Have a nice pancake!

Winter's here. Time to make some pancakes to bring joy to the life!!


Maailman paras pannukakku. For real.

4dl vehnäjauhoja
1,5 dl sokeria
1tl suola
1tl leivinjauhetta
1tl vaniljasokeria
8dl maitoa
2munaa
100g voita

Sekoita kuivat aineet. Lisää maito ja munat. Sulata 100g voita uuninpellillä ja lisää seos pellille kun voi on sula. Paista 225asteessa n. 30minuuttia.



Enjoy the holidays! :)
Btw. I'm still unemployed. Or as I should say: still looking for the right job. 

Autumn is here - and so is Kikka!

Instead of writing boring and yet so useless job applications, I decided to share couple of thoughts with you. First one is about weather (how British am I?) and the second one is about themeparties (yay!).

First thought: Autumn is here! That means that it's really dark, rainy, dark and depressing. However, that also means that we should get our first snow in Helsinki soon! I'm now talking about snow that would actually stay on the ground more than 30seconds. As dark autumn might be slightly depressing, it is good to cheer up one's life somehow. That's what baking is for. Therefore I'll share one recipe with you. It's easy to make, relatively healthy (!), good and it's a new way to use those millions of lingonberries that you might have in the fridge because of (dark and rainy) autumn.



Syksyinen kääretorttu

Ainekset:
4 kananmunaa
1 1/2dl sokeria
1 dl Pirkka ruisjauhoja
1/2 dl Pirkka perunajauhoja
1 tl leivinjauhetta
Täyte
2 dl Pirkka vispikermaa
1 banaani
1 dl rahkaa
3 dl puolukoita
1/2 dl sokeria
1 tl vanilliinisokeria


Another thought is Kikka. Now, most of you foreigners don't probably know her but you could say that she was the Finnish Marilyn Monroe (only much less elegant and beautiful). She was a famous singer in the 80's who was known for her amazing clothes and even more amazing (and dirty) lyrics. She also died relatively young and relatively suspiciously (like Marilyn) so I really think that they have many things in common... such as blonde hair, boobs and death. That's plenty.

Now what would make a better topic for a theme party than Kikka? After all, Kikka is a synonym for erotic 80's (pic). As I said to my friends earlier, finally I have an excuse to show my boobs at a party (which is tomorrow, by the way). I'm sure it's going to be a really sexy party. In case you are still wondering what the hell I'm talking about, here's a video by Kikka. She sings about erecti... I mean about a curve.

The benefits of unemployment

The first step in the cure process is admitting the problem.

So hello everyone, my name is Venla and I'm unemployed.
I realized that my unemployement had become a problem when I couldn't buy tickets to Berlin (I had promised my friends I would go) and when I had to start asking my boyfriend to pay for our grocery shoppings (thanks Topi).

As soon as I had admitted the problem, I started finding ways of getting rid of it (aka curing myself). Naturally sending job applications was one of the best ways to start. However, I have to say that I think it's easier to market Jesus than yourself. Especially if you are not willing to talk (or write) bullshit. Oh well, unemployed got to do what unemployed got to do.

Well although unemployment might be a problem, it has its benefits. I've had time to exercise, enjoy the nature (the beautiful autumn), enjoy long and cheap lunches, clean the house and most importantly, COOK! We took part in a Georgian/Russian food cooking class last weekend and it was a blast. The class also gave me an inspiration to use more oven in cooking and that's what we've been doing. So I'll now share couple of recipes with you. One from Georgia, other one from Greece. Both in Finnish.

TSANAHI (Georgialainen lammaspata)
4 annosta

600g (rasvaista) lampaan lihaa
6 perunaa
3 sipulia
4 pientä munakoisoa
4 suurta tomaattia
3 rkl tomaattisosetta
5dl lihalientä
5 valkosipulinkynttä
2 laakerinlehteä
persiljaa, korianteria, suolaa ja pippuria

Paloittele lampaan liha, peruna, sipuli, tomaatti ja valkosipulit reilun kokoisiksi paloiksi. Tee munakoisoihin keskelle viilto johon laitat suolaa ja yrttejä. Laita lihanpalat uunivuokaan ja niiden päälle kasvikset. Ripottele pinnalle mausteet. Kiehauta lihaliemi, lisää siihen tomaattisose ja kaada uunivuokaan. Peitä kannella peitettynä 180 asteessa ainakin 1h40min. Ripottele pinnalle persiljaa ja korianteria (jos kykenet syömään yrttiä joka maistuu saippualta :D)

STIFADO (kreikkalainen lihapata)
(6 annosta)

oliiviöljyä
800 g - 1000 g naudan palapaistia kuutioina
6 valkosipulinkynttä silputtuna
1½ tl jauhettua juustokuminaa
2-3 kanelitankoa
2 dl punaviiniä
2 rkl punaviinietikkaa
1tl rosmariinia
2-4 laakerinlehteä
4 rkl tomaattisosetta) sekoitettuna 1 litraan kuumaa vettä
700 g pieniä kuorittuja sipuleita
3 rkl tummaa sokeria
suolaa ja mustapippuria

Ruskista lihapalat (vähän kerrallaan) oliiviöljyssä. Sekoita lihojen joukkoon silputtu valkosipuli, juustokumina ja kanelitangot. Kypsennä hetki ja kaada sitten hitaasti joukkoon viini ja etikka. Anna nesteen kuplia n. 4 minuuttia. Lisää rosmariini, laakerinlehdet ja laimennettu tomaattisose. Sekoita hyvin ja mausta suolalla ja mustapippurilla. Kaada lihat nesteineen uuninkestävään pataan ja laita kansi päälle. Nosta pata 160 asteiseen uuniin n. 2 tunniksi. Lisää kahden tunnin kuluttua pikkusipulit pataan ja ripottele päälle sokeri. Laita pata uuniin vielä tunniksi. Muista pitää kansi päällä jottei pata kuivu!

That's it this time. More recipes, feelings, tips and sorrows next time.

Baking bread - perfect excuse for staying home on Sunday

This is a bit silly: first I don't write anything here in 3 months and then suddenly there are 2 posts in 2 days. Oh well, life's illogical.

As Sundays are usually rather boring (hungover) and grey (hungover), I decided to brighten up this Sunday a little bit. So I invited some friends to our place and we are going to cook together tonight. Me and my friends have more or less two things in common: we love food and travelling.

Before they come I thought I'd do something useful on this boring Sunday: bake some bread! I have two recipes that I've been meaning to write down here for a long time so that I could through away the old pieces of paper that they've been written on. So here we go, traditional Finnish bread meets traditional Italian bread. In Finnish I'm afraid.

Saaristolaisleipä

1l piimää
75g hiivaa
3dl siirappia
3dl kaljamaltaita
3dl vehnäleseitä
3dl ruisjauhoja
1 rkl suolaa
10-12dl vehnäjauhoja
Voiteluun siirappivettä (siirappia 1/3)

Lämmitä piimä kädenlämpöiseksi ja liuota joukkoon hiiva. Lisää nesteeseen muut ainekset. Anna taikinan kohota pari tuntia. Kaavi taikina (kahteen) voideltuun vuokaan. Paista leipää uunin alaosassa 175asteessa n. 2h. Hieman paistamisen jälkeen valele leipä siirappivedellä. Teen ite annoksen yleensä puolikkaana koska meijän uuni on niin saakelin pieni :)



Foccaccia

7,5 dl vettä
50 g hiivaa
2 rkl suolaa
2 rkl sokeria
1 rkl kuivattua oreganoa
noin 15 dl vehnäjauhoja
1,5 dl + 0,5 dl oliiviöljyä
sormisuolaa
rosmariinia

Mittaa kulhoon kädenlämpöinen vesi ja liouta joukkoon hiiva. Lisää suola, sokeri ja oregano. Lisää kerralla noin puolet vehnäjauhoista ja sekoita tasaiseksi. Lisää sitten jauhoja vähitellen hyvin vaivaten. Lisää lopuksi myös 1,5 dl oliiviöljyä. Vaivaa taikina tasaiseksi. Voitele leivinpaperi uunipannun päälle ja painele taikina siihen. Kohota kaksinkertaiseksi. Ripottele pinnalle oliiviöljyä, sormisuolaa ja rosmariinia. Paista 200 asteessa noin 30 min. Valuta vielä kypsän focaccian päälle oliiviöljyä.

Cheers.
Vee the Baker

How to drink vodka in Polish style... and how to cope with it.

As many of you have probably already heard, I spent last weekend in Poland celebrating the wedding of my two good friends. Even before going to Poland I had heard lots of rumours about the vodka drinking nation and its traditions. As it turned out, everything that I had heard was more than true.

Polish weddings last always for two days (or as one taxi driver put it "in the good old days they lasted for 3 days") and both days have certain things in common: there is a lot of food, a lot of people, a lot of dancing and of course a lot of vodka. As I personally (or actually my beloved stomach) has always disliked hard liquor, I was surprised how much vodka I (not to mention the locals) can really drink. However, there is a simple guideline how to drink vodka in Polish style and in case you ever find yourself in a situation where you are expected to drink vodka for 2 days, bear the following in mind:

Step 1. Say "Na zdrowie" and raise your glass of vodka
Step 2. Take a quick sip of juice (NO water but juice)
Step 3. Drink your vodka shot (if you feel that you are about to die, don't drink the whole shot)
Step 4. Drink immediately more juice
Step 5. Smile and start dancing

However, the most important thing is to eat all the time even if you are not that hungry. When you are not drinking vodka or showing your best dance moves, EAT. This juice-drinking is naturally very common only among the younger people, according to the taxi drivers the young people nowadays are much weaker and can't stand as much vodka as they do. One taxi driver also called vodka the "only pure and organic drink" as you can make it at home from simple ingredients. And yes, I had many conversations in taxis in Poland... in English, Polish and German. (Yes I know that most of you didn't know that I speak Polish. Well neither did I.)

Although I followed these guidelines my stomach was a bit angry with me when we got back home. I understand him: I had promised him many times before that I will never EVER drink hard liquor again. So I had to stay at home for 4 days and try to make him feel better... we even had to go to see a marriage counselor (also known as doctor) who recommended peace, love, bananas and carrot soup. So I've spent the past 4 days at home, spending quality time with my stomach and eating carrot soup... all possible different versions of it. Here's one that you might wanna try out when your stomach is ever upset:

Thai carrot soup
0,5 kg luomuporkkanoita
5 dl vettä
2 rkl raastettua inkiväärinjuurta
2 limen mehu
1 tl kuivattua chiliä
1,5 rkl thaimaalaista kalakastiketta
1 tl suolaa
1 rkl valkoviinietikkaa
1,5 dl kookosmaitoa



Keittäkää porkkanat, soseuttakaa ne, lisätkää mausteet, lämmittäkää keitto. Tsadam. Kannattaa muuten tarkkailla paljon keitinvettä jättää ettei keitosta tuu liian löysää.

As I was bloody fed up with carrot soups on day number 4, I added some chorizo and beans to give it flavour (check out the beautiful and this time authentic picture above).

Na zdrowie!

Hot, hot summer.

I'm baaaaad. I'm baaaaad.
1) I haven't written here for ages.
2) I'm writing this from work.

I should have written so many times before coz we've cooked so many wonderful things during June and July and now I'm at work and I haven't got any of those cool recipes here with me (have probably already lost them). Anyway as this is a bit too illegal, to write my blog at work, I will keep this short and concise.

This summer has been hot. HOT. So hot that you foreigners wouldn't even believe it. Yesterday the highest temperature (of all times) in Finland was over 37 degrees. I hope that finally convinces you to come to Finland and to get rid of that stupid image of cold and freezing and dark Finland.



So the point of this blogpost was to remind everyone that it's been a hot hot summer and that no one should complain coz the summer in Finland has finally felt like a proper summer. And I also wanted to wish you a HOT AND SUNNY SUMMER FROM NOW ON!

From ashes to different identity

I'll start by commenting on two current matters. That's Icelandic ash (I have to give credits to the one who founded this FB group: http://twi.gy/44iw) and Tuksu.

To the first matter I haven't got anything else to say than HELLO MOTHER NATURE and THANKS for making people realise who's in charge. The next subject I'll quickly introduce to my foreign reader(s) so that they can feel sophisticated. Tuksu (or Johanna Tukiainen) is a sad Z-class celebrity from Finland who used to look pretty and normal but then decided to become famous and started turning herself into a pathetic sad botox whale. Talking and thinking about her makes me feel sad so instead of her or let's say inspired by her, let's talk about theme parties.

Last weekend we threw a housewarming party. As can be expected, there was naturally a theme involved as party isn't a proper party without a theme. This time I thought I'd be merciful and organise a party with a very very easy theme.

Well, only alf of the guests dressed up for the party. I don't know whether to blame the theme, me, Finnish people in general or just my friends.

Anyway the "easy theme" was Alter Ego, different identity. People could come to the party dressed up as whatever or whoever they wanted, as soon as they didn't come as they were. The party was hosted by Björn Borg and Erykah Badu.

As typical Finns, we didn't bother to bake anything instead we used all our energy and money on punch (booli). As it received a lot of positive attention, I thought I'd share the "recipe" with you.


Kirpeä booli
2 l viinaa (n. 40 %)
3 l valkoviiniä (eli yksi iso pahvilaatikko)
5 l spriteä
2 l greippimehua
5 l vissyä
3 l lähes alkoholitonta siideriä (isoissa pulloissa)
3 sitruunaa

We had about 30guests and the last drops of the punch were drunk 2mins before midnight and 2seconds before running to the bus stop.

I want to note that instead of punch I'll be drinking champagne this weekend.
Venla
Master of Arts (international business communication)

Let's tease Jansson. And men.

I wanna be a Burlesque artist when I grow up. Burlesque is the ideal combination of theme parties, dance, artistic expressions, teasing men, idealisation of natural female body (of different shapes and sizes) and great music. In the honour of all the Burlesque artists and like-minded people, today's theme is teasing.


I promised to choose Burlesque as the theme of my graduation party. Well I was just teasing you. I knew that 90% of the guests would NOT dress up in burlesque style so instead I chose a simpler theme called "showing up". The idea is actually very simple. The dresscode is free, the only requirement is that the guests have to show up in the party. I know it's quite challenging but I believe in you. So the graduation party, vol I takes place in Oulu in April but I promise you that it will not be my only graduation party.

When it comes to food and teasing, Jansson hops in. A very traditional and simple Finnish dish is called Janssonin kiusaus which literally means the teasing of Jansson. I'll share this simple teaser with you:


Teasing Mr. Jansson

800g sliced frozen potatoes and onions (perunasipulisekoitus)
2 cans of herring (janssonfile)
2,5 dl cooking cream (ruokakerma)
a little bit a salt.

Mix the ingredients together and put them into a buttered tin. Cook in 180C for more or less an hour.

Enjoy teasing.

Carrot soup - perfect excuse for a mudcake

People love excuses. Birthdays, namedays, graduations, women's days, holidays etc are all just excuses to eat well, drink well, spend time with your loved-ones and simply spice up your everyday life. Sundays are excuses to eat fast food and candies, Fridays are excuses to drink and go out after a hard week of working and Saturdays are perfect excuses for shopping. Christmas and Easter are perfect excuses for eating truckloads of chocolate.

Without excuses, our everyday life would be way too gray.

Now I've just come up with a perfect excuse for baking something utterly unhealthy and delicious. A light dinner! Yep a light dinner is the perfect excuse for enjoying a very heavy and chocolaty dessert. So tonight I used two of my favourite excuses for baking a mudcake: SUNDAY and carrot soup.

Carrot soup:

5 dl vettä
400g porkkanoita (n 6kpl)
200g perunoita (n 2-3 kpl
1 sipuli
1/2 purjoa
2 valkosipulin kynttä
1 kasvisliemikuutio
1 tl currya
1 tl raastettua inkivääriä
mustapippuria
1/2 tlk kookosmaitoa

Pese, kuori ja paloittele porkkanat ja perunat. Halkaise ja huuhtele purjo. Leikkaa viipaleiksi. Kuumenna vesi kattilassa, lisää liemikuutio, valkosipuli ja kasvikset. Keitä kunnes kasvikset ovat kypsiä. Soseuta keitto. Lisää raastettu inkivääri, curry, pippuri ja kookosmaito. Kuumenna uudestaan. Enjoy.

MUDCAKE eli mutakakku eli suklaapommi
100 g tummaasuklaata
100g maitosuklaata

200 g voita

4 kpl munaa

2 dl sokeria

vajaa 2 dl vehnäjauhoja

1 tl leivinjauhetta

Sulata voi ja pari palaa tummaa suklaata kattilassa. Ota kattila liedeltä ja lisää loput suklaat koko ajan sekoittaen. Vaahdota munat ja sokeri, lisää varovasti seokseen sulatettu suklaa ja sulatettu voi. Yhdistä jauhot ja leivinjauhe ja nostele varovasti taikinaan. Kaada seos vuokaan ja paista 200 asteessa noin 15 minuuttia.
Anna piirakan jäähtyä. Syö vaniljajätskin kanssa :)

Nam.

Parsnip where are thou?

Parsnip has a funny name in Finnish. Palsternakka. It sounds like a joke but let me tell you that it's a GOOD joke. Today I decided to use that joke in my cooking and I'm glad I did.
The combination of parsnip, sweet potato and carrot was so delicious that I wanted to share it with you as soon as possible. So tonight menu is parsnip-sweet potato soup with sun-dried tomato and olive bread:

Parsnip where are thou -
easy, delicious and sunny soup

1 sweet potato - bataatti
2-5 carrots - porkkanaa
2 potatoes - perunaa
200g parsnip - PALSTERNAKKAA
2 garlic cloves - valkosipulin kynttä
butter - voita
2 vegetable stock cubes - kasvisliemikuutiota

200-300g coconut milk - kookosmaito



Chop the vegetables and quickly stir them in butter on a pan. Put them into a kettle and add water and the vegetable stock cubes. Boil them till they are ready to be mashed. Mash, add coconut milk and eat.

Sun-dried tomato olive bread
in Finnish

Oliivileipä
5 dl vettä
50 g hiivaa
1 tl suolaa
3 rkl aurinkokuivattujen tomaattien öljymarinadia
2 dl ruisjauhoja
Noin 8 dl vehnäjauhoja

Pinnalle:
1 prk (190 g) öljyyn säilöttyjä puolikuivattuja tai aurinkokuivattuja tomaatteja (esim. Sacla)
20 kpl kivettömiä oliiveja
3 rkl tomaattien öljymarinadia
1 rkl rosmariinia
(suolaa)



Liuota hiiva kädenlämpöiseenveteen. Lisää suola, öljy ja ruisjauhot. Alusta vehnäjauhot taikinaan vähitellen. Jätä taikina pehmeäksi, ja taputtele se käsin jauhoja apuna käyttäen leivinpaperilla vuoratulle uunipellille. Anna taikinalevyn kohota liinan alla puoli tuntia.

Pilko tomaatit, ja paina ne taikinaan oliivien kanssa. Jos käytät puolikuivattuja tomaatteja, jätä ne isommiksi paloiksi kuin sitkeät aurinkokuivatut tomaatit. Voitele leipä tomaattipurkin öljyllä ja ripottele pinnalle rosmariini (ja suola).

Paista leipää 225 asteessa uunin keskitasolla 15–20 minuuttia leivän paksuudesta riippuen. Leikkaa leipä annospaloiksi, ja halkaise ne. Täytä leivät esimerkiksi salaattijuustolla, rucolalla ja tomaatilla.

After finding and dealing with parsnip, I can continue to tell something about myself and not about vegetables. I'm currently working as a research assistant in one secret university of applied sciences in Helsinki. Mysterious I know. Nerdy I assumed... but damned, I have quite enjoyed working and if everything goes well I might end up travelling quite a bit in the future ;) So nerdy turned out to be interesting, challenging and... international! I'll tell you more when I dare ;)

Cooking in Helsinki

I'm in Helsinki. My home is now in Helsinki. My job is in Helsinki. Some of my friends are in Helsinki. My boyfriend is in and out of Helsinki. I'm officially Helsinkish and tired but happy.

I'll start working next week as a research assistant in an international project, which should be at least international (if not interesting). The main thing is that I get to meet new people and old money.

I've spent the past two days trying to 1) decorate our flat with old stuff (IKEA here I come although I swore to god I would never go there again) 2) buy rubber boots (thank you Helsinki weather for giving us such a wet welcome) and 3) cook delicious food and 4) drink red wine and enjoy being Helsinkish. I've managed to do number 3 and 4 well which is why I'll share couple of delicious recipes with you (while drinking red wine):

Green Curry Chicken Soup

400g chicken (chopped)
1 onion
1 carrot
2 red peppers
2 garlic cloves
5cm ginger (fresh)
1/2 leek
1 tablespoon of green curry
1 litre of water
1 chicken stock cube
2 tablespoons of soy sauce
1 1/2 dl coconut milk
oil

Fry chopped chicken, onion, garlic, carrot, red peppers and ginger in oil in a pan. Add green curry sauce and stir for couple of minutes more. Add water and chicken stock cube. Let it boil till the carrots are soft and the chicken is cooked. Add leek and coconut milk and bring the soup to the boil. Season with soy sauce. Absolutely the best CHICKEN SOUP RECIPE EVER!

The other recipe is going to be in Finnish as I'm lazy and wanna concentrate on wathing telly now.



Feta-Pinaatti piirakka (pellillinen)

pohja:

200 g voita
vajaa 6 dl jauhoja
2 tl leivinjauhetta
2 tl yrttimaustetta
1 tl suolaa
2 dl juustoraastetta
6 rkl vettä

täyte:

2 prk Fetaa
2 pussia pakastepinaattia
2 sipulia
valkosipulia
aurinkokuivattua tomaattia siivuina
3 kananmunaa
2 dl ranskankermaa/ 1,5dl creme fraiche
2 dl ruokakermaa
mustapippuria
chiliä

1. Sekoita kuivat aineet keskenään ja nypi voin joukkoon. Lisää taikinaan juustoraaste ja vesi. Veden määrä voi hiukan vaihdella. Vaivaa kunnes taikina on tasaista.

2. Freesaa sipulisilppua ja valkosipulia oliiviöljyssä pannulla. Lisää pinaatti pannulle hetkeksi ja jäähdytä. Pieni feta haarukalla. Sekoita kaikki täytteen ainekset keskenään.

3. Painele taikina pellille ja kaada täyte päälle.

4. Paista 200 asteessa noin 40 minuuttia.

Enjoy.

Chicken tonight... soon in Helsinki.

I'm moving to Helsinki in 10days. I'm graduating in 3 weeks. I'm travelling around the world in 12 months. So nothing special has really happened yet ;)

Helsinki is calling and hopefully also working life, too. I've been applying for different jobs for couple of weeks now and have been to a couple of interviews in Helsinki. However, nothing is sure yet... except for one thing: we've been eating a lot of chicken lately.

Before I get any big news regarding my new job or graduation or trip around the world, I want to share couple of recipes with you.

Chicken tonight in Thai style:
300 g kanasuikaleita
4 pientä sipulia
pari - kolme herkkusientä
5 rkl öljyä
2 valkosipulin kynttä
3 pientä chilia (tuore)
1 rkl soijaa
1 tl sokeria
2 rkl raastettua inkivääriä
1/2 tl suolaa

Kuumenna öljy, kiehauta siinö nopeasti valkosipulimurske. Lisää kapeiksi suikaleiksi leikattu broileri, sekoita ja kiehauta minuutin ajan. Lisää viipaloidut herkkusienet ja noin minuutin kuluttua muut ainekset; Chili (suikaloituna), sipulit (murskaksi hakattuina), inkivääri. Kiehauta n.10 min. kunnes kana on kypsä. Tarjoile riisin kera. Nam. Looks nothing like in the pic.


Chicken tonight in risotto:
300 g hunajamarinoituja broilerin fileesuikaleita
2 dl pitkäjyväistä riisiä
n. 4 1/2 dl vettä
kanaliemikuutio
paprikajauhetta
punainen paprika
currya
tuore chilipalko
purjoa/sipulia

Ruskista huoneenlämpöiset kanasuikaleet pannulla. Lisää joukkoon kuutioitu paprika, purjo/sipuli, sekoittele tasaisesti. Lisää joukkoon vesi ja riisi sekä kanaliemikuutio. Mausta paprikajauheella ja currylla. Anna hautua kannen alla miedolla lämmöllä noin 20 minuuttia tai kunnes vesi on imeytynyt riisiin ja riisit kypsiä. Sekoittele välillä, lisää vettä tarvittaessa.

Enjoy.

Finnish Cuisine Meets Greek Cuisine

Today I wanted to prepare something filling, easy and new. This is how half-Finnish and half-Greek child was born.

This child was made with love and haste. But goddamned it tasted good! So enjoy :)

Finnish cuisine meets Greek cuisine

Meatloaf
1 bag of onion soup / sipulikeittopussi
2dl sour cream / kermaviili
0,5 dl breadcrumbs /korppujauhoja
1 egg / muna
500 g minced meat / naudan jauhelihaa

Filling
100 g feta cheese
0,5 dl olives
green pesto

Mix the onion soup, sour cream and breadcrumbs together. Add the egg and the minced meat. Mix well. Put half of the dough into a tin and shape it into rectangle. Add the fillings on top of the meatloaf and then use the rest of the dough to cover the filling. Voilá. Bake it in 200C for 40mins or so.
Serve with (s)mashed potatoes!!!

Frost and Food

As most of my Finnish friends have unfortunately noticed, this winter has decided to be bloody cold in Finland. For the past 7 days it's been well below -20 degrees outside and with wind factor that feels almost like -40degrees. Yes, welcome to Finland.

Topi has moved in now and it feels like we have way more stuff than what's healthy. We've come up with couple of different solutions: we keep on moving the furniture and stuff around the house and hope that everything finds its place (that's actually what Topi is doing right now - he's moving furniture in the living room. Again.) However, as that does not seem very likely, we've also decided sell some of the shit in a secondhand store.

While freezing and moving the stuff around the apartment, we've also cooked and baked so that we wouldn't lose any weight (it's nice to be different). We've made pizza with two different recipes and as the first one tasted like oil and contained 1,5dl of oil, I've decided to forget it for good and just write the second recipe here. And just to annoy all my foreign friends (and save heaps of time), I'll write the recipes in Finnish.

Pizza jotta kukaan ei vaan laihtuisi vuoden 2010 alussa
2 dl water
1/3 tl salt
1/2 pussia kuivahiivaa
n. 4 1/2 dl vehnäjauhoja
2-3 rkl ruokaöljyä

Liota kuivahiiva ja suola 42-asteiseen veteen. Lisää jauhot vähitellen ja lopuksi ruokaöljy. Levitä uuninpellille ja lisää täytteeksi esim. aurinkokuivattua tomaattia, pestoa, oliiveja, fetaa, jauhelihaa, sipulia etc. Very good.

After pizza, it's good to enjoy something sweet. We baked a cake for my friend yesterday as it was his birthday and as the cake was so bloody good, I decided to share the recipe with you.

Brita cake

Kakkupohja
150 g voita tai margariinia
1 1/2 dl sokeria
4 keltuaista
2 dl vehnäjauhoja
2 tl leivinjauhetta
1 1/2 dl maitoa

Marenki
4 valkuaista
2 dl sokeria
3/4 dl mantelilastuja tai kookoshiutaleita

Täyte
1 prk (2 dl) kuohukermaa
1 prk (250 g) rahkaa
1/2 dl sokeria
2 tl vanilliinisokeria
Kiiviä ja banaania

Vaahdota voi ja sokeri. Lisää keltuaiset yksitellen. Lisää jauholeivinjauhoseos vuorotellen maidon kanssa. Levitä uuninpellille. Valmista marenki vatkaamalla valkuaiset kovaksi vaahdoksi (lisää sokeri hiljalleen vasta lopussa). Levitä marenkiseos kakkupohjan päälle. Työnnä uuniin 175asteeseen puoleksi tunniksi.
Valmista täyte vatkaamalla kerma vaahdoksi ja lisäämällä sokerit ja rahkat seokseen. Lopuksi leikkaa jäähtynyt kakkupohjamarenkihässäkkä puoliksi, lisää hieman viipaloituja kiivejä ja banaaneja sekä kermaseosta puolikkaan päälle ja nosta toinen puoli kanneksi. Koristele kermaseoksella ja kiiveillä ja banaaneilla.
Helekatin hyvää. Grauh.