Recipes emphasize simple foods and flavors

The Scandinavian cookbook "Kitchen of Light" contains more than 100 recipes, 30 personal essays and 150 color photographs. Here are three of Andreas Viestad's recipes.

Onion Pie with Jarlsberg and Thyme

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

4 to 5 red onions, cut into ½-inch slices

4 garlic cloves, sliced

1 bay leaf

5 black peppercorns

2 to 3 whole cloves

Fine sea salt

1 sheet puff pastry (thawed if frozen)

1 cup grated Jarlsberg, Gouda, Parmesan or Gruyère cheese

2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves

Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions, garlic, bay leaf, peppercorns and cloves and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook for about 20 minutes, or until the onions are soft but not brown. Season with salt to taste.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Line a medium-size ovenproof dish with puff pastry. Remove cloves, peppercorns and bay leaf from the onions and discard. Place the onions in the dish and add the grated cheese and 1 teaspoon thyme. Bake in the oven on the lowest rack for 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Just before serving, sprinkle on the rest of the thyme. Serves 4.

Honey-and-Mustard- Marinated Salmon with Rosemary Apples

1 pound salmon fillet, skin on, any pin bones removed

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon honey

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon chili powder (optional)

Fleur de sel (sea salt)

4 sweet apples, such as Golden Delicious

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 small sprig fresh rosemary

Fresh mint leaves (optional)

Rinse the fish under cold running water. Pat dry with paper towels.

In a shallow dish, mix the olive oil, honey, mustard, garlic, lemon juice and chili powder, if using. Place the fish in the mixture, turning to coat it with the marinade. Cover and marinate for 2 to 3 hours in the refrigerator or, if pressed for time, for 30 minutes at room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Transfer the fish to a baking dish. Bake for about 12 minutes or until the flesh flakes nicely with a fork. Season with salt.

Meanwhile, core the apples and cut each into 8 wedges. Heat butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the apples and rosemary, reduce heat to medium, and cook for 5 minutes until tender. Remove from heat and discard the rosemary.

Serve the fish with the apples, garnished with mint, if desired. Serves 2.

Summer Berries with Bay Leaf Custard

5 large egg yolks

¼ cup superfine sugar

1 cup whole milk

1¼ cups heavy (whipping) cream

2 to 3 bay leaves, preferably fresh, plus 4 to 6 for garnish (optional)

2 pounds mixed berries, such as blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, and/or currants, stemmed and/or hulled

In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar together until pale and thick.

In a medium saucepan, combine the egg yolk mixture, milk, cream and bay leaves. Heat gently over medium-low to low heat, stirring constantly, until the custard thickens enough to leave a velvety coating on the back of a wooden spoon (175 degrees). Do not let the mixture boil or it will curdle. Remove it from the heat as soon as you have obtained the right thickness and continue stirring for 2 more minutes. Leave the bay leaves in the custard while it cools, then remove them.

Place the berries in dishes, pour the custard over, garnish with bay leaves, if desired, and serve. Serves 4 to 6.

Recipes from "Kitchen of Light" by Andreas Viestad