Cooking – Blue Moment

Day 240: More Mushrooms

October 19, 2026Posted in Outdoors, Nature, 365 Project, Cooking, Makro, Activities, Espoo, FallTagged Outdoors, Espoo, Activities, 365 Project, Finland, Nature, FallLeave a comment

I went mushrooming on my own. Major feat. Actually bringing home almost 10l was an even bigger feat.

Good mushroom spots seem to be big secrets, shared only with the closest family. Asking experts (or anyone who regularly picks mushrooms) where to go is almost sacrilege. You either get a very vague answer, or they tell you outright they only go to their family spot. Even internet forums come up empty.

Having no family who go mushrooming – especially not in Espoo – I was on my own. I used AI to identify a right type of forest. And went in blind.

The first hour was pretty desperate… Not helped by the fact that it had been windy, so the forest floor was covered in fallen leaves – each exactly the same shade as the mushrooms I was looking for.

But then I found them. And the best thing is that where you find one, you are bound to find another.

I marked the spot.

Day 206: A Great Steak

September 17, 2026Posted in 365 Project, Cooking, Helsinki, WorkTagged 365 Project, Food, HelsinkiLeave a comment

The older I get, the less likely I am to order a steak in a restaurant. It’s heavy. And often quite boring.

But a really, really good steak?

Still the food of gods.

Day 135: Muikku

July 1, 2026July 1, 2026Posted in 365 Project, Alanna, Asikkala, Cooking, TraditionsTagged 365 Project, Alanna, Food, Summer CottageLeave a comment

Pan-fried muikku (vendace) is a Finnish delicacy. The girls and I absolutely love it. Stuart thinks it is good, but as with many good things, Finns tend to overdo it.

You can get muikku at many lakeside restaurants during the summer, and I even make it myself from time to time. But the best muikku is made by ukki in the boathouse. The boathouse is as important part of the meal than the muikku itself.

Day 133: Midsummer Moods

June 29, 2026June 29, 2026Posted in 365 Project, Alanna, Asikkala, Cooking, Family, Festivals, Kiara, Nature, Outdoors, TraditionsTagged 365 Project, Alanna, family, Finland, Food, Holidays, Kiara, Nature, Outdoors, Scenery, Summer CottageLeave a comment

Finns are always surprised when the weather is good at Midsummer. Although, I could be a spoilsport and note that every single one of the five Midsummers since we moved bach has been beautiful.

Then again, I still remember the years of +9°C and rain, so I mostly let people enjoy their weather debates.

Anyway, it is hard to capture the essence of Midsummer in single picture. I cheated and made a collage. Good food, good drinks, the midnight sun, summer…

Day 129: Sausage

June 25, 2026June 25, 2026Posted in 365 Project, Alanna, Asikkala, Cooking, Kiara, TraditionsTagged 365 Project, Alanna, Food, Kiara, Summer CottageLeave a comment

Despite being a foodie, even I admit that frying sausages over the fire is part of summer at the summer cottage.

Day 128: Just A Bit Better Food

June 24, 2026June 24, 2026Posted in Activities, Cooking, FamilyTagged 365 Project, Activities, family, Food, Summer CottageLeave a comment

According to my dad, my mum and I cook far too complicated food in the summer cottage. Then again, he considers anything more time-consuming than fried sausage or pasta too complicated. (Unless it is fish, in which case it is never too time-consuming.)

To be fair, we do occassionally go a bit overboard. Or rather, we like trying new things. And more often than not, one element doesn’t quite work out, so we end up improvising as we go.

Generally, though, we have fun.

And my dad has yet to refuse any of it.

So I would call it a win-win.

Day 107: Prawn Bao

May 31, 2026May 31, 2026Posted in 365 Project, CookingTagged 365 Project, FoodLeave a comment

The problem with a lot of street food is that it is meant to be quick in large quantities. It is often surprisingly time-consuming to cook for just a few.

Take baos, for example. Making the dough, letting it rise, steaming the buns… not exactly a quick meal.

So that’s when you cheat.

The secret is finding the right ingredients that take you 80% there. In Finland, store-bought baos work great when fillings are flavorful enough.

Naans – not so much.

Day 93: Khinkali

May 12, 2026May 12, 2026Posted in 365 Project, Cooking, Espoo, StuartTagged 365 Project, Espoo, StuartLeave a comment

Georgian is one of my favourite cuisines. And khinkali might be the best thing it has given the world.

The girls agree. When Alanna was maybe four, we took them to a Chinese restaurant. She promptly burst into tears after discovering that the dumplings had no “soup” inside. She still asks every time.

So, for Stuart’s early birthday – Georgian it was.

Day 69: Glass of Red

April 14, 2026April 14, 2026Posted in 365 Project, Cooking, StuartTagged 365 Project, Stuart, WineLeave a comment

Long time ago, I preferred red wine. However, white wine has always been a summer drink. After I moved to South Africa and then Singapore, I lived in a long summer (comparatively) for several years. As a result, I only really drink white. Intellectually, I know reds are better and more complex wines. White just tastes better.

Stuart doesn’t care about temperature. He drinks red.

Day 59: Soup To Heal The Sick

April 4, 2026April 4, 2026Posted in 365 Project, CookingTagged 365 ProjectLeave a comment

When you are feeling seriously under the weather, soup is good comfort food. It helps to have leftover duck in the fridge.

Cut-all-corners ramen.