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Another Slice of Norwegian Pizza
Another Slice of Norwegian Pizza
I mentioned that Norway leads the world in per capita pizza consumption in my October 24, 2025, Friday Photo. I thought all you “aficionadoughs” out there “kneaded” to know more.
A fraction of the size of the US, Norway’s 5.3 million inhabitants consume 47 million frozen pizzas annually. And an astounding 50% of those pizzas are Grandiosa brand.
From Nå er det priskrig på Grandiosa
The brand is so ubiquitous that in 2004, 20 percent of the population considered Grandiosa an unofficial national dish. Some devoted fans substitute it for the more traditional Christmas Eve dishes such as pinnekjøtt (cured lamb ribs) or svineribbe (pork ribs). So, how did a humble frozen pizza brand become a national treasure?
Frank Pepe, an illiterate Italian teenager from the Amalfi Coast, immigrated to New Haven, Connecticut, in 1909. He went back to Italy to fight in World War I. After returning to America, Frank and his new wife Filomena opened Pepe’s Pizzeria in 1925.
At Pepe’s, an employee named Louis Jordan sharpened his wood-fired pizza-making skills. Louis and his wife Anne then decided to move to Norway, opening Peppes Pizza in Oslo in May of 1970. Their nine varieties of American/Italian pizza attracted a strong following.
Soon they had 78 locations, and today they are one of the most popular pizza chains in Norway. At the same time, an influx of Middle Eastern immigrants made kebabs ubiquitous.
According to Erlend Brandshaug Horvei, a Gastro Obscura contributor, “Every little town or village has a pizza restaurant of some sort, usually a combined pizza and kebab shop. With a kebab shop within 20 minutes of almost every house, getting a pizza is never really an issue.”
Norwegian pizza restaurants are known for fusing traditional Italian pizza ingredients with corn, cashews, pineapple, spinach, and eggplant. So are pizzas adorned with kebabs, topped with French fries, and drizzled with Béarnaise sauce.
From Fries-Kebab-Pizza with Bearnaise sauce instead of stock one. : r/MenuHacker
Even with the success of Peppes, many Norwegians in the 1970s had yet to try their first pie. So, how did Grandiosa’s humble brand become a national treasure?
It turns out to be luck. Their factory manager agreed to manufacture frozen pizzas without knowing what a pizza was! In February of 1980, the first pies sized to feed a family rolled out of the plant. By the 1990s, sales doubled, and Grandiosa became part of Norwegian food history.
The original pie, topped with mild tomato sauce, Jarlsberg cheese, and paprika, accounts for 9 million sales annually. A local hack involves adding additional cheese and drowning the pie in ketchup.
From Erlend Brandshaug Horvei
The Shot
Last October 13, our photography group stopped at a Geirangerfjord viewpoint. The moody weather (described last week) made this shot possible by simplifying the background with haze and producing a photogenic flow of water in the distant waterfall.
After this image, it was on to the town of Geiranger, where we boarded the ferry to our next destination. On the ferry, I had a chance to try another local taste treat, the Norwegian signature hot dog.
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Chuck Derus Zenfolio | Chuck Derus
Moody
Moody
Witnessing a glorious sunrise or sunset is a primal blessing. Everyone seems to stop and stare at the majestic pinks, yellows, reds, and oranges on display.
Photographers live for those spectacles. But fleeting moments of stunning colorful light are uncommon. A lack of clouds or uncooperative weather is the norm.
It is all too easy to give up when it’s rainy and cloudy. While a lack of clouds (“severely clear”) is difficult to overcome, the changing light created by rain and passing clouds can create visual drama and expressive images.
I had to reset my expectations when I realized that my entire week in Norway last October was going to be foggy and rainy. It was time to “see” differently. I waited for fog, light shafts, dappled light, and moody clouds.
With a visual anchor in the foreground, there were interesting images if you waited for the right moments. Such was the case at Mount Litlefjellet that I described in the January 16 Friday Photo.
The Shot
The classic observation point of Litlefjellet is a one-mile hike with an elevation gain of 460 feet. I launched my drone, taking the effortless way instead.
Once there, I spotted a beautiful reflection pool and hovered a few feet above it. After waiting about ten minutes, the sun popped out enough to create light on the peak and dramatic clouds.
Feeling immensely satisfied, I flew the drone home and packed up my gear. It would be my last image of Norway and one that invokes fond memories of my experiences there. Now it was time to drive back to Trondheim and enjoy the moody views along the way.
Jon Christofersen iPhone photo
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Chuck Derus Zenfolio | Chuck Derus
The Icon
The Icon
Holy Trinity Orthodox Cathedral, 1121 N. Leavitt St., Chicago, is the cathedral church of the Orthodox Diocese of the Midwest. Louis Sullivan, one of the seminal architects of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, designed just two churches. This is one of them. The other is St. Paul United Methodist Church in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Sullivan’s design is a Chicago Landmark and on the US National Register of Historic Places.
Sullivan’s original watercolor design rendering.
In the late 1800s, Chicago’s Northwest side Ukrainian Village neighborhood was home to a growing Orthodox community. The church’s founders were immigrants from Carpathian Rus, Galicia, and the Balkans seeking a place to worship.
In 1895, Father John Kochurov arrived from St. Petersburg, Russia, to care for the Chicago and downstate Streeter, Illinois, parishes. Soon afterwards, he began planning for a Chicago church and rectory, engaging Louis Sullivan as the architect.
Sullivan’s design reflects the small, intimate, rural buildings that the emigrants left behind in the Old World. It features Russian provincial architectural elements, including an octagonal dome and a frontal bell tower.
Along with traditional Russian design elements, Sullivan added Art Nouveau and Arts and Crafts decorative elements. These include the decorative design over the western entrance to the church, the window and roof framing, the bell tower, and the cupolas.
Tsars historically donated to build churches. Tsar St. Nicholas II of Russia gifted $2,700 ($102,000 in today’s dollars) to the construction fund. And Louis Sullivan donated $1,250 (about $47,000 in today’s dollars) of his fee, along with an elaborate Healy & Millet chandelier worth $50,000 to $100,000 in today’s dollars.
The platform where the bishop stands in the foreground with the chandelier in the center of the space.
The chandelier from below. Its eight sides echo the eight sides of the cupola above it.
The cornerstone of Holy Trinity was laid on March 31, 1902. A year later, St. Tikhon of Moscow consecrated the church on March 29, 1903.
Holy Trinity was elevated by the Diocese to cathedral status in 1923. It serves as the cathedral church of the Diocese of the Midwest of the Orthodox Church in America.
The Theotokos of Tikhvin
The Theotokos of Tikhvin is one of the most celebrated Orthodox Christian icons. According to ancient tradition, the Tikhvin icon of the Mother of God is one of several painted by St. Luke the Evangelist. The icon is associated with numerous miracles and has been a source of comfort and hope for many believers.
The Theotokos of Tikhvin replica in Holy Trinity.
Most of the icon, except the exposed skin of Jesus and Mary (the two faces and necks, both sets of hands, and the feet of Jesus), is normally covered by a chased (protective) frame of silver, gold, and jewels (riza).
The riza is evident in the replica of The Theotokos of Tikhvin.
In the 5th century, the icon was taken from Jerusalem to Constantinople. In 1383, it miraculously appeared, hovering over a Russian lake near Tikhvin. Over the centuries, its fame inspired multiple copies throughout Russia and beyond.
The Tikhvin Assumption Monastery was founded in 1560 to host the icon. Despite several fires that consumed the monastery over the centuries, it survived. It also survived the Great Terror, the Communist purge of religion that began in 1917 and finally ended in 1938.
In addition, it survived World War II. In 1941, Nazi troops occupied Tikhvin. They looted the monastery, taking the icon to Pskov, and then to Riga in 1944. The icon again escaped destruction when it was taken to the United States for safety in 1949 by Bishop John Garklāvs of Riga.
From 1949 to 2004, the icon remained at Holy Trinity Orthodox Cathedral. It was returned to the Tikhvin Assumption Monastery in 2004 by the bishop’s adopted son, Fr. Sergei Garklāvs of Chicago. In return, Bishop Mstislav of Tikhvin gave the cathedral an exact reproduction of the Tikhvin Icon, complete with a bejeweled riza, in 2016.
The Shot
Last Saturday, the Meetup group 1001 Things to See in Chicago Before You Die hosted a docent-led tour of Holy Trinity. The history was so fascinating that it was difficult to pull myself away to take a few images of the little-known architectural gem.
I’d encourage Chicagoans to visit. Check out Eventbrite Chicago for tour dates and times.
Thanks for looking,
Chuck Derus Zenfolio | Chuck Derus
Icy Brilliance
Icy Brilliance
Winter transforms the landscape. A blanket of snow simplifies an otherwise chaotic scene. Without visual distractions, photographic subjects pop out in powerful ways.
Winter also brings the potential for dramatic subjects. Along Lake Superior’s frozen shoreline, winter creates something rare: ice caves shaped by wind, waves, and deep cold.
With the right combination of winter conditions, ice caves form and offer a quiet, unforgettable winter experience. But you need to be alert. Ice conditions can change quickly, and what appears solid can become dangerous without warning.
The Shot
On March 4, 2022, the conditions were perfect. A deep freeze in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan created thick ice suitable for a safe snowmobile ride to Grand Island near Munising, Michigan. Freeze/thaw cycles had created sheets of ice hanging from the sandstone cliffs.
Because of the copper dissolved in the water, blues and greens stained the giant icicles. Working my way into the caves and shooting into the sun transformed them into glowing specters.
While my sunrise images were the strongest, several opportunities presented themselves in the early morning. Because of the hazy cirrus clouds, I was able to shoot into the sun and create a sun star image. Without the haze, it would never have been possible.
It was a brisk 16 degrees (above, thank goodness) that morning. I was starting to feel cold when our snowmobile operator uncovered a portable generator and coffee machine! Within minutes, I was enjoying a cup of hot, freshly brewed coffee.
That’s me on the right, enjoying a hot cup of coffee.
After that, it was a scenic ride back to Munising for a classic bacon and eggs breakfast.
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Chuck Derus Zenfolio | Chuck Derus
Fjords
“In the hush of fjords so deep,
Where the ancient waters sleep,
Mountains rise like silent kings,
Crowned with snow and eagle wings.”
From Land of Light and Silence by The Global Symphony
Rugged is an understatement. Norway’s much-indented coastline features 239,057 islands and 81,192 islets. One of the world's northernmost countries, it’s also one of Europe's most mountainous countries, dominated by the Scandinavian Mountains.
Interestingly, this country-length chain of peaks is geologically continuous with the mountains of Scotland, Ireland, and after crossing under the Atlantic Ocean, our own Appalachian Mountains. Before the breakup of the ancient supercontinent Panaea 200 million years ago, it was a single mountain range.
During the ice ages, Norway was covered with a thick sheet of ice. Movement of the ice carved out deep valleys. When the ice retreated and melted, the sea filled many of these valleys, creating Norway's 1,190 fjords.
Despite being at the same northern latitude as Alaska and Siberia, Norway's climate is milder than you expect. The Norwegian Current, an extension of the Gulf Stream, brings warmer waters to the coast, moderating the climate. During my recent November trip centered in Trondheim, Norway, it never felt all that cold.
Rather than trying to further describe this lovely country, I invite you to view a music video at Songs About Countries #62: Norway – “Land of Light and Silence” | A Nordic Song of Fjords.
The Shot
The climate may be mild, but winds off the Atlantic often bring rain, and that was the case for our entire week of photography.
Embracing the saying “bad weather makes for good photographs,” we adjusted our mindset and embraced the fog and clouds.
On the last morning, we were in Litlefjellet, a small saddle between two valleys: Venjedalen and Romsdalen through which the Rauma River flows. The nearest town is Åndalsnes. The area is famous for its mountainous landscapes and is quite popular with tourists.
Our objective was Mount Litlefjellet (marked as 87 on the map below).
We thought we might catch a break and see the sun peek through the clouds, but it never happened. So, we made the most of the beautiful waterfall scene in front of us without a hint of blue sky or the pink clouds of sunrise.
It was a delightful week of all things Norway with a fine group of photographers. And despite longing to see blue sky or a colorful sunrise/sunset, I thoroughly enjoyed my photographic exploration of a land where so many of my fellow Minnesotans had ancestors.
Thanks for looking,
Chuck Derus Zenfolio | Chuck Derus