First day in a hot town after two weeks of sea breeze in the archipelago. Torture. Not just because I had to take a break in my vacation. The city is sticky hot. Literally. I shouldn’t complain about the summery temperatures. In winter, I’ll sure miss them. And I don’t. I just complain about my…
Month: July 2018
My favorite Finnish beverages
Today was the last day of our Finland vacation – time to recap (and to get sentimental): We’ve spent quality time as a family, shared experiences and created memories for the future. We’ve talked and laughed with dear friends and relatives. We’ve been blessed with the most beautiful weather with temperatures reaching +30°C. The sea…
Steamed perch
As I told you in a former blog post, perch used to be really common in the waters surrounding our summer cottage. Today, it’s hard to catch any at all. This summer, we had perch only once. As always, it was seasoned with coarse salt, allspice and bay leaves, poached and served with buttered crispbread….
Summer cake
One of the perks of having children is that you make new acquaintances through your kids’ activities – acquaintances that even might develop into friendships. Today, we had a couple of befriended families over for coffee and a swim. The swim got a bit short, as we realized that a snake was joining us in…
Trio of salmon
Fish is an integral part of any archipelago menu. This summer, we had primarily salmon: hot-smoked, cured and in soup. Hot-smoked salmon on archipelago loaf and my mother’s mustard sauce with crème fraîche, dill and lemon pepper My mother made this amazing gravlax by marinating a salmon fillet (with skin) with coarse salt, sugar and…
Viili with my mother’s own grown berries
Viili is a typical Finnish fermented milk product consumed mainly at breakfast or as a snack. It has a a ropey, gelatinous texture and a velvety, yeast-like fungus surface. The taste is pleasantly mild with a subtle acid note. I like viili best with my mother’s own grown strawberries, raspberries, gooseberries, blackcurrant, redcurrant and wild…
Culinary Bodö
The Finnish archipelago has an extensive network of guest harbors. Some guest harbors offer full service with electricity, WC, sauna and showers, washing machines, restaurants, shops, WiFi and repair facilities whereas the infrastructure in other harbors can be quite limited. Bodö in the middle of the Archipelago National Park (N59°54,49′ E21°45,00′) is an example of…
Blogger Recognition Award
I’m very pleased and honored to announce that I’ve been nominated for the first time ever. Alicia from Commememucho was kind enough to nominate Mums! for the Blogger Recognition Award. I’m so grateful and humble and excited. Muchas gracias, querida Alicia! Alicia is a fellow food blogger and phenomenal cook. How my blog started I’ve…
Dark rye loaf with liver sausage and blackcurrant
Compact dark loaf with a distinctive taste of rye, malt and sugar beet molasses is a speciality of the archipelago. Every village has its very own variation. My favorite is Rosalalimpan with sunflower seeds. Another popular Finnish comestible product is the liver sausage. It’s typically served as a spread or in slices on open-faced sandwiches….
Jordgubbstårta (Strawberry Cream Cake)
A summer without strawberry cream cake is no summer at all. We usually enjoy jordgubbstårta at our summer cottage, where the possibilities in the kitchen are limited. Therefore, we cheat and buy the sponge cake and use vanilla cream custard powder. The strawberries are own grown, though. The strawberry cream cake is assembled by generously…
Plätthuset (the Pancake House)
We arrived at our summer cottage late yesterday. Much later than expected. Halfway through, on open water, one of the rudders on the boat broke and instead of at regular speed, we proceeded at six knots only. Luckily enough, the sun was shining and the mirror calm sea reflected the sun rays beautifully. And we…
Culinary Moominworld
According to Moominmamma, whose main concern is the physical well-being of her beloved ones, “all fun is good for the stomach”. And great fun it is in Moominworld in Naantali. You can hug the fluffy Moomins, listen to the intriguing dialogue between Mrs Fillyjonk and the Police Inspector and sing along with Little My. And…
Culinary South-West Coastal Finland
Yesterday, we flew to Finland, to my old hoods. For me, going home is so much more than just visiting familiar places and meeting up with long-time friends and family. Going home also means re-experiencing authentic tastes, touching base with my culinary roots. I’m looking forward to fresh fish, rye bread, wild berries and endless…
Herbal focaccia
My girls love focaccia. I usually make it of bough leftover pizza dough. But the dough is actually really simple. Even a baker apprentice like me will manage. Solve 21 g yeast (half a package) in 3.5 dl lukewarm water. Add a pinch of sugar, 1 tbsp salt, 1 tbsp dried Italian herbs, 2 tbsp…
Veggie soup with feta cheese
Have you ever had to cook with whatever ingredients you happen to have at home? That happens to me all the time. So a part of my creativity is forced upon my by the fact that I haven’t manage to grocery shop. Now it’s out. My secret is revealed. Chop zucchini, shallots, new potatoes, carrots,…
Fior di latte gelato
A minimum of ingredients, a maximum of taste – that’s a pretty accurate description of fior di latte gelato. It consist of milk, cream, sugar and a tiny pinch of salt only. Nonetheless, the authenticity of the milk flavor is amazing. The best of milk, really. No wonder, the band Phoenix refers to fior di…
Cherry chutney on veal chop
Early summer means cherry season. Sun-ripe, juicy, sweet drupes waiting to be transformed into delicious dishes. This cholesterol reducing superfood is so versatile – it can be used in sweet and savory cooking alike. I turned the cherries into a tasty chutney, which I paired with wonderfully tender veal chops. What a feast! Cherry chutney:…
Salmon sashimi with soy sauce and vegetable spirals
Almost two months ago, I received a shoutout request on Instagram. To an Instagram newbie like me, the term was completely unfamiliar. After having googled it and checked out the requester’s stream, I decided to give it a try. There is some resemblance between the reposted picture and mine – or what do you think?…
Pimientos de Padrón • Halloumi • Raspberries • Herbs 💚
This is another simple dish where different tastes come together nicely: a sweet sourness of the raspberries, a gentle saltiness of the halloumi and an earthy bitterness of the green peppers. Plated elegantly, this dish could even be mistaken for haute cuisine. Pimientos de Padrón: Drizzle the small green peppers with olive oil and roast…
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