April Love&Inspiration – The Garden Edition

I couldn't help myself but share, along with the regular link love, some images from the garden back in Allgäu where I spent Easter.

A garden full of treasures; big and small.

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» Posts that made me extremely excited.

» I need some homemade paneer in my life.

» Congrats to all the winners of the Saveur Best Food Blog Awards! So much talent! It was a true honor to be nominated in the first place so thank you.

» This lady has amazed me with her beautiful photography.

» I carried 1 kg (2 pounds) of baby artichokes in my hand luggage all the way from Munich to Finland just to make Valentina's preserved artichoke hearts. Yeah, I like to bring home food from my travels. [I also brought a couple of spices and dried flowers, elderflower jelly, a thing called monk's beard (thanks Valentina for letting me know its name), birk tree printed paper straws, a couple of props...]

» Hands down one of the most thought-provoking (and frankly, quite weird) documentary films I've ever seen: Pina.

» Loved this interview with the Swedish ceramicist Elin Lannsjö.

» What a great post about the process of making a cookbook.

» I made Lindsey's Spinach Chive Pesto and Cynthia's Kimchi Fried Rice (also, I was super excited to see her interview on Food&Wine) as well as Icelandic Cinnamon Pancakes with Chantilly Cream and Pears from Manger. Comfort.

» She is such a brave soul. About living with mental illness.

» I would love to attend this workshop with Luise Brimble at Aran Goyoaga's studio in Seattle.

» You should make bialys with a cracked egg in the middle. Life changing experience. [head here for the basic bialys recipe]

» The Patina Collection Spring & Summer 2014 from inks+thread makes me daydream.

» Kristan of The Broken Bread blog was inspired by my baked blackcurrant ryemeal and made her very own version. Love it!

» The Helsinki-based Freese Coffee Company was featured on Kinfolk.

» Currently reading: Haruki Murakami's newest novel: Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Year of Pilgrimage (already available in German).

» There's a chocolate loaf cake baking in the oven right now. It's for tonight's May Day Eve party. Can't wait to have a bite.

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Also, the goats living next door wanted to say hi. Hi goats!

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So, what has made you smile/drool/wonder in April? I would love to hear!

Have a joyous May Day everyone!

A Different Pace – No-Bake Yogurt Cream Cake with Strawberries

I'm sitting here at the kitchen table and typing these words on my notebook. The rhythmical sound is, in its own way, very soothing. This is a 100-year-old house with squeaky old wooden floors. A house with a story, a history. It has seen both birth and death, peace and war, joy and sorrow, love and hatred, hope and despair, full bellies and hungry souls.

What stories would these walls tell us if they could speak?

There's a window right in front of me. Probably my most favorite window ever. The light that shines through is magical. Totally different from the one we have in the north.

When I look out of the window, I see green fields and hills. A forest too. There's also a big apple tree full of beautiful, delicate, white flowers that cheers me up every time I look at it. On the left, I can see the mighty Alps with their white peaks glistening in the spring sun. It's a view I never really seem to get used to.

On some days, I'm lucky enough to spot a hawk on a hunting trip. Flying in wide circles before plunging into a deep dive. On other days, there are light brown cows grazing under the window. They wrap their tongues around the lush grass and snip it off. When they walk, you can hear the sound of cow bells. So cliché, really.

It's a different way of life here. A different feel and pace. In a small village near the Alps, everyone knows everything about everyone else. Or at least they think they do. I would lie if I would say that wouldn't freak me out a bit. Everyone knows who you are although you only visit once or twice a year. The lady at the bakery where we get fresh bread every morning always asks "How do you do?" and "For how long will you stay?". She doesn't ask it out of politeness; she asks it because she really wants to know.

It was my Opa's birthday so I made a cake. A light, fresh, not-too-sweet yogurt cream cake topped with luscious strawberries. The strawberries really are the heroes here. The perfect cake to celebrate 85 years and the awakening of nature.

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No-Bake Yogurt Cream Cake with Strawberries

makes one 28 cm / 11" cake (you could, however, make it in a smaller pan as well)

for the base:
200 g (7 oz) graham crackers, like digestive biscuits
100 g (3.5 oz) butter, melted

for the filling:
400 ml (1 ⅔ cups) whipping cream
500 ml (2 cups + 1 heaping tbsp) yogurt (3.5 %), at room temperature
75 g (2.6 oz) granulated sugar
1 large organic lemon, juice & zest
7 sheets of gelatine

to finish:
300 g (10.5 oz) strawberries, washed, dried, hulled, & cut into thin slices
optional: 1 packet clear cake glaze, sugar, & water (according to package instructions)

To make the base
Line a 28 cm / 11" springform pan with parchment paper. In a food processor, mix the biscuits until finely ground. Add the butter and pulse again until combined. Pour the base into the prepared springform pan and press firmly down to create an even layer. Put into the fridge.
 

To make the filling
Whip the cream and put into the fridge. Mix the yogurt, sugar, and lemon zest. Set aside.

Soak the sheets of gelatin in cold water for 5 minutes (check package instructions). Meanwhile, in a small pot, warm the lemon juice. Once soft, lift the sheets from the water and gently wring to remove any excess water. Dissolve in warm (but not boiling!) lemon juice stirring until completely dissolved. Gradually add the lemon juice-gelatine mixture to the yogurt while stirring vigorously. Gently fold in the whipped cream.

Pour the filling into the prepared springform pan and smooth the surface. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours, better still overnight.
 

To assemble the cake
Arrange the strawberry slices on top. If you're making the cake in advance or would want to keep the cake fresh for one to two days, cover the top with clear cake glaze. For the glaze, follow the package instructions and refrigerate for at least half an hour.

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A Toast To Spring: Vadelmasima – Finnish Raspberry Mead

I want to feel both the beauty and the pain of the age we are living in.
I want to survive my life without becoming numb.
I want to speak and comprehend words of wounding without having these words become the landscape where I dwell.
I want to possess a light touch that can elevate darkness to the realm of stars.

― Terry Tempest Williams, When Women Were Birds

I still remember my mom standing in the kitchen squeezing lemons over a white plastic bucket where the first fermentation would take place. The next day, the pre-fermented Sima was bottled into brown glass bottles with lightning stoppers. Full of excitement, I watched how the raisins slowly rose to the top because that indicated that the Sima was ready to be enjoyed...

Today, I have a recipe for Sima, Finland's most popular spring drink, for you. This sweet sparkling mead is typically enjoyed on Vappu (May Day), which is one of the four biggest holidays along with Midsummer, Christmas, and New Year. Vappu is all about cherishing spring and all that magical Nordic light after the long, dark winter. It's typically celebrated with the first picnic of the year; good company, balloons & paper streamers, plentiful to eat, something bubbly to drink, and smiling faces. Doesn't sound bad, does it?

Sima is traditionally made with lemons. However, I made a raspberry version with a friend of mine last year, and it turned out to be a real crowd-pleaser. Although Sima is a May Day drink, I don't see a reason why it couldn't be enjoyed on any other day of the year as well. It's just too delicious to be abandoned for a whole year! I've drunk it on 5 nights out of 5 now, and my dad described it as being süffig, meaning as much as "I can't get enough of it". Oh yes, it sure is addictive. And because of that, I'm definitely going to make a new batch soon. Very soon.

 

Cheers to spring!

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Vadelmasima – Finnish Raspberry Mead

Recipe adapted from Dansukker
Makes about 2 l / 9 cups of Sima, can easily be doubled or tripled

Note 1: Sima has a very low alcohol content, and homemade Sima has such a low alcohol content that it's considered safe for children to consume.

Note 2: Fresh yeast is widely available in Finland (you can buy it in 2 oz packages at almost any store), and it's the type of yeast I'm most used to work with. I'm, however, aware of the fact that fresh yeast can be hard to find in many other countries. You can make Sima with (instant) active dry yeast as well. I did some research, and it seems like fresh yeast can be substituted with ¼ tsp (instant) active dry yeast. However, be sure that your liquid has the right temperature when adding the (instant) active dry yeast: a temperature of about 42–45°C / 108–113°F is needed. If the liquid is too cold, the yeast will not activate properly, and if it's too warm (50°C / 122°F), you'll end up killing it.

2 l (9 cups) water
200 g (7 oz) raspberries (fresh or frozen)
juice of 1 lemon
250 g (9 oz) granulated sugar
a piece of fresh yeas, the size of half a pea [for (instant) active dry yeast, see the note above]

for bottling:
dried cranberries (or raisins)
granulated sugar

to serve:
ice cubes (I made some with mint and raspberries)

In a medium-sized pot, bring water to a boil. Add raspberries, lemon juice, and sugar. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Let simmer for 3 minutes. Turn off the heat.

Let cool until lukewarm (about 36°C / 97°F). Add yeast and stir until the yeast is completely dissolved. Cover with a lid and let ferment at room temperature for about 24 hours.

Strain the fermented lemonade into clean bottles. Add 1 teaspoon of granulated as well as a couple of dried cranberries into each bottle. Close tightly.

The dried cranberries will act as an indicator of readiness for consumption (so clever!). The Sima is ready when all the cranberries have risen to the top of the liquid. This will typically take 2 to 3 days. Furthermore, as it ferments, the yeast will sink, and the Sima will start to clear. Sima will keep in the fridge for about a week. Just be careful when opening the bottles.... I nearly blew off one of my eyes. True story.

Serve chilled over ice cubes. Discard any cranberries as we don't want to actually drink them. 

[You could definitely serve it with some booze, such as vodka, and call it a cocktail.]

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Saying Thank You & Having Ice Cream For Breakfast...Well, Kind Of

You may have noticed that badge on the sidebar. Maybe you also saw my updated March Love&Inspiration post. Or you stumbled upon my euphoric/totally perplexed tweets (poor you) or my instagram pic...oh and I surely mentioned it on Facebook as well. It was a truly surreal Monday night. I'm still pinching myself just to check I'm not sleeping. If this is a dream, it's a pretty realistic director's cut...

I'm extremely honored to be nominated for a Best Food Blog Award from Saveur Magazine, in the category Best New Blog. 'OMG'  has been my mantra for the last couple of days. I'm truly over the moon about the nomination. For you who don't know what the Saveur Best Food Blog Awards are about, well, the music industry has the Grammys, the film industry the Oscars, and we food bloggers, we have the Saveur BFBAs. I still don't know how I ended up being nominated with all those super talented people; people I look up to. But there I am. BOOM!

I want to thank you for all your support, cheers, and congrats. For making my recipes. For reading this humble space of mine, for leaving comments, and for being such a constant source of inspiration. It's truly special to be honored for something you have created yourself. For something you have not only invested time in but that you've done with a big heart.

Thank you.

If you would like to vote and send me to Vegas for the Best Food Blog Awards party (Saveur will fly the winners to Vegas for free. I know, totally crazy.), please click the badge on top or on the sidebar. You'll need to register to Saveur, but it's straight forward, and there won't be any spam emails or anything. You can vote until April 9th which is next Wednesday.

But let's move on to today's recipe, shall we? I have a huge crush on it. It makes my pupils dilate, and my heart flutters like hummingbird wings when I have a spoon of it. There's berries in it which does not only turn it into a bright, cheerful color but makes it a vitamin bomb too.

As some of you already know, I often have yogurt with homemade granola, berries, and a drizzle of maple syrup or honey for breakfast. Nothing special there, but at least it's delicious. However, after I stumbled upon this recipe, all I saw in my morning bowl were the ingredients for something so much more fun. I mean, who doesn't want to have ice cream for breakfast, right? Well, maybe not real ice cream but something that totally feels like ice cream but isn't. Does this make any sense to you? [I'm sure the BFBAs are messing up with my brain...]

However, I didn't want any bananas in my wannabe ice cream. Those are reserved for milkshakes only (right, dad?). Adding bananas would yield in a firmer consistency, but I've always preferred my ice cream half frozen anyway. So all berries. I chose bilberries cause I still needed to clean my freezer from last summer's berries. Some of you may wonder "How much berries does this girl have in her freezer?". The answer is: way too much. It was a good summer with lots of berry picking trips. I felt the urge to spice it up with cardamom cause bilberries and cardamom are such a wonderful flavor pairing. And then maple syrup. Yesss.

Because we're talking about breakfast here and granola is such a staple on my breakfast table, we'll of course sprinkle some on top. The granola you see in the pictures is this one. It's one of the best granolas I've ever made. I like to add millet and some extra seeds to my batch.

Ooooh, heaven!

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Frozen Bilberry Cardamom Yogurt

serves one hungry soul or two as a side (eat that croissant!)

I encourage you to use bilberries rather than 'regular' blueberries both for their vibrant color and for their taste. If you, however, can't find bilberries, blueberries will be just fine.

Side note: You may or may not have blue lips and a blue tongue after enjoying a bowl of this goddess of breakfast. I  strongly encourage you to have a look in the mirror before leaving the house, and to wash your teeth after rather than before breakfast. Just sayin'...

200 g (7 oz; 2 dl; ½ + ⅓ cups) Greek yogurt
200 g (7 oz; 3 dl; 1 ⅓ cups) + 35 g (1.2 oz; ½ dl; ¼ cup) frozen bilberries
¼ tsp ground cardamom (preferably freshly ground)
2 tbsp maple syrup

homemade granola, to serve
 

Blend yogurt, 200 g / 7 oz bilberries, cardamom, and maple syrup in a blender until smooth. Add the remaining blueberries and mix with a spoon (we want these berries to remain whole for some additional texture). Serve with granola on top. Cheers!

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March Love&Inspiration

I took this shot yesterday; The Helsinki Cathedral shining in the spring sun. Still one of the most majestic sights I've ever seen.

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» Some of my favorite posts I've stumbled upon.

» Music for the soul.

» This is almost too awesome to handle. Stamp yo face!

» This two ingredient chocolate mousse from Oh, Ladycakes blew my mind.

» Can't wait to get my hands on the new book, My Paris Kitchen: Recipes and Stories, from the one and only David Lebovitz...Actually, I just pre-ordered it. Oops.

» I also have a huuuge crush on Emma Galloway's first cookbook, My Darling Lemon Thyme – Recipes from My Real Food Kitchen. Emma is the kind soul behind the Perth-based blog My Darling Lemon Thyme. I'm sure her book is as lovely as her blog.

» I totally need this cat cookie rolling pin in my life.

» Pasta in all its glory. I can't even tell you how much I adore Valentina's work both on Hortus and Modern Pop Cooking. Rock it, girl!

» And then there was this absolutely gorgeous post from Kelsey. Her words & the agnolotti recipe – this lady amazes me every single time.

» This French ad is beyond gorgeous.

» Made this rye soda bread from Dagmar's Kitchen – it was superb. Next time, I'll try the gluten-free version.

» Cute, cuter, mini princess cakes.

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ALSO:

A miracle has happened - I'm on Instagram.

Have you already seen my interview on PAPER/PLATES? I talk about food, books, and watching a stormy sea. Hope you have as much fun reading the interview as I had doing it!

Aaaand... Last but not least. My Salmon Salad with Wasabi Dressing was featured on Food52's 8 Food Blog Links We Love last Friday. Such a happy surprise! I'm honored.

Have a great week, friends!

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EDIT (9.45 pm): I'm totally honored/baffled/over the moon/can't feel my legs right now/excited to be a Saveur Best Food Blog Awards finalist among all those other talented people in the category "Best New Blog".

Thank you, thank you, thank you. Seriosly.