Orecchiette with broccoli and Italian sausage

Do you know this kind of pasta? It is called orecchiette which literally means “small ears” in Italian. Don’t they really look like ears?  I cooked them with broccoli, Italian sausage, Italian cream (panna da cucina), and crushed red chilies. As you can see from the picture, orecchiette hold the creamy sauce and the other ingredients very well. That’s why I like to cook them like this. As usual, I am curious about how to make orecchiette at home, so I searched the Internet and found a video on how to make orecchiette. I was so surprised by the skill of the lady in the video. Her fingers are amazing! One day I would like try it myself.

Spaghetti with toasted bread crumbs and sun dried tomatoes

What would you do if you have stale bread at home? I usually make bread crumbs with a cheese grater. I then store them in a freezer bag or an airtight container so that I can use them at any time. A few days ago I used them to cook spaghetti with toasted bread crumbs and sun-dried tomatoes – if you wish, you can add some anchovies as well. Bread crumbs give a different and distinct texture to the pasta. Just make sure to add the right quantity with respect to the condiment, otherwise spaghetti will stick together.

Agedashi tofu

Lamb rack with cabbage rolls

Lamb rack is one of the ingredients that I’m getting into. In my last experiment, I marinated it with crushed garlic, herbs, fresh lemon juice, salt and pepper. I kept the marinated rack of lamb in the refrigerator for about an hour and then seared it in a hot pan with butter. I then put it into a parchment paper pocket with thyme and white wine, and then cooked it in the oven at 220°C for about 20 minutes. I like to eat lamb when it’s pinky and juicy as you can see from the picture. It was very tender and delicious indeed! I served lamb with cabbage rolls filled with barley and porcini mushrooms.

Jujube and pistachio biscotti

Biscotti are not just as snack. They can be a great breakfast – of course one of my favorites! One day I was thinking to use Korean dried jujube for baking and I eventually made jujube biscotti with pistachio. They are a great combination, also for their colors. How beautiful! Don’t you think so?

Plumcake with yogurt

I saw the recipe of plumcake with yogurt from one of my favorite Italian food websites long time ago, and I finally gave it a try. What I like the most about this recipe is the presence of yogurt and the use vegetable oil instead of butter. This plumcake turned out incredibly well, even though I was expecting more flavor from the lemon zest. Maybe the lemon I had was not big enough. Anyway, next time I will add more lemon zest and I hope to get a better result.

Homemade tagliatelle

The traditional ratio of fresh egg pasta is one egg to 100g of flour and a pinch of salt. If the dough is too dry, you can add some water or extra virgin olive oil at a time. I usually use Italian 00 flour for tagliatelle and lasagne. In Italy flour is classified by how finely it is grounded – for instance, 00, 0, 1, and 2 – where smaller numbers mean finer grain. A pasta machine clearly makes the process much easier and faster

One year of bellacorea: 2012

bellacorea had 12,000 views from 101 countries in 2012. Wow! Thank you my followers and fellow bloggers!

Chickpeas soup

I always use dried chickpeas instead of canned ones because they have much more flavor, better texture and higher nutritional value. Chickpeas need to be soaked in advance for about 8 hours or overnight. I recommend you to put dried chickpeas in a large bowl with  plenty of cold water – they will double in volume – and a pinch of baking soda. After soaking, drain the chickpeas, wash them, and boil them for two hours. My usual way of preparing chickpeas soup is to add a sachet of a few garlic cloves, fresh rosemary, a small piece of carrot, celery, and a bay leaf (sometimes also chili). After cooking, the sachet is removed from the pot. The soup can then be served with drizzled extra virgin olive oil and croutons.

Broccoli potato soup

I also love broccoli potato soup with toasted pine nuts. I sauté chopped onion and potatoes and add chopped broccoli and water. Once they are soft enough, I blend them up into a soup. My favorite decoration is hearts made with a spoonful of heavy cream. I place the heavy cream on the surface of soup as small dots in a circular shape, and then drag a toothpick through them by drawing a big circle. This soup can be served with grated fresh parmesan and toasted pine nuts.

Finnish salmon soup

Salmon soup with dill is the most famous Finnish soup. It is very important  to use real fish stock instead of the cubed one. Luckily it is easy to buy fresh salmon bones, head, and skin in Finnish markets and grocery stores. The original recipe requires butter and cream; however, I usually replace them with extra virgin olive oil and milk to make it a bit lighter. If you have a plan to visit to Finland, you don’t want to miss it!

Stay warm with these warm homemade soups!

Rejböle Gård is run by Mikaela Berghäll and is not “just” a farm. It offers several interesting activities such as picking berries or mushrooms, private cooking classes, and even accommodation for two families. So if you have a chance to visit Southern Finland, do not miss it!

Mikaela Berghäll, the owner of Rejböle Gård

The owner Mikaela is usually busy with customers, but this time me and my friend were lucky enough to have a guided tour of the farm. In our conversation, I could feel how much Mikaela is passionate about her work in the farm.

Rejböle Gård is located between Karis and Ingå. The landscape is made spectacular by a lake called Marsjön and by plenty of tall birch trees. Peaceful livestock grazes in the pasture: Highland Cattle, chickens and sheep. Mikaela’s family produces sausages, fresh and cured meat. They also sell several organic local products such as oats, vegetables, and berries. She also operates a linen shop within the farm. There are many products made from yarn, linen, wool, and sheepskin. All products look very beautiful and the price is reasonable.

Linen shop and meat products

When I almost finished looking around the shop, Mikaela presented a plate and asked me to try some of her meat products. There were smoked lamb, lamb sausage, and smoked Highland cattle (from left to right in the picture above). They were very delicious and the most tasty meat products I’ve ever had before. The lamb sausage didn’t even have the unique lamb smell, and I enjoyed very much the smoky flavor and freshness of the two other meats. So I decided to buy some of the smoked Highland cattle.

Views of Rejbole Gard

All Highland cattle in the pictures are female – they are grazed separately from males. They are so friendly! I even tried petting their heads, even though I was a bit scared. But they didn’t bite me

Pyöröpaisti in Finnish

The smoked Highland cattle meat is called Pyöröpaisti in Finnish. It’s the round part of Highland cattle. From the picture, you can even see a shiny rainbow appearance on the surface. That is an optical phenomenon generated by the interaction of light with muscle proteins. The meat condition was indeed very good. Pyöröpaisti is a perfect choice for a sandwich or a salad, and also a very good snack if accompanied to cheese.

Rejböle Gård sells all products on seasonal basis. The main season is Fall, but sometimes products are also available for Easter. The website does not provide detailed price information for meat, so I’m reporting here some:27 €/kg for the smoked (cured) Highland cattle; 12 €/kg for the (low-fat) Highland cattle minced meat; 15 €/kg for a Highland cattle assortment box consisting of 8 kg of minced meat, 3 kg of steak slices, and about 4 kg of assorted steak cuts.

Porcini are one of my favorite ingredients especially for risotto because they have a unique woody flavor and aroma – though I love all mushrooms. It is easier to find dried porcini rather than fresh ones. If so, you can use not only the mushroom but also the soaking water as stock for your cooking. There is nothing to throw away. Cool, isn’t it?

Making risotto is not difficult, but it needs time. Anyway, you need to know the basic steps and some best practices. If you’ve never cooked risotto before, that’s fine. However, I suggest to read my tips and the additional links below as they will help you to better understand. Once you know how to cook risotto, you will be able to make it not only with porcini but also with other ingredients with minor modifications. Let’s see how!

Porcini and carnaroli rice

Servings: 2-3     Preparation: 30 mins    Cooking: 40 mins

Ingredients

• 25 g dried porcini mushrooms
• 1 l warm water
• 3-4 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 230 g carnaroli
• 100 ml white wine
• 40 g butter, cut in small cubes
• fresh ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons fresh grated parmesan
• shaved parmesan for garnish (optional)

Tips

• Dried porcini mushrooms
  
  

  Dried porcini mushrooms

  Even though you can use fresh porcini, I prefer dried ones as they have a reasonable price and are easy to store, so then I can have it all year around at home. And I think it has much more mushroom flavor and a chewy texture. However, remember that dried mushrooms need to be soaked at least 30 minutes in advance – I recommend one hour.

• Risotto rice
  
  

  Carnaroli rice

  I know there are tons of recipes for risotto that need different types of rice as brown rice, jasmine rice, sushi rice, and so on. However, I recommend you to use rice for risotto: arborio and carnaroli are the easier varieties to find in stores. As I mentioned, these varieties have much more starch and higher ability to absorb liquids.

• No cream
  As you see, there is no cream on the list of ingredients above. That’s because risotto rice is itself enough creamy as a result of the standard cooking method. No cream, unless you use different varieties of rice.
• Hot stock
  Adding cold stock into a pan reduces the temperature, so it might affect the cooking time and the doneness of rice. Keep the stock hot, but not boiling.
• Wine
  Wine should be in a drinkable condition. You can use red wine instead of white wine, even though it will affect the color of risotto as you can see in the picture below.

Porcini mushroom risotto made with red wine instead of white wine

Here are some of useful websites for understanding risotto.

• Hints and Tips When Making Risotto
• How to make risotto

Let’s practice how to make porcini mushroom risotto!

Preparation

1. Remove dirt from the dried porcini by sifter and soak the mushrooms in a large bowl with warm water for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
2. Chop onion, cut butter into small pieces, grate parmesan, and prepare some shaved parmesan for garnish. Set aside.
3. Drain the porcini mushrooms and collect the soaking water by filtering it through a cheese cloth into a pot. Heat the porcini water in a pot over low-medium heat as stock. Chop porcini mushrooms coarsely. Set aside as well.
4. Heat extra-virgin olive oil in a big pan over medium heat and add chopped onion. After the chopped onion turns transparent, add the chopped porcini. Continue cooking for 5 minutes.
5. Heat up to high level and add the rice into the pan. Toast the rice by continuously stirring them with a wooden spoon for about 2 to 3 minutes until it turns pearly white.
6. Pour white wine. Stir frequently until the wine has been absorbed. Do not cover the pan.
7. Turn the heat down to medium level. Add a first ladle (100-150 ml) of warm porcini water, salt, and 3-4 small pieces of butter. Then keep stirring until the liquid has been absorbed as shown here.
8. Continue adding a ladle of the porcini water and 3-4 small pieces of butter at a time, stirring well for about 15-20 minutes. Do not add too much liquid at once, and keep in mind it should simmer and not boil.
9. When risotto is al dente, take the pan off the heat. Then stir in grated parmesan and ground black pepper.
10. Serve it immediately with shaved parmesan on top.

Porcini mushroom risotto

Here is my porcini mushroom risotto. If you’ve never made risotto before, this is the right recipe for you!

Buon appetito!

Farfalle with Shrimps and Zucchini

Pasta with zucchini! How does it sound to you? It used to be a weird combination to me, as I’ve never thought zucchini could be an ingredient for pasta. But not any more after I discovered pasta with shrimps and zucchini. I recommend to cook zucchini and shrimps separately, and the sprinkle some fresh lemon juice on the shrimps. Can you feel how fresh this pasta was? By the way, I’ve been trying to get such a steaming shot so many times, but it’s not easy

Korean Sweet Rice Balls

A few months ago, my mom sent me a package with a lot of ingredients I can’t find in Finland. I wanted to have some Korean sweet rice flour, which I could use to make the sweet rice balls. Unfortunately, there was no such flour in the package. However, there was a package of Korean sweet rice. So I made the sweet rice flour myself, and I mixed it with hot water at a time. Then, I shaped the dough into small balls, which I boiled for about 10 minutes. The sweet rice balls can have different toppings. For one of them, I used julienned Korean dried jujubes, which I also got from the package – I actually used to call them Korean dried dates, but then I realized that they come from a totally different plant. For another one, I used chopped pistachios. Finally, for the last one, I made some sweet kidney bean paste – actually I replaced azuki beans (which I didn’t have) with kidney beans, but it turned out pretty good.

Spinach Tagliatelle with Porcini Mushrooms

I do love any kind of mushrooms, especially porcini. They a distinctive mushroomy aroma and flavor. I usually use dried ones, so every time it creates a flavorful mushroom water. This water can replace vegetable broth for risotto, pasta sauce, and even Korean dishes such as the Korean soy bean paste soup (된장찌개)! The mushroom water can also be added to boiling water for added flavor. That’s what I did for these spinach tagliatelle with porcini mushrooms.

Three-toppings Pizza

I am now convinced that I have a perfect recipe for pizza dough! Hopefully, I will post it soon This time, I had three different toppings: chanterelle mushrooms (it’s season in Finland) with tomato sauce; caramelized onion with fresh mozzarella; and cheese trio (smoked cheese, provolone, and parmesan).

Frittata

Frittata in Italian literally means fried (from the verb friggere). It is made with beaten eggs which are pan-fried together with vegetables, meats and (or) cheeses, similar to pancakes. My frittata had chopped potatoes, carrots, black sesame seeds, grated parmesan, and some milk. Frittata is very convenient, as you can cooked in many different ways, depending on what you have in your refrigerator

My first homemade Kimchi

I am not ashamed to confess that it was the first time I made Kimchi myself. When I was in Korea, my mom always made it for me, so I did not have to know. But I wanted to try myself, and even have my own Kimchi recipe! Honestly, my mom, grandmom, and many other people of the same generation in Korea don’t have detailed recipes. They use the traditional cooking style of  ”just put some more or less until it looks right” So I had to look up a few recipes and, even though it was fun, the result was not as expected… I don’t know what I did wrong, but at the end it was too salty. My mom told me that it could be related to the soaking of cabbage. I fear that it will take a long time to figure out how to make it properly!

Hummus without Tahini and Arugula with Avocado

Are you familiar with chickpeas or garbanzo beans? Recently I started using dried chickpeas instead of a canned ones. It’s quite different. Dried chickpeas have more flavor and nutritional value, even though they need to be soaked in advance (around 8 hours). This time I wanted to make hummus. So, I started looking for Tahini (the sesame paste) in the local grocery stores, but I could not find it. Well, then I just made it without Tahini! It’s very different from the original taste, but the taste of chickpeas and cumin is much more distinct and the texture is also very light.

I think I’m getting into it. I hope you also have the same feeling!

I’ve been to KuuKuu several times before, and I’ve never been disappointed so far. KuuKuu offers traditional Finnish dishes such as salmon soup and also several dishes with seasonal vegetables and local products. My favorite dishes are grilled veal liver and the fish of the day, but this time I wanted to try something new!

KuuKuu’s terrace

Summer is the best time to enjoy the terrace. I did not do, but I hope to sit there some other time.

KuuKuu’s bar

The interiors of the restaurant are very nice. The architecture design is very elegant and simple at the same time: not many items on the walls and balanced color tone ranging from black to light brown and white. The furniture itself is gorgeous! There is my favorite chair as well

Domus stacking chair

The Domus stacking chair was designed by Ilmari Tapiovaara in 1946. He was one of greatest architects as well as interior and furniture designer. When I visited KuuKuu for first time, I was impressed by this chair because it was very comfortable and fitted me very well. However, I did not know that it is a very expensive chair and designed by one the most famous Finnish designers until I saw it in the design museum in Helsinki one month ago

The menu and the table setting

Some cute characters introduce the menu, and welcome the customer to a simple table setting.

Roasted onion tart

I started with a roasted onion tart with apple pickle. The caramelized onions on top of the tart had a wonderful flavor. It was truly delicious, and matched very well the sweet and sour apple pickle. I love caramelized onions because, despite being a simple ingredient, they bring beautiful color, natural flavor, and perfect sweetness. I enjoyed them so much!

Pelmenis

Next main course was Russian dumplings, Pelmenis with harissa sour cream, red onion compote and pickles. It is very similar with Italian ravioli or Korean mandu.

Marinated hare fillet

My table-companion got marinated hare fillet with mushroom and potato ragout, and game sauce. The meat was very tender and juicy, and fresh mushrooms were a very good match.

Chef’s trio of desserts

I ended my meal with the chef’s trio of desserts: summer berries pudding, homemade chocolate ice cream, and cheese cake. I had a glass of dessert wine, but I forgot to take a picture

I am so glad that KuuKuu is open despite holidays, so that I always have a place where to go eat good food! Enjoy!

Unboxing the cat print

I could guess it was Putte not only from the shape and size of the package, but also from the sticker attached to it

The 17th among the 50 limited edition prints

It is one of 50 limited edition prints for the Kanapur school. It has very vivid colors.

A signature of Klaus Haapaniemi

The signature of the artist is at the bottom right corner.

Putte the Cat

The final result in the frame

Have a good week!

Egg drop soup with chicken stock and vegetables

This egg drop soup is easy and quick to make. I used homemade chicken stock from some leftovers. I usually buy a whole chicken instead of individual pieces, and I prefer to make the stock myself since it is tastier and more flavorful than commercial products.

Baked trout with sautéed fresh peas and sweet potatoes

I was lucky enough to find trout on sale at the local grocery store, and I decided to try a new way to cut and stuff the fish different. I usually bake the the whole fish or a fillet cut with lemon juice, onion and celery. This time, instead, I used a steak cut with dill, garlic, and sliced shallot.

Pita bread

I love Middle Eastern food – such as hummus, baklava, and pita bread – but I cannot find it around me easily in Finland, so I decided to make them myself. Here is one of the results: my third attempt of pita bread. I picked random recipes from the Internet, and now I’m developing my own recipe! I had pita with a lentil stew, a very nice combination.

White bean salad with tuna, fresh dill, red onion and Korean chili powder

This is one of the quickest dishes to prepare! I do not use many canned products in my cooking. However, sometimes laziness holds me back, so I am not really in a cooking mood Fresh dill made the lunch refreshing still.

Rack of lamb with potato, carrot, and sautéed shiitake mushrooms

Do you like lamb? If not, probably that’s because of the strong smell, isn’t it? I did not use to eat lamb but, since I’m obsessed with Italian food, I could not afford being that picky. So I tried it, now I’m getting in to it! This rack of lamb turned out pretty good. I have a feeling that it will go into my favorite recipe section

Different Korean side dishes

I usually have Korean meal at least once a week. A typical Korean meal consists of steamed rice and various side dishes or banchan (반찬). In the picture there are: steamed eggplant with soy sauce (left); seaweed (wakame) salad with cucumber (top); fresh radish salad and radish greens kimchi (right); and stir fried dried anchovies with caramelized red onion (bottom).

Peach puff pastry with pistachios

Peach is definitely a symbol of summer. It has fantastic aroma and flavor, and can also be prepared as dessert, salad, or just eaten as fruit. I baked peaches with pistachios in puff pastry.

I realized that I had more meat and fish than usual this week. So, my meal plan for the next week is to go vegetarian. Let’s see!

Buon appetito!

I grew up in Ganwon-do province in South Korea. This province has a natural environment surrounded by spectacular landscapes, and potato is a very typical crop, as in Finland. It should not surprise how many different recipes exist for potatoes. Among them, the Korean potato pancake is one of my favorites. When I was a little girl, I used to spend the whole summer and winter vacations at my grandmother’s house in GangNeung, so she usually took care of my afternoon snack! When the weather got chilly, she asked me if I wanted to have Korean potato pancakes or Gamja jeon (감자전). My answer was always yes! According to her, this food is especially good when the weather is cold, because the pancake is warm and chewy! As you know, nothing can beat grandmother’s food!

Her potato pancake is super easy. She used only potatoes and oil. Can you believe that a pancake does not need flour and eggs? But, it’s true! I would like to share my grandmother’s potato pancake! Actually the recipe below is my own, so you will need some more ingredients (even though not so many). By the way, I also need to mention the Korean potato grater! I have some pictures of it! I hope you will enjoy them.

The main ingredient: potato

Servings: 2-4     Preparation: 30 mins     Cooking: 30 mins

Ingredients

• 600 g potatoes (5-6 of medium size)
• 1/2 small onion
• 2-3 Tablespoons chopped green onion
• 1/2 green chili
• 1/2 red chili
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• vegetable or canola oil for frying

Dipping sauce

• 1 Tablespoon of soy sauce
• 1 Tablespoon of water
• 1 Tablespoon of vinegar
• a pinch of sesame seeds

Grater

I discovered that these days many Koreans even use a food processor for grating potatoes. However, it is not as good as a Korean potato grater. That’s because of texture. Let me show you how different they are!

• Korean Potato Grater
  

  Korean potato grater

  The Korean potato grater consists of a container and a flat grater on top of it. The flat grater has big holes, so whatever it is grated is rougher than with the regular cheese grater.

  

  How to use a Korean potato grater

  It might not be very convenient to hold it while grating, but the good thing is that you will not spill even one drop of nutrients. Isn’t that cool? But be careful, and do not grate your fingers! It can really hurt!

• Cheese Grater
  

  Using the cheese grater instead

  The regular cheese grater is (obviously) great for cheese or anything tender and small, such as a clove of garlic, but not for potatoes. The problem is that the holes are too tiny compared for potatoes. I make a mess every time I use it for the potato pancakes, and it even takes more time to grate them.

• Food Processor
  

  And finally the food processor

  This is the easiest and fastest way. I’m not saying that it is bad, but it is not actually grating. The result is not as good as the one with the Korean potato grater. When using the food processor,  you might add 1/2 tablespoon of water at a time, because some moisture is needed to have better result.

• The result
  Here is the result from the three different ways of grating potatoes! 
  

  Comparison of grating potatoes in three different ways

  In the top left corner there is the potato mixture obtained with the Korean grater, in the top right with the cheese grater, and on the bottom with the food processor. As you can see, they are a bit different from each other, but they will be anyway good for the pancakes. Yes, I love to experiment in my kitchen

Tips

• Color
  

  Oxidation of grated potatoes

  After peeling or grating potatoes, they will turn brown. It’s ok! Browning is due to oxidation. It can not be avoided, however it can be slowed down by moving peeled potatoes as soon as possible in a bowl with cold water. Another tip is to grate some onions before grating potatoes.

  

  Grandmother’s way: 100% potatoes

• Type of potatoes
  All kinds of potatoes are good. They might have different amount of starch, but I never have troubles. So whatever you can find around you will work.
  

  Sliced onion and julienned zucchini

• Different vegetables
  You can add any vegetable you like. Here are some options I found on the Internet: carrot, canned tuna and bacon, sliced onion and julienned zucchini as above.
• Dipping sauce
  If you do not have soy sauce, you can replace the dipping sauce with ketchup, sour cream, or mustard.
• Serving point
  Right after cooking, since it is more chewy and tasty.
• No flour
  Potato has enough starch itself however, if necessary you can add a couple of tablespoons of flour.

Eventually time to cook! :-D

Preparation

1. Peel potatoes and put them in a bowl with cold water.
2. Grate onions and peeled potatoes as well. Set aside.
3. Chop green onion, red chili, and green chili.
4. Remove the liquid the from potato mixture. Set aside the potato liquid in a small bowl for about 10 minutes (you will see the starch at the bottom).
5. Throw away the liquid except for the starch at the bottom. Put back the starch into the potato mixture and add the green onion and chilis previously chopped. Add salt.
6. Heat a pan with enough oil (not too much) over medium-high heat. Pour or scoop the potato mixture and fry it until both sides turn golden brown (the best time to turn them is when the top surface begins to form enough and becomes crispy around the edges).
7. Serve immediately with soy sauce or your favorite dipping sauce.

Korean potato pancakes

Here are my Korean potato pancakes. They can be a good snack and a great appetizer as well for everyone.

Buon appetito!