trained in architecture - and love it. But, since late 2008 I have not been able to work and shy of going stir crazy from complete lack of creativity I needed a little mental outlet. And thus, when limited moments were pain free I found myself thinking about how much cooking (this included all kinds of recipes) have also been a huge influence in my life. Our mother was of a generation of women back in Denmark who was not allowed to attend college. And though she was an immensely talented and creative woman, she only attended cooking and sewing school.

Both of my passions actually originated from a childhood spent in Denmark. If I wasn't playing with ‘legos’ and building things, I could be found hanging out in the kitchen with a generation of women who brought to the table amazing traditional Danish dishes. 

Alas, for any Dane who enjoys food there is there inevitable need for libations with snaps being served along side any open face sandwich or fish dish!
here i am in denmark (near barritskov in jylland)...wearing my 'ikea' colored dress with my little sister, lisa and our mother, ulla.

If there was an ad in the personal section of the newspaper, it would read, “someone seeking happiness in both cooking and design.”

So, my own personal recipe for being out of the creative architectural loop was putting my little love of writing and cooking to work. What you have before you in this mini-blog are the results of my daily mental moments of clarity that have allowed me tiny escapes from pain. From one obsession to another, this is my place to share thoughts and recipes about the fine libation known to most as snaps. But,  for me akvavit is the sweet WATER  FROM THE VINE that compliments the many a Danish dish.

Now you must wonder...why call this little blog by such a name?  It  is derived from an apocryphal story holds that akvavit actually means "water from the vine", a picturesque folk etymology derived through conflation of Latin vītae (genitive of vita) with the Italian vite (vine).

There are two blogs that are each dedicated to a part of my Danish heritage. There is this one and the other one that is dedicated to the modern danish open face sandwiches + other gastronomic thoughts called TOPLESS BREAD.

Thus, welcome to my blog WATER FROM THE VINE.
 

Share |
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)

Blogger Template created with Artisteer by kelesney.