Hasselback potatos - one of the best things you can make out of potatos (vegan. gluten-free, kosher)

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Hasselback potatos is a Swedish classic and one of the best side dishes in the world! 

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Many interns probably don't have terribly great experiences of internships. Sure, being forced to tolerate humiliation and getting treated like a second class monkey is awfully efficient method of character building, but at least in my experience rarely leads to actual employment. And why would it - who'd want to actually pay you for something they can always get someone to do it for free by labeling it as "world experience"?

My experiences range from weird to good. I've been answering phones and making coffee (just guess if university degree was actually required for even those jobs?) but then I've also managed to amass experiences such as Finnish Embassy in Tunisia. 

I was fortunate/ unfortunate (much like beauty, this one's in the eye of the beholder) to move into the country mere days after their revolution, which went on to ignite the Arab Spring the aftermatch of which still conties today; six years on. The unique timing mean I really got my hands dirty, for reporting back to Ministry of Foreign Affairs from the refugee camps on Libyan border to photographing demonstrators being shot to death at my door step.

Ah. Interns, those unsung heros. It's not often they get to leave their mark in history, but sometimes it does happen. Such was the case of Hotel Hasselbacken's restaurant and Leif Elisson, a cook student from Värmland working there in 1953.

Leif got an idea to elevate the humble potato to a whole new level. The result was instant classic (named after the hotel of course and not him...) : Hasselback's potato. Just imagine if they'd had Instagram back then - that Eureka moment would have totally gone viral and within the next 48 hours we'd have all been emptying the potato sehelves in supermarkets across the world!

60 years on Hasselbacken's hotel and restaurant still stand next to Djurgården; still serving this dish on their menu. Go, Leif!

As a side dish for 4-6 people

Hasselback potatos:

6 largeish baking potatos

6 tbsp butter( margarine/ oil

4 cloves garlic, peeled and bruised with the back of the knife
3 sprigs rosemary

salt, white pepper

2 tbsp bread crumbs (gluten-free if needed)

Measure butter, garlic and rosemary into a small pot. Melt over high heat until the butter stops foaming. Remove from heat and let the flavours infuse the butter while you prepare the potatos. Pre-heat oven to 225°c (in a convection oven 200° should do). 

Peel the potatos and pat dry (if you're using thin-skinned potatos, you can also use them as they are).

Using a sharp knife, cut incisions into the potatos a couple of mm apart form each other, being careful not to slice the potatos all the way to the bottom. The easiest way to do this is to cut the potato while resting it on a wooden spoon as this will prevent the knife from accidentally cutting all the way through.

Place the potatos into a buttered/ greased oven proof dish. Brush them generously with half of the butter and season (equaly generously) with salt and pepper. Bake at 225 for 25 minutes. 

After 25 minutes brush the potatos with the remaining butter (and the butter on the bottom of the dish) and scatter bread crumbs on top of the potatos. If you want, you could also insert rosemary leaves into the incisions, which will have started to open up by now. Continue cooking for another 25-35 minutes (depending on the size) until potatos are cooked and soft all the way through.

Serve. For instance with steak or fish.  

You can also let your imagination run wild with these babies (Iäm sure Leif would approve).

You could subsitute some or all of the bread crumbs with Parmesan. Or you could add crunchy bacon bits into it (can I get an Amen?). When serving these with fish, you could combine bread crubs with chilli flakes and/ or finely grated lemon zest. 

Familiar with Hasselback's potatos yet? How would you pimp yours?

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Patatnik - Bulgarian potato and mint omelette

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Patatnik, Bulgarian potato omelette gets its interesting flavour from... mint!

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If the scenery of the Bulgarian Rhodope mountains surprised with their Swiss look, so, too, does the most classic dish of the region: patatnik. This potato omelette is very much like its Swiss cousin rösti, though it's even closer to one of the most beloved Spanish tapas: tortilla Española!

Each mehana, a local beer house serving traditional food, has their own recipe for this staple. Some might contain other veggies, too (especially peppers), many include Bulgarian feta cheese - their pride and joy -  in theirs. One thing that they all have in common, though, is the use of mint; a peculiar herb that is surprisingly widely used over here.

Potato was only brought to Europe in the 16th century by the Spanish concquistadors and it didn't find its way to Rhodope region until mid 19th century. In many European countries the new arrival was met with suspicion and for a long time it wasn't even deemed fit for human consumption. Rhodopeans didn't exactly welcome potato with open arms, either: the village elders condemned it as "the Devil's apple". 

Slowly this humble veggie managed to prove its resilience in the harsh conditions and won over even this stubborn nation. And then everybody lived happily ever after!

Patatnik - Bulgarian potato and mint omelette:

10 largeish potatos (total weight about 1,4 g)

2 largeish onions (or 3 small ones)
4 eggs

4 tbsp fresh mint (or 2 tbsp dried)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

for frying: butter

also: butter, bread crumbs (optional, gluten-free if needed)

Pre-heat oven to 220°c (in fan oven 200°c will do).

Peel and grate the potatos over a tea towel. Bring the corners together to form a bundle and squeeze out the excess liquid from the potatos. 

Peel and finely slice the onion. Sauté them in a pan in a knob of butter over medium heat until soft and translucent (this is optional though - if you want a short cut, you can add the onions to the potatos raw as well).

Beat the eggs lightly and season with salt and pepper.  Fold potatos and onions into the mix along wth finely chopped mint. 

Grease the pan you're using with a little butter and dust with bread crumbs or line the dish with a baking sheet. Pour in the omelette mixture and press until even and smooth. 

Top with a couple of knobs of butter and, should you want the top extra crunchy, a little bread crumbs.

Bake for 45 minutes. In case the patatnik starts to get too much colour, cover it with a piece of foil or a lid.

Cut into pieces and serve.

Serve it as is or for instance with another favourite discovery I made in Bulgaria: Elena ham! This dry-cured leg of local pork comes from the Northern part of the country and is very much like Jamón Serrano.

Any of you been to Bulgaria? Which dishes made an impression on you?

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So good it makes you cry: secrets of perfect mashed potatos (gluten-free, kosher)

Secrets to my perfect mashed potatos? Browned butter and caramelized onions. The result will have you in tears.

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Out of all the comfort foods I can't think of anything more comforting than mashed potatos. But sure enough, there are mashes and there are mashes. A couple of tricks will make even those just-add-water-instant-mash-powders edible, but let's face it: the best one is always made from scratch.

You'll find my love letter to my Dad's mash on the blog over here. It has made an impression on all the diners I've brought home over the years, though sometimes with some reservations: "Just look at that colour! Exactly how much butter's in that?!". Just enough, I say.

My Nan's mash on the other had was nothing short of a culture shock. It's texture couldn't have been further away from the kind of dreamy, silky cloud you just want to dive and frolick in. See, she put onion in hers. And trust me, not the kind that'd been finely minced to oblivion. I doubt it was even sautéed first. Sure, onion does lend the mash some flavour. And funky texture, too - if testing your gag reflex is what you're after.

Over the years my mash has evolved into this. It pays homage to both of my Dad's and Nan's mashes, but with my own twists. There's butter alright, nutmine is browned. There are quite a bit onions too...only caramelized and puréed. And the result... oh, yes. Usually it disappears from the table just like that.No mains needed. 

Secrets to perfect mashed potatos are simple. Right potato variety (the floury one), steaming potatos dry after boiling them and using potato ricer - a contraption that looks like a huge garlic press. Oh, and browned butter, hot milk and caramelized onion. 

Not everyone's the kind of pathetic cry baby such as I am (even 6 Nations rugby tournament's ads reduce me to tears...) but this is a mash that will have you in tears twice: first when you're slicing the onions and then when you tuck in the mash.

The perfect mashed potatos with browned butter and caramelized onions:

1 kg (floury) potatos

3 smallish onions, peeled and finely sliced

1,5 tbsp fresh thyme, finely chopped

1 tsp mustard

2 tl salt

1/2 tsp white pepper

150 g butter

1,5-2 dl milk (full fat), heated

Peel the potatos and, dpending on the size, cut into 4-6 pieces. Steam or boil in salted water until done. In the meanwhile caramelize the onion in a pan over medium heat in a couple of tbsp of butter. 

Once the potatos are done, drain them and steam dry. Purée onion in a blender with thyme and mustard until smooth. Add a couple of tbsp milk to ease the process if needed.

Brown butter in a pan (or a coated pot) over medium high heat until it stops to bubble and the aroma becomes nutty and toasty.

Crush the potatos through a ricer. Combine with rest of the ingredients and beat until smooth. Check the taste and add more salt and/or pepper if needed. 

Oh, and what to have with this? Well, how about

Moose meatballs with rosemary in cranberry sauce 

Traditional Swedish meatballs

Bangers & Mash - British comfort food at its best

Pork, pepper and paprika stew

Slow cooked soy Bolognese

Soy and beetroot Stroganoff

Or, my latest confort food love: Lindström's meatballs! 

PS. What are your comfort food favourites? And where do you stand on mash: with or without onions?

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Time to fire up the BBQ: rib eye steak, chimichurri, deep fried onion blossoms and Fuzion Organic Malbec

Summer and BBQ. You just can't beat that! My not so secret weapons for making the most of it? Big, juicy rib eye steak, chimichurri and gloriously crunchy deep-fried onion blossoms. 

Another dressing worth trying would be Romesco. And hey - how about a little surf and turf with this mango, chili and crayfish dressing?

In case cutting your onions into blossoms is just too Hyacinth Bucket for you, just cut the onions into 1 cm thick slices and folow the steps down below. Trust me - you're not going to want to miss out on these babies!

Serves 2

rib eye steaks:

2 rib eye steaks

a little bit of oil

salt, pepper

Take the meat into room temperature a couple of hours in advance. Pat the steaks dry, brush with a little bit of oil and grill for 3 minutes on each side. Season with salt and pepper, wrap in tin foil and leave to rest for 15 minutes. 

In case you use a pan instead, heat it up, add a couple of tbsp of oil and a similar knob of butter. Cook the steaks in the mixture, basting them ever now and them . Wrap in foil and leave to rest. 

In the meanwhile prep the sides. 

Chimichurri:

6 handfuls of parsley (roughly 60 grams or two large bunches)

3 tbsp fresh oregano (or 1,5 tbsp dried)

3 cloves of garlic

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp cilli flakes

3 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp orange juice

1,25 dl oil

(1 tsp sugar)

Measure the ingredients into a food processor and blizz until smooth. Check the taste and adjust with salt, pepper and/or sugar if needed.

Deep fried onion blossoms:

4 small onions or 2 larger ones

2 dl al purpose flour

1 tbsp salt 

1 tbsp black pepper

1/2 tbsp ground coriander

1 tbsp fresh thyme (or 1/2 tbsp dried)

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

2 eggs

bread crumbs (or Panko for extra crispness)

Oil for frying

Cut off about 1,5 cm piece off the top of the onion (not the hairy stem). Peel the onions and place them on a achopping board cut side down. Starting about 1 cm from the stem, cut the onion all the way through to the middle on all for sides, then repeating it 2-3 times in each quarter (depends on the size of the onions). Turn it around and gently separate the "petals" from each other.

Combine the dry ingredients in a deep bowl. Toss the onions in it, one at a time and the dip into the egg (spooning some of the mixture inside the petals if needed). The  coat them in bread crumbs (again making sure you get some inside the petals, too). Shake off the excess and deep fry until golden and crunchy. Drain on kitchen towels and serve.

Aptly enough for the Souther American vibe (oh, bit, are they onto something with their meat feasts...!), the wine pairing comes from South America, too. Fuzion Organic Malbec is cheao and cheerful organic Argentinian  - exactly what casual , fun get togethers call for. 

It's medium bodied with soft berry notes and juiciness that make it a easy pairing for a variety of BBQ treats. The jamminess pairs well with spicier dishes, too!

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Moroccan carrot salad - quick and easy, vegan and gluten-free meze treat

As the Instagram updates from my Israeli adventure showed, Israelis eat a lot of salads. A lot. Even at breakfast. Without a doubt that might have something to do with the fact just about everyone looks like a supermodel there... As they can be prepared in advance, they also make ideal Shabbat dishes - cooking and any kind of other work is prohibited and it's the time to relax, enjoy time with your loved ones... and eat, of course. 

And what do you know - after my first trip to the shops once back home I was shocked to discover my shopping consisted of nothing but veggies. Israel even managed to make me fall in love with cauliflower, something I've always hated. Old dogs, new tricks. Damn.

Israeli culinary heritage showcases both the traditions of the former rulers of the region and the specialties brought over by its ethnically diverse nation. Much like Turkish salad, Moroccan carrot salad is one of Israeli meze staples. 

As part of a meze spread this serves 3-4

Moroccan citrusy carrot salad:

3 large carrots, diagonally sliced into 1/2 cm thick coins

Dressing:

2 largeish cloves of garlic, finely minced

the juice of a lemon

1/4 dl oil

1/2 tsp harissa paste

1/2 tsp sugar

2,5 tbsp finely chopped fresh herbs (I used 1 tbsp parsley, 1 tbsp coriander and 1/2 tbsp mint)

salt, pepper

Steam or boil the carrots in a little bit of water until still with a bit of bite to them.

Combine the ingredients for the dressing and fold into the warm carrots. Let cool, check the taste, season as  needed and serve.

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Orangey carrot and tarragon risotto... with a side of obsessive food blogging

Food blogging is a noble profession. But every bit as insane, too. A stack of boards and old doors for staging those photos? A separate arsenal of crockery just for the photos? Never eating food while its still hot? Check, check, check. 

The last minutes before my ongoing trip took the obsession to a whole new level, again. Bag was packed, batteries charged, tickets and passport copies printed and scanned... even my ride to the airport was on its way. But no - I couldn't face the prospect of leaving food in my fridge to rot over the coming weeks. Or the prospect of not having anything happening on the blog while I was away. Dedication? You bet. Alarming? Perhaps that, too.

PS. I used orange-flavoured cream cheese, but if that's not available, just add a couple of tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice and about 1/2 tsp of finely grated orange zest into a regular cream cheese.

A generous portion for one, as a side dish for 2-3

Orangey carrot and tarragon risotto:

250 g carrot, diced into 1 cm cubes

1 shallot

a couple of tbsp butter

3/4 dl good risotto rice

1/2 dl white wine

3 5- dl chicken or vegetable stock

handful of fresh tarragon leaves, finely chopped (reserve some for serving)

50 gr (orange) flavoured cream cheese
some chilli flakes

(parmesan if you wish, as much as you wish)

Peel and dice the carrots. Steam or boil until done (if boiling, reserve the cooking liquid and dissolve the stock cube into that one).

Once the carrots are done, purée half of it and reserve the rest for serving. Start on the risotto.

Finely chop the onion, sauté in some butter and then add rice. Let that too sweat a bit and get sort of translucent and then start adding the stock - a ladleful at a time. Keep the stock hot in another pan and don't add more until the previous batch has been absorbed. When the rice is almost cooked to creamy perfection (try not to stir too much at any point) stir in the tarragon leaves, a little while later cream cheese, carrot puree, carrot cubes, chilli flakes and Parmesan (if using). Serve. On its own or with grilled chicken.

Just look at how sunny the risotto is! And speaking of sun, in the next posts I'll take you here, under the Middle Eastern sun! Better start packing!

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Lighter take on Waldorf salad - salad with celery, fennel, apple and grapes (vegan and gluten-free)

One of the most sumptious hotels of my travel history is, without a doubt, Waldorf Astoria. Even the name echoes Old World glamuor, top hat-wearing doormen, atmosphere that just oozes elegance and clientele consisting of heiresses dripping with diamonds (ok, I might have been overdoing Hercule Poirot recently...)

And sure enough it is favoured by those of the upper echelons of the society: as I entered the hotel after a hard day of shopping I didn't understand the crowds gathered at the driveway, screaming and taking photos. I mean, I had left all my diamonds at the hotel safe, so there was no way they had me down as one of the heiresses. The reason turned out to be bunch of (admittedly handsomely built) young men that walked into the lift with me. A.k.a AC Juventus... (!!!)

In my dreamsthere is, however, only One Real Waldorf Astoria and that, along with so many other things I dream about (delis of Lower East Side, Barney's, the legendary Sunday Brunch at Waldorf Astoria, scenes of Breakfast at Tiffany's, my future husband...) is located in New York. 

That's also where this salad was born. I ended making it as I had to think of some use for the celerys left over from this soy bolognese (waste not, want not...). While I've never been a big fan of celery (when it's not swimming in a pool of vodka and tomato juice, anyway...),thinly sliced with the rest of the ingredients I really, really loved it. Fresh, quick, easy... and delicious!

The original salad bathes in a heavy dose of mayonnaise, so this is a lighter and fresher version. Should you want a more robust texture, roughly chop the ingredients into cubes. If the idea of salad with no meat in it scares you, this is delicious with some grilled chicken. 

Serves 2-3, as a side dish (try with chicken or fish!) 4-6

Lighter Waldorf salad:

3 celery stalks, thinly diagonally sliced (use the leaves, too!)
2 large fennels, thinly sliced
1 large green apple, thinly sliced
200 g green grapes, cut in half
1 large bunch of parsley
130 g walnuts

Dressing:

1/3 dl oil
1,5 tst mustard
the juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp honey
salt white pepper

Cut the fennels in half, remove the core and outer, leathery skin. Slice thinly and combine with rest of the ingredients. 

Mix the dressing and toss into the salad. Serve.

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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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