I had a very lovely start for my holiday in Berlin with Eva and Johan, and my uncle. Yes, lots of good coffee and conversations and taking it easy. (If I lived in Berlin I could always have peonies at home!)




Eva's husband Johan works in westberlin. Coffee was very good and cakes (from Five Elephant) so delicious!






One of the best finds of the trip was Café Pförtner (thanks to my uncle!). We went for both dinner (italian home food!) and breakfast. The old bus is so charming!




I am truly blessed by Eva's friendship. And I was so at home with Eva and Johan. They share such sweet love. And I'm so excited to see what's on the next page for them!


Juha and Pete have the most inspiring home!














We celebrated my name day after fleamarkets in Five Elephant.










I love the canal in Kreuzberg. It takes me back to so many summers there and long talks with my dear old friend Matthias (whom I got to know as a penpal in 1995!)


I have to say that my new favorite was Katies blue cat. Handsome, charming service, tasty espresso (from Bonanza) and Almond toffee crunch, the most scrumptious sweet I've had in I don't remember how long (a little like Daim, but the homemade version and so much better)! Need to try to figure out the recipe!

I am leaving to Berlin in the morning. How very lovely. I cannot wait to be with my friends and family. Eat good food, walk the endless streets of Berlin, reminish, sit in cozy, inspiring cafes and forget everything about work and schedules.

I got rhubarb from a workmate the other day so in the midst of packing I made the first rhubarb pie of the summer.

 

RHUBARB CRUMBLE PIE

100ml spelt flour
100ml almond flour
200ml corn flour (you can use 400ml of the flour you prefer)
150ml sugar
1tsp baking powder
1tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
1tsp vanilla sugar
125g coconut oil (originally butter)

100ml sour milk
1 egg

2-4 rhubarb stalks

250g quark
50ml organic cane sugar
1tsp vanilla sugar
1 egg


Mix all the dry ingredients together and add melted coconut oil. Take two thirds of the dough and add sour milk and egg. Grease a tin (diameter about 24cm) with coconut oil and spread the dough in the tin. Cut rhubarb in 7mm slices and cover the dough with them. Mix quark, sugar, vanilla sugar and egg together and spread it over the rhubarbs. Take the remaining one third of the dough and sprinkle it on top. Bake in 175 celsius for about 35-40 minutes (for example spelt flour burns easily so the baking time will vary a little depending on the flours you use and how moist you want to leave the pie). I like this pie best chilled but can never wait that long.

Hello holiday! I left work and went straigth to Good Life Coffee and then had nepalese takeaway in our garden. (I like rites. And favorites.)

It was odd and sad to leave work today for it looks like I won't go back in the autumn. Yet I love the freedom in letting go and trusting (things are in Daddy's hands and not in mine) and the state when anything is possible. Good things are coming!

(I got the loveliest presents at work today. Love is just written all over.)


These are the times of love and meaning
Ice of the heart has melted away and found the light
These are the days of endless dreaming
Troubles of life are floating away like a bird in flight


(Jamie Cullum: These are the days)

Hello June! It's really sunny and warm and nice and I still find it hard to believe it's really summer. I have two and a half days left at work which is almost like I'm on holiday already. I met with mom this morning and we decided we'll drive up north together in July and stop at all the fleamarkets we come by like we did last summer. Super! This morning's fleamarket finds were: a grandma's old Longchamp brown leather case for my laptop, an old key and a chain to make it a necklace, two beautiful plates, some clothes and The Hotel New Hampshire by John Irving (I hope it'll be good summer reading). The photo is from Friday when we went to Vasikkasaari (an island outside Espoo) for the day from work. Happy days.

TOP 5

1) losing track of time and having nowhere to hurry in the afternoon sun in good company
2) slow roast portobello mushroom for lunch in Sandro (Kolmas linja 17)
3) birdsong
4) wonderful workmates
5) the smell of lilacs and how it brings back memories of childhood summers

Yesterday it was my roomie's last night reading for entrance exams. It's exciting; pages of our lives are written full with beautiful handwriting and then, when it's time, they turn. These are precious times, we should be so thankful and embrace whatever we're in the middle of today. There's always something good (but the best is yet to come)!

My workmate dumbed five too ripe bananas in the bin and I just couldn't leave them there so I made a banana cake from two of them, sliced two and put them in the freezer for later experiments and made raw porridge from the remaining one. Bananas!

Saturday was Siivouspäivä (Cleaning Day) when anyone could set up a flea market stand anywhere. We had ours in Karhupuisto. It was packed with people and the atmosphere was so nice and laid-back. I found a bunch of lovely things.

Our chestnut tree is in bloom. (I don't know what it is about blooming trees but there's magic in it for me.) It's starting to feel like summer.

I am not really into raw food but I do like eating things that are healthy and good for me and taste scrumptious. My roommate introduced me to raw chocolate back in the day and it was love at first sight. This is a new recipe I found when I accidentally bought a huge pack of cocoa mass in place of cocoa butter. I'm happy I did. These are amazing. (The recipe calls for ingredients that are rather expensive and some of them are only found in special stores, but trust me, getting them is worth it. In Helsinki you find everything for example in Ruohonjuuri.)

HEAVENLY RAW CHOCOLATE

(makes about 40)

100g cocoa mass
100ml grated cocoa butter
100ml coconut oil
4-6tbsp organic honey
a good pinch of himalayan salt
200ml lucuma
1tbsp maca


Break cocoa mass into small pieces and melt in a bowl over hot water (bring the water to boil and then turn the heat off). Add grated cocoa butter and coconut oil and stir till they melt. Add honey and salt and whisk thoroughly. Whisk in lucuma and maca. Spoon the mixture into two ice cube trays and sprinkle coconut flakes on top. Place in the freezer for about 30 minutes. Store the chocolate in the fridge.

Restaurant Day, gourmet hot dogs (seriously the best hot dog ever with a superb salsa) with ginger beer at Amores Perros (I want a party with them catering!) and a waffle for dessert at Lintu Sininen in Linnunlaulu. Ah, I am so in love with the villas of Linnunlaulu.

Next Restaurant Day is in August. I think it's time I finally open my own restaurant then.

I love our garden. And that it's warm enough to eat outside! We sat there with Tanja yesterday talking about places we want to go to this summer. It's Friday afternoon and I'm spending it in the kitchen with Lisa Ekdahl, Susan Tedeschi, a carrot cake and Leila's New York cheesecake.

“There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind.”
(C.S. Lewis)

INSPIRED BY:

Rachmaninov No.2 in C minor
this room:

Without Words by Bethel Music
these photos, especially the wild horses
The meals Jamie cooks in Marrakesh
coconut

the photography of Nelli Palomäki (photo above) and Jonathan Ong
handwritten letters
knowing that I'll soon be in Ahola beholding the meadows and listening to the wind play in the trees

The Green Kitchen Stories, recipe no.3

I had my little brother stay over and I wanted to make something from The Green Kitchen for breakfast (I'll soon be done with the breakfast section of the book, dang!) I knew these would be good; will make again!

And happy news: Good Life Coffee now sells coffee beans from the new roastery of The Barn (my favorite café in Berlin)! So good!

 

THIN OMELETTE ROLLS WITH APPLE & COTTAGE CHEESE

(makes 1)

1 egg
1tbsp milk
a good pinch of salt
coconut oil for frying

FILLING:
half an apple, cored and coarsely grated
3tbsp cottage cheese
1tbsp toasted pumpkin seeds
a pinch of cinnamon


Combine the filling in a bowl. Whisk the egg, milk and salt with a fork in a glass and pour in a 20cm pan. Fry the omelette for 1 minute on the first side and 30-45 seconds on the other. Place the omelette on a plate, spoon the mixture in the middle and roll up. Cut in half before serving.


Soundtrack for the recipe: Bottles and Birds by Johan Örjansson

Four years ago I had just met Helena and I took her to Taikalamppu (she thought for a long time it was Sateenkaari). Today she moves to Canada. Flip flip, pages turn.

I had my little sister over for lunch and I decided to try a raw brownie recipe I ran across the other day. I was a little in a hurry making them in the morning so they didn't end up as pretty as I wanted to. They tasted amazing though. In the evening I rolled the remains into pretty truffels! (Next time I'll propably substitute almonds with cashews. Cashews are just so good.)

ALMOND DATE TRUFFELS

(makes about 30)
(adapted from My New Roots)

250ml raw walnuts
300ml good quality, soft organic dates, pitted
125ml raw cacao powder
125ml raw almonds
1/4tsp sea salt


Put walnuts in a food processor and blend on high until they are finely ground. Add the cacao and salt. Pulse to combine. Add the dates one at a time through the feed tube of the food processor while it is running. (What you should end up with is a mix that appears rather like cake crumbs, but that when pressed, will easily stick together, My New Roots says. And that if the mixture does not hold together well, add more dates. Well, I added dates till it went from crumbly to a big soft ball but I didn't mind.) Remove the batter to a bowl and mix roughly chopped almonds by hand. Press into a lined cake pan or mold. Place in freezer or fridge until ready to serve.

PS. I recently got myself a food processor inspired by Jamie's 30 minute meals (gosh, I haven't been watching them in ages!). This was the first thing I made with it. A very happy start! Spreads and nut butters, see you in a bit!

TOP 5

1) family
2) buds in the chestnut tree in our backyard
3) peace that surpasses circumstances and uncertainty
4) Bound for glory by Tedeschi Trucks Band
5) wild dreams about the future

The Green Kitchen Project, recipe no.2

This was definitely not one of the most enticing recipes in the book. But as I was buying groceries the other day radishes just looked so pretty and tempting that I had to buy them. And as I remembered seeing this recipe calling for radishes, there it was. A pleasant surprise, really. I liked the crunchiness with the soft eggs. The Green Kitchen recommends making their Danish Rye Bread with this but I had some beetroot bread from Goodpie Bakery left in the freezer. On its own the salad is a little lame but on dark bread it's perfect. I am definitely trying their rye bread another time.

 

CRUNCHY CURRIED EGG SALAD

6 eggs
a small handful of pumpkin seeds
1 apple
10 radishes
5 sticks of asparagus spears
(chives)

For the dressing:
120ml organic turkish yoghurt
(2tbsp mayonnaise, optional)
1tsp ground curry
(a pinch of cayenne)
sea salt


Place the eggs in boiling water and let boil for 10 minutes. Let cool in cold water. Toast the pumpkin seeds in a frying pan. Cut the asparagus spears into small sticks and the radishes into thin slices. Halve and core the apple (leave the skin on) and cut it into small pieces. Put everything in a bowl, make the dressing (I didn't use mayonnaise) and mix altogether. Cut the eggs into 8 pieces each and gently mix them in. I forgot to buy chives so I just sprinkled asparagus bits on top.

The Green Kitchen Project, recipe no.1

I am so in love with my newest cookbook, The Green Kitchen. As I wrote earlier I'd like to do what Julie did to Julia Child's cookbook (in the film Julie&Julia) with it. Cook it through and document it here. If I remember right Julie cooked a recipe per day but I'm thinking more like once a week or so and I'm propably not setting a particular day in a week either, at least not yet, to keep it fun and spontaneous.

I actually already kicked off the project when I last had Helena over for breakfast with Banana & Coconut Pancakes. Oh my goodness these are good.

FLOUR-FREE BANANA & COCONUT PANCAKES

(makes about 15)

3 ripe bananas
6 eggs
50g-75g shredded coconut
(150g blueberries)
0,5tsp ground cinnamon
coconut oil for frying


Mash the bananas with a fork. Beat the eggs lightly and add them and the rest of the ingredients. (I use about 75g of shredded coconut; the blog version of this recipe calls for 100g and the book version for 50g. I like using more than 50g because then the batter is thicker and so will the pancakes be.) I have now made these both with and without blueberries in the batter and I prefer having blueberries fresh on the side. Bake 3-4 pancakes at a time in a regular pan on medium heat (these burn easily). The Green Kitchen suggests maple syrup and/or plain yoghurt for serving; I serve these with fresh berries, maple syrup and quark.

I am very excited about this project; I'm sure there are plenty of amazing recipes in the book I would never try out otherwise (because you never really cook your cookbooks through, do you). The Green Kitchen also seems to be a perfect summertime cookbook and will definitely travel up north with me for July.

The Green Kitchen Project, here we go!

(photo by Helena Mackey)

It's finally getting warmer, how lovely! My jaw dropped this morning when I looked out the window and realized they'd put the table out in our backyard garden. I just had to have lunch outside. On Tuesday when I got to work the loveliest surprise was waiting for me there: Mr. Basil! (Jessika, you're a sweetheart.) To accompany it I planted some wild arugula; we'll see how that goes. And inspired by the warmth I made myself a pair of shorts from Helena's old jeans. New favorites!

Have a good Thursday folks!

Here's a new breakfast favorite:

SPINACH RICOTTA FRITTATAS

(makes 5 frittatas in a muffin tray)

4 to 5 handfuls of fresh spinach
4 eggs
100ml whole milk
75ml freshly grated parmesan
2 heap tablespoons ricotta
salt
a pinch black pepper
pea sprouts for garnish


Drain spinach and cook it in a dry frying pan for about a minute, turning frequently, until it wilts. Mix eggs, milk, cheeses, salt and pepper in a bowl (ricotta doesn't need to blend smoothly; clumps of it will be nice in the frittatas) and add spinach. Cut 5 squares of about 15x15cm of baking paper (I greased the papers with a little olive oil to make sure I'd get the frittatas out nicely) and put them in the holes of a muffin tray. Bake in 200 celsius for about 12-15 minutes. Garnish with pea sprouts.

I had Helena over for breakfast on Tuesday on her last morning in Helsinki. How precious and how odd (I still can't really grasp it). I will miss that smiling face, her bubbly laughter and her amazing, warm heart. But I am so excited about her bravely turning a new page, not knowing all that it brings. Sweetheart, embrace it all.

I was so delighted to have Henna and Markus over for a week after Easter (I miss them alot and often). We ate lots of good food and tried out recipes from my new Indian cookbook with great success. We walked around downtown (and accidentally found a wonderful antique shop Fasaani Antik in Punavuori) and took it easy. I was left with yummy leftovers in the fridge and flowers on the windowsill. Very happy.





On Sunday me and Helena had brunch at Goodpie Bakery's Galleria Keidas (Fleminginkatu 7). Bread was delicious as always and warm from the oven, granola, halloumi omelet and cheeses were tasty, DJ played Nina Simone on LP and there was Matti Pikkujämsä´s art on the walls. Nothing beat the lovely company though.