Chemmy Alcott to Train With Norway

A Boston Blickbild Exclusive

British skier Chemmy Alcott will be training with the Norwegian team in her quest for a top 8 finish at the 2014 Olympics. We at the Blickbild admire the determination and fighting spirit that she showed in coming back from a broken leg and working toward her Olympic dream. She may not have as many World Cup wins as other skiers, but she is a wonderful role model for those who have suffered a severe injury. The others have reported on Chemmy training with Norway. But they did not get this exclusive interview with her about her new training partners and much more. Let's find out what Chemmy has to say.

BB: Tell our readers about your new training partners.

Alcott: I will be training with Lotte Smiseth Sejersted and Ragnhild Mowinckel. Both of them are young, very talented racers with a lot of potential. They will inspire me to go fast and do my best. When Lotte can do in the real races what she does in training, she will be unbeatable. Ragnhild will also be very good in few years with more World Cup experience. 

BB: It would also be good for them to train with you because of your World Cup experience. 

Alcott: It is a win-win situation for both Norway and myself. I can pass on my experience to Ragnhild and Lotte and I am also benefitting from their coaching staff. I don't have to worry about coming up with funding to put together a coaching team for myself. 

BB: How is your Norwegian?

Alcott: Nonexistent. But everyone on the team speaks English. I'm sure I'll pick up some Norwegian along the way. I already know how to pronounce most Norwegian names because of my Eurosport commentating experience. I can also read a Norwegian restaurant menu so I know not to order seal brains or walrus intestines.
BB: There is speculation that the real reason you are training with Norway is because you have a secret crush on Aksel Lund Svindal.
Alcott: That's not true. Aksel is my best friend's boyfriend and I have no intention of taking him away from her. Julia Mancuso and Aksel belong together.
BB: Were you in on Aksel's prank to swap out some of the Milka hearts that he gave Julia on Valentine's Day with ojlmsfjaegger? He and Henrik Kristofferson even made them look like real Milka chocolate hearts.
Alcott: With what?!?
BB: Ojlmsfjaegger. They are a special treat that Norwegians have on their birthdays. Ojlmsfjaegger are cubes of pickled reindeer heart with a special chocolate and smoked salmon sauce. 
Alcott: I have been to Norway, both as a racer and Eurosport commentator, and I never heard of them. But they sound positively dreadful!
BB: They are actually quite tasty. I had some that Kjetil Jansrud's grandmother made. As you can see, I survived eating them. 
Alcott: I now understand why the Blickbild's reporters are known for being so intrepid.
BB: We have the most intrepid reporters in the business. (slight pause) I don't know why you never had them. Lotte's birthday is during race season. 
Alcott: Maybe she never brought any to the races on her birthday. Or maybe only the Norwegians ate them because the other ladies knew what they were.
BB: Who do you think the best ojlmsfjaegger maker on the Norwegian speed team is, Lotte or Ragnhild? 
Alcott: I have no idea.
BB: If you had to pick one, who would it be?
Alcott: I guess I would go with Lotte. She is the older of the two.
BB: If you're going to train with the Norwegians, you need to appreciate their cuisine. 
Alcott: When I was in Norway I had reindeer meat, smoked salmon, and chocolate, just not all combined. I have liked everything that I have eaten in Norway.
BB: You will probably even learn how to make ojlmsfjaegger if you are going to be part of the Norwegian team.
Alcott: I'm not becoming Norwegian or joining their team. I'm simply training with them.
BB: Let's talk about the recovery from your broken leg. You had a remarkable recovery and even made your comeback at the same place where you incurred the injury. You showed a lot of courage coming back in Lake Louise. 
Alcott: Thank you. I wanted to come back in the same place where I broke my leg to prove to myself that I could race there without any problems.
BB: You are as intrepid as our reporters. If you ever need a job after you retire from racing, we will gladly hire you.
Alcott: Thank you, but I already have an offer from Eurosport. The reporters at Eurosport aren't as intrepid as yours, but I get on very well with them.
BB: You were an excellent commentator for Eurosport and if you go back to them, you will be a great asset to the Alpine skiing commentating team. (pause) How does you leg feel now?
Alcott:  Fine. It doesn't bother me. I am ready to begin preparing for the upcoming race season.
BB: What are your goals for this season?
Alcott: I would like a top-8 finish at the Olympics in either the downhill or Super-G.
BB: You will have a lot of competition at the Olympics. 
Alcott: That's true. But I also have a lot of experience that the younger ladies don't have. There are times when experience trumps natural talent. I will draw on my experience to do my best.
BB: Speaking of Olympic dreams, do you think that your former training partner Larisa Yurkiw will join you in training with the Norwegians?
Alcott: That would be lovely if she did. It was a real pity that Canada shut down its women's downhill program. I hope that she finds some good training partners. She deserves a shot at competing at the Olympics after missing the 2010 Games.
BB: I'm sure that you will have a great season and Olympics because of training with the Norwegian team. 
Alcott: I hope to. Do you think they will make me eat ojlmsfjaegger?
BB: According to our intrepid research team, any Norwegian skier moving up to the World Cup must eat ojlmsfjaegger that is either store-bought or made with frozen reindeer hearts. It's an initiation ritual that has been practiced for as long as Norwegians have been skiing.
Alcott: It's a good thing I'm not Norwegian and I have been in the World Cup for many seasons.
BB: But you're an honorary Norwegian because you will be training with Team Norway. Even though you're simply training with the team, you still must go through its initiation ritual.
Alcott: Oh dear! Is there any way I can get out of it?
BB: I'm afraid not. But now you know why the Norwegian team is small yet very strong. 
Alcott: It looks like I picked the wrong team to train with. Hopefully there is still time to find another team who will take me on that won't make me eat such horrid stuff. Or maybe I could pawn the ojlmsfjaegger off on Nick Fellows. He will eat anything.
BB: It looks like we are running out of time. Chemmy, I want to thank you for this interview and want to wish you success in both the World Cup this coming season and at the Olympics. 
Alcott: Thank you. This was a very unique interview.
BB: Our interviews are always unique. Don't worry about the ojlmsfjaegger. If I lived to tell about eating them, you will too. Who knows, they may make you ski even faster. And that concludes another Boston Blickbild exclusive interview. 

The Boston Blickbild. Our motto is: We don't have any initiation rituals for our reporters at the Blickbild.

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How to Make Your Own Ojlmsfjaegger

A Boston Blickbild Exclusive

 

 We at the Blickbild have been innundated with letters and e-mail asking us for recipes for ojlmsfjaegger. As every Norwegian knows from earliest childhood, ojlmsfjaegger are special treats that are served for a person's birthday. Ojlmsfjaegger are pickled reindeer hearts covered in a chocolate and smoked salmon sauce. They are loved by children and adults alike. Since we at the Blickbild do not have any Norwegians on our staff, we decided to send one of our intrepid reporters to Norway to learn all about ojlmsfjaegger. Our reporter met with injured Norwegian skier Kjetil Jansrud, who shared his grandmother's special ojlmsfjaegger recipe with our readers. He also gave us his secret tips for making perfect ojlmsfjaegger that everyone will love.

 

BB: First of all, Kjetil, we at the Blickbild want to wish you a speedy and full recovery from your knee injury.

Jansrud: Thank you. It will be a long road, but I should recover fully. Grandma's ojlmsfjaegger will be a big part of my recovery plan.

BB: Aren't you only supposed to eat them on birthdays?

Jansrud: Every day is someone's birthday, right? (smiles)

BB: That's true. In most countries people eat cake, ice cream, or other sweets on their birthdays. How did Norway come up with eating reindeer organs with fish sauce and chocolate?
Jansrud: Not just any reindeer organs, just the hearts. You have a lot to learn about Norwegian party cuisine.
BB: I evidently do.
Jansrud: In Norway we have a lot of reindeer and salmon. We pickle the reindeer organs to preserve them, even though we now have refrigerators and freezers. Smoked salmon is also one of Norway's national foods. Someone a long time ago had the idea of combining pickled reindeer hearts with smoked salmon.  A little bit of chocolate added to them gives them just the right amount of sweetness. Every family has its own variation on the basic recipe.
BB: What is Grandma Jansrud's ojlmsfjaegger recipe?
Jansrud:  Grandma starts with a small to medium sized reindeer heart, which has been pickled in brine for at least six weeks.  Then she cuts the heart into cubes that are approximately one centimeter on each side. Reindeer hearts normally weigh between one and two-and-a-half kilograms (note to our US readers: that's about 2.2 to 5.5 pounds). But the smaller and medium hearts are the best. The larger ones are tougher and don't taste quite as good.
BB: Where does she get the reindeer hearts? Does someone in your family kill the reindeer or can you get reindeer hearts at the supermarket?
Jansrud: She buys them at a local butcher who sells the freshest meat in Norway. There are also jars of pickled reindeer hearts already cut into cubes that you can buy at a supermarket, but they aren't the same. You can even get reindeer hearts that are frozen in brine at the supermarket, but they are awful! If you want good ojlmsfjaegger, never buy frozen reindeer hearts.
BB: In most other countries reindeer aren't as plentiful as they are in Norway. Can someone substitute a beef,  deer, or moose heart because of the unavailability of fresh reindeer hearts?
Jansrud: I wouldn't do it. That sounds terrible! I would imagine that the taste of the hearts would be different and then it wouldn't be real ojlmsfjaegger. I'm not sure how they would mix with the smoked salmon and chocolate sauce.
BB:  What comes next after the reindeer hearts are cut into cubes?
Jansrud: Then we make the sauce. You need a big pot because the reindeer hearts will be put into the pot after the sauce is made. It's the best way to ensure that every side of the heart cubes are covered in sauce.
BB: Tell our readers how Grandma makes her sauce.
Jansrud: First she takes about 250 to 300 grams of smoked salmon and liquifies it in the blender or food processor. Grandma's smoked salmon is the best because she has her own smoker.
BB: Does the salmon have to be home-smoked, or can you use store-bought smoked salmon?
Jansrud: Home-smoked salmon makes the best ojlmsfjaegger. I have had it with smoked salmon from the supermarket, but it was not as good as Grandma's. Then Grandma puts 250 grams of butter and 250 grams of chocolate into the pot and melts them over low heat. When the butter and chocolate have melted together, she adds the salmon and stirs it all together.
BB: Does it matter if you use milk or dark chocolate?
Jansrud: I eat ojlmsfjaegger with either type of chocolate. But the secret to Grandma's ojlmsfjaegger is the butter. She uses reindeer butter instead of butter from cows. You can really taste the difference.
BB: I see. What happens when the sauce is ready?
Jansrud: Then Grandma puts the reindeer heart cubes into the pot and stirs them gently until they are all covered in sauce. You don't want to stir them too hard or they will get smashed. After the cubes of reindeer heart are covered in sauce, they are taken out of the pot one by one and placed on a plate or sheet of baking or wax paper and put into the refrigerator. They must stay in the refrigerator at least two hours to allow the sauce to cool and stick to the reindeer hearts. One of my fondest childhood memories was dipping my finger in the pot after all of the ojlmsfjaegger have been removed and licking the sauce from it.
BB: It doesn't seem like it takes very long to make ojlmsfjaegger. But women these days have careers and often don't have time to make them. Can you buy them in a bakery or pre-made in a grocery store instead of making them?
Jansrud: The best ojlmsfjaegger are homemade, especially Grandma's. The ones from the bakery are okay, and they will do in a pinch. But the ones from the grocery store have preservatives to keep them fresh on the shelf. Who knows how long they have been sitting in the store? I would never eat ojlmsfjaegger from a grocery store. The fresher, the better.
BB: Did you know that your teammate Aksel Lund Svindal bought Julia Mancuso a box of Milka chocolate hearts and replaced half of them with heart-shaped ojlmsfjaegger?
Jansrud: You go, Aksel! What a true romantic! Actually my teammate Henrik Kristoffersen and I were in on it too. Unfortunately, I had to leave Schladming because of my injury. But Aksel told me that he and Henrik finished making the ojlmsfjaegger hearts just in time. How did Julia like them?
BB: I heard that the box was empty before she left for Meribel and it looks like she survived.
Jansrud: I'm sure she enjoyed them very much because everybody loves ojlmsfjaegger. If she and Aksel get married, she will learn how to make them. Aksel also hates store-bought ojlmsfjaegger. It's also valid grounds for divorce in Norway if your wife can't make ojlmsfjaegger.  Speaking of homemade ojlmsfjaegger, I just happen to have some that Grandma made especially because she knew I was being interviewed by the Boston Blickbild. Would you like to try a piece?
BB: I'd really love to, but I had a very big lunch and am still full from it. But I'll take it with me.
Jansrud: No, you really must try it now.
BB: I'd like nothing better, but I'm having a big dinner tonight and need to save some room for it.
Jansrud: I did this interview with you because the Blickbild has the most intrepid reporters in the business. You're not very intrepid at all!
BB: OK, I'll try it.  (taking a piece of ojlmsfjaegger, then taking three deep breaths)  Here goes! (with eyes closed eats the piece of ojlmsfjaegger). Hey! This is really good! Do you think I can have some to take back to my hotel with me?
Jansrud: Of course. Grandma made a whole batch this morning for me to give to you. OK, I admit that I took a couple of pieces because I just couldn't resist.
BB: Kjetil, I want to thank you for your time and for the ojlmsfjaegger. Tell your grandmother that they are delicious. And that concludes another Boston Blickbild exclusive interview.

The Boston Blickbild. Our motto is: Our reporters have eaten ojlmsfjaegger and lived to tell about it.

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Athlete Profile: Aksel Lund Svindal and Julia Mancuso

A Boston Blickbild Exclusive

Norwegian skier Aksel Lund Svindal and US skier Julia Mancuso are Alpine skiing's power couple of the 2010s. They have replaced Austrians Benjamin Raich and Marlies Schild as skiing's "in" couple. Raich and Schild are so 2008. We at the Blickbild realize that others have published stories and interviews about Svindal and Mancuso. Normally we would not touch a story about them with a 10-foot pole as the saying goes. But our intrepid reporters and researchers have found out things about Svindal and Mancuso that the others never dared to print. The Blickbild was granted a special Valentine's Day interview with Aksel and Julia. It's only fitting that we get to know them a little better today.
 

BB: You two are such a great couple. One reason is that you both are very positive, upbeat people. Win or lose, you both have a smile for the fans and for each other. You seem to be very supportive of each other on and off the slopes. Are your smiles a big act for the fans? Are you really grouchy and angry when you're away from the cameras? 

Mancuso: Not at all. I am truly happy because I am doing something that I love. I am happy whether or not there is a camera focusing on me. And Aksel is very supportive. It's one reason why I love him.

Svindal: I am also doing a job that I love. How many others can say that they truly love their work? Julia is also a great support, especially when I have a poor performance. She really knows how to lift my spirits.

BB: There is talk of you two getting married. If you did get married, where would you live?

Svindal: Definitely Norway.

Mancuso: I'm from Squaw Valley, California. I would either want to live there or Hawaii. I spend a lot of the off-season on Maui and love it there.

Svindal: We discussed this before and you agreed that we would live in Norway.

BB: Oh dear!  I don't want to start an argument, so let's move on to the next question. Benni and Marlies have 24 Olympic and World Championship medals between them. You two have 19. Do you think you can surpass Marlies and Benni's medal count?
Svindal: It's possible. If Julia works a little harder at getting medals, we will defnitely do it.
Mancuso: What do you mean, if I work a little harder?
Svindal: Well I do have more medals than you. I have 11 and you only have 8. You need to step it up and do your part if we're going to pass up Benni and Marlies. I got 3 medals in Vancouver and you only got 2. In Schladming I have two medals so far and you only have one. You need to start contributing more.
Mancuso: How do you think I feel when you constantly remind me that you have more medals than me? I'd think you'd be proud of me. Any world championship or Olympic medal is a big prize. I'm happy for you when you win races and earn medals.
Svindal: You don't have that real competitive fire. Look at someone like Lindsey Vonn. She is a real competitor. Lindsey lives and breathes racing. Medals and records are very important to her. Sometimes I get the impression that you're more into having a good time than wanting to win more races and medals. Look at me. I have 2 World Cup overall globes and 5 discipline titles. You don't have any globes.
Mancuso: I thought that one of the reasons why you love me is because I'm  having a great time racing and keep a positive attitude whether I win or fail to finish a race. I may not be the most competitive racer, but I seem to be the one on the World Cup circuit who enjoys it the most. I'd rather enjoy what I'm doing than be caught up in medal counts or winning crystal globes. If I won  any crystal globes, where would we put them? Yours are taking up all the space.
BB: Wow, I didn't mean to cause any friction. This is supposed to be a friendly interview. Let's talk about what you do in the off-season. Julia, tell our readers about teaching Aksel how to surf and windsurf.
Mancuso: It's a lot of fun when we surf and windsurf together. Aksel picked it up very quickly.
Svindal: Julia really is a good teacher.
Mancuso: Thank you.
BB: Aksel, do you think you'll be a professional surfer or windsurfer as your next career?
Svindal: No, I think I'll stick with skiing. Being out on the water is a lot of fun, but it's hard work pretending not to be any good at either surfing or windsurfing.
BB: Do you mean that you're only pretending to be a poor surfer and windsurfer?
Svindal: Yes. Julia is correct that I picked up those sports very quickly. I'm actually better than she is. But I pretend to be a spaz when I'm with her so that she feels good.
Mancuso: What!?! All this time we were out on the water you were pretending to have problems! This is the first time I've heard this.
BB: Oh boy. Let's try another topic. Aksel, has your family met Julia?
Svindal: Yes they have and they all love her.
Mancuso: I feel like Aksel's family has truly accepted me and I feel like one of the family. At first they seemed a little distant, but I attributed that to them being Scandinavian. But after Aksel's brother's last birthday party, I feel like I'm one of the family.
BB: What happened at that birthday party?
Mancuso: We all started doing shots of some home-brewed  stuff that smelled like paint thinner and tasted horrible.
Svindal: That was special Norwegian cognac made from the finest pickled herring.
Mancuso: So we're drinking this awful stuff. After two shots, everyone is totally drunk and starts burping loudly. I figure that I'm supposed to burp loudly too, so I let out the loudest belch of all. Everyone starts patting me on the back and saying, "Julia, you rock!"
Svindal: That was so embarrassing. Julia evidently didn't know that only the men are supposed to burp loudly at Norwegian parties. But my relatives wanted to make Julia feel at home, so they applauded her burping. But then it got worse. Julia refused to eat the ojlmsfjaegger.
BB: Excuse me, but what are ojlmsfjaegger?
Svindal: They are special Norwegian birthday treats. Ojlmsfjaegger are cubes of pickled reindeer heart covered in a special chocolate and smoked salmon sauce. All Norwegians look forward to birthday parties just so they can eat ojlmsfjaegger.
Mancuso: I was just about to eat one because Aksel's cousin said that it was a special birthday treat. But then he told me what it was made of. I couldn't bring myself to eat it, even after watching everyone else eat them like they were candy. Just the thought of what they are made out of makes me want to vomit.
Svindal: Well, they are like candy to Norwegians.
Mancuso: And you wonder why I want to live in the States. At least we have proper candy made out of chocolate and sugar and not from reindeer organs and fish sauce!
Svindal: At least Norway's stores aren't full of processed artificial foods. We eat real food in Norway. There are a lot less obese Norwegians than there are obese Americans!
Mancuso: There are a lot more Americans than Norwegians, so of course there will be more fat Americans.
BB: Whoa! I think it's time to wrap up this interview before things get out of hand. Aksel and Julia, congratulations on your medals in Schladming. I also hope that the rest of the season is successful for both of you.
Aksel: Thank you. I'm sure your readers will think this is a very enlightening interview.
Mancuso: Thank you. Aksel is right about this interview. We'll have a lot to talk about later.
BB: And that concludes another Boston Blickbild exclusive interview. The Blickbild is in Schladming reporting all the action that the others avoid.

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