Best burgers right now: Beef Lindström beetroot burgers and Sileni Cellar Selection Pinot Noir 2014

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Herby Beef Lindström beef and beetroot patties topped with caramelized onion and mayo dressing make the best burgers right now. Especially with Sileni Cellar Selection's Pinot Noir 2014.

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A few years back I diagnozed myself with a severe case of pumpkin fever. This autumn I've fallen head over heels with beetroot. With its gloriously rich colour and taste which, once cooked (especially when roasted), takes on such gentle sweetness, it's stolen my heart (and a couple of previously white shirts, mind you...)

I would imagine we eat rather well in my kitchen. Good food made of good ingredients. But trust me, that does not mean I'm stranger to good old mince. Oh no - that's something I always have in my freezer. 

Be it organic or lamb or just a package of pork and beef I picked up on sale, it is the unsung hero of everyday cooking. It's versatility is also unparallelled: while the quintessential ingredient for homely meatballs, it can be pimped up for a Mexican fiesta (taco salad, anyone?) but just as easily it lends itself to Mediterranean mood (Greek meatballs - ooppa!) or Middle Eastern feasts (Moroccan köftes! Harira! )

And if you have a couple of hours to spare, it simmers down to a Bolognese, heaving with such deep flavours of love it easily becomes the star of any Sunday lunch.

Since meat has traditionally been the priciest of ingredients in cooking around the world, different cuisines have found ingenious hacks to make a little go further. Wrap in in pastry like tortellinis (or Shish Barak dumplings of my up and coming book!) and a quarter of a kilo is enough to feel a family of 8. 

Another way of strecthing the buck is adding mushrooms or veggies to it. My absolute favourite is this (despite of its Swedish-sounding name) recipe that apparently originated somewhere in Russia, where they add cooked and grated beets into the meat. 

I cannot tell you how in love with different variations of Beef Lindström I am. But I can tell you it's pretty much what I've been having every day for the past two weeks. 

My latest love are these burgers, where the herby beef and beetroot patties are topped with mayo dressing that gets its colour and incredible depth of flavour from caramelized onions. In addition to rosemary thyme and dill are some of the herbs that love the company of beets.

For home-made brioche burger buns see my recipe here. For marinated red onion, just see here. Oh, and polenta fries? Right over here!

Lindström's burgers:

6 -8 brioche buns (gluten-free if needed)

6-8 herby Beef Lindström patties (recipe below)

caramelized onion and mayo dressing (recipe below)

marinated red onion

kale, ripped off the hard stem

6-8 rashers of bacon (optional)

1 gherkin, sliced lengthwise or cornichons

Beef Lindström with rosemary:

depending on the size 6-8 patties

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 large beets, cooked, peeled and grated (á 150 g)

400 g mince (ground beef or lamb)

2,5 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary (or thyme) 

2,5 tbsp finely chopped gherkins/ cornichons (or capers)

1 egg

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

for frying: butter and/or oil

Sauté the onion in oil or butter over medium heat until translucent. Let cool to room temperature and combine with rest of the ingredients. 

Work into a smooth mixture, cover and leave to rest in the fridge for half an hour. In the meanwhile caramelize the onions for the dressing (which can be made already the day before)

Form the beef mixture into 6-8 evenly sized thick patties. Fry in a pan for about 6 minutes per side. 

Caramelized onion and mayonnaise dressing:

2 small onions (or 1 large one), thinly sliced

1 tsp mustard

3 tbsp fresh thyme, finely chopped

2 dl good mayonnaise

(salt, black pepper)

for frying: a couple of tbsp butter

Caramelize onions in a pan or coated pot, stirring every now and then, until they are golden brown and start to crisp. Let come to room temperature and measure into a food processor. Blizz until smooth, check the taste and season asif needed. 

Assemble the burgers. 

Roast the bacon in the oven at 200 on a parchment-lined tray until crips. Drain on kitchen towels and cut in half.

Soften the kale, covered, on a hot pan in a little bit of water for a couple of minutes. 

Half the brioche buns and toast them.

Spread a little dressing on the bun, followed by kale and marinated red onions. Top with the beef and beetroot patty, generous dollop of the dressing, bacon and cornichons. Place the top half of the bun on top of it all and feast.

And a burger this tasty deserved a beverage of same calibre. Once again I found the perfect match from New Zealand Pinot Noirs.

Sileni Cellar Selection Pinot Noir 2014 from Hawke's Bay region on the East Coast of New Zealand is a newcomer in my wine arsenal but a firm favourite already - showcasing so many of the qualities that make New World Pinot Noir (especially ones from NZ) such sweethearts of mine. 

It's medium-bodied, blessed with soft berriness such as cherry and raspberry. It's also got hints of violet which, together with the gentle oakiness, pair well with the sweetness of the beets and the robust choice of herbs.

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SHARING IS CARING!

Fried chicken and bubbly - celebration of life, love and liberty

Crunchy on the outside, so juicy on the inside... Fried chicken with crispy corn flakes coating is everyone's favourite and nobility of comfort foods.

The past weekend was a dark one; not just for France but for everyone who believes in freedom. News from Paris on that somber Friday evening filled me with sadness, disbelief, frustration, anger and disappointment. Yes, mixed with a little bit of fear. But that's just what they wanted: for the rest of us to stop doing what we love and being who we are, simply out of fear. 

In the midst of that emotional hurricane I could only seek solace in joy, hope and love and so we decided not to skip Sunday lunch. I filled the table with people I love and food made with love and for a little moment world seemed like a safe place again.

Six servings

Crispy corn flakes- coated fried chicken:

800 g (6 pcs) chicken thighs (bone-in)

marinade:

1 l buttermilk

1,5 tbsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

1 tbsp dried thyme

1 tbsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp pimentón (smoked paprika - can be substituted with regular paprika) 

1/2 tsp granulated garlic

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp mustard powder (or mustard)

1/4 tsp cayenne

for coating:

flour (gluten-free if needed), salt, pepper

the marinade

200 g corn flakes, crushed

for frying: 1 l oil

Pat the chicken pieces dry. Combine the ingredients for the marinade and pour over the chicken thighs. Cover and leave to marinate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.

Drain the chicken, reserving the marinade. Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper, toss in flour, drench in buttermilk mixture and coat with corn flakes. 

Heat oil in a heavy-based pot. Deep-fry chicken thighs in batches, turning halfway through until coating is golden brown and the chicken is done (about 15 minutes). Keep monitoring the oil temperature to make sure you won't burn the chicken. 

Drain on kitchen towels and serve. For instance with healthier, clear coleslaw and ketchunnaise, tomato-mayonnaise with hint of paprika. Both were inspired by the lunch at Just Vege.

Tartar sauce would be another good option, for recipe see here.

Lighter, brighter coleslaw:

1 small cabbage (450 g)

3 largeish carrots (total weight 350 g)

1 large bunch of dill, finely chopped, stalks and all

dressing:

1/4 dl oil

4 tbsp apple vinegar (or white vinegar)

the juice and finely grated zest of 1/2 lemon

2 tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp white pepper

Peel the outer leaves of the cabbage, cut in half and remove the hard core. You'll be left with about 350 g of cabbage. Peel and grate/ cut the carrot into strips. Combine with dill.

Whisk the dressing together until the sugar has dissolved. Pour into the salad, cover and let sit in the fridge for at least an hour before serving. Check the taste and season as needed; with salt, pepper or more lemon. 

Ketchunnaise:

1 dl mayonnaise

1 dl ketchup

1/4 tsp pimentòn

salt, pepper

(pinch of chilli)

Combine the ingredients, check the taste and serve.

Sure, you could go for Coca Cola or any old beer...but in case wine is what you're after, Riesling from Mosel (such as this Blitz you've already been introduced to) would, in its not so sweet acidity be a good pairing, too. 

We decided to take it up a notch ad celebrate life and coming together by cracking open a bottle of bubbly. Champagne or sparkling wine (especially those with a bit of toastiness) are a surprisingly good match - its crispness evens out the fattiness of anything deep-fried. No, I'm not making this up: there's actually a restaurant in New York devoted to the unlikely marriage between these two!

Jaume Serra Brut is another trusty friend that's been featured on the blog before. In addition the gentle toastiness it's got citrusy freshness and fruitiness and none of that stale yeastiness that (all too) often accompanies cheap fizz. It's got body that makes it easy to pair with variety of dishes, too: for instance with this recipe it compliments the freshness of the coleslaw and balances the fattiness of the chicken.

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Warm kale salad with roasted sweet potato, red onion and pomegranate seeds - autumn colours on a plate

This meat-free October has somewhat inevitably broadened my horizons and started to change my approach to veggies. And salads. I'm slowly starting to realize that they. Can. Actually. Taste.Good (yes, I just wrote that.) As long as you steer clear of the cucumber, tomato and sad, soggy salad leaves.

Now that the autumn is in full force, salads can be warm, too, like this recent discovery. It gets its body from roasted veggies, warmth from the spices and lovely texture from pomegranate seeds. I mean - just look at those colours! You only need about handful of ingredients, but once you put them together... good. So god, you too might find yourself whipping up another batch right after finishing the first one. 

You can serve it warm or at room temperature. Another thing that makes this a great addition to buffets is the fact this is suitable for all possible dietary restrictions. 

Instead of sweet potato you could also use pumpkin or carrots (in which case be prepared for a longer roasting time)

Serves four

Warm kale salad with roasted sweet potato, red onion and pomegranate seeds

2 largeish sweet potatos (total weight about 1 kg)

4 red onions

0.5 dl oil

3/4 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp allspice

1,5 tsp ground coriander seeds

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

salt, black pepper

125 g bag of kale, core removed and leaves shredded

4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced

oil for frying

to serve:

the seeds of a pomegranate

bunch of coriander

The dressing:

4 tbsp oil

1,5 tbsp pomegranate molasses (can be substituted with Balsamico syrup)
1 tbsp honey
the juice of a lime

Peel and chop the sweet potatos into a 2 cm chnks. Cut the onions in 8 segments. Heat the oil in a pan and then add to spices. Pour the oil over the veggies, toss to make sure they're all covered and roast at 200 for 15-20 minutes until done.

Heat a couple of tbsp oil in a pan, add garlic and a little while later kale. Cook, covered, for about 5 minutes until done to your liking.

Place the kale on serving plate, top with roasted veggies and sprinkle with coriander leaves and pomegranate seeds. Combine the ingredients for the dressing and pour over the salad. 

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Korean coleslaw

Korean kitchen just goes above my understanding. How can fermentation on one hand produce something as noble as wine, yet also result in something as incomprehensible as kimchi? I just don't get it. This, however, is logic in a way even I can follow. Summer + BBQ season + new harvest carrots and cabbage... doesn't take Einstein to figure out that can only mean one thing: coleslaw. Much like  last year's take on this summer classic, this year's version takes its inspiration from Asia and from the Korean miracle condiment that has found home even in my fridge: gochujang paste.

These days that earthy chilli-based paste (result of fermentation, this too) can be found in regular supermarkets, so shop away! In case you have issues with gluten, steer clear though. If you want a lighter version, substitute half of the mayo with Greek yogurt.

As a side this is enough for 3, in burgers or hot dogs for 6

Korean coleslaw:

1 small new harvest cabbage (about 500 g head)

3 carrots

2 tsp rice vinegar (can be substituted with white vinegar)

2 tsp sugar

3 spring onions
bunch coriander

1/2 dl sesame seeds

Gochujang- mayo dressing:

2 dl mayo

1-2 tbsp Gochujang paste (to taste)

1/2 lime, juiced

1/4 tl sesame oil

1/4 tsp granulated garlic
salt, pepper (to taste)

Cut the cabbage in half, remove the hard core and outer leaves and shred finely. Peel and shred the carrots. Combine rice vinegar with sugar and add to the veggies. Let them soften a bit while you prepare the dressing.

Combine the ingredients for the dressing, check the taste and season with salt and pepper (add a touch of sugar if needed!). Stir into the salad and finally fold in chopped spring onion, coriander and sesame seeds. 

Serve. For instance with this Filippino pork belly...?

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Just as I like it: Okonomiyaki and Bellingham the Bernard Series Old Vine Chenin Blanc

A cold I thought was the result of overly vigilant airplane airconditioning took a turn for worse and I ended  up with the worst bronchitis since, well, the last time. But nothing so bad that something good wouldn't come out of it, too: for once I just did... nothing. 

The blog's been quieter than a Russian human rights organization and based on my Instagram feed you'd think I'm dead,  if not worse. After a couple of weeks into my social media-free coma The Boy Next Door pointed how I should actually be ill more often (?) Apparently it turns me into a more mellow and lovable (yes, he did!) person. 

I'm finally officially on the mend and have even tempted myself to venture into the kitchen. It is strange how quickly I lost interest in cooking and so, for too long now, we've existed on pizza from the place next door. And when I say too long, I really mean it: we're probably on their Christmas card mailing list by now...

A couple of days ago I got my monthly delivery of organic eggs (I know - I can't believe it either...) and so I was officially out of excuses not to make okonomiyaki. I first got to know this Japanese street food classic through a friend of mine who used to live in Japan, but it was our recent trip to London where I really fell for it. 

Roughly translated okonomiyaki means "as you like it" which kind of communicates its nature as the sort of dumping ground for anything you might have lurking in the fridge, you know, just as you like it! I used pork belly, but you could use prawns or squid, too. 

In some recipes cabbage and spring onion are mixed into the batter, others (like mine) top the first layer of pancake mixture with the toppings and cover it all with another layer of batter. But hey, your call - just as you like it!

The final product is drizzled with okonomi sauce and mayo (or a half-and-half mixture of them). But in case your hunger for food is bigger than your hunger for authenticity, you could just as well use BBQ sauce, oyster sauce or Hoisin sauce - you know (no prizes for guessing what I'm about to say now) just as you like it!

Bonito shavings are available at Japanese shops, as is dashi (Japanese fish stock) powder, too. In case you don't happen to have either on hand, just use water instead and substitute bonito flakes with roasted and crumbled nori seaweed (for instructions, please see here)

Serves 2 (making either 2 smaller ones or 1 large one) 

Okonomiyaki

Batter:

2 eggs

2,5 dl dashi fish stock (or water)

4 dl all-purpose flour (use gluten-free if needed)

1 tsp salt (or nori salt, instructions here)

2 tsp ground bonito flakes

a couple of tbsp canola oil for frying

topping:

250 g cabbage, finely shredded

2 spring onions, chopped

100 g pork belly, in fine slices 

To serve:

spring onions

50 g pork belly, pan-roasted until crunchy

(wasabi)mayo

okonomi sauce

Okonomi sauce:

1,5 dl ketchup
1 dl Worchester sauce
1 dl sake
1 dl mirin
3 cm piece ginger, finely grated
2 cloves garlic
2 tbsp sugar

Measure the ingredients into a small pot and cook over gentle heat until the sauce thickens. 

Chop the pork belly needed for serving into thin strips and place on a cold frying pan. Turn on the heat(medium) and roast until crisp. Lift out and drain on kitchen towel. 

Combine the ingredients for the batter. Pre-heat a frying pan over medium heat and pour 1/4 of the batter (in case you're making 2 okonomiyakis) or 1/2 of the batter (in case making just one) onto the pan and spread out. Sprinkle bonito powder on it, top with cabbage and spring onions (leave some for serving) and pay the pork belly on top of them. Using a spatula squash them down a bit and cover with another layer of batter. Once the mixture has set, flip it over and fry on the other side as well.

Drizzle with okonomi sauce, mayo and scatter the crisp pork belly and remaining spring onion on top of okonomiyaki and serve.

In a somewhat unorthodox manner I used mayo spiked with wasabi. Damn I like it. It's not too pungeant, the wasabi just adds a nice kick that cuts through the richness of the mayo. Great for burgers, as a a salad dressing or as a dip!

And where there's a recipe, there's a wine pairing!

A great match for this recipe is this Chenin Blanc from Bellingham's The Bernard Series, from which I've already introduced you to Grenache Blanc-Viognier blend.

The wine is dry with bright acidity, yet with ripe fruitiness which makes this a great pairing for Asian dishes, even Japanese, which is often very subtle and not very spicy.

This would go great with smoked fish or grilled salmon, too. 12 months in French oak lends the wine toasty spiciness and adds to the complexity, so it would also nicely balance creamy, rich dishes, too. A very, very nice wine, indeed!

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Coleslaw with red cabbage and fennel

You think our life is all Foie Gras and Champagne? Oooh nooo. I never say no to a good sausage. But that's the key: it really needs to be The Good Stuff. I've yet to master the art of making my own, but that I can live with - especially since my butcher at Hakaniemi Market does it so well.

Last weekend was supposed to be hot and sunny. The reality was a lot rainier and grayer. We did empty the counter at my butcher and whaddayaknow - Sunday wasn't anywhere near as wet and gray! Time to fire up the Quattro BBQ!

As a supporting act for the true stars of our sausage fest: herby lamb sausage, Italian-style pork salsiccias and smoky porter the butcher talked us into, I made red cabbage salad. It's one of my all-time favourites at the Israeli dinner tables, loaded with different types of fresh salads. This time, to compliment the spicy sausages I gave mine a little heat from fennel, allspice and pomegranate molasses.

Yiddishe Mama showed up for lunch and for her I made gefilte fish sausages which were even better than the fish kebabs. More on those babeles later!

For dairy-free meal, just skip the yogurt and use only mayo. For a lighter life make the dressing out of Greek yogurt alone. Dried cranberries can be substituted with raisins.

As a side dish this is enough for about 8

1 small red cabbage
1 red onion
1 bulb of fennel
3 tsp red wine vinegar
3 tsp (brown) sugar
2 tsp salt
2 tsp black pepper

Dressing:

3/4- 1 dl good mayo
3/4 - 1 dl Greek yogurt
1 generous tbsp fennel seeds, toasted and crushed
1 tbsp allspice
3 tsp pomegranate molasses (can be found at ethnic shops specialized in Middle Eastern goods, but can also be substituted with balsamico syrup)
1,5 dl soft dried cranberries

Cut the cabbage in half, remove the hard core and outer, leathery leaves. Slice finely. Do the same to the fennel. Also finely slice the onion. Mix red wine vinegar with sugar and pour in. Let them mingle and macerate while you make the dressing, turning occasionally.

Toast fennel seeds on a dry pan and crush. (I finally managed to add a proper pestle and mortar into my collection of how to look like Jamie Oliver and appear you actually know what you're doing- props and man, I'm loving it!) Combine with rest of the ingredients to a smooth dressing and fold into the salad.

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Coleslaw with Asian twist

Thanks to the couple of sublimely sunny and summery days we've gotten to enjoy, we, too, got to kick off the BBQ season. What we kicked it off with? That you'll just have wo wait until the next post! Here's a teaser though.

As far as side dishes for grilled, well, anything, goes, one is head above the rest: coleslaw. But this time coleslaw, that American take on salad with its shredded cabbage and carrots drenched in mayonnaise, got an Asian twist. Instead of the usual mayonnaise dressing I made some of that mango, chilli and ginger dressing I devised for those duck confit burgers and later turned into that crayfish paste too. I'm warning you - I've fallen for this dressing so hard that by the end of the summer you too will have totally overdosed on it...!

You can replace half of the mayo with either Greek yogurt or low-fat crème fraîche for a lot lighter version of the original. In addition to crisp veggies, this version gets extra crunch from toasted cashews. The result is a wonderfully sunny, fruity salad that has just the right amount of spicy heat to it. Works wonders with pork, chicken, beef and hot dogs. Try it as a side dish, on sandwiches, in burgers, inside pita or as a filling in wraps.

Serves 4-6

about 800 g chunk of cabbage (about 750 g when shredded)

3 large carrots

1 bunch of spring onions

2 tsp white wine vinegar

2 tsp sugar

1,5 -2 dl mango, chilli and ginger mayonnaise - depending on how rich you like yours (recipe here!)

handful of toasted cashew nuts

bunch of coriander (what ever gets left from making the dressing)

Remove the hard core from the cabbage along with the leathery outer leaves and shred finely. Peel carrots and shred/ grate. Cut the spring onions to about 10 cm pieces and cut them lengthwise into strips. Combine vinegar and sugar and mix with the veg. Occasionally stirring, let them get ready while you prepare the dressing.

Fold the dressing into the salad, toss in rest of the coriander leaves and scatter the cashews (dry roasted on a hot pan and cooled) on top of the salad.

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Marc Aulén's Soups

Soups are held in such high esteem that at one point an entire day was dedicated to them each week in this blog: Soup Sunday.

They are incredibly versatile: some are quick and easy, some get their soul from slow roasting. They can be light or rich enough to feed an army. The world is your oyster when looking for an inspiration for travels on a plate: from Asian laksa to Morrocan serrouda. Chilled soups such as gazpacho, salmorejo and ajo blanco keep you cool in the sweltering heat, while roasted tomato soup with basil oil, chicken and corn soup, taco soup, cabbage soup and borsch warm you up when the temperatures drop. Some, such as vichyssoise can be served both hot or cold. They make an excellent dumping ground for leftovers as minestrone and Italian wedding soup prove. They are also a great way to smuggle more veggies into the diet of the most committed bacon-lover - one of my all time favourites is the minty pea soup.

So, Marc Aulén's restaurant Soppakeittiö (that's Soup Kitchen in Finnish) that serves soup and only soup has, over the years, become a familiar haunt. And yes, I, too, always go for the bouillabaisse, celebrated as the best in the country. These days he also operates a restaurant called Qulma in the beautiful, nautical neighbourhood of Kruunuhaka - the venue for our next Saturday's brunch. He has also found time to collect his soups into a book which I received as a welcomed present form its publisher. My review of the book (in Finnish) can be found here.

The recipes in this book will be revisited a lot - that I can tell. The book also features the recipe for that legendary French fishermen's classic, but I chose to put the author's personal favourite to test. Ladies and Gentlemen: Sikamakeekaali. Which roughly translates as Übercoolcabbage. You get the drift, I think. And with it, his special relish called Nordic dynamite which he recommends for... well, absolutely everything.

Our endeavour begun with The Boy Next Door sent to fetch a pot big enough for this. The recipe fails to mention how many people it serves, so be prepared. With a big pot. And I mean BIG - this feeds at least 10 people. Easily.

The cabbage soup:

appr. 1 kg pork shoulder or another, meaty bit still on the bone
300 g sliced onions
900 g shredded red cabbage
rape seed oil for sautéing
3 tbsp finger salt
3 tbsp balsamico
3 litres cloudy and preferably acidic apple juice

Fry the pork in a pan so it gets a nice colour. Add salt and some black pepper. Place in that massive pot of yours. Fry the onions until golden and dump into the pot too. The sauté cabbage and add into the pot along with rest of the ingredients. Bring to boil  and let simmer for about 2 hours - at this point the meat should be falling off the bone. Remove from the broth with a slotted spoon and shred the meat to chunks of desired size. Return to the pot and serve. Beer is the recommended accompaniment.

Nordic Dynamite:

3 tbsp lemon juice
0,7 litres cloudy, preferably acidic apple juice
2 dl raisins
2 dl lingonberries or cranberries
1 tsp crushed ginger
10 habanero chillis, stalks removed and halved
10 cubes brown sugar

Measure the ingredients into a pot, boil for 20-25 minutes and blizz into a purée. Keeps well in the fridge.

And the verdict? Interesting. The kind of comforting concoction that warms your body and soul and combines many great things:it's easy to make, makes most of the cheaper cuts and only requires a handful of ingredients. And that Nordic Dynamite compliments it beautifully adding depth and heat to it. It's also suitable for those avoiding carbs and it's gluten-free. And if only vegetarians ate meat, this would work for them as well. Like many soups, this only gets better in the following days after the meat really soaks the flavour from the broth. I highly recommend - both the book and the soup!

The Boy Next Door, specialized in spontaneous comments that defy the limits of context (and often, understanding) that tend to raise eyebrows and evoke some serious eye-rolling where ever he goes, started waxing lyrical.

"Winter. This tastes of winter. Tall chimneys pushing smoke into the frozen sky. And workmen, climbing on ladders." A quick search on my mental Google translator revealed this to be a good thing. Though the fact that by now he was already onto his fourth plate sort of hinted in that direction, too.

Nordic Dynamite was received with equal enthusiasm. "Well, it is a fact that the soup carries some deep, dark and leathery tones. You know, base-like. To which this relish lends an entirely new layer of high notes." (Understand that eye-rolling now...?)

*The book was received for free through blog for reviewing purposes*

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