February Love&Inspiration

“You will find that it is necessary to let things go
simply for the reason that they are heavy.
So let them go, let go of them.
I tie no weights to my ankles.”

– C. JoyBell C.

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Tomorrow, it's March. I still can't really get my head around it. February flew by so incredibly fast... Here are some of my favorites:

» Posts I especially loved this month.

» Let's listen to some great music.

» Interpretations by Veera Välimäki & Joji Locatelli – fine tune and at dawn are my favorite patterns.

» Hello HOMEMADE SPRINKLES! Not kidding, this is totally happening.

» I think I've never told you how much I adore Meryl Streep. And after this, I'm convinced she is one of the most wonderful woman walking on this planet.

» Are you a planner? An organizer? Do you always have too much going on in your head? Yeah, me too. Let's make a spring clean out! Maybe Todoist would be a great tool to get organized? I heard about it on Sara's lovely blog Cake Over Steak and got an account. I'm still learning and getting used to it but so far I've liked it a lot. There is a good blog post about Todoist on the Well.

» New blog crush: Babes in Boyland. Love the mood!

» Eating Healthy on a Budget – A lovely new series by the awesome Stockholm-based David & Luise from Green Kitchen Stories. Their Shakshuka is a stunner!

» This girl knows how to write.

» Had this salad for lunch today. Highly recommended! I also made this crispy rice dish from Smitten Kitchen for a family dinner last weekend and it was delicious! It was so crispy that my dad broke a molar... True story.

» The newly launched Roost blog. Breathtakingly beautiful work by the incredibly talented Caitlin Van Horn.

» I would like to have a cup of marshmallow hot chocolate, please.

» I love to follow how this lady lives her life to the fullest (hello Sydney!). Makes me reflect on my own life – what do I want from life? A very important question to ask oneself from time to time.

» A huge portion of this ice cream would totally make my day.

» Telling a story through a photograph – How To Photograph Food by Haruka Sakaguchi

» I'm making the Brown Butter Chocolate Maple Pecan Cookies from Flourishing Foodie tonight. Brown butter makes everything shine, right?

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Hope you have a great weekend!

I'm spending tomorrow in Helsinki with a bunch of dear friends – we'll have a brunch here and laugh hard. I want to find a pair of shoes for spring (something like this, maybe).

Last Breath – Beet & Potato Latkes

Do you still remember how I told you that February is my favorite winter month? Well, that was before this February. It has been a letdown. A total bummer. Where are the freezing temperatures? Where is the bright sunshine? I wanted to take long walks on the lake ice. I wanted to wear sunglasses because the harsh light that would be reflected by the white snow would otherwise hurt my eyes. I wanted to go sledding with my friends and drink Lumumba from a thermos. Instead, it has been gray and wet. Snow? Gone. February 2014, nul point.

I don't want it to be winter anymore if it looks like this. Spring. I want it to be spring.

At the same time as I wish this season would be already over, I realize (with a slight feeling of terror) that I don't have much time to enjoy the wintery foods. Like beets. I've had them way too seldom. I haven't made borscht. I haven't baked a chocolate beet cake yet. I've not eaten enough of beet salad with arugula, chèvre, and walnuts.

This is me taking my last breaths of winter. This is me shaking off the gray dust of February. This is me making beet & potato latkes.

Will you join me?

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Beet & Potato Latkes

makes about 20 latkes, enough to serve 4–6 hungry souls

The ruby red latkes topped with creamy sour cream, salmon with a subtle smoke note, crispy apples to fresh it up, and the classic pairing of dill. These latkes aren't only gorgeous to look at but also damn delicious. I think they are perfect served at a get-together with a simple green salad and a glass of sparkling wine. I used blazing salmon as I really love its flavor but you can substitute it with regular cooked salmon. Blazing salmon is a traditional Finnish fish preparation, in which the salmon is nailed to a wooden plank and partly smoked, partly cooked over an open fire. It's one of my most favorite ways to enjoy salmon, especially in salads, as smoked salmon often has a too strong flavor for my liking.

For the latkes:
375 g (13 oz) red beets, peeled
900 g (2 pounds) starchy potatoes, like Russet, peeled
2 eggs (M)
40 g (1.5 oz; 0,6 dl; ¼ cups) fine plain tried breadcrumbs
1 tbsp fine sea salt

vegetable oil, for frying

To serve:
~ 375 g (12 oz) salmon (preferably blazing salmon)
~ 300 g (10 oz) sour cream
2 tart apples, cubed
dill sprigs
 

Preheat the oven to 150°C (325°F). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place a wire rack on top of it. Line another baking sheet with paper towels.

Using the large holes of a box grater, grate the beets and potatoes. Place in a colander and let drain for 10–15 minutes. Press the shreds firmly against the colander a couple of times to draw out excess moisture. We want the shreds to be as dry as possible to ensure crispy latkes!

In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, breadcrumbs, and salt. Add the beet and potato shreds. Using your hands or a silicone spatula, mix until well coated.

Generously coat a large frying pan with oil (about ⅓ cm / 1/8" high) and heat over medium-high heat. Drop a small amount of latke mixture into the pan – if the oil sizzles around the edges, it's ready. Working in batches, drop large spoonfuls of the latke mixture into the hot pan and press slightly with the back of your spoon to flatten. My latkes were around 1 cm / ½" thick and 7,5 cm / 3" in diameter. Fry until brown and crisp, about 2–3 minutes per side.

Transfer the latkes to the paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain, then transfer to the prepared wire rack. Place the sheet with the wire rack and latkes in the oven to keep warm and crisp while continuing to fry the remaining latkes.

Serve the latkes warm with sour cream, salmon, apples, and dill as well as a simple green salad.

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Real-life food blogger note: The day I shot this post (last Tuesday) was one of those nasty, gray days. The secret behind these sunny looking pictures? A foam board. Praise the foam board!

That boat thing - Whipped Lingonberry Porridge

For the last two weeks, the web has been full of all things pink. Cute cupcakes, satin ribbons, chocolate hearts, and gooey goodness. I guess you're expecting the same from me, from this small space I've created. But I'm afraid I have a confession to make. I don't celebrate Valentine's Day. I don't even like it. There's certainly nothing wrong with the message itself. Love and friendship. I'm all yours. However, I can't cope with the commerciality of February 14. It makes me feel anxious.

Somehow the day feels fake to me. Like I would appreciate the people I love only if I do something special on this specific day. I don't like that it's expected from me to do something special. I don't like "should-dos". Maybe I'm a bit of a rebel when it comes to things like this.

Love is less about showing and acting but more about being. Being there for each other, sitting in that same boat. Enduring the mighty storms when the waves crash against the sides of your boat, watching the light rain falling down on you both, and trying to find the right direction when the morning mist makes it hard to see. Enjoying the gorgeous dawn together and sunbathing in the bright sunshine. It also means being there when the time has come to raise the sails and travel to places yet unknown.

I hope you get what I mean.

I didn't plan to post a pink dish this week. It just happened. And well, I guess this would be the perfect Valentine's Day breakfast, right? You could totally serve it next Friday. Cause after all, although it isn't my kind of day it totally could be yours. But don't label this as a Valentine's Day porridge. It's so much more than that.

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Whipped Lingonberry Porridge

serves 4–6

Sooo....you didn't know you can actually whip porridge? Well, here's the good news: yes you can. We people of the North do it all the time. It keeps us warm. Okay, just kidding. The reason we do it is because it gives you a bowl of fluffy goodness. Fluffy, pink porridge! That's what dreams are made of.

For most Scandinavians whipped porridge is a dessert. I however like the not so sweet version that can be enjoyed for breakfast or as a midday snack. So folks, you're welcome to add more sugar if you feel like it and call it a dessert. No one will judge you. You could also substitute regular wheat farina with whole wheat or spelt farina if you want to go an even healthier route. One more note: I made this with lingonberries which is the traditional take on it BUT you can totally use other berries if you want to. Black or red currants, sea buckthorns, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries... And if you can't decide, just mix them! I wonder if cranberries work as well. My guess is, yes. Just adjust the sugar amount according to the sweetness of the berries you use. Lingonberries are quite tart so I would use less sugar for a whipped strawberry porridge.

EDIT: Anita made a batch and served it with coconut milk. According to her, it "is terrific on top". So, by all means, do try it with coconut milk instead of regular milk.

8 dl (3 ¼ cups) water
250 g (8 oz; 4 ½ dl; 2 cups) lingonberries (fresh or frozen, no need to thaw)
pinch of fine sea salt
100 g (3 ½ oz; 1,2 dl; ½ cup) granulated sugar (+ more to taste)
120 g (4 oz; 1 ½ dl; ⅔ cups) farina (Cream-of-Wheat)

whole milk, to serve
 

In a medium-sized pot, combine the water and lingonberries. Bring to a boil and boil for 10–15 minutes.

Add the salt and granulated sugar. Gradually whisk in the farina, making sure there are no lumps. Let simmer for 5–10 minutes (depending on how long your farina needs to be cooked), stirring constantly. Taste and add sugar if you feel like it could be sweeter to your taste. Remove the pot from the heat and let the porridge cool to room temperature.

When the porridge has cooled, beat it with a whisk or a hand mixer, until light and fluffy.

Serve at room temperature or cold with milk.

The porridge can be stored, covered, in the fridge for a couple of days. Just beat it again before serving.

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P.S. Join me and other food bloggers and help to provide a nourishing school lunch for South African children. Read more about it here, here, & here (just to name a few contributing posts). You can donate here. Thank you for The Lunchbox Fund and The Giving Table for making this happen.
 

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Sesame² & Poppy Seed Crispbread

“There are such a lot of things that have no place in summer and autumn and spring. Everything that’s a little shy and a little rum. Some kinds of night animals and people that don’t fit in with others and that nobody really believes in. They keep out of the way all the year. And then when everything’s quiet and white and the nights are long and most people are asleep
— then they appear.”

– Tove Jansson, Moominland Midwinter

Crispbread, the Scandinavian take on crackers, has been baked for centuries and can therefore be considered as a staple of Nordic cuisine. The most traditional version is shaped into a large round with a hole in the middle – this way the bread could be stored on long sticks under the roof. To sleep in an old log house under a crispbread sky...I definitely like the idea. And maybe, just maybe, one crispbread would have been offered to the shy creatures of winter.

You won't find many Scandinavian families who don't have a pack of crispbread at home at all times. It is one of the secrets of how we people of the North survive the long, dark winters. Forget its reputation as low-caloric diet food. It's so much more than that (and to be honest, I doubt any Scandinavian enjoys it because of it being "health food"). Crispbread is enjoyed as a midday snack simply buttered or with cheese and thin slices of cucumber. It's also great alongside a bowl of soup, like a hearty pea soup, or a green salad.

Nowadays, few people make homemade crispbread anymore. Maybe it's because you can find a ton of different varieties at your local grocery store. However, homemade crispbread is not only tastier but also easy and relatively quick to make. So why not make your own crispbread at home?

This slightly luxurious seed crispbread pairs especially well with cheese and a glass of full-bodied red wine...the kind of winter night I like the most.

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Sesame² & Poppy Seed Crispbread

dough slightly adapted from Elle Mat och Vin 1/2014, p. 90

3 dl (1 ¼ cups) lukewarm milk
25 g (1 oz) fresh yeast [OR 8 g / 0.3 oz instant active dry yeast]
1 tsp fine sea salt
165 g (6 oz; 3 dl; 1 ¼ cups) all-purpose flour
245 g (8.6 oz; 3 ½ dl; 1 ½ cups) coarse wholegrain rye flour

1 egg white
1 tbsp cold water
white & black sesame seeds + poppy seeds

In a medium-sized bowl, combine the lukewarm milk and crumbled yeast. Stir with a spoon until the yeast is completely dissolved. [note: if you use instant active dry yeast, mix it with the dry ingredients and heat the milk to about 45°C / 115°F} Gradually add the dry ingredients until the dough comes together enough for you to start kneading it. Knead until it comes clean off the sides of the bowl. Add more all-purpose flour if it sticks to your hands. Shape into a ball and cover with a kitchen towel. Let the dough rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 250°C (475°F). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Take about a third of the dough and roll it into a very thin rectangle. The thinner you roll it, the crispier it becomes. With a knife, cut the rolled out dough into about 21x2,5cm (8x1") strips. You can also cut it into different shapes, like triangles (mine were about 6,5 cm / 2.5") or rounds. Transfer to a baking sheet.

Prick each piece all over with a fork. This will keep the crispbread from puffing up in the oven. In a glass, whisk together the egg white and water. Brush each piece of crispbread with the mixture and sprinkle generously with the seeds.

Bake for about 6 minutes. The crispbread will be crisp and start to brown at the edges. Let cool on a wire rack. Continue to prepare the rest of the dough but remember to keep an eye on those in the oven.

Once cool, store in an airtight container. They will keep for a couple of weeks, even for several months.

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Hope you all have a great start to the first week of February which, by the way, is my favorite winter month!

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January Love&Inspiration

I've been amazed by the sparkling snow lately.
This is how it looks like through a camera lens. #nofilter

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Here is a list of posts, recipes, music, articles, and generally just things that have inspired me during January. Happy browsing!

» Some of my favorite January posts.

» Music that made my heart sing.

» The incredibly talented and brave photojournalist Meeri Koutaniemi and how she witnessed female genital mutilation in a Masai village in Kenya. No words.

» I'm a huge admirer of Beth Kirby's work so I just loved to read this interview.

» You're welcome to freak out with me: Coconut Cream Pie French Toast by Minimalist Baker.

» This post about green garlic germs was interesting. Before, I've both removed and left them unattended which basically means I've had no idea what to think of them.

» Loved to read this. Aren't they adorable? And that look on Bev's face. Wonders of life.

» Have to make these soon. Loved the Bonkers Awesome episode with Ree!

» How to make flavored coffee creamer at home.

» The New York Subway in 1981

» Eat like a Swede – could also be labeled as "Eat like a Finn" (except #8 & #10)

» This beautifully written post left me speechless and with tears in my eyes.

» The History of Fika: Swedish Coffee Break

» I love this fruit map.

» On repeat.

» What about a cup of salted rosemary latte?

» 100 Notable Books of 2013

» Lovely Indian vibe - Box of Spice

» Dance party. Yeah, like on Grey's Anatomy.

I also started two new knitting projects this month:
this scarf (it's like knitting a cloud) and this pullover in a lovely moss green color

Both patterns are from Helga Isager's The Map Collection. A truly lovely collection.

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Would love to hear about some of your January favorites as well!

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