Home away from home

Wherever you are traveling, it is always the connections you make with people and the experiences you then share that are the most special. And there is nothing more special than feeling at home even though you are on the opposite side of the world. Finland had already blown my socks off and waltzed its way to the top of my list of favourite places (alongside Peru); it is truly a beautiful country inside and out and in many ways the attitude to life and openness I have found reminds me of home. Finland also has over 20 words for snow and I have come to love the soft powdery flakes floating from the sky, landing on my face and freezing my hair and eyelashes.

A friend in the UK had put a call out to his friends in Finland when he heard I was going there (thanks Andy!). So once I was finished with my tour, I was invited by Tuulia and Tuomas to come to their home in Oulu, to stay a few days with their family and visit their cabin in Iso-Syote (which is close to a ski resort) for the weekend. Of course I said YES. Sometimes, very rarely, you meet people for the first time and it is as if you have known them a long time. This was my experience when Tuulia and Tuomas collected me from the airport and instantly scooped me into their family. They are the most in tune couple I have met in quite a while, they are so clearly the best of friends, and it was a joy to be with them and their two lovely girls (Eevi and Emma). Shopping for food, picking up Emma from pre-school and meeting her teacher, relaxing and laughing, helping in the kitchen (Tuulia is a MasterChef, and she prepared incredible Finnish food), making gingerbread cookies and icing them, chilling out on the sofa watching trashy TV, drinking wine, driving up to the traditional Finnish log cabin (built by Tuulia’s family) tucked amongst the trees alongside an almost frozen lake, having sauna, playing in the snow, exploring the countryside and stopping (twice) for hot chocolate, finding animal tracks in the snow, talking about everything late into the night, more laughing, sharing meals, sitting in easy silences, and sleeping in. When it was time to say farewell, I felt the tug of wanting to stay longer overpower the excitement for my next destination. This is somewhere I will return to one day, for sure. What I will take with me (along with wonderful memories, new friends to keep in touch with, and photos), are favourite recipes for meals I have loved….

Salmon soup – Dice potatoes and carrots into cubes, place in a pot of warm fish stock and bring to the boil. When the cubes are soft, add diced fresh salmon, some cream or milk, chopped dill and season with salt/pepper to taste. If you don’t have fish stock you can use just water. This soup also freezes well. You can add a crust of rye bread for flavour, but fish it out before serving.

Salmon rye bread – Finland has a special rye bread that is square like a pita pocket, but crusty and with some bite. The crust of a rye loaf would do, maybe even ever so lightly toasted, spread liberally with butter, lay pieces of cured salmon on top and press firmly with a fork so the salmon is moulded tightly into the bread. Eat 🙂

Hot smoked salmon with potatoes – Place wood chips and sugar cubes in the bottom of your smoker and place the salmon fillet on the tray (the fillet has to be even thickness or parts of it will dry out), season with salt, cover with the lid of your smoker and place in the hot coals until it is ready. Boil peeled new potatoes in salted water and serve with butter, along with the salmon, some remoulade/mayo dressing, and salad.

Reindeer fillet – They are cute but also tasty. It is quite a different taste to venison, less gamey and more delicate. Tuulia describes it as if a lamb and a deer had a baby. She marinated the fillets with fresh sliced garlic, dried juniper berries and fresh chopped rosemary, before lightly searing and slicing the meat (it has very little fat and should be red in the middle). Served with boiled and lightly fried new potatoes and broccolini, and a brown mushroom sauce. Heaven. Perfect with a pinot noir. I’ll try this with venison when I get home.

Salted caramel sauce with berries – Brown some dark sugar until it has melted, add salt and cream and stir to incorporate. Pour over fresh raspberries and blueberries, or dunk them into the sauce with a fork.

Warm berry juice – heat it up in a kettle over the fire (or microwave) 🙂 and sip it to warm up from the inside.

Toasted marshmallows – Put them on a stick, over a flame, until brown or black. Eat and repeat 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

And check out Finnish comedian Ismo on YouTube, he is very funny, especially his clips on the English language.

Kiitos (thanks) Finland x

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