Nakkisoppa (Hot Dog or Sausage Soup from Finland)

Nakkisoppa

My kids happen to like sausages, and in Fall and Winter they like soup as well – so how better to keep them happy on a cold Fall day than Nakkisoppa! Sausages AND Soup! The perfect weekend lunch! Now the recipes I was browsing through say wieners, but for myself … Continue reading

Merimiespata – or Sailor’s Stew

Here’s another Finnish recipe for a filling stew (Merimiespata – or Sailor`s Stew) that’s great for one of those winter evening’s that are fast approaching us up here in the frozen arctic wastes of Canada (well, OK, Toronto). Now historically, Finland’s harsh climate meant that fresh fruit and vegetables were … Continue reading

Marshal Mannerheim’s favorite dish – Zander Walewska

zander walewska

Wherever you stroll around Helsinki, you’ll run into reminders of one of Finland’s most famous citizen’s – Marshal Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim. Statues in bronze and stone, street signs, photographs and the like all serve to remind the visitor to the city of this quintessential European aristocrat who was over the course … Continue reading

Spinach Pancakes from Finland – Pinaattiletut

Pinaattiletut

  Pinaattiletut, or Spinach Pancakes, is one of those Finnish recipes I’d never heard of until I started experimenting with tracking down and trying out Finnish food, more often than not using my kids as the guinea pigs. They can be a bit picky at times (and they’re definitely nor … Continue reading

Porkkanalaatiko (Finnish Carrot Casserole)

Porkkanalaatiko Finnish Carrot Casserole

Porkkanalaatiko is a traditional Finnish Casserole made from carrots and rice baked in a custard of eggs and milk.  The vegetables are cooked and pureed, mixed with milk or cream and eggs, sweetened with brown sugar or molasses, flavored with nutmeg and then baked in the oven. The carrots make … Continue reading

Lihaperunasoselaatikko – Cottage Pie from Finland

Lihaperunasoselaatikko - Cottage Pie from Finland

Lihaperunasoselaatikko has similar ingredients to the English “Shepherd’s Pie” or “Cottage Pie” but is slightly different in that the mince is mixed thoroughly with the mashed potato before baking.  However, many Finnish versions of this recipe nowadays follow the English approach, where the mashed potato mix is added above the … Continue reading

Finnish Summer Vegetable Soup (Kesäkeitto)

Summer Vegetable Soup

In early Summer as the first locally grown fresh vegetables become available in stores and markets, Finns make this simple and delicious summer vegetable soup. The soup really highlights the delicate flavors of the fresh vegetables in a subtle way. Even better when served with freshly baked bread, a light … Continue reading

Laskiaispulla – Sweet cardamom buns

Laskiainen is very old Finnish festival, with ancient pre-christian origins (it seems to have originally been a celebration marking the end of winter and the arrival of spring) that morphed into a popular orthodox christian celebration which falls just before Lent. In it’s current form it has been around since … Continue reading

Finnish Cucumber Salad – Kurkkusalaatti

Well, it’s summer in the northern hemisphere and I was looking around for something to put together quickly to take to a Barbecue at a friends yesterday evening. Salad seemed optimal so I did a quick search on the web and came up with this little gem – Finnish Cucumber … Continue reading