liisamarja's

salmon on fennel and leek

2012-02-20T14:58:00.002+02:00

on saturday certain someone had gone shopping and bought salmon and fennel for sunday lunch. i had not felt like eating much all week, let alone cook anything so i was looking for something very easy...

for some reason i've started to like fennel, i figured it would go swell with salmon. there was some leek in the fridge, so that went in as well.

sliced the fennel lengthwise, on hindsight, the mandolin would have been very useful in getting nice thin slices and getting everything in the oven at the same time.

placed the sliced fennel on an oven dish...

...and the chopped leek (just the white part) on top, then added ½ dl of white wine (just because there was some left in the fridge) and 1 tbsp of butter and ½ tsp of salt on top and placed the dish into 200C oven for 15 mins. now, had i sliced the fennel much thinner, all would have gone in at the same time. live and learn.

meanwhile, i checked there were no bones in the fish.

after 15 mins i took the dish out, placed the salmon on top, smeared the salmon with teriyaki sauce (certain someone is daft about it) and placed the dish back into the oven for 25 mins, the last five with the fan on. the salmon pieces were well over an inch thick, if smaller use shorter time in the oven, you don't want to overcook fish, it gets dry.

the fish was yammy, fennel and teriyaki are so good together. there was leftovers for lunch today.

the weather improved much since yesterday and the dog is spending his time outside.

i went out to get the snow off my car, broke a sweat, the flu can really drain your energy. did have some left to throw the rubber bone with the dog for a while.

powershot of the dog.

curly oak in the yard.

what is this? why aren't we going for a walk? maybe next week, she says, when i'm feeling better, i promise.

remedies and snow

2012-02-19T11:35:00.003+02:00

i got back from my trip a week ago monday evening, very tired after long flight and a layover. tuesday morning i felt semi-ok, little tired despite the 12 hr sleep. by tuesday evening i started feeling like the biggest flu is coming my way, wednesday i tried home remedies and by thursday i needed to see the doctor. bad sinusitis and whining in my right lung is what i had and from thursday on, i've more or less been in bed. the doctor recommended nasal irrigation (with the blue device) and i've been drinking blackcurrant cordial as it has lots of vitamin C. i'm starting to feel fairly well, the cough is persistent, though.

on the evening of my return, the dog used the warm transformer of my laptop as his pillow...

last few days we've been getting more snow than certain someone likes. it seems it's going to snow all day today, already the snow has made strange contours on my car.

the wind is whisking the snow in every which way...

fortunately one of the village guys comes to plough when there is snow.

with this type of snow it's best to use the blower attachment in his tractor.

the dog doesn't like the tractor very much...

...and is back in his armchair right after the tractor leaves.

it will take a few more days for me to sort thru the travel pics, will post some later next week.

hint of where i was

2012-02-14T19:48:00.002+02:00

the hint is in the picture. i have about 1800 pics to sort thru, so there'll be a post or four of the trip. got back yesterday evening, first i need to get some sleep, do a lot of laundry and go back to work...

new take on runeberg's tarts

2012-02-04T10:00:00.000+02:00

february 5th is runeberg's day in finland, the day is mostly known for runeberg's tarts, not forgetting runeberg's literary accomplishments, though.

knowing that i would be away on the day, and the fact that certain someone loves these tarts, i made some ahead. certain someone also loves all things almondy, so i decided to try something with this recipe. the link is in finnish, my revised recipe follows. i wanted to use this particular recipe for the fact that there is no butter in it, the finnish version is called "lightened" tarts.

i've told the story on these tarts on previous posts, so if you're interested just type runeberg's tart on my search and you'll get the old posts.

first of all, this shape is far from traditional, but since these silicone molds haven't been used (i think) i thought i'd give them a try. plus, they are kinda cute, and valentine's day is approaching, and what not...

i found these amaretti cookies in the pantry. i had bought them in order to make a tart that i got a recipe for from claudia at our hotel in malcesine. naturally, i lost the recipe, so no amaretti tart. my train of thought was that since there are almond flour and almond extract in most runeberg's tart recipes, these cookies might do the trick and other cookie crumbs could be replaced with these.

my adapted recipe (in metric measures):

3 large eggs
1,5 dl demerera sugar
1,5 dl flour (i used all purpose)
1,5 dl amaretti crumbs
1 dl almond flour
1,5 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla paste
2 dl turkish yogurt

to start mix all the dry ingredients together and the vanilla with yogurt. then whisk the eggs and sugar until fluffy and the mixture holds a pattern on surface. fold in the dry ingredients alternating with the yogurt. bake in 200C oven for approx 15 mins on the mid-level. let cool, keeps in room temperature for 2-3 days, freezes well up to 3 months.

although i think silicone molds don't need to be buttered, i buttered these slightly, just to make sure i'd get the tarts off in one piece.

the almond aroma from the oven was quite strong, in a nice way. i have no strong feelings for runeberg's tarts and before certain someone came into the picture i really didn't bake them or eat them. things you do...

this batch made 12 hearts and 3 round one (paper forms). surprisingly, i kinda liked these, plain, no decoration. i did the one just to show they'd look if one bothered. there's been a thing or two on my mind lately so i forgot to get some raspberry jam for decorating That's strawberry on the first pic). on the other hand, most of these were going to the freezer anyway, so the jam would gone yacky anyway.

this is the more traditional form of the tart.

made some old-fashioned as well, they are tasty, but quite boring compared with the amaretti version, definitely in need of something on top.

as i'm writing this i'm anxious as i take off tomorrow to somewhere i've never been to before. if i get a chance to post while i'm away, i'll let you in on where i am. if not...see you in about a week or so!

lots of veggies, two soups

2012-02-01T11:00:00.000+02:00

as you're reading this i'm on a trip that's been in making for a decade, more on that once i get back home, it's soup time. i went and bough about 2 kgs of veggies with the intention to make soups for certain someone to eat while i'm away. he's been sort of learning to cook, and he promised to take pics of what he cooks while i'm gone...that should be interesting.

biggest part was to peel of of these, with wrist support, but then it really was just chopping and simmering...

3 small sweet potatoes and 5 medium carrots diced, 2 tbsp ginger grated, 1 glove of garlic grated, half a chili minced, 2 dl coconut milk, 1 tbsp of (rapeseed) oil.

start by sauteeing the ginger, garlic and chili in oil on high heat, add carrots and sweet potatoes, keep sauteeing for a few minutes...

...before adding boiling vegetable stock (or 2 tsp stock powder & water like i did) to barely cover the veggies, about 2 to 3 cups.

once the veggies are tender, after 15 mins or so, add the coconut milk and an immersion blender to puree the soup.

had one portion with turkish yogurt and green onions on top, 1 portion for lunch and 2 more for freezing.

rest of the veggies went into a big pot, parsnips, carrots and celeriac diced into 1cm cubes, potatoes diced into a bit bigger cubes, the leek minced. sautee all veggies except potatoes and dark green parts of leek first on high for 2 mins, then add boiling vegetable stock to barely cover the veggies, let simmer for 10 mins before adding the potatoes (and some more stock) and simmering for another 10 mins, or until all veggies are done.

the latter soup went to freezer, after thawing certain someone can add sausage, ground beef, or nothing before warming the portion up.

easiest roast chicken & veggies, dessert

2012-01-29T14:00:00.000+02:00

another take-along lunch...very easy and not too bad for you, lots of veggies, or all veggies if that is what you like.

the difficult part was to grate the peel of one lemon, mix that with 1 tsp crushed black pepper and salt...

...then rub that on the chicken, and put the chicken in one of those oven bags...

...and place the bag next to roughly diced veggies, potatoes washed with peel on, carrots and parsnips peeled and diced, one fennel sliced into 1cm slices. 45 mins in 200C oven and you're done.

certain someone chose oregano as the herb.

i got two lunches and some munches of this.

dessert was on the easy line as well, quark, 2 bananas...

...seeds of half a pomegranate, some milk and an immersion blender.

garnished with more pomegranate seeds.

pork at the cottage

2012-01-26T21:38:00.000+02:00

spent a few days at the cottage over weekend. once i tell my parents that we're coming, mom usually buys something that i then cook. this time she had bought pork tenderloin, i figured fennel and apples would go well with it.

i roughly chopped one big fennel, cored and quartered 2 apples (forgot which kind but you should get ones that hold their shape and don't cook into mush), peeled and quartered 3 small red onions.

browned the tenderloins on high heat two at the time. after browning all the meat, quickly browned the fennel and onions, took them off, put the meat back...

...then placed vegetables on top, poured in ½ cup white wine and 2 tbsp cider vinegar and left to slowly simmer (on the wood burning stove) for 40 mins...

...no salt, no pepper, so good. i think i originally got the idea for pork/fennel/apple from either bon appetit or eating well -magazines. i also noticed that monika had made some. monika's pictures are so much nicer than mine...

woods around the cottage are a wonderland for the dog, as we can let him run all he can. the snow hides small creatures...

...that might...

...just might...

...nah, no mice this time.

i think the dog looks like a mongoose sitting like that, but those two hold their hands/paws like that quite often.

after feeding the dog we need to put him on the runner because after two days at the cottage he starts to get a little wild and we would have hard time catching him. the dog has figured out how to open the door, one night he managed to escape as we had forgotten to lock it...we woke up to freezing breeze, door wide open and the dog gone...breakfast brought him back.

the lake hasn't frozen yet, though the water sure looks very cold. unusual but not unheard of for the lake not to be frozen in january, goes to show how mild a winter we've had, so far.

old fish trap collecting snow.

back at the shack...i just love those pinkish shades of winter lights.

little about the dog

2012-01-16T11:50:00.001+02:00

thought it was time for the dog to play the lead. to start with, his best ever grin...one of the front teeth was missing already when he was taken into custody, not even the orphanage knows what had happened to cause him to loose it. the dog's picture was in the newspaper as the orphanage was trying to find homes for him and other rescues. certain someone saw the article and thought that the dog looked a magical creature (he insists that the dog is an elf. it would take forever to explain his reasoning as to why it is so, i won't even try), went to see him and there you go...

the first year was horrible. during the first week certain someone took the dog back once, slept overnight, went to get him back, determined to take care of him. blood (well, not really), sweat and tears were needed, and still sometimes something triggers off the dog and he goes berserk for a minute or two. since certain someone lives in the country the dog "natural instincts" are good, but i wouldn't be taking him to town any time soon, too many new things to get excited about.

long walks is what he likes, not to appreciate the scenery but to sniff around and look for frozen blobs of manure...

...or to hunt for poor little mouses...

...and then play innocent.

his loves his chair to cuddle up in, but only in the winter...

trying to keep watch but having an occasional nap...

so little snow this winter, but so much water that the ditches are gurgling away making it sound like spring already.

mid-morning nap...

...a little stretch after it.

update on jan 17

certain someone has saved the article that appearead in the local paper in which the dog was posing (with that embarrassing cone because of...hmm...delicate surgery) as the poster boy for rescue dogs.

two green soups

2012-01-15T21:39:00.000+02:00

i'm back to take-along lunches as we still don't have a canteen at work and getting out for lunch is impossible on most days. good news is that in the "new" offices (old really, but remodeled) there will be a kitchen with a stove and all! completely another matter is whether one can actually cook there, will the boss allow it, or will he come asking for his portion?

these two soups are ridiculously easy, tasty and good for you. of course, we can debate whether flour in general is good or not, but in both soups you can skip the flour (and make them gluten free) and use more reduced fat (13% is what i used) cream cheese. i'm pretty sure that, at least in finland, there is a lactose free cream cheese as well.

pureed broccoli and leek soup

you'll need:

300 gr broccoli, broken into florets, stems halved length wise and sliced
1 medium leek, white and light green parts only (save dark green parts for another soup or for making stock)
2 tbsp rape seed (canola) oil (or butter, if you're feeling invincible)
2 tbsp all purpose flour
2 cups vegetable broth
100 gr reduced fat cream cheese (if you leave the flour out, use 200 gr)

start by cooking stems in 1 cup water for 5 mins...

...then add florets and cook for another 4 mins.

while broccoli is cooking, mince leek and place another pot on medium heat, add and heat the oil, add minced leek and sautee for 8-10 mins or until wilted and soft, add flour and sautee for another 2 mins...

...add 2 cups of vegetable stock (i used this powder and add boiling water to it), mix well, bring to a boil and simmer for 5 mins...

...add cooked broccoli with cooking water and puree with immersion blender (or some other gadget).

lastly, add cream cheese (and salt if you insist on using some) and puree some more, until cheese is well incorporated.

serve with rye bread and some swiss cheese. i made this quite late at night to take to work, so obviously i didn't plate it, the plastic container wasn't feeling photogenic...

second soup of the day is spinach soup.

if possible, this is even easier to make than the first one. you'll need:

250 gr fresh spinach, thoroughly rinsed
1 medium yellow onion, minced
1 tbsp rapeseed oil (or butter...)
1/3 cup all purpose flour
4 cups of fat-free milk (for lactose free option, vegetable stock will do)
½ tsp ground nutmeg
100 gr reduced fat cream cheese

to serve, boiled eggs

start with mincing onion (so you can enjoy a cleansing cry while prepping other ingredients).

rinse spinach, drain well, place into medium bowl and pour boiling water on top and let sit for 4 mins, drain and rinse under cold water (in a recipe written by a chef this would read "place into a bowl of ice water", but the tap water is plenty cold this time of year...), squeeze out all extra water and put aside.

take out your white vinegar and pour 1/4 cup of it into a tiny bowl (and if you hold on, you will see why...)

measure flour.

in a pot on medium heat, sautee the onion in oil for 8-10 mins, or until opaque and soft...

now, see that little glass bowl, that's the vinegar. one of my grandmother's tricks, have some vinegar on a small plate next to the pot or pan where onion is cooking, the vinegar is supposed to take care of the nasty onion smells. whether it does or...but next day the house is smelling like vinegar, and i like that better than the stick-on-everything onion smell.

...add flour, mix well and sautee for 2 mins more, then gradually add milk (stock) mixing well, bring to a boil and simmer on medium for 5 mins, mixing and taking care to make sure the milk doesn't boil over.

take out your nutmegs, or here ground nutmeg...

...you'll only need ½ tsp, unless you love nutmeg, it's rather overpowering if used too much, and poisonous, too, i think.

now is time to take the green blob of spinach and cream cheese and place them into the pot, also take your trusted immersion blender...

and pure everything into smoothness. if you wanted to make this even easier, you'd buy frozen spinach that only requires thawing...

serve this with (cross eyed) boiled eggs.

misty pink sunset on my balcony the other evening.

more of kittilä

2012-01-11T11:57:00.002+02:00

these snowy pics are courtesy of certain someone, all of them were taken around 1 pm. the slopes have lights on for a reason...

the reindeer don't mind skiers...they dig for lichen under the snow.

blogger stopped working on my previous web-browser...changed the browser, now the spell-check works! i guess this means i don't have an excuse for bad spelling, i wonder if it'll catch bad grammar, too...

kittilä, lapland, medley of this and that

2012-01-09T20:00:00.000+02:00

this picture was taken on new year's eve at 1.19 pm at kittilä airport, the sun had just set and we are waiting for the bus to take us to town.

when in lapland, you gotta try reindeer stew with obligatory mashed potatoes and lingon berries, the pickle is optional.

a birthday happened while in lapland, this was the first cake of 2012, lactose and gluten free. the recipe is on the package of cornmeal that was used as "flour". lactose is for some reason problematic for many in finland therefore we are fortunate to have all sorts of dairy products from which lactose is removed. most hard cheeses are lactose free anyway, but there is chocolate, yogurt, buttermilk, cream, ice cream and whatnot.

i was surprised that this turned out quite tasty, but a couple of scoops of vanilla ice cream would have...well, made me eat more of it! will try to find the recipe online to post it here later.

the birthday girl aka the little monkey seemed to enjoy the party, too.

certain someone skied for two days...

...she is still learning...

...i spent my time just monkeying around. there was no way i was going to to ski in the slopes, too many daredevil (read big money will buy the best equipment but no skills) skiers from an unnamed country, and it seems that close to 20 yrs has passed since i last tried cross country. it looks easy enough, but once you're laying on the ground with your feet up and skis in a tangle...not funny, besides, i'm so tall that it really hurts when i fall down.

traditional type ski lodge, costing a lot these days...

these holiday makers learned the hard way that the sauna really isn't for drying your clothes...

they maybe could have used this felted angel...

skis used to look like this when i last owned a pair!

shame this boutique was closed, i eyed that cape...the one pictured was way too small for me but they seemed to have adult sizes as well. maybe sew one myself?

along one street in levi there were numerous shops selling everything lapland, some very touristey. this particular one, the wood jewel had several interesting pieces. all these earrings are made of wood.

the wood jewel had also a handsome display of knives. the sami knives look really good, but there really isn't that much use for it in the city, and in the city you'll be fined for carrying one...

we wanted to get to the kittilä airport in time to avoid a herd of tourists from an unnamed country, they still have to learn what a line is. we did avoid the herds but ended up spending 4 hrs at the airport, fortunately my laptop was fully charged.

some of the souvenirs, the reindeer droppings are very tasty (liquorice covered raisins), crowberry jam and roseroot syrup, which will keep my stress levels down. the latter will be much needed as i went back to work last week...

earrings from taigakoru, model "kuu" (moon)

ring from ainut. model "aurinkuu" (sunmoon). the sami have unique designs, as have all other indigenous people.

i've been in lapland twice in my life, including this trip. the first time was about 10 yrs ago when we drove thru finnish lapland to norvegian sea in june. there was snow on the ground and smaller lakes were still (already?) frozen, because of snow there were no mosquitoes! i really, really don't like mosquitoes as they get everywhere in a flash. you make the mistake of opening your mouth to speak and your mouth is filled with daily need of protein in the form of zillion mosquitoes. let me be clear, i don't like mosquitoes. so basically, there is no way i will ever go there in the summer.

winter then, with snow, for one hour around noon it's bearable. i have known all my life that it's dark in lapland in the winter and yet the darkness took me completely by surprise. i need light, there was no light and at 5 pm i was ready crash to bed only not to be ready to get up at 9.30 am...

so then, if i ever go there again, it needs to be at a very specific time in the autumn. late enough so that all the mosquitos are gone, early enough that there is still some light during the day, to a destination that isn't a tourist trap.

thank you P for having us!

happy new year!

2012-01-01T20:13:00.004+02:00

glass of bubbly...

...in snowy scenery in levi, lapland...

calm after the storm

2011-12-30T18:37:00.004+02:00

there are a lot of fallen branches, some quite big, in the yard, but everything is very strangely, at least for the moment, very calm.

lake near the shack is flooding and the storm decided to land the neighour's deck. certain someone used to own a row boat but it disappeared...it's probably on the bottom of the lake since the stopper wasn't in its place.

snow still keeps us waiting, these tiny frosty hailstones are the closest to snow. the dog is eternally curious of everything i try to photograph.

all the ditches and streams and flowing like in the spring for all the rain we've had.

that particular stream has been splashing water around creating an ice-garden.

the compost is doing great, this time last year it there was one solid block of frozen matter in the composter...

fresh thyme, anyone? this is a first, fresh herbs from the garden at the end of december.

the dog was very restless during the storm, he doesn't like thunder, nor fireworks...

but he's happy about his new toy, squeeky sloppy squirrel (it said that in the package!)

stranded, or rather held hostage

2011-12-27T16:58:00.005+02:00

as luck would have, one thing goes wrong, everything starts following...

i'm sure the fridge/freezer combo at the shack had heard about the big storm approaching and decided to start acting up, as in not keeping stuff cold/frozen. that started on xmas eve and finally in the evening of xmas day certain someone decided to "take a look"...

...fortunately, at that point, we could have the xmas food outside (+4C) and the dog guarding it, though, i think the dog would have loved to sink his teeth on the ham.

during the night between 25th and 26th, the power went off, came on again, went off and as i'm writing this, it's still not on...boiling water on 4 tea lights took only an hour...

...but boxing day evening tea with cake was cosy.

these fallen spruces on the power lines weren't probably the culprit alone for the power outage, but they did hinder us from getting anywhere from the shack for almost 2 days. the other "route" would have required a 4W all terrain vehicle we don't have, yet...

the storm ripped those tall trees with roots off.

fortunately the emergency services came today around noon to "free" us. at the shack the water will go but not come without electricity, so i was very, very happy to get to my apartment to have a shower. and a proper cup of coffee!

we are hoping for the power to come on this evening, but it could be days, there are tens of thousands of homes still with no power. one thing i'm not looking forward is to check the freezers, i'd hate to throw away all those berries and such!

merry christmas to all!

2011-12-24T10:00:00.000+02:00

have a happy holiday

rare moment of white wonder

2011-12-23T10:00:00.001+02:00

wednesday brought some, well, very little snow to southern finland. nevertheless, the snow made everyhting nice and bright. i arrived at the shack just in time to catch the awsome clouds...

and played a bit with the big camera buttons.

"auto" setting of the camera

"my" settings

then it was time to go walking with the dog. the fog was creeping in on us along the fields

the dog's patience was wearing thin waiting for me while i took pics.

frosty field of sunflowers

i've been missing this pinkish blue winter light.

the dog wasn't the least interested in the frozen pods...

lights of an approaching car along the road

little pond at the damm along the walk, so still

now, where's my dinner?

mental health day in porvoo

2011-12-22T12:16:00.006+02:00

as in "had to get away and see something else" kinda mental health day. us girls drove to porvoo to maybe shop for xmas and eat well. porvoo is a cute little town 50 km east of helsinki, very old, unfortunately (or fortunately, depends which way you look at it), also quite touristey...but then again, those old houses don't provide for themselves...

the weather wasn't that great, but then again, it hasn't been anything else for the past few weeks. the rains have risen the porvoo river almost to its brink...even spring floods aren't this high.

first stop was tuulan aitta (no website) from where i got this elf that now sits on the mantel at the shack. we were told that the lady who makes these elves (there were several different) has so many ideas but doesn't have the time to make them all...

porvoo city hall from 1771

cobble stone street up the hill to the porvoo cathedral. from wikipedia: "The church has been destroyed by fire numerous times; in 1508 by Danish and in 1571, 1590, and 1708 by Russian forces. On May 29, 2006, the outer roof collapsed after arson, however with the inner ceiling undamaged and the cathedral interiors intact. An eighteen year old black metal musician, was found guilty and convicted to three years and two months imprisonment on August 31, 2006.[2]".
so sad.

up on the hill is also the lilla chokladfabriken. i only bought two little boxes...

as the weather was so lousy, and the fact that one of us was on crutches, we needed something hot to drink, warm glög with gingerbread, almonds and raisins at café fanny.

i should not go to a shop like this...skafferi colonial store. the smell, or rather smells, in the shop were amazing and kept changing when browsing on in there, coffees, teas, spices, cookies, jams, candies and what not!

another store that i should avoid...teetee shop, the selection of yarns they have, and the colors!

manos del uruguay yarns. i tried to crochet the other day and noticed after 5 mins that it's not yet time to do even that, let alone knit.

after all that hard shopping it was time for lunch at restaurant walgren's. loved the decorative idea of framing the structural logs in the wall like this.

there were several interesting items on the menu, here is the appetizer of xmas menu I, beetroot terrine and mushroom salad, delicious i was told.

i had porcini soup with horseradish sour cream, very nice.

fried arctic char with saffron risotto

fillet of pork, dijon sauce and root vegetable puree

chocolate brownie and gingerbread ice cream

bailey's créme brûlée. could have just sat down for a while longer in the restaurant, but had to start driving home, it was getting dark and the rain kept falling. great outing all together, thanks girls!

my take on divan

2011-12-03T13:35:00.004+02:00

anna olson's fresh is on tv again and as i don't have much to do in the afternoons i tend to watch it, when i rememeber it's on, that is. the other day anna was making a turkey divan. the dish looked interesting enough to try, since turkey isn't as readily available over here as it is in the US and canada, i decided to make one with chicken. i had not known that there is a dish called divan and that it is, in fact, usually make with chicken...live and learn.

i wanted my divan to have more veggies in it, so i added a carrot, spring onion and zucchini. didn't use bell pepper, i do like the taste but i get serious heartburn from it.

started by sauteeing the minced onion, cubed carrot and finely chopped stem of the broccoli (waste not...) in some rapeseed oil and butter for a few minutes before adding the flour.

then added 2 cups vegetable stock (no chicken stock in the pantry nor freezer), ½ cup grated swiss cheese, ½ cup white wine (certain someone's unfinished bottle), ½ cup cream and 2 tsp dijon mustard, ½ tsp dried thyme and some crushed black pepper.

i found out from several recipes that a divan dish usually has serious amounts of mayonnaise in it as well...like this one. not entirely a bad idea, but just calories you really don't need. i don't have anything against mayonnaise, but have it with something you can really taste it in, and not a whole cup (2,5 dl!)

i don't like mushy veggies, so i added the bite-size zucchini...

...and minced spring onion and parsley with chopped chicken (5 cutlets that i had browned earlier) to the pan and mixed well. turned off the heat but left the pan on the stove. some recipes suggest that you use any leftover chicken, or turkey, and why not? i guess you could even use tofu if you wanted to go vegetarian.

the broccoli got just a dip in boiling water, because boiled to oblivion broccoli is rather disgusting, i wanted it to still have some bite left when the dish came out of the oven.

after placing the quickly blanced broccoli in an oven dish, i poured the "sauce" on top...

...and added ½ cup grated cheese and 2 tbsp breadcrumbs mixture on top (left out the oil from anna's recipe).

20 mins in 200C oven and i had lunch. anna suggests that you serve this with either pasta or rice but i had it as is. i though that the added veggies made this a complete meal, but it would certainly feed more if served with pasta or rice. this batch fed certain someone and i twice with generous portions.

just because i haven't been posting (like, for ages) doesn't mean i've been idle (ahem...you might still be right if you thought that). i've been meaning to clean and organize the kitchen cupboards at the shack for the longest time. i figured that this type of cleaningn wouldn't include heavy lifting, the spice jars are light enough to manage with the left hand as well. this is the messy spice cabinet before...

...and after. i did go thru everything and tossed it if 2 yrs had gone since best-by date.

before shot of the canned goods fighting the machinery.

they look more at peace now...

while i was at it, i cleaned other cabinets as well. i did have to toss some items but not as much as i had feared. it's amazing how much more space there is when what you have is in order...sugars, nuts, teas and coffee here

so, SO bad for you

2011-11-22T20:27:00.005+02:00

i'm still seriously debating with myself whether this cake was/is worth all the pain...it certaily is very delicious, but it's hard to enjoy it knowing what (and how much) went it. salted-caramel six-layer chocolate cake from the november issue of martha stewart living.

i started the baking on sunday, thinking that the machines would do all the work...yep, or not. here oiling bottoms of the pans so that the parchment paper doesn't go all over...something weird the pic you ask? waste not want not, that thingy is still very usable eventhough the handle decided to go its separate way.

...see?

i halved the recipe, which kinda seemed like a good idea, since the original recipe serves 12! not sure if the original batter would be as runny as my halved one...

...but i managed to get three somewhat equal thickness layers. this is a super moist cake, could be used with some other fillings as well.

i had never made caramel before...didn't burn myself and the candy thermometer really came handy (second time i've used it in...hmm...5 years).

just part of the butter that went into the caramel...sigh. and the baking stopped, until today that is. my wrist was screaming by the time i got the butter mixed in, so i figured it'd probably be a good idea to take a painkiller, the opiate kind. boy, was i wrong. went to bed, had nasty dreams, felt like throwing up and spent monday in bed in a state that resembled a very bad hangover. swore to myself to take all of those pills back to the pharmacy, i'm never going to use them up. the little masochist in me rather takes the pain than feels like puking all day long. oh, sorry if i spoiled your apetit for the cake!

this morning i took the caramel out of the fridge to "thaw" a bit...

...before speading it on the cake layers. i used 8" tins for the layers, probably should have gone with 6" tins, but the 6" ones i have aren't tall enough. i only got three layers, and a lot of left-over caramel.

the caramel was somewhat hard to spread, perhaps i could have warmed it a bit more.

the cake layers were very chocolaty, and frosting was even more so. i think next time i won't use the cocoa powder+water in the frosting.

the salt crystals on the frosting really hit the right spot. will i attempt baking again any time soon, like when the wrist is still on the mend? nope, unless certain someone wants to learn the fine art (which i don't see happening...). he might try a bread of some sort, though.

you know it's almost winter when...

2011-11-20T09:48:00.004+02:00

the chimney sweeper comes for the yearly visit

you start using the fireplace again, to heat

you neighbour gets a new puppy. well, i guess they can do that any time of year, but this puppy is so cute...

time to change the tyres

start drinking the "remedies" to scare off the flu. 1 tsp of honey to one glass of ginger infused water, every morning, room temp. not sure if this helps, or me washing my hands a lot...avoiding other people might be the best way not to get a cold, perhaps not the easiest, though.

the dog starts sleeping indoors in the day time...

...very close to the chair anyone is sitting on

the roof of car looks like this in the morning

you wonder if the oregano can still be used...

...or the sage...

...and the thyme.

when the shadows are long and sun barely makes it above the horizon...

...and shines thru stuff.

you curse your lazy ass for not planting these last week when the ground wasn't frozen

when the water in the dog's water bowl is one solid piece of ice...

good riddance, and other things

2011-11-12T20:08:00.004+02:00

yesterday, finally, i got rid of the cast. i snapped pictures of the x-rays taken before and after the surgery...the first one shows clearly what the problem was, besides the fact the there was no soft tissue in between the ulna and radius...

after...the doctor chiselled off the weird growth (that grew there in just 18 months, after the firt surgery). the ligament (sutured into a pillow-like form) taken from my thigh is now approx where the arrow is, filling that carved area. another doctor called this procedure "ambitious attemp" and asked what the back-up plan was...not sure how i should take that.

my doctor says it will take 6 months to determine whether this works, or not. the other procedure discussed was a scheker DRUJ prosthesis. obviously, i'm hoping this will have been the last surgery on the wrist, but it won't be a surprise if it wasn't...

the scars are no worse than before. the latest on the left, the one on the right is from 20 odd years ago. mobily in the wrist is ridiculous, getting a fork-load of food into my mouth is an effort. i'm doing exercises to remedy that problem.

a new little shop has been opened in the sello mall in espoo, it is called toivo. they sell mainly local and organic produce, and baked goods from small local bakery.

they have jams, jellies, juices, pastas, beans, nuts and such. i got organic whole wheat spelt spaghetti, hulled hemp seeds and maple syrup. hope the hemp seeds won't get me into trouble...

i still can't get over that the flowers are starting to bloom in mid-november!

i'm waiting for snow for the full moon pics to be more dramatic.

eternal begger, the dog

lichen, chaga and others

2011-11-09T12:41:00.008+02:00

these shots are from the cottage from last week. the woods should be at least a little frosty by this time of year, but with nighttime temps of +10C...everything is still pretty green.

it seems mom missed a few lingonberries...

mosses and lichen of all sorts, and colors!

i remember from my childhood that reindeer lichen was used in between the inner and outer glasses in windows. the lichen would suck up all moisture and the windows would remain frost-free in the winter, with modern windows this isn't necessary anymore. the reindeer lichen only grows 3 to 5 mm per year so any bald spots (from picking, etc) will take years and years to be replaced.

more about lichens here.

these looks like tiny finger sticking up from the ground...

this bad picture is of an inonotus obliquus, i.e. chaga mushroom, or pakurikääpä in finnish. dad had heard someone say something about about how much this costs at a health food store...mom then remembered seeing one along the walk she takes...we went there with an axe, after making sure it was ok to take it from someone else's land (it is, as chaga is considered the same as other mushrooms and berries, and it is everyman's right to pick those in the woods). however, if getting the chaga would entail cutting down an entire tree...that's a no-no. this particular chaga was on a half rotten stump of a birch.

it turns out this chaga mushroom is a cure-all for everything, cancer, ulcers and tuberculosis among others (and i'm not making this up). there are scientific studies, and it's been as folk medicine from the 16th century. it's been sold as super-food, mainly used stewed like for tea, more of it here, and here (in finnish).

we were talking about the chaga over lunch at the cottage and my older niece told that one of her teachers is an avid user of it. my niece is now under instructions to find out how to handle and consume the chaga.

this here is usnea, part of the lichen family. folk lore says it indicates the air quality (no usnea, bad air). during the last 10 or so years, usnea has really started to grow around the cottage, so for some strange reason the air seems to be getting cleaner over there. maybe those filters in the paper mills are actually working...

the next 2 pics were taken on nov 3rd...catkins aren't supposed to show up until spring, right?

as isn't this bellflower / campanula.

this creature is, however, getting ready for winter...

...and fattening her(?)self up with seeds that dropped from the bird feeder.

it is very strange for the lake to be this calm, for several days, in november.

like a mirror.

mom and dad fish with nets, this lone signal crayfish got caught it the nets. it got to go back to the lake as the crayfish season ended on oct 31st, and it really wouldn't have been worth the trouble to cook just one...

these here are dad's pride and joy. pride, the english lady, on the left, and joy in the right. there is 2 km of road to the cottage that dad needs to maintain, that includes clearing it of snow. the pride, a massey ferguson 35 from circa 1960, has seen its better days, but provides plenty of exercise for dad (fixing and adding the detachments and chains for tyres). the MF is used for the first snow and fine tuning the leveling. when the weather is bad and there is lots of snow, the zetor 7045 tackles those jobs. the cabin in the zetor heats up...

back at the shack the dog has taken to sleep on his chair again. winter must be coming as the dog doesn't use the chair for sleeping in the summer...

mint jelly

2011-11-02T20:31:00.000+02:00

you've probably heard that you should not plant mint with other herbs, as mint tends to get a little wild. i had heard that too, but did not believe it, i had to see...well, now we have quite a lot of mint jelly...

managed to do the picking with cast...

the autumn has been so warm that ladybugs are still flying about.

got all this, and left some in the bed.

certain someone picked the leaves off the stems...

...but then he got sidetracked...

...we had limes but no ice...nice without ice, too!

despite the drink i was able to handle a motorized gadget, mushing the leaves with immersion blender before simmering them for 10 mins.

strained out the mush...

...and got this poison green liquid. i searched the net for mint jelly recipes, found this and this, both not quite what i was looking for. there is a recipe for "any" jelly in the melatin sachet, by combining all three i got "my" recipe for the jelly.

3 cups water
350 gr / 12oz granulated sugar
30 gr mint leaves (picked off stems, weighed dry, rinsed if dirty)
1 sachet blue melatin (i couldn't find any pectin anywhere)
2 drops kelly green food coloring (optional)

like mentioned, simmer the mint leaves (i think it might not be necessary to mush them...) for 10 mins, take off heat and let cool for a few minutes, strain the liquid into a jug, pour liquid into a clean kettle, add the sugar (and food color if using) and bring the mix to a boil, then add melatin (i had saved some leaves, minced them and added them into liquid among the melatin and 2 tbsp sugar) and boil for 2 mins (start the time when the mixture comes to a boil), meanwhile...

...i had a big pot filled with water, empty jars and their lids, heated the water to a boil, added some atamon (preservative that contains E211 and E210) into water to make sure the jars were sterilised before filling them with the jelly.

i managed to get the jelly into jars with just one hand but needed certain someone to close the lids. there was so much mint that i made a double batch, it seems we'll be eating a lot of lamb this winter (if winter ever comes this way...) or i'll have to find creative ways to use the jelly, or i know already what i'll give as xmas presents...

there was enough mint to take some with me to the cottage where i'll make (with mom) some more jelly. i think i might try adding some fresh ginger to that batch...will let you know how that turns out.

a job for a dog

2011-11-01T18:06:00.005+02:00

meet reino, a karelian bear dog, a finnish breed hunting dog.

i met reino at the cottage today, after he and some people had done what these particular people do at hunting time. if you don't eat meat you might want to skip this post. there is no blood and guts, but pics of the kills. consider yourself warned.

there is a quota of how many and what kind (female, male, calfs) of moose a hunting club can shoot. today they got 2 of the calf quota.

this time of year you'd want to be wearing something red or bright when in the woods...

for such a fierce hunter's help, reino was surprinsingly mellow.

there is a lot of work to be done before any parts of these are on the dinner table. there are some pics of the procedure on my post from 2 yrs ago.

foraging in the back yard, penne with mushrooms

2011-10-16T12:23:00.008+03:00

with all the rain there has been a lot of mushrooms in the back yard at the shack. the other day certain someone got almost hyped about these...

...namely boletus betulicola of the boletus genus. there are over a dozen boletus species growing in finland, this particular species is growing near birch trees (there would be a different boletus growing near pines, oaks, aspen, all of the mentioned are edible).

certain someone picked them up and was delighted to find out that worms had not infested them...

...he cleaned them, that particular part of the cap needs to be cut off.

i then took everything inside...

...chopped them (this was before the surgery)...

...sauteed them first on their own for a few minutes, then added one minced onion...

...cream...

...some herbs (sage, lemon thyme and flat-leaf parsley), some salt (mushrooms do need some salt) and black pepper, and let simmer for 10 mins...

...while i cooked some whole wheat penne.

this would have called for potatoes, but i had none in the fridge. i must admit i was a bit sceptical as to the taste, but these were delicious and i will now look for them in the back yard.

there were also plenty of bearded milk caps / lactarius torminosus in the yard. i left them be as they required a little more than just chopping and sauteeing before you can eat them. and the more i search this mushroom...it could also be a saffrom milk cap...they are both ebidle so no worries...

i bet this funky looking mushroom isn't edible...puffballs, i think they are.

autumn

2011-10-15T08:02:00.001+03:00

i like autumn best of all the seasons, i don't even mind the rain ('cause i have proper rain gear from my janitor days...). these pics were taken few days ago, same scene twice...

this at 9.15am

same again 10am

9.15am

10am

almost blindingly yellow leaves.

have a great weekend!

my new wooden splint

2011-10-14T13:02:00.003+03:00

yesterday it was time to remove the stitches from my wrist and thigh, and obviously, they had to make a new cast for the wrist. the nurses were discussing the options and they decided to try the latest invention in cast application (by a finnish company i might add) which is made of wood...

...wood? yep, i admit i had my doubts. they told me the cast is made of wood chips and biodegradable plastic, is non-toxic (you can either toss it into the compost heap or burn it) and pliable.

to start the application, a 4mm thick sheet of this OMNICAST is heated (60-65C), it's then pliable and you can cut it with scissors.

lots of hands here...once they got the measures and placement right, the cast was bandaged.

the onmicast website has good pics to show it was done. what i like is the facts that it took no time to harden (5mins with ice-packs, instead of the 30mins with tradiotional cast) and is so thin i can wear a regular jacket, and weights next to nothing.

the nurses seemed to like that this cast doesn't let out any toxic fumes whilst drying, is not messy and wet, and is quick to work with. the cast has been tested at helsinki university töölö hospital, which is probably the busiest trauma center in finland.

i wanted a pink "wrapper", but i guess i can live with this blue for 2 weeks...

i did take pics of the metal stitches in my thigh, but decided to save you from such an ungodly sight.

my skinny elvis

2011-10-11T11:46:00.004+03:00

for some strange reason i had been graving for an elvis sandwich for days. my skinny version didn't have bacon in it, but the more i think about it...it might actually work (not very heart healthy, though...)

i have always been partial to crunchy peanut butter, but use what you like.

smush the banana (think baby food) and smear one slice of bread with the banana, the other slice with peanut butter (obviously...)

melt a comfortable amount of butter (you have to use butter, seriously), i used 1 tsp per side. place the sandwich on pan on medium-low heat until golden brown.

we shared this one, and it was plenty to satisfy my graving.

the dog loves peanut butter, but got to work for it a bit...

...he managed to lick the jar quite clean.

picking life up, slowly

2011-10-08T19:06:00.000+03:00

9 days later...i have yet to finish the first book i started in the hospital (cornwell's port mortuary). it's not that the book is bad, i have had hard trying to pile pillows so i can read longer than 15 mins without...well, see for yourselves...

...and that is just for internet. luckily i only had to stay one night in the hospital (had hard time waking up...) it was kinda nice buzz, so i really didn't mind, and i wasn't sick at all, and i had that huge room all to myself for the night.

the good doctor ended up doing a re-hemiresectioarthroplastia et interpositio cum fascia lata DRUJ carpi l. sin. there will be a cast for total of 6 weeks, and i will have a 15cm scar on my left thigh (maybe it needs ink on it?)

the dog seems little baffled that i'm home all the time but don't take him on walks.

certain someone, well, he gets a bit confused at times but he's been cooking (will post about that later) and putting my hair on ponytails (i still have some hair left...) he actually went out today like this. complains that i give too many orders for him to be able to pay attention to everything!

this is it...

2011-09-29T12:50:00.004+03:00

today is the day, as you read this, i'm hopefully under the knife. the wrist is finally being operated today. i'm quite ancious to find out if the good doctor has managed to get some bioabsorbable "padding" to be used inbetween the radius and ulna, or will he have to cut out something (ligament?) from my thigh...another scar here or there, i could not care less. just fix my wrist, please!

this time around i intend to make sure that i don't do anything to jeopardize the wrist whilst in the cast, therefore...

...i've got myself a few books to pass the time (there is some more coming from amazon). i've warned certain someone that he has to cook (we'll see how that goes!) and i've decided that i will go out to eat once a week, just to get out of the house (and not have any excuses not to shower and wash my hair...).

i'm trying the hardest not to think how tedious and challenging it will be to manage everything for the first few weeks with the cast up to my armpit. i'm hoping the anaesthetist doesn't mess with my head and i get to go home sooner rather than later. i seem to get a very bad hangover reaction to certain drugs they use for the narcosis...

i'll be back in a few days, once i'm sure i've worn off the mind altering funny drugs!

jaume who?

2011-09-23T11:42:00.006+03:00

we recently got back from a holiday to the isle of majorca. on our first day the locals were wrapping up their yearly celebration of the conquest of the moors by king jaume I. we had booked one of those last minute deals and were blissfully unaware of any festivals and were surprised to find many of the local kids strange costumes. also, the locals started gathering already in early afternoon along the main street to secure prime spots to see the parade.

we thought that maybe this tourist hadn't noticed what was behind her...i think that cactus was too close for comfort.

the parade had moors on horseback, fair ladys of the king's court, knights and such.

there were stalls of all sorts by the main beach. the merchants were dressed in period clothing and selling, among other things, jewellery, colorful ceramics, potions and lotions, clothing, (very smelly) cheeses, toys. this lady sold artisanal breads and sweet pastries. needless to say, i ate way too many pastries...

the merchant of this tent was selling pastries and tea. we didn't have tea but had some pastries with all sorts nutty (pistachios, almonds) fillings.

these "knights" were selling pan dulce ala brasa. having sampled at too many stalls before this, we didn't taste any...

...but these kids we waiting to have some.

this stall had a huge wood burning grill for different kind of sausages and pork ribs. they also served cooked ham (the whole hind legs cooking in huge pots) and octopussy (which was yammy!)

certain someone was ecstatic about the tents and the fires...

...and the atmosphere. i wished i had taken my better camera with me. having decided that this holiday would be only for taking it easy and relaxing, i left that camera home.

the scenery was to die for. this at the southern tip of santa ponsa, calvià

the weather was balmy at between +28C to +30C and the sea beautifully warm. these nuns came to admire the scenery as well. i wish i had noticed them earlier to capture them with some bikini-clad tourists...

as my family can tell, i don't swim unless the water is warm (+25C). snorkeling was fun, plenty of fish to observe.

these green birds are monk parakeets. they were (outragiously) loud and flew around in big fleets.

a motorcycle hanged on a window? nope, that was an electric bicycle, they seemed to be the latest thing, and this shop had some fancy ones for sale.

when in spain...paella...

...sangria, olives...

...and something we hadn't tasted before, avocado with capers. i had grilled squid 3 times...

the sunsets were amazing.

sigh...

ps. i was pleasantly surprised with mallorca / santa ponsa. the island seems to have a bad rep from the 70's and early 80's. there wasn't much beside the obvious touristy things to do, byt our expectations were more or less on the weather and warm sea anyway. renting a bike, scooter or a moterbike would have broadened the experience. a couple staying the same hotel told us that they had toured the island on a motorbike and were amazed by the breathtaking scenery along the western side of the isle and the mountains. will i go again? yes, but with intention to see more of the island and perhaps a little later in the autumn, or earlier in the spring.

i will finally have my surgery next week. as of late, i've been kinda down as i'm quite fed up with this waiting and waiting, and as a result haven't accoplished much, including blogging. after the surgery i would assume that there'd be plenty fo time to blog, albeit one handed...

i saw a real prince!

2011-08-26T09:40:00.007+03:00

i did too! H.R.H. carl philip, duke of värmland, almost run over my toes with his fancy porche. just kidding, but he did drive by as we were waiting for the green light near dramaten in stockholm. personally i think that pictures don't serve him right, he was rather easy on the eye...

certain someon and i took one of those "a day in stockhom" cruises from helsinki on tuesday and returned on thursday. here is part of helsinki harbour from a top our cruise ship.

dusk at sea.

inside östermalms saluhall. i love to see this kind of places in any village, town or a city i visit. it's always such a shame that i can't take stuff home and cook with it. although the inventory in swedish shops isn't that much different from what we have in finland, sweden is closer to the atlantic sea and its bounty.

such a pretty assemly of veggies, and several kinds of onions...

...and a somewhat ugly fish!

we walked from the värta harbour to the old town. passing the department store NK i saw several pairs of boots like these. somehow i don't think they were made for walking...

lunch at brasserie le rouge, what a cool idea to serve bread in a brown paper bag.

my ceasar salad was very tasty. it doesn't look like much but after mindless pigging at the buffet table the previous evening and a bacon breakfast on the ship, i probably could have managed with something lighter. well, we didn't pig out at the buffet. i'll admit i ate too much, but i did choose dishes that i don't eat at home too often, like onions, smetana and roe, salmon paté, mussels...

a square in the old town near the nobel museum. i wasn't prepared to seet his many tourists, but i guess the rest of the world still considers the end of august as summer and therefore time for holidays...

guards taking a break at the royal palace

after leaving stockholm (around five o'clock at least 6 apartment building size cruise ships leave stockholm, every day), the one behind us was going to tallinn. at one point there were at least 15 guys on jet-skis jumping the waves behind our ship, fun?

anna's club sandwich roll sans chicken

2011-08-20T09:21:00.001+03:00

i first saw anna make club sandwich roll in her "fresh" tv-show a couple of years ago and decided that i'd make it, one day.

naturally, when you make this, you will have read the recipe and have all necessary ingredients at hand...don't do like i do, forget one of the main ingredients, namely the chicken...

i followed the recipe except for the amount of yeast, which varies on so many different things. i went with the package instructions, 1 bag (11gr) for 500ml liquid.

i wanted to use sundried tomatoes that weren't in any liquid, but i did soak them in water for 30mins to get them somewhat softer.

they plumped up nicely (as i was making veggie soup, i used the water in the soup)

i took the liberty of eating one rasher of bacon as the recipe called for only 8 and there was 9 in the package... i did not nibble on the grated cheddar.

the dough almost escaped. i did have to use almost 2 cups more flour than in the recipe. the dought was still a bit on the sticky side. there seemed to be so much dough that i decided i'd make two loaves.

one loaf with bacon, cheddar and tomatoes, the other with cured ham, cheddar and tomatoes.

here hoping all goes well...

the smell of baking break is amazing. loaves looked like they were done after 40 mins

on hindsight, i think i could have squeezed all of the dough into one pan. then i might not have had the airy bubble on top. on the other hand, it tasted great. will definitely try another time, with chicken.

gardens

2011-08-18T22:26:00.009+03:00

it seems we might get something out of the garden this summer. this is how the tomato/ gourd plantantion looked a couple of weeks ago...

there are plenty of buds like these.

this is the biggest one so far. i wish i had written down what i planted...i have no idea if this pumpkin is edible or just for halloween decoration.

bees are keeping themselves busy.

the other day certain someone called me and said there is a big yellow thing that looks like a banana in the garden...well, i was quite aware of this zucchini.

tomatoes are only now starting to ripen.

this one was very juicy, the best tomato he ever ate said certain somenone. it was a truly tasty one, i must say.

i was sad to see that something had had a bite of this one...

i've tried corn many times, this is the first they grow over a meter high!

if the weather stays somewhat warm for a few weeks, we might actually, for the first time, get to eat home grown corn!

the "herb garden" is bursting...the two kind of thyme on the right got huge, as did the mint. i had read that mint will outgrow everything, but did i believe it? nope. there are only some many mojitos one can drink...i need to look for a mint jelly recipe...

as i was weeding the thymes, i found this. i have no idea what kind of mushroom it is and i plan to play it safe and not eat it.

it looks like i will get coriander seeds as well. i planted some coriander but thought that nothing comes up, didn't for months, suddenly there are tall stalks with flowers and seeds...

this big planted had over grown spinach in it, i tore it out, roots and all. couple of weeks later i noticed something green popping up...

low and behold, we're getting a second harvest of spinach!

now quickly to mom's patch at the cottage and her tomatoes.

they seemed to be ripening much earlier than mine.

there is carrots, parsnips, lettuce, dill, parsley and beets that seem to be especially tasty...

...well, at least the leaves. a rabbit has been visiting and eating only the beet leaves, sgtrange.

back at the shack...the composter is working quite well. i'm planning to start a new patch for gourds next summer, the compost will got to that patch.

ps. the white mushroom had opened up and revealed the telltale markings of a destroying angel (amanita virosa), which is deadly poisonous...now i'm afraid to remove it from the patch

orange (color) chicken

2011-08-14T11:42:00.005+03:00

choosing the right pan/pot to make this dish is probably the hardest part...you want a pan with at least 2 inch side and a lid.

the chicken didn't make it in this picture as raw chicken really isn't that photogenic... but along with 500 gr chicken (any kind without the bones) here is what went in:

2 dl cooking cream (as light or heavy as you want)
2 nectarines (a bit on the raw side is fine)
1 sweet potato (a small one or half of a bif one)
4 medium carrots
200 gr sweet corn (in a can or frozen)
curry paste to taste (i used one heaping tbsp)

practiced my zen by chopping everything to bite size pieces.

then browned the chicken, quite lightly as can be seen before adding the carrots for a few minutes...

...before adding the cream and curry paste and let cook for 5 mins before...

...adding the sweet potato and nectarines and letting simmer for 15 mins.

when the veggies were done, i added the corn and turned off the heat, you really don't need to cook the corn, just get it warmed.

this batch serves four. i didn't bother with rice or pasta as there was plenty of veggies, but you could cook some and i bet this would serve up to 6. while eating this i thought that coconut milk might work as a replacement for the cream...

cottage food II: grilled lemon herby chicken, raspberry tart, and others

2011-08-02T09:30:00.001+03:00

i've been back and forth at the cottage, as i had leave last week. cottage is always, well mostly anyways, about simple food. here, grilling flat chicken (martha calls it spatchcocked, how to here) while enjoying the scenery.

before you go thinking i've used semi-rotten meat...that bluish color comes from sage and thyme that i put under the skin with very thin slices of lemon.

about half an hour into grilling the birds (on medium-low) i noticed all the fat on the gridle...and remembered that there was some left-over boiled potatoes in the fridge. the chicken fat did wonders on the potatoes, just don't tell your cardiologist! total time for the chicken was about 45 mins.

made a poor man's greek salad (no olives) to go with the chicken, basil on the side. if it had been me, mom and certain someone the basil would have been in the salad (basil works surprisingly well with feta cheese), but for some reason dad will not eat "greens" in a salad...go figure.

naturally, i did make a stock from the backbones. the sage and thyme gave a strong flavor, the stock'll make a great soup later on (it frozen now).

mom then...not sure her medication is alright, the amount of energy she has, wears me out. she's been in the woods for weeks now, picking this and that, and these raspberries. the wild kind is far superior to the garden variety, so sweet and bursting with flavor. as there was so much berries, i needed to figure out what to do with them...

...and a recipe for blueberry tartlets in maku magazine gave me this idea...(it seems that the recipe isn't on the website yet.)
i made the crust with all-purpose flour and some oats, butter and one yolk. there really isn't a recipe but any shortbread type crust will do.

for the custard layer i used half of a vanilla pod, scraped the seeds and blended them into sugar with the blade of a knife, the seeds will distribute more evenly into liquid or flour. i learned this trick from tv (the great educator!), a danish cooking show called "the sweet life". like the name says it's all about the sweet goodness...now, if danish wasn't so hard on my ears...

this trick (the cling film right on the surface of the custard) i learned from anna, i think...

the crust could have been a tad thinner, other than that, perfect summer tart. the glaze was made with jelly sugar that doesn't have any animal products in it.

from sweet to savory, as mentioned earlier, the chaterelles are plentyful. here, sauteed with onions and butter (let your conscience tell how much you can use), the longer in lower heat, the better.

a slaw with carrots, white cabbage, root celeriac, flat-leaf parsley, chives and mayo.

mom's potatoes...from the ground into a pot in 5 mins, they taste amazing, but new potatoes usually do. or maybe it's the fact that mom buried fish parings into the ground with the seed potatoes...

my new favourite, giant white onions grilled on low heat, for a long time. you could use butter, but it's really not necessary, tiny amount of oil will do. i've contemplated on adding some balsamic reduction to this but so far it's just perfect as is.

i have a handy electric grill at the cottage, perfect for the onions, and keeping other (gas)grilled goods warm.

at the lake & in the woods

2011-07-30T10:00:00.003+03:00

i love the shades of pink in late summer evenings' light at the cottage. this evening here, the lake was surprisingly calm.

on my last visit at the cottage, this mallard brought her ducklings to visit us.

she stood on the rock whilst the young ones fooled around in the long grass.

after a while mama mallard called the ducklings who dutyfully followed her.

but yesterday evening, as i was going to take some more pics of the pink moments, the mallards had come back for the night.

didn't have my tripod along...sadly mama mallard seems to have lost a duckling.

they didn't seem to mind me getting quite close (3 meters)

not sure if it's only due to the fact that i've started looking at clouds...but sometimes there are strange formations.

from the water to the woods, or, actually, a small swampy pond up on a hill not too far from the cottage.

swampy areas have cloudberries, tiny one here. i guess i'm supposed to say they are delicious, but have yet to learn to like them. it's not that the taste is somehow off or outright bad, there is a sort of tartness to it that i just don't enjoy. but don't let me stop you from trying if you ever get a chance.

i do like this place, but...in the winter there usually is just way too much snow, in the summer you won't believe the amount of bugs, and autumn just might be even worse for bugs because the moose flies. little over a week ago when i went there (semi-hiking with mom) it had just rained (fresh, cool air), there was a slight wind (no mosquitoes) and most importantly, no moose flies yet!

eew! i just don't like moose flies! but these lingonberries are looking good, few more weeks and they'll be ripe to be picked

wild raspberries are abundant! hmm, little did i know, these are not just wild raspberries, but arctic raspberries...

mom's been picking them like crazy, there are still places you can pick a handful after handful, and have a handy snack along a hike.

and blueberries, there's plenty of them, too. whether you choose to call these wild blueberries or bilberries, to me, they are the true blueberries.

another tasty snack...

this, however, is not a blueberry, but a northern bilberry. who knew berries could be so confusing!?

though, there is nothing confusing about these, wild strawberries

chanterelle pasta

2011-07-29T16:16:00.003+03:00

a long overdue post...the wireless internet connection at the shack got whacked by a thunder storm and until the repair guy came, no one knew how bad it actually was. a lightning had done serious damage in a socket, serious like in burned...luckily the house wasn't burned down. certain someone wasn't a happy camper when the net was down...

anyways. right now, i'm at the cottage. it's getting close to autumn, yeah, yeah, someplaces it's summer until sept 23, but in our neck of the woods summer is on the loosing side. i like autumn so i'm good. at the cottage i usually take a walk with mom, at this time of year mom spends hours on end foraging in the woods...you know, blueberries (the wild kind), raspberries (again, the wild kind) and chanterelles, and whatelse.

if you don't pay attention you'll miss the fungus, 'cause you'll think it's just some fallen birch leaves, 'cause they hide pretty well.

i don't mind telling that i walked pass this one, mom didn't.

pretty nice...

got all this and we weren't even looking that hard. little cleaning is needed before these make it into the pan.

this batch is from last week, rinsed well before putting on the pan with one minced onion and some butter (it's ok to use oil, too)

cooked some whole wheat linguine, any long thin pasta will do.

cooked the chanterelles and onion on medium heat until the juices started to evaporate...

...then added the cooked pasta, crushed black pepper and salt, and some cream that i had laying around (cream is totally optional, but so good...) delish lunch in the time it takes to boil your pasta...

afternoon at the amusement park

2011-07-14T11:05:00.007+03:00

welcome to linnanmäki! my brother and his family came to helsinki for the afternoon yesterday for a summer staple, the amusement park. i joined them for a few hours.

gotta have cotton candy.

fun for free...

the wooden rollercoaster had its 60th anniversary yesterday. i have never in the 40plus yrs of going to linnanmäki been brave enough to ride it.

some say that the squeaking and creaking of the wooden frame adds the thrill, but i'd get "sea-sick" in no time.

more of a my kind of smooth ride.

another ride you won't get me on...kieputin / spinner. once on board, towards the end the machine stops like this for a few seconds, your face towards the ground. enough said.

another smooth ride.

a helsinki landmark, rinkeli ferris wheel. as a kid this (well, the former one) was one of the few rides that i would go on. now i'm too scared of heights.

kieppi, another ride that will surely shake and swirl your guts. my nephew rode it twice!

hiphop, discription says "stomach tickling bumps"...

the amusement park is run by children's day foundation, which donates the proceeds to finnish child welfare work.

in addition to the 40plus rides, the grouds are beautifully gardened. i tried to find info on the garden, but so far found none. i did email the foundation asking for it...

love the hanging grass.

and the hanging pinkish-purple whatever it is...

cool idea for a fountain.

on the way to the amusement park i walked under a bridge on tivolitie. the tunnel has had a minor face-lift as this artist has been doing paintings on both sides on the tunnel. she told me there will be a story about her and the paintings in the local paper next week (will link it here later, link from the newspaper's web version).

whilst i admired her work, she expressed concerns that proper lightning would not only do her work more justice, she pointed out that the tunnel was a very dark place most of the year and that for pedestrian safety the tunnel should have lights all year long.

the tunnel is a natural pedestrian route from alppila to the center of town, therefore there is plenty of pedestrian traffic also in the winter. unfortunately, many a good women have had bad things happen to them in that tunnel...

city officials, get some lights there, please!

UPDATE: artist's website here.

garden shots

2011-07-13T10:10:00.005+03:00

the peas are ripening nicely...

...tomatoes too!

the "herb garden" looks weird in the light of the setting sun. clock-wise from top: two types of thyme, oregano, mint, sage, parsley and cilantro.

studied yesterday all three of the apple trees at the shack, managed to find total of six apples developing...total for the three trees! i guess i won't be making any apple sauce this year, hoping for one apple pie, though.

this lone lily has sprung up in the mismanaged stone border at the shack. see the rose on the left? just for the record, i hate it. busted my wrist to get rid of them and now, 2 yrs later, they are all over, even more vigorous than ever!

hmm, this zucchini showed at "the dump" where we take everything compostable (sans food scraps). i did grow some zucchini from seed, not all, in fact, only one, made it to garden. it'll be interesting to see if this individual produces anything...it looks healthy enought, althoug a bit tiny.

this is a weed...the ants seem to like it.

the butterfly seems to like this weed...

the spider must have had some sort of affair with this campanula...

can you spot the fly?

my uncle's wife's roses are enormous this year. she did tell me the name of the rose, but i forgot it.

her lilies are beautiful as well.

this is indoors, certain someone's mom gave this to me a few weeks ago. the coloring is enchanting, and changing with the light. it will be interesting to see how the plant survives in my care.

grilled veggies & ham wrapped potatoes

2011-07-12T21:04:00.004+03:00

last week i went a little crazy at the produce counter...it seems i have developed a craving for zucchini and eggplant, bought too many and needed to figure out what to do with them (it was too hot to even think about cooking them in the oven). decided to take the easy way out...grilling them outdoors. i had also gotten two huge sweet white onions that i sliced thickly (1½cm) and skewered them (did soak the skewers for 20mins in water) before placing on the grill for a few mins per side, delish!

the sweet onion wasn't totally co-operating with me, the slices were breaking up when i inserted the skewers, so i chopped some of them. luckily i remembered that i had a perforated grill pan (that i've had for, hmm, at least 5 yrs and never used...)

huge button mushrooms turned great on the pan as well.

zuzzhini, eggplant and the onions...

i had some left-over boiled new potatoes and some serrano ham laying around in the fridge...

this was a dangerously delicious discovery...the crispy, salty meat wrapped around the sweet, soft potato, they were good even cold.

after this lunch there was plenty left over for me to take to work, for certain someone to take to work. i even made a salad with couscous on the third day...

people, eat your veggies!

the nest is empty

2011-07-11T23:34:00.007+03:00

the spotted flycatcher babies grew up real fast. there is only 5 days in between the first picture and the last...

first one to start wandering about, on the right. i'm sure he was the bully who got most of the flies mom and brought them.

by this time they started to get quite vocal...high-pitched "screams"...the dog showed surprisingly little interest in them.

the morning of the last day, all of them still at home. one by one they started spreading their wings...

...one landed on the molding on the door.

this one took the longest, i bet she was the one that only got left-overs form the others. her wing looked a bit crooked, i was worried about this one as there had been strange (stray?) cats around.

she finally got the wing working (i hope) and was gone at dusk. they all stayed around the house for a few days (remember the high-pitched screams?). now we are wondering if there is going to be another set of babies before they start migrating to africa...

just peonies

2011-07-10T10:33:00.004+03:00

and just a few words. the peonies made only a brief show this year. first i thought they were a bit late. when the blooms finally appeared, they were gorgeous, as always. then came the heat and together with no rain, the blooms faded in just a few days...sigh.

pickled herring & grilled leg of lamb

2011-07-09T10:58:00.001+03:00

my luch yesterday, new potatoes, serrano ham, olives, swiss cheese and tomatoes.

certain someone's lunch, similar but with pickled herring, which is supposed to be a delicacy...i have never been able to eat even a tiniest piece of pickled herring, there is something, well, fishy about it. but don't let me stop you from trying it if you ever get a chance...

this is how it's supposed to be at its best, with new potatoes...

another food that i'm not too eager to eat is lamb...we had a leg of lamb in the frrezer and i thiught it was time to cook it. i had decided on grilling it and made a marinade out lemons, fresh oregano, mint, thyme and parsley, garlic, salt and olive oil. put the ingredients into a plastic bag and let marinate over night.

wiped the surface clean before placing on the grill. 10 mins on both sides on a medium flame, then 15 mins on indirect heat.

let it rest for about 5 mins (we were hungry...)

only a minute longer and the meat would have started dry out, how lucky i was! certain someone thought that this was my best lamb ever, and better than anything we had in italy. well, thank you. i can't say it was bad but there is this thing with lamb and me...call it prejudice, call it something else, all i will say is that the marinade was spot on, will have to try it on something else as well.

heated some let-over potatoes on the grill and made a cucumber-avocado salad with lime-dijon -vinaigrette.

his and her drinks. white wine spritzer and tequila with lime, demerera sugar and soda water...

midsummer, long overdue...

2011-07-08T11:48:00.012+03:00

midsummer came and went...i had managed to get the midsummer eve (friday) free from work. originally we had planned to drive to the cottage already on thursday evening to beat the traffic. however, a storm started to develop on thursday afternoon and we decided to postpone and leave early on friday morning. although, on principle, i'm agaist waking up early on a day-off. we were on the road by 6.30 am. (yawn)

almost as soon as we arrived, dad and certain someone started to heat up the pit for the roast. pit roast / bandit roast is somewhat of a summer tradition at the cottage. if we can get everyone there for midsummer, we make the roast then, if not, my older niece's birthday in another option. pics from earlier roasts here and here.

the dog got to come along. his table manners need a bit of adjusting...

as the roast would happen only on saturday, i grilled some chicken (martinated in teriyaki and red chilli sauce). as you can see, not exactly a warm summer day...

back to the roast...the pit needed attention, here placing some stones on the fire to heat them real good...

as it was raining, and not so warm, we placed a huge lid on the fire to keep all the heat in the pit...

...meanwhile, certain someone was heating the sauna.

midsummer eve, at 11pm. long are gone the days that i stayed awake until the sun came up...

the sky had a weird pinkish color.

on midsummer day, saturday, we once again made a fire in the pit, and started preparing the parcels that would be buried in the pit...we had a moose roast (drunk from soaking in red wine for 2 days), pork roast (just with salt&pepper) and chicked (stuffed with lemon, parsley and garlic)

first the roasts were wrapped in parchment paper, then foil, then foil (5 layers of foil) and finally, tightly in wet newspaper.

the dog played boss...

dad emptying the pit of stones and embers.

digging a hole just big enough...

...for the three parcels to fit in.

the stones and embers were placed on top of the parcels...

...and another fire was started on top.

some three hrs later, once it had started smelling like something was cooking, we started digging out the parcels.

looking good...

the parcels were extremely hot...

the fat on top of the pork roast had become a little charred, but we hadn't planned on eating it anyway, the meat was tender and juicy.

the chicken was falling off the bones.

the moose...little weird color because of the red wine but tasted perfect. i'm still quite not sure if this roast was better warm or cold...

we made three salads to go with the roasts, from left: my tabbouleh (tomatoes, red onions, parsley, avocado, black pepper, olive oil, lime juice, and couscous), cole slaw (cabbage, carrots, celery, chives, mayo, sour cream, white vinegar, salt, white pepper) and a pasta salad (whole wheat pasta, corn, peas, swiss cheese, meetwursti (salami type finnish sausage) black pepper, white balsamico and olive oil.

for the dessert i made a peach galette with vanilla flavoured whipped cream. where's the picture? well, i had already licked my plate before i realized that i should have taken some... with 10 people around, one forgets such trivial things.

lately, it seems that i don't have as much free time as i used to. as of june 1st our schedule at worked changed so that we go to work 2 to 4 hrs earlier than before and our shifts end that much earlier. in case you don't already know, i am so not a morning person. for me, going to work at noon is like going to work in the morning, i'm barely awake and functioning. now, i don't have time to make coffee before work, let alone blog! they also shortened the shifts on sundays (money, money...) and that neads longer days on weekdays...

oh, how i long for the night shifts! i had all the time in the world, i could even squeeze in some knitting during the night, as long as there wasn't anything else to be done at work. i always felt that when i worked later in the evenings and in the night, the more i got done in my free time. i don't know, hopefully i'll get adjusted to this new schedule, eventually...

flycatcher update

2011-07-02T12:11:00.003+03:00

the baby birds are getting bigger by the day. i tried to peek in, carefully, but never saw the eggs, maybe they weren't hatched that many days. anyways, these first pics were taken on june27, the babys look just like a hairy and gooey lump...

quite helpless...

...but the mama (papa?) bird was being vigilant...

...and giving us the eye when we opened the door.

on july1, the babies are starting to look like birds. at first we thought that there were only three babies...

...turns out there is four, four hungry ones.

and sleepy...

maybe this one got enough to eat and the other one not?

they've been doing quite well in the busy doorway. i hope we notice at once when the flying lessons start, and keep the dog some place else...

merry midsummer!

2011-06-24T13:30:00.002+03:00

minor efforts at gardening

2011-06-23T20:30:00.005+03:00

gardening hasn't been effortless this summer. last autumn i had high hopes that this year i'd get an actual vegetable patch, ni such luck. my wrist is in no condition to take on a shoveling job of that kind of magnitude. i almost gave up on potting even summer flowers but then decided to shape up. once i was at the nursery there wasn't too much to choose from...

a few sad looking tomatoes, that i ended up getting cheap...i read someplace that marogolds are suppose to fend off bugs that bother tomatoes...

i grew these (somewhat pale) pumpkins from seed myself...i'm not holding by breath on actually getting any pumpkins, i'll be pleasantly surprised if they are still green (well, greener) after one week.

to replace the huge hole left by the lovage in the big planter, i planted some sage (here) and two kinds of thyme.

i have three of these planters, one planter was for peas (here), one for spinach (looking good)...

...one planter was for runner beans, but i'm pretty sure this isn't a runner bean...a weed?

the lovage, the lovage, it continues to push long stalks and there isn't even too much soil in the bucket.

at the nursery, i pretty much had to take what ever they had, though i think these might look pretty together once they mature a bit.

this on the other hand screams for some color, might have to replant something else there...

while i was getting my hands dirty, the guys concentrated on more important stuff...

PW's pasta salad, sort of

2011-06-21T09:51:00.004+03:00

not too long ago, i had seen PW make a pasta salad with tomatoes and gouda. lazy that i was, i didn't even look at the recipe, just boiled some pasta and went from there...final product here, with teriyaki salmon.

i used spelt pasta, these are good, they're whole grain and organic.

got some mini tomatoes and gouda...

got some parsley and basil, added some olive oil and white wine vinegar, black pepper, mixed and there was it. the taste was right, but something was missing...and maybe too much gouda...

i should have at least checked the recipe before starting, the original sald was called spicy pasta salad with smoked gouda and basil. i now see the "spicy" part would have made all the difference...there was some left over from yesterday's lunch, will add some chili powder and maybe cukes, and maybe some more pasta...and will try this salad again with proper ingredients!

summer medley, of nature

2011-06-20T10:24:00.008+03:00

it's summer. well, it was, only for a brief moment, it seems. the temp this morning was 12C and it will rain today. anyway, during the few very warm days the dog got to go under the apple trees to enjoy the shade.

he also got to smell the flowers! just kidding, he's eating grass...

this bunch was the lovage growing in a huge planter. it was getting out-of-control-big, so i decided to cut it down. all this went to the compost heap.

i did leave a few sprigs to be used in soups, etc...

...and what do you know, a week later the bugger was already this big! yes, i was warned that lovage would take over everything else. i now have a plan, next time i'm going to the cottage, i will dig all of it up, place it into a bucket and take to the cottage. let's see how it survives semi-arctic conditions!

ah, the peonies. my biggest worry every summer is that i miss their blooming. this summer it seems to take for ever for the buds to open. could it be all the rain...

back at the cottage, the lingonberries were blooming, looks like they will be plentifull again this year.

the blueberries were starting to ripen and to tell the truth, the nature at the cottage was crying for some rain. it was cracking dry and any careless spark would have spread furiously...

a bad shot? hmm, i was trying to get a close-up of the lily of the walley and the dog thought there was something interesting and got his nose in...

it started as a warm and sunny sunday, the lake was nice and calm. then the winds started to pick up volume and clouds gathering into huge pillows. at this point i was sitting on the deck admiring nature's play in front of me.

thunder storms don't usually hit the cottage, the hills around it steer the strom away, which is something we, as kids, didn't like, we thought thunder storms were fun...this time i thought that i'd miss yet another storm, but no, oh no...this hit right on us! the rain started very suddenly and by the time i had run from the deck to the cottage porch (50 meters), i was wet...

i got the full show, lightning, rumbling thunder, icy hail and it lasted for a good few hours. the downside with the storms is that the electricity goes very easily. a tree falls down on a powerline and there you have it, luckily, no fallen trees this time.

back at the shack, certain someone has got a new tenant...right by the door, right in front of your eyes when you open the door. while we were away for a week, someone had built a nest on a sill by the door (on the dog's toy-rope...)

the someone is a spotted flycatcher (muscicapa striata), notorius for making its nests in unconventional locations (shoes, hanging planters...) we think there are eggs in the nest and that the birds don't seem to mind us, or the dog, that much. we are concerned that once the babybirds hatch and start screaming for food, the dog will show a loud interest in them...will keep you posted, the birds don't seem to mind posing for pics!

smoked perch

2011-06-19T11:38:00.001+03:00

as mentioned i was on leave for a few weeks and have now been back to work for a couple of days. it seems that there is a pile pictures needing sorting, and posting...bags and laundry all over at the apartment...bear with me, getting back to a schedule is taking longer than i thought, but i will get there. eventually.

at the cottage, the fish was plentifull...here a bucket-full of perch waiting...

...to be smoked. i might have posted about hot-smoking fish before, but here goes again. the fish are beheaded and gutted 8yes, a very messy business), rinsed and placed on a stand and the stand then droppen into the smoker itself. this was "custom made" for dad eons ago. on the bottom of the smoker dad puts alder shavings and a few sugar cubes. a tight lid is placed on top.

a fire is lit under the smoker and kept going...until the fish are done, says dad. for how long depends what kind and how much fish you have in the smoker.

when the fish are done, the stand is lifted out of the smoker...

...and the fish are left to cool a bit before...

...stacking into a container and salted...

...salted generously. the container is wrapped tightly and the fish are then left to suck in some of the salt for a few hours, or overnight, in the fridge.

smoked perch are finger food, you do need a small knife for the tiny bones.

i did cook a fair bit at the cottage, but there seemed to be so much going on that i forgot to take pics of the food. this grilled eggplant-tomato-basil-mozzarella tower managed to get photographed...

...as did this pancake with strawberry jam and whipped cream...

from garda to päijänne & bouillabaisse

2011-06-10T21:52:00.000+03:00

i'm spending the last days of my summer leave at the cottage. the lake was amazingly calm on yesterday morning.

peculiarly shaped tree along the path in the forest.

the dog enjoys a dip in the lake after a walk, it's getting too hot for all his fur...

the nieces and nephew spent a couple of nights at the cottage as well. the dog never had so many adoring fans rubbing him all day long...

...but he did need his rest at the end.

the fish has been plentifull, perch here.

i had wanted to make bouillabaisse for a long time. decided to try a simplified (what else!) version with just one kind of fish and shrimp. dad here de-boning the perch filees.

i did the fancy-pansy mis-en-place getting everything ready, and the second i had dumped the last ingredienst into the pot, i remembered that i had forgotten to take pics...

for the soup i used:

1 liter of fish stock (that mom made yesterday with zander bones)
2 dl white wine
1 onion, thinly sliced
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
½ tsp dried thyme
½ tsp dried tarragon
3 stalks of celery, sliced thinly
2 carrots, diced into 1cm cubes
1 parsnip, diced into 1cm cubes
1/4 celeriac, diced into 1cm cubes
1 bulb of fennel, diced into 1cm cubes
1 can (400gr) crushed tomatoes
½ dl lemon juice
300 gr perch filees or any other fish or combination of fishes
250 gr shrimp, slightly thawed

brought the fish-stock to a boil, added the first 5 ingredients and let simmer briskly for 10 mins, then added the veggies, cooked them for 10 mins, then added the fish, cooked for 5 mins, then added the shrimp and lemon juice and turned off the heat and let the pot sit for 5 more mins.

for the garnish i mixed (with immersion blender, all together)
1 egg
1 dl rape-seed oil
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp dijon mustard
3 cloves of garlic (grated)

i knew certain someone would like this soup, but i wasn't so sure about my parents...my mom did pic out the shrimp but dad was brave enough to try the garlicky garnish as well.

after lunch, certain someone took me out on the lake in the row-boat.

malcesine, part one

2011-06-01T19:23:00.000+03:00

lago di garda, malcesine, from the walls of castello scaligero

one of the harbours

alpine snack, on monte baldo

everyone seemed to be drinking this so we had to try it, it being aperol spritzer. at the hotel pool...

spaghetti frutti di mare

dessert, gelato (what else?!). my current favourite flavor is bounty, on the left, certain someone tried banana.

off to italy...

2011-05-28T10:49:00.004+03:00

finally, we're going to italy. there's been talk of it for many years, but other destinations have won, mostly croatia. i might be able to post something while away, meanwhile, here's something from the garden.

how did that thing get up on the stalk?

these poor little violets are fighting for some sun.

i hope the peonies will wait for me, the buds are getting bigger...

fish, fish, onion tart.oh, ice anyone?

2011-05-26T10:24:00.005+03:00

now that the lake has been free of ice for some weeks, my parents are back to fishing. water temperature is at refreshing 6 degrees C. there has been a lot of fish, (european) perch here, keeping themselves fresh in a fish-trap (katiska in finnish).

the other day we talked about my mummi (dad's grandmother) and a perch dish that she used to make eons ago. i don't remember ever eating that particular dish, but i took my parents word for the dish being very good. we had plenty of the fish, some bacon and butter and that's all what's needed.

i started by layering the fish, bacon and butter in a small dutch oven...

...topping everything with bacon, and some more butter. somehow i think that the amount of butter i used wasn't even close to what mummi would have used.

placed the pot on hot stove until everything started heating up, approx 10 mins. then put the lid on and placed the pot in the oven (approx 200C, hard to be sure on wood-burning stoves) for 4 hrs.

this certainly isn't a looker, but it was so tasty and actually better once it cooled to room temperature. dad said it needed salt, i hadn't added any while preparing thinking that there'd be salt in the bacon. this was so good on slightly dried rye bread, with some more butter!

the bones and what-not had melted into mush and though you can see the tiny fish bones, they were so tender that i didn't bother picking anything off, just spread it over the bread.

this big boy (a zander) got caught tuesday...

...and we had it for lunch yesterday, with warm german potato salad. some of my aunts and uncles were visiting at the cottage on tuesday, i made burgers with caramellized onions, the potato salad and crepe suzettes for dessert. and flambeed for the first time ever! and no one took any pictures of it! i was surprised as to how good the crepes actually are, i might have to make them again, soon...with pics.

there were plenty of left-over onions (picky eaters...), i decided to make an onion tart of them. i had caramellized a full kilo of thinly sliced yellow onions over low heat in "some" butter for an hour. as the filling was going to be smooth and soft (added some chanterelles and cream cheese to the onions) i wanted the crust to be little hardier.

i ended up using 6 dl all-purpose flour, 1 dl rye flour, 1 dl rolled oats (long cooking ones), 220 gr butter and one egg. first mixed the dry ingredients and butter, ideally that should be done with pastry blender but as there was none (and no machine) i used my fingers, and mixed in the egg. placed the dough in the fridge for an hour before rolling it, the placed the rolled dough in the fridge for another hour before blind-baking it for 20 mins in 200C oven. spread the filling (approx 4 dl in total) and baked for another 20 mins, for the last 5 mins oven turned off. could this be my own, very first pie crust recipe? i'm tempted to try adding more rye flour for a more robust flavor...

with green salad and tomatoes the tart made a nice late dinner.

the weather was acting up all day yesterday, rain and shine, rain and shine. around 6 pm it started raining again, heay, the rain got icy really fast, and i thought why this shower of hail didn't come on tuesday, we could have had ice in our drinks!

15 mins later all was quite and sunny again.

shy frog, and others

2011-05-25T10:58:00.005+03:00

at the cottage, i took a walk yesterday morning with my mom, who almost stepped on this creature, poor thing, trying to hide behind tiny fingers...

a woodpecker was making noise up on a barren tree

these probably aren't edible like fiddleheads, but interesting shapes nevertheless.

on monday night, fog came pretty...

...fast, there's 15 mins between these pics.

over the weekend, the dog enjoying a brushing session...

finally, last pics of switzerland

2011-05-22T11:35:00.005+03:00

these pictures have been on hold for a few weeks now, and as there isn't much else going on in the kitchen or in the garden, here they are.

first, diessenhofen CH, the bridge is one of the border crossings between switzerland and germany

the bridge was built between 1816-1816

clear waters of the rhein

a twike crossing the border

a rhein resident

an architectural accent, or time doing its thing?

rheinfalls

plenty of carp, and ducks, live in the still waters of the falls

now, we're in stein am rhein

up on the hill, burg hohenklingen

then, easter was around the corner...

sunset at my friend's house

fish patties & apology

2011-05-20T11:37:00.005+03:00

week ago friday i drove to my brother's with the intention to bake (a lot) for little niece's birthday, felt a little chilly when getting into bed friday night. saturday i had the house all to myself as my brother and nephew went to help my dad at the cottage and my sister in law took the nieces to an orienteering event in tampere. here is all i have to show for...

i baked pulla (coconut and cinnamon fillings), dorie greenspan's party cake in wilton dancing daisies pan, martha's coconut macaroons and made marchmallow's (a first!) with a recipe from delicious. i was having a flow so i forgot to take pics while preparing everything.

i had the intention of making buttercream frosting in pink and pale green to decorate the cake, etc, when, on saturday afternoon, i started feeling little woozy and had to lie down. first, on the sofa and later in bed with a bucket beside me, i will spare you the details. i ended up staying in bed for 3 days, fever and all. sister in law and older niece were left to make do with what i had started and some more to bake...i'm sorry i missed yet another little niece's birthday, and i was so close to making it this year! and you missed a grand post with my latest baking accomplishments, so sorry about that, too.

i stayed at mom and dad's apartment while sick and on tuesday afternoon, after carefully considering whether a 2½ hour drive could be accomplished, i drove home. i ended up staying horizontal most of wednesday, my stomach wasn't quite settled yet.

but eventually one needs to eat something...dad had caught some small pikes and knew that certain someone and i would appriciate them. there is one kilo of pike filees in there...certain someone got one fried in butter but the rest went into fish patties...

i made fish patties for first time a year ago, almost to a date. i used more or less the same recipe (who am i kidding? there was no recipe...), i did browse thru some recipes for inspiration, like one from maku magazine.

i ended up using:

1 kg pike filees
3 dl cream
2 eggs, separated, whites whipped
4 pieces of rye crisp bread, minced
1 dl bread crumbs (white bread)
10 cm piece of white part of leek, minced
salt, pepper, chili powder, peel of one lemon, fresh parsley and dill minced

first mixed together all of the dry ingredients.

then minced the pike filees in the food processor. (let the machine run long enough, you don't want tiny fish bones in your patties!) then, the machine running added the cream (mixed with the dry ingredients), leeks and yolks, mixed well. at this point i felt the machine might be getting over its capasity (a slight odor...), i mixed the whipped egg whites in a large bowl.

then shaped the batter into patties with wet hands, rolled the patties in rye breadcumbs and fried in butter on medium for 4 minutes per side.

perfectly done

served it simply with boiled jacket potatoes, butter and lemon juice

garden this morning

2011-05-09T22:33:00.003+03:00

haven't been able to do much (=anything) in the garden, but nature seems to be doing fine by herself...

blueberries are blooming

a more dramatic take of the blooms

the muscari took their time getting up this year

as did the tulips. i have no idea how these will look when in bloom

managed to be quick enough to capture a moment's stillness

bee being busy

the palest yellow daffodil

anemone nemorosa is plentiful at the shack

my sad attemp of gardening, tomato, pumpkin and nastutium seedlings, the paprika is a no-show...now, if i could find a magic wand to turn the mossy lawn into a vegetable garden...

the dog isn't really enjoying the sunny, warm weather

salmon and asparagus tart, from delicious, my way

2011-05-04T10:43:00.006+03:00

as i've mentioned, i've taken a habit to mark interesting recipes in the magazines. the may issue of delicious got 5 marks (so far..). i tried the salmon and asparagus tart from the article cost-conscious suppers the other night. well, i read the recipe and made do with what i had...

i used puff pastry instead of shortcrust, cold smoked salmon instead of salmon fillet and red for yellow onion, but the rest of ingredients were close enough to the original recipe.

did my blind baking, dutyfully...those peas must have been in the oven for a dozen or more times...

sauteed the thinly sliced onion and let cool a bit before placing on the base along with the sliced salmon.

blanched and halved the asparagus as the sprigs were quite thick.

on the left, that's how the tart looked in the magazine. on the right, my puffed version.

i my mind i imagined how nice a salad of mixed greens with lemon vinaigette would have been with this. but i was lazy and ate it as is...delish!

i still have to figure out what the system of posting recipes online is for the magazine. there are quite few online, maybe it was just me not finding this one, yet.

ps. as i write this i'm pissed off (pardon the expression) beyond belief at my doctor, the surgeon. although i fully agree on his reasons for wanting to try a new procedure on my wrist, i would have appreciated him telling me that this procedure is, in fact, so new that there isn't a license (in finland) for its use yet. since january, they've (the hospital) been telling me that my surgery will take place latest june, by midsummer.

had i not called them on monday, i would have waited and waited, until august, if not longer, to hear anything from the hospital. i have tried to live with the pain, reminding myself that people live with more devastating conditions, but that helps only so far. i can see how the nagging pain seeps into my behaviour and i become nasty, and i don't like it. i have pain-killers but they have their side-effects.

it's infuriating not having been able to plan anything for early summer and now this will continue for i don't even know how long. like, when do they get the license? how long it takes before my surgery takes place after that? will it be august? october? december, worse yet, next year??

yesterday i spent an hour, in vain, trying to find out which institution grants those licenses. from the hospital, i was given the phone number for my doctor but so far i have resisted the urge to call him, i don't think anything constructive would come out of my mouth right now. i might email him, next week, when i'm in a calmer state of mind...

i won't even start on what i think of my supervisor who couldn't be man enough concerning his issues about the timing of my leave. he knows who he is.