Orange-flavored tiramisu

March 23, 2023

6 servings

Ingredients

1 dl strong coffee

2 dl whipping cream

400 g quark (orange-flavored)

1 orange, zest only

15–20 ladyfingers, depending on the size of the serving dish

50 g dark chocolate

Instructions

Whip the cream and mix it with the quark. Grate the orange zest into the mixture.

Dip the ladyfingers in the coffee and place them on the bottom of the serving dishes side by side (you can also use a baking dish). Spread half of the cream-quark mixture on top. Do the same for the second layer. Let the tiramisu sit covered in the fridge for at least 1 hour.

Grate some dark chocolate on top before serving.

Thank you for the recipe Oskari Lahti😊

in Recipes

Pasta bake from leftovers

March 6, 2023

For this dish, you can use leftover pasta, vegetables, chicken, fish or beans for protein. You can also often find a can or two of crushed tomatoes and a piece of cheese in your kitchen.

Chop the vegetables into large pieces and sauté them in a pan with a splash of oil; you can also add garlic if you have some. Add the protein (e.g., chicken, fish or beans) and fry until cooked if the product is uncooked. Season with salt and black pepper. Add the crushed tomatoes, pour a splash of water into the cans and add it to the pan. Allow to simmer for 5–10 minutes and add the cooked pasta. Mix.

Pour the whole thing into a greased baking dish and top with grated cheese. Bake in the oven at approximately 200 °C for 20–25 minutes.

You can garnish the dish with some chopped herbs at the end.

Thank you for the recipe Oskari Lahti 🙂

in Recipes

Lingonberry and quark pie

February 13, 2023

6 servings

Base

100 g butter

½ dl sugar

1 egg

1 ½ dl wheat flour

1 dl rye flakes

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla sugar

Filling

400 g quark

1 egg

½ dl sugar

1 ½ dl lingonberries

Instructions

Beat the soft butter and sugar with an electric mixer until fluffy.

Then add the egg while beating. Mix the dry ingredients together and add to the base ingredients. Pat the dough onto the bottom and sides of a pie dish 25–26 cm in diameter.

Mix the quark, egg and sugar with a mixer. Pour the mixture onto the dough base. Sprinkle the berries over the quark mixture: more on the edges and a few in the center.

Bake at 200 °C in the bottom rack of the oven for about 25 minutes or until the pie is done.

in Recipes

Spicy sweet potato soup

December 28, 2022

1 chili

1 clove of garlic

3 tablespoons of oil for frying

500 g sweet potato puree

3 tablespoons of white wine

2 pieces oat cream

1 chicken stock cube

Chili salt for finishing

Cut the garlic clove and chili into small peaces. Sauté chili and garlic in oil for a few minutes. Add white wine and bring to a boil. Pour in the sweet potato puree, oat cream and chicken stock cube into the pot. Cook slowly for 20 minutes and finish the chili with salt.

Thank you for the recipe Sirly Ylläsjärvi @sirly.yllasjarvi

in Recipes, Uncategorized

Blinis

December 28, 2022

To celebrate of the new year, we often like to make blinis. The fillings can be made by your own preferences. I personally prefer classic flavors, such as fish roe, smoked reindeer, onion, pickled cucumber and beetroot. However, if you wish, you can use for example shrimp, grey fish or even king crab! In the vegetarian version, in addition to pickles and beets, I would serve artichoke hearts, seaweed caviar and even parmesan mousse!

Approx. 20 pcs

4 dl cream cheese

4 dl of Turkish yogurt

50 g fresh yeast

4 dl buckwheat flour

1 dl rye flour

2 teaspoons of honey

3 dl red milk

3 teaspoons of salt

3 tablespoons of butter

2 eggs

Put the cream cheese and yogurt in the pot, heat the mixture to about 38 degrees. Mix in yeast, buckwheat and rye flour and honey.

Let the dough rise, covered, at room temperature for an hour. You can also leave it overnight in the refrigerator.

When the dough has risen, add heated milk, salt, melted butter and egg yolks. Beat the egg whites and mix by lifting them into the mixture.

For frying, use a blini pan or a flat pan, a regular frying pan will also work. The thickness and beautiful shape characteristic of blinis is created most easily in the blini pan, where it can rise up against the edges. Serve the blinis hot with your favorite toppings.

Thank you for the recipe Sirly Ylläsjärvi @sirly.yllasjarvi

in Recipes

Chocolate mousse

December 28, 2022

200g of dark chocolate

4 dl cream

0.5 dl of sugar

2 dl blueberries

2 dl pecans

Powdered sugar for decoration

1 dl raspberry jam

Melt the chocolate in the microwave or in a water bath. However, be careful not to get a drop of water into the chocolate, it will spoil the chocolate.

Beat the cream and sugar until foamy. First add half of the cream to the melted chocolate and then the remaining half by lifting. Lightly mix the mass until smooth and put it in a piping bag. Let it set in the fridge for a couple of hours.

Roast the nuts in a pan. Cut some of the blueberries in half. Build the portion according to the picture or use your imagination. You can also use other jams, berries or even flowers in the dish.

Thank you for the recipe Sirly Ylläsjärvi @sirly.yllasjarvi

in Recipes, Uncategorized

Pumpkin Soup

December 19, 2022

Ingredients:

1 large pumpkin
3 cloves of garlic
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp olive oil
5 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 chicken stock cubes
2 dl double cream
Salt and pepper
4 tbsp pumpkin seed oil for garnish

Preparation:

Peel the pumpkin with a peeler. Cut the pumpkin in half and take out the seeds.
If you wish, you can wash and dry the seeds for your own use
or dry them and feed them to birds.Cut the pumpkin into cubes and place the cubes on an oven tray.
Roast the pumpkin in the oven at 200°C for 20 minutes with honey, thyme, garlic and olive oil.
Boil 3 dl of water in a pot, add the chicken stock cubes and double cream.
When the pumpkin cubes are done, place them in a blender,
add the hot liquid and blend until silky smooth.
Add salt and pepper if needed. Garnish on the plate
with pumpkin seed oil.

Thank you for the recipe Sirly Ylläsjärvi

in Recipes

Cloudberry-Blueberry Crème Brûlée

December 19, 2022

Ingredients:
1 dl milk
3.3 dl double cream
4 egg yolks
0.5 dl sugar
1 dl blueberries for garnish
0.5 dl brown cane sugar for the sugar crust

Jam
150 g frozen cloudberries
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp water

Preparation:
First prepare the jam and custard. Take out 6 Maku Kitchen Life crème brûlée ramekins. Heat the oven to 150°C and pour water into a deep oven tray.

Place all of the jam ingredients into a pot and cook the jam for 10 minutes until caramelized. Mix with an immersion blender until smooth. If you want to take out the cloudberry stones, strain the jam. Break the egg yolks into a bowl and add 0.5 dl sugar. Whip the sugar and eggs until combined. Bring the cream and milk to a boil in a pot, and add them in a thin stream to the sugar and egg mixture. Place jam on the bottom of each ramekin and then pour the custard on top of the jam. If any foam forms on the surface, try to skim it off.

Bake the crème brûlées in the oven for 30 minutes, then take them out to cool and let set in the fridge for 3 hours.

Before eating, place brown cane sugar on top of each crème brûlée and caramelize the surface to a beautiful color with a kitchen torch. It is important to achieve a thin, glass-like surface. Garnish with blueberries and serve immediately.

Thank you for the recipe Sirly Ylläsjärvi

in Recipes

Mulled Wine Cheesecake

December 19, 2022

Base:

150 g gingerbread cookies

50 g butter

Filling:

2 dl double cream

400 g flavored quark (Christmas flavors go really well here)

2 tbsp dark mulled wine concentrate

3 tbsp sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

4 gelatin leaves

Glaze:

3 dl dark mulled wine concentrate

3 gelatin leaves

For garnish:

White chocolate

Mulled wine spices

Preparation:

Crush the gingerbread cookies, melt the butter and mix them until smooth. Press the mixture into the base of a springform pan with a diameter of 22–23 cm, lined with baking paper.

Place the gelatin leaves for the filling in cold water to soften. Whip the cream and season it with cinnamon.

Bring the mulled wine to a boil in a small pot. Dissolve the gelatin leaves in the wine. Add the mixture to the quark, mix and sweeten with sugar.

Finally, fold the whipped cream into the quark mixture. Pour the mixture on top of the gingerbread base and smooth over the surface.

Cover with plastic wrap or a lid and leave in the fridge for at least 4 hours to set.

Prepare the glaze: Place the gelatin sheets in cold water to soften. Bring 0.5 dl of mulled wine to boil. Dissolve the gelatin leaves in the wine. Add the rest of the cold mulled wine to the mixture and carefully pour or spoon it over the set cake. Leave in the fridge for roughly 1 hour to set.

Decorate the cake: Pipe out circles with white chocolate along the edge of the cake. Place the mulled wine spices whole on top of the cake in a decorative way.

Thank you for the recipe Oskari Lahti!

in Recipes

Salmon steaks and Riced Potatoes

October 28, 2022

RICED POTATOES

1 kg starchy potatoes

150 g melted butter

salt and white pepper from a grinder

parsley to garnish

Instructions

Peel the potatoes and boil them well in salted water.
Melt the butter by gently heating it in a pan or the microwave.
Drain the water out of the pan and rice the potatoes into a greased baking dish. Season with ground white pepper and check the salt. Add the melted butter and stir by gently lifting. Bake the riced potatoes in the oven at 225 degrees on the top rack for about 15 minutes.
Garnish with chopped parsley and serve.

SALMON STEAKS

whole Atlantic salmon fillet

salt and white pepper from a grinder

oil for cooking

prawns, lemon and fresh dill to garnish

Instructions

Melt the butter in a pot. Let sit for a few minutes. Carefully drain the clarified butter into another dish, leaving the sediment in the pot.
Measure the egg yolks, vinegar and water into a small pot. Heat the mixture slowly while constantly mixing until it is light and fluffy.
Lift the pot off the stove. Add the clarified butter slowly in a thin stream while whisking. Season with lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Remove any bones and the belly from the salmon and cut the ends of the fillet to make them even. Cut the salmon into pieces of about 5 cm. Make a deep cut in the middle of the piece all the way to the skin, avoiding breaking the skin. Flip the piece to make a steak. Spread oil on a griddle pan and heat the pan. First, fry the steaks on the “hinge side” for about 2–3 minutes, flip them and fry the other side as well.
When the salmon steaks are ready, place them in a serving dish and garnish with prawns, lemon and dill sprigs.

GRIDDLED VEGETABLES

2 zucchini

4 Italian sweet peppers

2–3 parsnips

1 bag of long-stem broccoli

salt and black pepper from a grinder

thyme sprigs to garnish

oil for cooking

Instructions

Wash and dry the vegetables carefully.
Cut the zucchini and parsnips lengthwise into large slices. Cut the Italian sweet peppers in half lengthwise and remove the seeds. Cut out the ends of the long-stem broccoli. Season with salt and pepper. You can pour a little bit of oil to the vegetables before cooking.
Heat a griddle and spread a light coating of oil on it. Grill the vegetables until they get a beautiful color and place them in a serving dish. Garnish with fresh thyme sprigs.

HOLLANDAISE SAUCE

100 g butter

2 room temperature egg yolks

1 tbsp champagne vinegar or other wine vinegar

2 tbsp water

2 tbsp lemon juice

0.5 tsp salt

a few twists of white pepper from a grinder

Instructions

Melt the butter in a pot. Let sit for a few minutes. Carefully drain the clarified butter into another dish, leaving the sediment in the pot.
Measure the egg yolks, vinegar and water into a small pot. Heat the mixture slowly while constantly mixing until it is light and fluffy.
Lift the pot off the stove. Add the clarified butter slowly in a thin stream while whisking. Season with lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Thank you for the recipes Oskari Lahti

in Recipes

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

October 28, 2022

1 kg cubes of peeled squash, e.g., butternut squash (other squashes and pumpkins will also do)

1 onion

2 cloves of garlic

1 tbsp fresh grated ginger

1 small chopped chili

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp smoked paprika powder

2 tbsp oil

1 l vegetable stock

2 dl double cream

salt and black pepper

roasted root vegetable chips and sprigs of herbs to garnish

Instructions

Peel the squash and cut it into relatively large cubes. Roast in the oven at 225 degrees for about 30 minutes. Grate the ginger. Finely chop the spices and onion.
Sauté the onion, ginger and spices in oil. Add the squash and vegetable stock. Let boil for about 10 minutes. Mix with an immersion blender or in a blender and add the double cream. Season with salt and pepper.
Garnish and enjoy steaming hot.

Thank you for the recipe Oskari Lahti 😊

in Recipes

Sweet Sandwich Cake

June 1, 2022

9 slices of wheat bread (slice size approx. 10×10 cm)

300 g fresh strawberries

1 lime

(strong-flavored) mint

2 dl whipping cream

200 g mascarpone

3 tbsp elderflower juice concentrate

2 tbsp powdered sugar

1.5 dl milk

a pinch of vanilla sugar

To garnish:

strawberries, highbush blueberries, herbs and edible flowers

Cut the strawberries into small pieces and place them in a bowl. Wash the lime well. Grate the lime zest and extract the lime juice. Add the finely chopped mint and leave the strawberries aside for a moment to allow the flavor to intensify.

Whip the cream to make a light foam. Add the mascarpone, elderflower juice concentrate and powdered sugar and whip to make a mousse.

Place three bread slices lengthwise on the base of a rectangular cake carrier. Add vanilla sugar to the milk and dampen the bread slices with the milk. Spread one third of the mascarpone mousse over the bread slices and add half of the strawberries. Make the second layer in the same way. Spread the remaining mousse over the third bread layer and garnish with berries and herbs. Close the cake carrier and place it in the fridge, letting the cake’s flavor intensify.

Note! You can make the cake in advance the day before serving, but it may be best to garnish the cake right before serving, depending on what garnishes you use. Many edible flowers and herbs get easily wilted and the garnishes may not stay fresh until the next day.

Thank you for the delicious recipe @pilvilinnan_anna

in Recipes

Grilliruokaa kesäisellä kattauksella. Grilled food in a summery table.

Menu for the grill season opening

May 24, 2022

Grilled beef entrecôte and chipotle mayonnaise

Marinated vegetable skewers

Barbecue tomatoes with parmesan

For 4 people

4 beef entrecôte steaks (each 250 g)

salt and black pepper from a grinder

Vegetable skewers:

3 bell peppers

1 eggplant

2–3 courgettes

2 onions

Marinade for the skewers:

1 dl rapeseed oil

2–3 cloves of garlic, minced

½ dl fresh thyme, chopped

2 tbsp dark balsamic vinegar

salt and black pepper from a grinder

4 beef tomatoes

a dash of olive oil

salt and black pepper from a grinder

Parmesan cheese for serving

Chipotle mayonnaise:

3 dl full-fat mayonnaise

1 tsp sambal oelek

½–1 tsp dried and crushed chipotle

a pinch of sugar

salt and black pepper from a grinder

Prepare the vegetable skewers by cutting vegetables into large pieces. Place the eggplant in a different bowl and add some salt and sweat for about an hour. Then, dry the pieces lightly with paper towels and combine with other vegetables.

Prepare the marinade by combining the ingredients. Mix thoroughly with the vegetables. Let sit for 1–2 hours. You can also prepare them the previous day. Skewer the vegetables.

Prepare the mayonnaise by combining the ingredients in a bowl and mixing carefully. You may also do this the previous day and let the flavor intensify in the fridge.

Take the steaks out of the refrigerator roughly one hour before grilling.

Cut the top and bottom of the tomatoes off and season.

Place the vegetable skewers on the grill first. Grill them over hot embers or gas (approximately 200 degrees) for approximately 10 minutes, turning every now and then. You can baste the skewers with marinade during grilling. Transfer the skewers to a lower heat or set aside onto a plate and cover with foil.

Increase the heat in the grill (to 225–250 degrees). Brush the grate lightly with oil and place the entrecôte steaks and beef tomatoes on the grill. Season the steaks with salt and pepper. Grill the steaks for approximately 2–5 minutes on both sides, depending on the doneness you want. The tomatoes will cook in roughly the same time as the steaks.

Roll the steaks in foil tightly and let sit for approximately 10 minutes before serving, this will allow the heat to stabilize and keep the steaks juicy.

Serve the beef entrecôte steaks with vegetable skewers, barbecue tomatoes sprinkled with parmesan and chipotle mayonnaise!

Table of entrecôte steak doneness:

WELL DONE

The inside of a thoroughly cooked steak is gray. The internal temperature of the meat is approx. 70 degrees. Grill for 4–5 minutes / either side.

MEDIUM

The steak is at its juiciest when it is pink on the inside. The internal temperature of the meat is 65–68 degrees. Grill for 2–3 minutes / either side.

RARE

The steak is red on the inside. The internal temperature of the meat is 60–64 degrees. It takes a few minutes to cook the entire steak.

Thank you for the recipe Oskari Lahti.

in Recipes

Creme brulee Maku-annoskulhossa / Creme brulee in a Maku mini bowl.

Crème Brûlée

May 12, 2022

6 portions

Crème Brûlée

6 egg yolks

1.5 dl sugar

1 vanilla bean

4 dl double cream

1 dl whole milk

cane sugar for caramelization and fresh raspberries and mint to garnish

Instructions

Start making the crème brûlée by mixing the egg yolks, sugar and seeds of half a vanilla bean in a bowl. Add the cream and milk to the egg mixture.
Strain the mixture and divide it into six oven-safe ramekins (capacity around 2 dl).
Place the ramekins in a deep baking dish. Fill the baking dish with water halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Place the baking dish in the bottom rack of the oven and bake the crème brûlées at 125 degrees for about 45 minutes. The crème brûlées are ready when they are set (but are not yet firm).
Place the crème brûlées in the fridge for at least 3 hours, leaving them uncovered.
Give the crème brûlée a caramelized top as a finishing touch. Sprinkle cane sugar on top of the ramekins and quickly torch the surface using a kitchen torch.
Garnish and serve the crème brûlée immediately.

in Recipes

Chicken pesto pie

April 25, 2022

The recipe is for a full oven tray of pie.

SHELL

250 g plain quark

2 dl liquid colza oil product

2.5 dl wheat flour

2.5 dl oat flour

2 tsp baking powder

100 g Emmental cheese

FILLING

500 g chicken filet strips

a drop of oil

150 g feta cheese

400 g low-fat creme fraiche

6 eggs

190 g green pesto

150 g grated Emmental cheese

salt, black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.

Fry the chicken strips in a skillet using a drop of oil until they are done. Season with salt and black pepper. Move the chicken aside to cool down.

Prepare the pastry shell. Mix the quark and oil and add the other ingredients. Mix the pastry until it is smooth. Line an oven tray (35x30cm) with baking paper and press the pastry on the tray, also slightly pressing it on the edges.

Place the chicken strips on the pastry, along with crumbled feta cheese. Mix the creme fraiche, eggs and pesto and season with salt (about half a teaspoon). Pour the filling on the pie. Garnish with grated cheese on top.

Bake the pie in the oven for about 40 minutes. Let the pie cool down for a moment and slice it. One oven tray is about 20 pieces of pie.

Thank you for the recipe and images @pilvilinnan_anna

in Recipes

Perunablinipannari ja blinitäytteitä Gastro-tarjottimilla.

Oven-baked potato blini pancake

March 24, 2022

Oven-baked potato blini pancake

For a large Maku tray (40x30x2.5cm)

1.5 dl milk
11 g dried yeast / 25 g fresh yeast
2 dl sour cream
1 teaspoon sugar
1.5 teaspoons salt
1.5 dl buckwheat flour
1 dl wheat flour
300 g (starchy) potatoes
3 egg yolks
3 egg whites
30 g melted butter

Dissolve the yeast in lukewarm milk. Add the sour cream, wheat and buckwheat flour and sugar. Allow the dough to rise and sit under a cloth at room temperature for at least an hour, preferably several hours.
Prepare the other ingredients of the dough while it rises. Peel the potatoes and boil them well in salted water. Mash the potatoes into a fine purée and allow to cool.
Separate the egg yolks and whites.
When the dough has risen enough, add the potato purée, egg yolks, melted butter and salt. Mix well.
Whip the egg whites with an electric mixer to make a light foam. Finally, add the egg white foam to the dough by gently lifting. At this point, do not mix too heavily.
Line a large Maku tray with baking paper and pour the dough onto the tray. Bake at 200 degrees for approximately 30 minutes or until the pancake is light golden brown in color.
If you want to garnish the pancake, let it cool before you spread the toppings on it. You can also enjoy the pancake while it is warm by arranging the toppings separately on small Maku trays.

Honey-roasted root vegetable salad

For a medium-sized Maku tray (31x24x2.5cm)

1 small parsnip
half a celeriac or swede
2 carrots
1 red onion
1 dl liquid honey
handful of fresh thyme / 1–2 teaspoons of dried thyme
oil
salt
pepper

Peel the root vegetables. Cut the parsnip, celeriac and carrots into small cubes. Finely chop the red onion and fresh thyme.
Line the Maku tray with baking paper. Spread the root vegetable cubes onto the Maku tray. Evenly pour honey, chopped thyme, a drop of oil and a pinch of salt and pepper on top. Mix.
Roast the root vegetables at 200 degrees for 30 minutes or until they are roasted golden brown. Spread the cooled salad in strips onto the pancake or serve it buffet-style straight from the Maku tray.

Janica Brander / @Savusuolaa

Savusuolaa blogger, author and freelance journalist specializing in restaurants and food.

Read Janica’s article on how she organized an easy Finnish-style blini party. You can access the article here.

in Recipes

Porcini mushroom pizza

March 3, 2022

This Neapolitan pizza dough is my quick and easy go-to recipe that can be made on short notice whenever you get that craving for some pizza. Allowing the dough to rise for a few hours will guarantee a delicious pizza that you can serve for surprise guests or at a get-together with friends. I recommend the use of Tipo 00 flour, which is intended for pizza dough, but bread flour with a high protein content (approx. 12–14 grams) will also do. As the dough will rise quickly, the flour does not need to be particularly strong. A mixer, kitchen scales and large bowls for raising the dough in will make things easier, but you can also knead the dough by hand on a counter top.

Slicemonger’s easy and reliable dough

Makes four pizzas roughly 30 cm in diameter (240 g per ball of dough)

350 g (350 ml) lukewarm water
4 g (1 tsp) dry yeast
18 g (1 tbsp) fine sea salt
600 g (900 ml) Tipo 00 flour
Extra flour for dusting the work surfaces

Mix the yeast and salt in with the water. Add the flour and knead for about three minutes until the dough no longer has any noticeably floury spots left.

Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let it rest for about 10 minutes.

Continue to knead the dough for another 10 minutes until it comes off the bowl easily.

Shape the dough into a ball and cover the bowl with clingfilm or an airtight lid. A damp cloth over the bowl will also work. Let the dough rest for approximately three hours in room temperature.

Once the dough has risen, divide it into four pieces. Roll the dough into balls and let them rise again in a bowl, covered with an airtight lid or clingfilm, or a proofing box for an hour.

Porcini mushroom pizza

1 ball of Slicemonger’s trusty dough

1 tbsp olive oil
50 g mature Emmental cheese
50 ml parmesan flakes
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1 medium-sized, thinly sliced porcini mushroom
3 tbsp crème fraîche
1/2 tsp ground black pepper

(If you want a meatier pizza, you can add thin slices of cold-smoked reindeer on top after the baking.)

Place a ball of dough onto a pizza peel, dusted with flour. Alternatively, you can shape your pizza and add the toppings on a wooden cutting board or an oven tray. Press out the air in the dough, from the center toward the edges. Stretch the base to make it round (Ø approx. 30 cm). Leave about 1 cm of crust around the pizza. Remember to use enough flour under the dough to stop it from sticking.

Coat the base evenly with the crème fraîche, followed by the grated Emmental. Arrange the parsley and mushrooms and pour the olive oil in a thin stream on top of the pizza.

Slide the pizza onto a hot pizza stone or tray by using a peel. Bake for 3–5 minutes at the top of the oven under the grill or until the pizza has a beautiful golden color.

Add some ground pepper, parmesan flakes and, if you want, a few slices of cold-smoked reindeer as a finishing touch.

A pizza stone or a baking steel

The important thing when baking a pizza is to get the base and the toppings to cook through simultaneously. Achieving a crispy base is often difficult, but a pizza stone or a baking steel will help. Both work the same way: the stone or the steel is heated up in an oven where it stores the heat. As steel conducts heat better, it will give your pizza that crispy base quicker. Baking steels are more expensive than pizza stones, but they are also more durable and will not crack like pizza stones, which are often quite sensitive to impacts.

Place your pizza stone (or baking steel) at the bottom of the oven and heat up the oven to its maximum temperature. This will take around half an hour. If you have an infrared thermometer, measure the stone’s internal temperature – it should be at least 250 °C. Place an oven rack at the top of the oven. Place the stone with the pizza on top at the bottom of the oven and turn on the grill. Bake the pizza for roughly 3–4 minutes at the bottom, until the base has got some color. Then, use the peel to lift the pizza onto the rack and continue baking it until the toppings are properly browned.

Jukka Salminen / @Slicemonger

Jukka “Slicemonger” Salminen is a Tampere-based photographer, musician and pizza maker who has been working on pizza for years. The sociability is also important to Jukka – cooking and eating together is the best thing a person can do.

Read what Jukka says about pizza in Finnish food culture. The article can be found here.

in Recipes, Uncategorized

Raspberry mud cake with meringue

February 15, 2022

Base

100 g butter

100 g dark chocolate

2 eggs (medium size)

1 dl sugar

1.25 dl fine wheat flour

1 tbsp cocoa powder

1 tsp baking powder

1.5 dl raspberries

Meringue

1.5 dl sugar

0.5 dl water

2 egg whites

1 tbsp powdered freeze-dried raspberries

Instruction

Heat oven to 200 degrees.

Melt the butter and chocolate together either in a pot or in the microwave oven. Add eggs and sugar and mix. Finally, mix the dry ingredients together and add to the mixture. Mix the batter until smooth and pour into a greased heart-shaped springform pan with a baking sheet tautened at the bottom. Sprinkle the raspberries on top. Bake the cake for approximately 10–15 minutes on the middle shelf.

Let the cake cool down. You can even cool it to refrigerator temperatures.

For the meringue, place water and sugar in a pot. Heat the mixture to 120 degrees, check with a thermometer. Just before the temperature reaches 120 degrees, start whipping the egg whites in a separate bowl with an electric mixer to make a foam. Drizzle the hot syrup slowly onto the foam while whisking. Continue whisking until the meringue is thick and shiny and has cooled down completely. Finally, add the powdered raspberries.

Spread the meringue on top of the mud cake. You can finish by browning the meringue using a kitchen torch.

Thank you for the recipe Pilvilinnan Anna.

in Recipes, Uncategorized

Tofu stir fry with teriyaki sauce

January 7, 2022

4–6 portions

Stir fry:

300 g unseasoned tofu

100 g cashews

240 g or 3 small packets of noodles

half a leek

1 yellow onion

2 cloves of garlic

1 mild chili pepper

2 carrots

1 bell pepper

handful of Thai basil

lemon or lime juice

Teriyaki sauce:

0.7 dl soy sauce

0.5 dl brown sugar

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 teaspoons sesame oil

2 teaspoons mirin or sherry

2 crushed cloves of garlic

a thumb-sized piece of grated ginger

Press the tofu. Wrap the tofu in a paper towel and place a heavy object on top of the tofu for at least half an hour to dry it.
Prepare the vegetables while the tofu is being pressed. Cut the leek and chili pepper into rings and the carrots and the bell pepper into strips. Peel and shred the yellow onion and cloves of garlic.
Cut the pressed tofu into cubes. Fry the cubes in a dry pan over high heat until golden brown. Stir a few times, but not continuously. Set the fried tofu cubes aside.
Roast the nuts for a few minutes in a dry pan over high heat while stirring. Set the roasted nuts aside.
Sauté the vegetables in a pan with sesame oil. While doing so, boil the noodles as well.
Combine the vegetables, noodles, tofu and nuts.
Mix all the teriyaki sauce ingredients in a small pot and bring to boil. Pour the sauce into the stir fry and mix. Trickle some citrus juice and Thai basil on top.

in Recipes

Aasialaisia dumplingeja dumpling-höyryttimessä.

Dumplings with pork filling

December 7, 2021

30 pieces

Dough:

6 dl wheat flour

0.5 dl salt

2.5 dl cold water

Filling:

400 g ground pork

150 g cabbage

2 cloves of garlic

a thumb-sized piece of grated ginger

1 teaspoon salt

1.5 tablespoons brown sugar

dash of black pepper

sesame oil for sautéing

Start by making the dough. Mix the flour and salt in a bowl. Slowly add in the cold water while stirring. Knead the dough for a few minutes, then roll it into a ball and let sit under a cloth in the refrigerator for half and hour.
While the dough is cooling, make the filling. Shred the cabbage, ginger and garlic. Sauté the vegetables in a pan with some sesame oil until golden. Season the mixture with the sugar, half a teaspoon of salt and a dash of black pepper.
Mix the rest of the salt into the ground pork by hand. Knead the fried cabbage mixture into the meat. Cook a small piece of the meat in the microwave, taste and add more spices into the mix, if necessary.
Place the dough on a floured working surface. Roll the dough into a 30 cm log. Cut the log into three pieces, then cut each piece into 10 smaller pieces.

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Texmex recipes by Sanja Alisic

December 1, 2021

Tortillas

makes approx. 16

7.5 dl wheat flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

0.75 dl olive oil

2.5 dl warm water

Mix the salt and baking powder with the flour.
Add oil and water to make a dough.
Form the dough into 16 balls and let rest for at least thirty minutes.
Heat the frying pan.
Press one dough ball at a time in the tortilla press and cook on the hot pan from thirty to sixty seconds on each side, depending on the temperature of the pan. Tortillas should be soft, but they should still have small brown spots.

Guacamole

3 avocadoes

Juice of 1 lime

1 tsp salt

1 small red onion

1 dl fresh coriander, finely chopped

2 ripe, soft tomatoes

1 clove of garlic

Blend the avocadoes into a paste and add lime juice.
Add salt and mix well.
Chop the other vegetables finely, add the avocado paste and mix well.

Not salsa but pico de gallo

Do you know the difference between salsa and pico de gallo? Pico de gallo is the fresh version of salsa. This means that you need the same ingredients as for salsa, but you do not need to boil them. This makes pico de gallo a fresh, low-calorie condiment to all Tex-Mex dishes, which you can make in an instant. You can also serve it as a dip, side dish and salad.

You only need five ingredients (and a pinch of salt)

600 g ripe, soft tomatoes

1 red onion

½ pot of fresh coriander, finely chopped

1 jalapeno

Juice of ½ lime

½ tsp salt

Chop the onion and the jalapeno, place in a bowl, add salt and lime juice and mix.
Let marinate while you chop the tomatoes and coriander.
Mix together and serve.

Fajita spice mix

1 tsp salt

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp red paprika powder

1 tsp smoked paprika powder

2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp jeera

Mix in a bowl and place in a jar.
Use approximately 2 tsp per 500 g of chicken strips or other meat.

You’ll find the original blog post in Finnish here.

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Roasted root vegetables

November 11, 2021

Delicious roasted root vegetables make an excellent side dish, especially for meat or chicken. Take your favourite root vegetables, season them and roast in the oven to make a tasty dish.

Ingredients

root vegetables, such as beetroots, red onions, carrots, parsnips and swedes
a dash of cooking oil
honey
Herbes de Provence spice mix

Peel and chop the root vegetables into suitable chunks and put them in a roasting tin.
Add a dash of oil and season with honey and herbs. Mix well.
Cook in the oven at 175°C for approx 45 minutes.

Lemon meringue pie

March 18, 2021

Lemon meringue pie

The spring lemon meringue pie tastes wonderfully fresh. This lemon delicacy gets a little extra kick from the black pepper. The pie is also great for the Easter coffee table.