Maisemakahvilan Raparperipiirakka – Finnish Rhubarb Sheet Pie

Spring is slowly arriving in Austria. Birds are going crazy, and first, wood garlic leaves are poking their heads up from the forest soil. One sure spring sign is that my vegetable handler has rhubarb for sale. Today was the day! I managed to get some fresh rhubarb. It’s still grown in the greenhouse, but…

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Finnish Salmon and potato bake – Lohilaatikko

I am emptying my freezer, and I found a piece of salmon that I need to use away. Salmon bake or lohilaatikko, as we call this simple dish, is everyday food in Finland. Easy and fast to make. You can make it bake-ready already the previous day, and when you come home, just shove it…

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Lindströms Patties from black beans – Kasvis Lindströmin pihvit

I love Lindström Steaks. I am trying to go more towards vegetarian foods, so I wanted to try this classic recipe to see how it would work as a vegetarian dish. Originally, Biff à la Lindström is a Swedish dish made from onion, potato, red beet, capers, and ground beef, which are made into patties…

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Finnish Bilberry pie in Brioche Dough – mustikkapiirakka pullataikinaan

Bilberries grow wild in Finnish forests, and people forage them for their own use every fall. In Finland, nature is both wild and free. The law allows anyone living in or visiting Finland the freedom to roam the countryside, forage, fish with a line and rod, and enjoy the recreational use of natural areas—respectfully, of…

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Avocado Pasta

I like avocados a lot. This is a simple and speedy pasta sauce recipe from avocados that you can make in two ways. The sauce can also be used as a dip, so it’s versatile. Our family loves this simple pasta dish. I often saute some shrimp in garlic and chili to top the pasta….

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Lihakeitto – Finnish meat soup

My grandmother was an excellent cook. She didn’t cook fancy foods but those simple and honest home-cooked, traditional Finnish dishes. One of my favorites was her bone soup or meat soup. Pot-au-feu type of soup. Meat boiled in homemade meat stock so long that it starts to fall apart . Then, meat is removed from…

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Moscow stew a la Mysi Lahtinen – Moskovan pata

Finnish food has been influenced by Swedish and Russian food heritage because Finland has been closely connected with both historically. Examples of Swedish influence are meatballs,semlor, or sandwich cakes. From Russia, examples include blinis, Karelian pies, or Stroganoff. One of my all-time favorites is Moscow Stew by Mysi Lahtinen. Inspiration for this beautiful stew is…

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Finnish Meat Pierogi – Lihapiirakka

So many cultures have their own form of meat pies. Rutzas,pierogi, empanadas etc. This is the Finnish version of meat pierogis. Lihapiirakka is found in all small grills in Finland. Finding your way to the closest grilli after a night out in bars is common in Finland. Lihapiirakka is often the “fast food” chosen to…

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