Honeyed sour milk jelly with bee pollen

The first leg of this summer’s trip to Finland took me to Riga. Only to the airport, but still. Between changing planes, I had the chance to browse the tax-free shops and the interesting culinary treats Latvia has to offer. Bee pollen, for instance. Finally in Finland, I combined it with a jelly featuring one…

Crayfish and wild mushroom bruschetta

Foraging for wild mushrooms and celebrating crayfish parties are two dear Finnish traditions of mine. This dish pays homage to both. Start by (sending your better half) collecting mushrooms. Mine brought me chanterelle, penny bun and birch bolete, but you can use any edible fungi you find. Then separate the tails and tomalley from the…

Blue cheese • Sweet potato • Pomegranate • Rocket

When in Finland, eat Aura. Aura is Finland’s very own blue cheese – semi-soft texture wise and earthily tangy taste wise. It combines perfectly with sweet batatas, acidic pomegranate and fragrant herbs. And creates a fusion of tastes originating from the Nordics, Central America as well as Middle East, South Asia and the Mediterranean region….

Sugar snap pea ice cream on smoked salmon

Sweet snap peas with salty salmon – that’s an unbeatable combination. When I saw snap peas on the farmers’ market the other day, I immediately decided to buy a pound. The season is quite short and for me, snap peas are epitome of summer. Blend 200 g sugar snap peas, 100 g quark and a…

Licorice with white chocolate and red fruits

Yesterday, my four week summer vacation started and today, I finally arrived in the Finnish archipelago. When I think about Finland, and in particular, about its culinary side, licorice immediately comes into my mind. I love licorice, but you already know that. This dish, which I came up with on the occasion of the Food…

Shakshouka

One of the recent food trends comprises Levantine cuisine. In the wake of trying out the newest shifts, I fell in love with eggs in purgatory. That’s such a dramatic name, isn’t it? I prefer the Arabic version – shakshouka – referring to mixture. Because that’s what it is. A beautiful mixture of tastes in…

Deconstructed golden beetroot 💚

More experimental cooking. This time, I created a dish featuring mellow golden beetroot served in three different ways – pickled, mashed and seared. Pickles: Pickle thin slices of golden beetroot in a liquid consisting of one part water and one part white aceto balsamico seasoned with salt, sugar and white pepper. Bring the liquid to…

Poached cherry tomatoes, pan-seared watermelon and marinated strawberries on grilled halloumi 💚

Today, I was playing around in the kitchen. Experimenting with shapes and textures. I ended up with a trio of spheres, all in red but all cooked using different techniques. What do you think about the outcome? Score a shallow cross in the skin on the bottom of the cherry tomatoes. Cover the tomatoes with…