Scandilicious Baking

Signe is a young English-speaking Norwegian food anthropologist and cook, blogging from Bloomsbury. She trained as a chef stagiere at Heston Blumenthal's Fat Duck Experimental Kitchen and at Leiths School of Food & Wine (Diploma 2006-2007), as well as working stages at Rick Stein's Seafood restaurant in Padstow, Racine and Ottolenghi and providing private catering for clients such as Democrats Abroad and corporate clients. Signe is a co-author of The Ultimate Student Cookbook (Absolute Press 2009) and contributor to The Big Bumper Book of Marmite (Absolute Press 2009), a regular recipe writer for the Beyond Baked Beans budget cookery website and co-founder of the Students Can Cook Campaign. She is also an experienced recipe tester, having worked on The Ultimate Student Cookbook, The Big Bumper Book of Marmite and as assistant to Fiona Beckett in The Frugal Cook. Signe's blog, Scandilicious, specialises in modern Scandinavian cooking. She is active in social media both on twitter as @scandilicious and on the facebook page of Beyond Baked Beans, participating in live events such as the GoodFood TV channel re-launch, matching food and wine competions and as head chef of the Blaggers' Banquet in aid of Action Against Hunger (November 2009). Signe graduated with a BA in Social Anthropology at Cambridge in 2003 and gained her MA in Antropology of Food at the University of London (SOAS) in 2009. She will be taking up a post as part-time lecturer at the School of Artisan Food on food science, umami and terroir as of September 2010 when she starts a PhD in the anthropology of fermentation, specialising in artisan bread. She teaches a monthly 1 day Introduction to Scandinavian cooking course at Leith's School of Food and Wine, and somehow also finds time to bake cakes for The Scandinavian Kitchen in Great Titchfield Street, London W1. She speaks Norwegian, English, German, Japanese and Spanish.

'Signe Johansen celebrates the gloriously flavourful world of Scandinavian baking ... The straightforward and honest recipes, full of warming spices and feel-good grains, are enhanced by mouthwatering photography - Ms Johansen's enthusiasm and passion for hearty, comforting Scandinavian fare shines through' -- Delicious, Book of the Month 'Signe's second book maintains the fjord-fresh Scandinavian tastes of Scandilicious, with traditional and modern ideas. Her use of grains such as spelt and barley adds texture and flavour to more healthy baking' -- BBC Good Food 'Bakers sick of being assulted by frosting frou-frou and cutesy cakes every time they open a book will delight in Sig's earthy recipes ... she's clever and creative.' -- Metro 'Signe Johansen is highly qualified to spread some Scandinavian baking love... you'll be busy for hours delving into these unusual treats' -- Fork magazine 'Full of flavours and clever ideas' -- Alice Hart, Saga magazine 'The coolest cook to bang the drum for Scandinavian cooking.' -- Taste Journal, 2012 'Perfect for seasoned bakers... these are chic updates on the usual Christmas bakes.' -- Olive, December 2012 'In a year crowded with baking books, this collection stands out. Johansen, from Norway, has the two qualities you want in a baker: flawless taste and rigorous technique. Her oat cookies are the best i've ever made, and sticky cinamon bun-cake, with a suspicion of cardamom, is the stuff of Nordic dreams... Scandilicious indeed.' -- Bee Wilson, Sunday Times Books of the Year 20121125 You could have sold anything in 2012 by sticking the word 'Scandinavian' on it but this confident second book by cook and anthropologist Johansen reminds you why. Some of the world's best baked goods, presented in her now trademark easy style'. -- Food Books of the Year, Financial Times 20121201