Hannele

Banana bread

I guess we all have bananas that turn black on our kitchen counters, and no one touches them anymore. In our family, those bananas are never tossed away! Here’s my banana bread recipe. Hope you like it.

Lämpimät voileivät – Warm Open-Faced Sandwiches Finnish style

Lämpimät voileivät or lämppärit as this Finnish sandwitch recipe is called in Finnish. So we are talking about open-faced warm sandwiches. This was very popular in the ’80s. I remember we often had these as evening snacks, especially after the sauna on Saturdays. Lämppärit were always served with fresh salad. This was also one of…

Merimiespihvi – Sailor’s Steak Stew

This is absolutely comfort food and is so easy to make. Sailor’s steak got its name because it was traditionally made on ships, often in a pot rather than baked in the oven like this version. Also, cheaper cuts of meat were typically used instead of top-round beef. Slowly cooking it under a lid for…

Chantarelle quiche in rye crust – Kanttarellipiirakka ruispohjalla

Chantarelles are in season in Austria. Chantarelle mushrooms are also a typical Nordic wild mushroom used in many ways in Nordic cooking. My favorite ways are sauces served with flamed salmon, seasoning potatoes, or baking a quiche. Alcacean-style Flammkuchen is also something that I make pretty often as a snack or aperitif when we have…

Original Finnish Salmon Soup – Lohikeitto

Salmon soup is maybe the most well-known Finnish food around the world. No wonder. It’s delicious and comforting. I think it should be called salmon Chowder in English. I love fish soup! My grandmother made this soup for me quite often. Salmon or fish soup has a funny effect on me. After I have eaten…

Finnish brined Salmon Ice Cellar style – Jääkellarin lohi

An alternative gravlax recipe Gravlax, or lox as it is called in the US, is a very important part of Nordic and Finnish food culture. Usually, salmon is dry-cured, but in this recipe, I am using brine. Brining salmon has become one of my favorite ways of curing the fish. Ice cellar salmon is a…

Hyrskypotut – Finnish Shaken New Potatoes in Sour Cream Marinade

This recipe idea originates from the heart of the Finnish area of Savonia, where “hyrskypotut” is particularly enjoyed during Midsummer celebrations. Hyrskypotut makes for an excellent summer meal! I like serving this as a summer side dish because you don’t need to make sauce or serve potatoes with butter. The taste of Hyrskypottu is awesome….

Finnish Minced Beef and Potato Casserole – Jauhelihaperunaviipalelaatikko

When Grandma invited the whole family over for Sunday lunch, it was either jauhelihaperunaviipalelaatikko (minced beef and potato casserole) or lihamureke (meatloaf) that she served. Accompanied with pineapple and Chinese scrappage salad, lingonberry jam, and grated carrot salad with raisins and beetroot. Lihamure (meatloaf) had mashed potatoes and peas as a side. Brown sauce of…

Hannele’s American-style Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookies are one of my family’s favorite cookies. I think this was the first thing I baked with my son. This recipe is from one of my friends when I was an exchange student in the US decades ago. My problem is that some of the ingredients you use in the recipe, were…

Salmon and Asparagus Casserole – Parsa lohilaatikko

Asparagus season started earlier in Austria and Germany this year than ever. We have been enjoying this lovely and noble vegetable since the beginning of April. People only eat asparagus with sauce, Hollandaise, or melted butter, but this wonderful vegetable can do so much more! I love making a quiche with asparagus or just baking…