Finnish Salmon Stew for Saint Urho Day

Posted on by
Reply

This past week was alot of Saint’s Days to celebrate, the big one of course Saint Patrick’s Day.  We put on our green and headed to the state capital for a parade in some 78 degree    summer weather here in Mpls.  Record number of people out celebrating, who knew there are so many Irish.  This year I also learned of a new Saint’s holiday from an art director I was working with on set last week.  The day before St. Pats is Saint Urho Day, March 16th.  You probably have not heard of this holiday if you have not grown up in northern MN.

“The legend of St. Urho originated in Northern Minnesota in the 1950s. However, there are differing opinions as to whether it began with the fables created by Sulo Havumaki of Bemidji, or the tongue-in-cheek tales told by Richard Mattson of Virginia. Either way, the legend has grown among North Americans of Finnish descent to the point where St. Urho is known and celebrated across the United States and Canada, and even in Finland.

St. Urho’s Day is celebrated on March 16th, the day prior to the better known feast of some minor saint from Ireland, who was alleged to have driven the snakes from that island.

The legend of St. Urho says he chased the grasshoppers out of ancient Finland, thus saving the grape crop and the jobs of Finnish vineyard workers. He did this by uttering the phrase: “Heinäsirkka, heinäsirkka, mene täältä hiiteen” (roughly translated: “Grasshopper, grasshopper, go to Hell!”). His feast is celebrated by wearing the colors Royal Purple and Nile Green. ”  www.sainturho.com

To go along with this holiday they have a Mojakka cook-off. What is Mojakka you ask? There is so much to learn.  “Mojakka (pronounced MOY-a-kah) is a soup served in Finnish-American households in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and Western Ontario. The principal ingredients are beef or fish and potatoes. When Finnish immigrants of a century ago made their way to the area around Lake Superior, the name followed them, but it came to mean any soup made of leftovers. ”

We made this Salmon Finnish Fish Stew.  Beth shared stories of her dad making this fish stew on the campfire while they were camping. Using what-ever fish they had caught that day and some basic ingredients you just boil all the ingredients over the camp fire.  We ate some stew after we photographed it, it is quite good and I can see it would be a great dinner at the camp site.  Now, I just need to learn how to fish.

RECIPE:

– 200g-400g of filited Salmon or other fish

– 600g potatoes, peeled and chopped into cm cubes

– 1 Onion, chopped into 8

– 200ml Cream

– Dill, a good couple of tablespoons per person, chopped finely

  1. Cover the Onion and Potato with Water in a pan, add about 10 whole Peppercorns and Salt. Boil for 15 minutes.
  2. Add the Cream and half of the Dill you chopped, then the fish fillets whole.
  3. Simmer for 5 minutes, stir in a knob of Butter, check the Salt level and add more if needed then serve with the rest of the Dill sprinkled on top.
  4. This recipe is from– http://cookingasprocrastination.wordpress.com

Visit Beth’s site to see our outfits and lots of great styling Ideas.  http://findingfurther.blogspot.com/

Avocado Orange Asian Noodle Salad

Posted on by
Reply

This is a simple light asian noodle salad.  The nice thing about this salad it’s all improvisational, use what ever might inspire you or what ever you might find in your fridge. One of my favorite drinks to order is the Thai Tea or Thai coffee it’s great with a spicy dish or simply refreshing.Thai Tea is tea or coffee with sugar and condensed milk over ice.

Puerto Rico

Posted on by
Reply

We spent a week in Puerto Rico this winter it was a nice winter beach get away.  We flew into Old San Juan and stayed in the middle of the city. This is a 465-year-old neighborhood. The streets here are paved with cobbles of adoquine, a blue stone cast from furnace slag. The city includes more than 400 carefully restored 16th- and 17th-century Spanish colonial buildings. Narrow streets and cobblestones feels like you are in a walled in city of europe. Except you have beautiful beaches, good food, rum and salsa music.

We drove to the west side of the Island and went to Rincon a quaint surfing beach town. The drive down to Rincon was a food truck Highway, I image there are not a lot of roads running through the Island so they park there trucks on the side of the highway with lots of traffic flying past. We stayed at a beautiful resort on a nice calm beach cove. The bartender introduced us to the Puerto Rico Egg Nog called Coquito, traditional served on the holidays. The mix of rum and coconut milk is to die for, I will be making a batch come this christmas.

We stopped at our first food truck on a recommendation. I had to try the traditional dish of Mofongo. “Mofongo is a fried plantain-based dish from Puerto Rico. Mofongo is generally made from fried green plantains which is mashed together in a pilón (which is a wooden mortar and pestle), with broth, garlic, olive oil, and pork cracklings or bits of bacon. It is often filled with vegetables, chicken, crab, shrimp, or beef and is often served with fried meat and chicken broth soup.“ Wikipedia 

Joey’s BBQ was parked in front of his house, with his mom taking orders. And lots of locals stopping to pick up their dinner. It was delicious, I had the chicken with some tasty sauce on top.  The laid back attitude of Puerto Rico was seen on the signage on his truck as it was misspelled  as Joy’s, oh well. We also tried the Pork Mofongo it came with a bottle of ketchup and Mayo.

The nest road side stop was a little restaurant serving empanadas. Empanadas are cheese or meat filled pastries. They had lots of flavors, we tried several ,chicken, shrimp, pork and octopus. A great cheap lunch.

The rest of our time was hanging at the beach and checking out some of the close coastal towns. We found our favorite surfing beach and restaurant, Calipso Cafe they had a great dish of local fish with rice and beans. This tasty spicy sauce sat on all the tables. I could not get enough of it and ordered some online when I got home.  The rum and Reggae music was a great place to hang out on the beach.

I would like to go back to Puerto Rico sometime and explore the other side of the Island  try some more of the local cuisine, hike the rain forest, Kayak the coves, and walk the beaches on the Island.

Stout Chocolate Cake

Posted on by
Reply

I’ve been waiting to make this cake, and finally it was near valentines day and my sisters birthday-done.  A lover of chocolate and good beer a perfect combination.  The finaI creation with pecans and Carmel whiskey frosting and butter cream frosting on top. I stopped at the liquor store and found a four pack of Young’s Double Chocolate Stout, sounds perfect.

This recipe makes three 8 inch cakes, that’s alot of cake. I chopped some pecans and sprinkled them in between the layers with the Carmel Whiskey Frosting. Why stop there, the top layer is chocolate Buttercream frosting. WOW it was like a turtle pecan candy. this cake is so good, must find another reason to make very soon.

Cake Recipe

Stout cake recipe from Epicurious

Carmel Whiskey Frosting

The birthday cake was great, enjoyed with a glass of the Young’s Double Chocolate Stout.

Infused Cucumber Lemon Grass Vodka

Posted on by
Reply

This past summer I picked some cucumbers and lemon grass out of my vegetable garden and infused it with some vodka.  The first drink that came to mind was a Bloody Mary.

I am a Bloody Mary fan and normally I go for the spicy meaty bloody mary with the beef stick garnish. The cucumber lemon grass vodka gave the Bloody Mary a new refreshing right out of the garden flavor.  I have since been keeping my eyes out for cucumber vodka cocktail ideas and as usually once you are looking for something it seems to keep popping up all over.  In magazines and drink menus all over town.

“Invented by bartender Fernand Petiot at Harry’s New York Bar in Paris in the 1920s, the bloody mary began as a simple blend of vodka and tomato juice. Petiot brought it with him when he returned to the States, added the drink’s signature spiciness, and since then it has soared in popularity, spawning numerous variations.”

Of course one of the best things about the bloody mary is all the many garnish ideas one can come up with.  Makes for a meal of it’s own.

If you are in a pinch the best bloody mary mix is Zing Zang.

Here is another drink recipe idea:

RIPSAW…. muddled mint–cucumber lemon grass vodka–fresh lime juice–and soda on                                       the rocks

Enjoy in moderation:)


MeatLoaf

Posted on by
Reply

Food Stylist: Melinda Hutchison

http://melindahutchison.com/

If you’re looking for some comfort meaty craving, I say go for a classic recipe. It could be that antidote for the winter blues. Well, there is nothing like a meatloaf, lots of meat and left overs.  This recipe with the cider, prunes and Worcestershire sauce adds a hint of sweetness. Baking the meatloaf without a loaf pan gives you lots of browned crusts. I also like the rawness of mixing the meat together with your hands, truly hand-made.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cup fine fresh bread crumbs (from 2 slices firm white sandwich bread)
  • 1/3 cup whole milk
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 medium celery rib, finely chopped
  • 1 medium carrot, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1/4 pound bacon (about 4 slices), chopped
  • 1/2 cup pitted prunes, chopped
  • 1 1/2 pounds ground beef chuck
  • 1/2 pound ground pork (not lean)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/3 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • RECIPE
  • Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.
  • Soak bread crumbs in milk in a large bowl. Meanwhile, cook onion, garlic, celery, and carrot in butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Cover skillet and reduce heat to low, then cook until carrot is tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, allspice, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper. Add to bread-crumb mixture.
  • Finely chop bacon and prunes in a food processor, then add to onion mixture along with beef, pork, eggs, and parsley and mix together with your hands.
  • Pack mixture into a 9- by 5-inch oval loaf in a 13- by 9-inch shallow baking dish or pan.
  • Bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into center of meatloaf registers 155°F, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
    RECIPE BY IAN KNAUER

Chocolate Rum Balls

Posted on by
1

I’ve been thinking about Rum Balls all year, after trying my first Rum Ball at a holiday party last winter. They were bakery bought Rum Balls and I wanted to keep popping those rum balls into my mouth. I made my first batch this season. There are lots of recipes to choose from but I was looking for the most chocolate and rum I could get. I tried this recipe, it’s like baking brownies. As opposed to most recipes that call for wafer cookies. Those did not seem like it would give the richness I am after. Next time I would like to try some of the 90 proof rum I saw at the store. And instead of rolling them in crystal sugar, which was just to sweet and crunchy, try some chocolate shavings.  I have to say the search is still on for a better recipe. Perhaps more of a truffle approach cuz there is still one more batch to make for the holiday party. The quest for rum balls continues.

second attempt at making this recipe, I baked the brownie mixture a little longer to dry it out more in an attempt to add more rum.  This seemed to help, and them added a few more tablespoons rum, which did make it a bit more gooey.  So I took what i had on hand and mixed in another 1/2 cup of Ghirardelli hot chocolate mix. I also used the ghirardelli hot chocolate mix to roll the rum balls in-this was a big improvement on the last batch of rum balls.

Ingredients

  • Vegetable oil, cooking spray
  • 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
  • 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons dark rum
  • Coarse sanding sugar, for rolling

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350. Coat a 12-by-17-inch rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray; set aside. Melt butter and chocolate in a small heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally. Set aside.
  2. Whisk together eggs, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt in a large bowl. Stir in chocolate mixture, then fold in flour. Pour batter into prepared baking sheet. Spread evenly with a rubber spatula. Bake until top is shiny and a cake tester inserted into center comes out with some crumbs attached, about 10 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
  3. Break up brownie into small pieces; transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. With machine on low speed, pour in rum, and mix until crumbs start to come together to form a ball.
  4. Shape into 1-inch balls, and roll in sanding sugar to coat. Transfer to a baking sheet; refrigerate, uncovered, until cold, about 2 hours. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

RECIPE: Martha Stewart living

 

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

Posted on by
Reply

Whoopie Pies are soft cake like cookies with frosting filling sandwiched between the cookies. As you can tell the holidays gets me in the mood to bake and share with friends. So I’m not the only one slacking on the diet, no one likes to snack alone.  These cookies are very rich it is not just a cookie, it’s dessert. A good alternative to a pumpkin pie. Next time I will make them smaller more bite size portions. They should be stored in the refrigerator and best to eat and not let sit around too long. There are many versions of Whoopie Pies, I will need to explore more combinations. Perhaps a brownie with peanut butter filling…mmmm

Ingredients

  • For the Cream-Cheese Filling

    • 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
    • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
    • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
    • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

  • For the Pumpkin Whoopie Cookies

    • 3 cups all-purpose flour
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
    • 1 tablespoon ground ginger
    • 1 tablespoon ground cloves
    • 2 cups firmly packed dark-brown sugar
    • 1 cup vegetable oil
    • 3 cups pumpkin puree, chilled
    • 2 large eggs
    • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

  1. Make the cookies: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat; set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves; set aside. In another large bowl, whisk together brown sugar and oil until well combined. Add pumpkin puree and whisk until combined. Add eggs and vanilla and whisk until well combined. Sprinkle flour mixture over pumpkin mixture and whisk until fully incorporated.
  3. Using a small ice cream scoop with a release mechanism, drop heaping tablespoons of dough onto prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart. Transfer to oven and bake until cookies are just starting to crack on top and a toothpick inserted into the center of each cookie comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Let cool completely on pan.
  4. Make the filling: Sift confectioner’ sugar into a medium bowl; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter until smooth. Add cream cheese and beat until well combined. Add confectioners’ sugar and vanilla, beat just until smooth. (Filling can be made up to a day in advance. Cover and refrigerate; let stand at room temperature to soften before using.)
  5. Assemble the whoopie pies: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Transfer filling to a zip lock bag and snip the end. When cookies have cooled completely, pipe a large dollop of filling on the flat side of half of the cookies. Sandwich with remaining cookies, pressing down slightly so that the filling spreads to the edge of the cookies. Transfer to prepared baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate cookies at least 30 minutes before serving and up to 3 days.
RECIPE: Martha Stewart Living

Over Thanksgiving break we went to Chicago for a night and explored the Modern wing of The Art Institute. Great way to spend the rainy afternoon.

Pecan Pie

Posted on by
Reply

Thanksgiving was last weekend, which means lots of baking and over eating. Everyone brings their homemade recipes to share. I have been known as the desert girl for many years. This year my mother in-law made this awesome Pecan Pie.  I got to watch and snap a few pictures.  The part I enjoyed the most about this pie was all the chopped up pecans in the pie filling. She demonstrated the crimping of the crust and the careful placement of the pecans on top. It was as tasty as it was pretty. I was doing pretty good, didn’t go for seconds. But when it came to desert that was all I had left in me. It was delicious.

A friend just sent me this link…. now I want some more pecan pie- love it

 

Pecan Pie Recipe

Ingredients

  • All-purpose flour, for dusting
  • 1/2 recipe pie dough
  • 2 1/2 cups pecan halves
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
  • 1 cup dark corn syrup
  • 1/2 cup light corn syrup
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • 1 tablespoon bourbon (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • Whipped cream, for serving

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a lightly floured board, roll out the pastry to a thickness of 1/8 inch. Place the pastry in a 9-inch pie plate that has been set on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and press it into the bottom edges and along the sides. Trim the pastry using scissors or a sharp paring knife. Crimp or decorate the edges of the pastry, if desired. Transfer to freezer until firm, about 15 minutes.
  2. Coarsely chop 1 1/4 cups pecans; set aside. In a medium bowl, combine eggs granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Whisk to combine. Add dark and light corn syrups, butter, bourbon, vanilla, and salt. Whisk until well combined. Add chopped pecans, and stir to combine. Pour into prepared crust.
  3. Arrange remaining 1 1/4 cups pecan halves decoratively over top of pie. Bake on a Silpat-lined baking sheet until crust is golden, filling is firm, and a cake tester inserted in center of pie comes out clean, 50 to 55 minutes. Cool completely before slicing. Serve with whipped cream.

Pie Dough

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 8 ounces (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 1/3 cup plus 2 teaspoons ice water

Directions

  1. Pulse flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor until combined. Add butter, and process until mixture resembles coarse meal, about 10 seconds. With the machine running, add ice water in a slow, steady stream until mixture just begins to hold together.
  2. Shape dough into 2 disks. Wrap each in plastic, and refrigerate 1 hour to 2 days

Town Hall Brewery Tour

Posted on by
Reply

The best Brew Pub in Minneapolis and St.Paul is Town Hall Brewery. They have a great selection of delicious beers they brew at the brew pub located in seven corners Minneapolis. The Masala Mama Indian Pale ale is always a growler of choice to bring home.  I didn’t come to appreciate beer till I was older and the keg parties of my college years were long over. A friend of mine let me try some of his home-brew, I then discovered there is such a thing as good beer. Now there are so many great brew pubs and beer it’s hard to decide what to buy.  But for me I will vote for Town Hall Brew Pub in my home town.

They have a brew tour once a month, well worth the seven dollars. You get a pint of beer to start the tour to sip while Andrew our tour guide fills your head with lots terminology.  You could tell he had a lot of knowledge to share with us in a short amount of time. It was a lot of information, I could take that tour over and over again, not just for the interesting tid bits but all the tasty samples.  Of course the fun part was going down into the basement and smelling the different hops and barley and all the samples of beer they brew. Each week they seem to have a new infused beer to try along with their five regulars on tap. Once you give it a try you will want to come back.  Cheers