Trumpet Chanterelle Soup

I LIVE IN THE BEST NEIGHBORHOOD, EVER!

Yeah, you heard it right. In Finland, where most people don't even get to know the first names of their neighbours, I got lucky to own a place here.
Not all neighbours would drive with his own car, to take your bridesmaid friends to a wedding. Or drive you to pick up woods, put air in your tires, etc. Or put down your tent while you're away coz there's a storm coming.
Over the years, I have received from my lovely neighbours, kilos of rhubarbs, free-range eggs, freshly baked breads, expensive meats, champagnes, and today, Suppilovahvero mushrooms that I made into a wonderful soup, just in time for this rainy weather and while I am coming down with flu.

Here's how:
1. Pan dry about 4 cups of the cleaned mushrooms. Chop them in small pieces. Set aside. (it will yield about 1½ cups)
2. In a pot, melt 50 grams of butter in medium heat.
3. Saute 2 cloves chopped garlic and one medium chopped white onion. (2 mins)
4. Add the mushrooms. (2 mins)
5. Add in 1/3 cup of regular flour and 1 tsp. salt (2 mins)
6. Pour 1 cup of milk, keep stirring until free of lumps.
7. Add 2 cups of hot water and let boil until you reach the creamy soup consistency.
8. Add 1/4 tsp. nutmeg and ½ tsp. black pepper.
9. When serving, add a small dallop of creme fraiche and croutons. I added fresh chili leaves here, but you can use basil as well. Or crispy bacon bits! Enjoy...

Waffles delight!

The success of waffle making may depend on the griddle you use. So before you buy your waffle maker, ask the dealer as to what kind/size of waffle it will produce. There are those who like their waffles thick. And those who like 'em thin. I want mine thin!

Here's a tried and tested recipe for my thin waffles:
Pax: 2 to 3
Sift together in one bowl:
1 cup fine all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 ½ tbsp. sugar
Start heating up the griddle.

Beat in another bowl:
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup melted butter
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix this two together and start cooking!

Recently, I saw in the market that they were selling chocolate flavoured whipping cream from Valio. I make it a point to pick up at least one new product every week to try at home. So this was the best opportunity for that. I used the cream together with Hersheys chocolate sauce. And it was fantastic!
But of course, you can always use the normal whipped cream or mascarpone with fruit jams.
Enjoy!

Turning Japanese

Choosing everyday meals for the family is turning out to be a job! Especially when you have made a couple of good meals in a row, members of the family, big and small, expects that you will top the previous meals. 

Having said that, I strongly believe that Japanese food is the simplest way of wowing anyone who would sit at your dining table. Clean flavours, uncomplicated processes, fresh and its up to you if you want to get filled or not.

So one night, I made Chicken katsu. It basically means 'cutlets'. This is an original Portuguese dish, brought to Japan, and twisted (in this case pounded) to cater to the Japanese palate.

* Chicken breasts, sliced thinly, wrapped in cling film, pounded.
* Dabbed with cornstarch (I added garlic powder in mine), dipped in whisked egg, then breaded with panko and sesame seeds mixture.
* Pan fried, no need to deep fry.

Served with heated soy sauce, mirin and teriyaki sauce mixture.

Eaten with steamed rice and a bowl of miso soup.

On another night, as I was busy working from home, I didn't really have time to cook. So I asked my lovely husband to grab fresh salmon (caught the same day) and chicken pieces.
Salmon was served as sashimi. 

* Sliced thinly, dipped in Japanese soy sauce with wasabi and a squirt of lemon. - from Wikipedia:  A reputed motivation for serving wasabi with sashimi (and also gari, pickled ginger), besides its flavor, is killing harmful bacteria and parasites that could be present in raw seafood.^[1]


Chicken pieces, marinated in yakitori soy sauce and and then fried in oil.

 

Result? A happy girl!