Month: December 2017

Simple Salmon Pie. Lõhepirukas

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Simple Salmon Pie. Lõhepirukas

Last year I wrote a lot of about Estonian Christmas customs. But New Year eve NÄÄRID  is very important as well.  During Soviet times (1945- 1987)  Christmas was prohibited and was only New year eve.
Today we have two amazing holiday 🙂
New year eve was as was Christmas perfect time for predictions.
What is maybe interesting and different:
On 31 December there are special (humor) TV shows  on all Estonian TV channels, causing a lot of discussion afterwards (Which program was better? Why? etc.).
One more tradition is, that The President of the Republic delivers a speech on radio and TV during the last minutes of the old year.

As probably everywhere New Year is greeted with fireworks and drinking sparkling wine. People wish a Happy New Year (Head uut aastat!) to each other. And it is a good sign when the first New Year wishes are said by a man with dark hair 🙂

Continue reading “Simple Salmon Pie. Lõhepirukas” →

Cake Spotted Dog. Kirju koer

marmelaad

If you’re looking for a simple, yet delicious dessert, your search is over!
Kirju Koer is one of my favourite simple desserts, just because it’s so easy to make and still as tasty. The perfect and very very sweet old school dessert or cake.

It is up to you, How do you like to call this:)
Kirju koer means Spotted Dog and this name came from how this cake looks like. This is a perfect combination of sweet and sour, tart marmalade pieces complement very well bitterness of chocolate and sweet cookies.
For this dessert, you need an old school marmalade. I am not sure, that you can buy it in your country, In case it is impossible, use just berries and fruits.

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Cake Spotted Dog. Kirju koer

Continue reading “Cake Spotted Dog. Kirju koer” →

Spotted Dog Cake. Kirju koer

marmelaad

If you’re looking for a simple, yet delicious dessert, your search is over!
Kirju Koer is one of my favourite simple desserts, just because it’s so easy to make and still as tasty. The perfect and very very sweet old school dessert or cake.

It is up to you, How do you like to call this:)
Kirju koer means Spotted Dog and this name came from how this cake looks like. This is a perfect combination of sweet and sour, tart marmalade pieces complement very well bitterness of chocolate and sweet cookies.
For this dessert, you need an old school marmalade. I am not sure, that you can buy it in your country, In case it is impossible, use just berries and fruits.

kirjukoer 1(10)
Cake Spotted Dog. Kirju koer

Continue reading “Spotted Dog Cake. Kirju koer” →

Eat Christmas Dinner Like Estonian

As You probably know, Estonians are the least religious nation.
Estonia is considered one of the “least religious” countries in the world, according to a 2011 poll, where only 29% of the population declared that religion was an important part in their daily lives. That’s not to say that the rest of the Estonian population is atheist, over the last decade there has been an increase in Neo Pagan, Buddhist, and Hindu beliefs.

The Estonian word jõulud (Christmas) is of ancient Scandinavian origin and comes directly from the word Jul/ Hjul  which means “cycle”,  and has no real connection with Christianity.
In 22th of December the Sun rises in Estonia at 9. 17 a clock and  sets at 15.22. So, we do not need any fairy tales 🙂 We have very practical reason to celebrate 🙂
Jõulud as the winter solstice , when the day is the shortest and the night the longest, is celebrated between December 21 and 25. According to folk-tradition, “the sun was laying in the nest” and the day was celebrated as the Sun’s birthday. From that day on, the Sun started to rise and move slowly to the north again.

 

To have plenty of Christmas food at home symbolically meant enough food for the whole coming year. According to an old tradition, seven to twelve different meals were served on Christmas Night. Christmas food had to remain on the table (as part of the cult of the ancestors) and the fire burning in the fireplace or candles (as sun worship) for the whole night. It was believed that both good and bad forces were on the move on Christmas Night and that ancestors would visit the house.

Continue reading “Eat Christmas Dinner Like Estonian” →

How To Do Meat Jelly/Aspic. Sült

Aspic or Meat jelly is a savoury jelly made from meat.

Meat Jelly, Sült is a very good example, how time changes the meaning of some food. In old times Sült was wintertime food. Because it takes 4-6 hours to cook it and this will heat up the kitchen. Because in old times for winter was left only pork legs and heads, which are suitable for cooking Sült. It was “poor” food. And food for the poor. Today all ladies know, how important is collagen…:)

Today, for me, this is a perfect summer dish. Sült is served cold and with cold cottage cheese sauce and boiled fresh potatoes.. yummy 🙂

Sült is a dish traditionally made from a mixture of meat, trotters, hocks, rind and other ingredients that have been cooked for several hours and cooled afterwards, forming a jelly. A traditional Christmas and wedding food served as an appetizer or as a meal itself.

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Meat Jelly. Sült

My father still cooking Sült himself. It is very complicated to cook  Sült only for 2 persons and still you need a very large pot. So, I buy Sült in summer time from culinary.  And in winter time, I get it from my father. This is my father recipe.

For cooking Sült you need glue-rich meat. Continue reading “How To Do Meat Jelly/Aspic. Sült” →

Cinnamon Rolls. Kaneelikuklid

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Cinnamon Rolls. Kaneelikuklid

Cinnamon Rolls remind me always Astrid Lindgren books. Warm and lovely childhood summers at my Grandma…The softest, fluffiest homemade cinnamon roll ever! Loaded with cinnamon brown sugar … mmm..
This is one dish which came in Estonian cuisine from Scandinavia, but same as with all dishes, Estonian cinnamon rolls taste different as Swedish rolls.

kaneelikukkel1 (7)

Cinnamon Rolls

  • Servings: 15-16 buns
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

The perfect soft, fluffy cinnamon rolls

Ingredients

  • 2 dl milk
  • 30 g yeast
  • 3 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 75 g butter
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 6 dl flour

    • For filling

  • 3 tablespoon sugar
  • cinnamon powder
  • 40 g butter, melted
  • 1 egg for coating buns
Continue reading “Cinnamon Rolls. Kaneelikuklid” →

Potatoes Casserole. Kartuliporss

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Potatoes Casserole. Kartuliporss

 

OMG :). Did you know that expression OMG will be this year 100 years old?

And Winston Churchill used it the first time to describe the situation in Tallinn (this time Tallinn was Reval).

Now the situation in Tallinn is ok :). Thank you for asking 🙂

But I will present OMG dish. Because of I believe that this or similar dish in each cuisine, because this is dish ” what to do with mashed potatoes leftovers”.

I will describe to You Estonian version.

And if you really do not know, how to do mashed potatoes, please look at this recipe.

Potatoes Casserole. Kartuliporss

  • Servings: 4-6
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

A delicious dish for a dinner.

Continue reading “Potatoes Casserole. Kartuliporss” →

Are You looking for Handmade Christmas Gifts Ideas?

Finding the right gift can be a damn near impossible task. But. This year. For me this task is very easy 🙂
Estonia really prioritize the well-being of new parents. Mothers in Estonia are given 140 days of fully paid pregnancy and maternity leave, which may begin 30-70 days before the expected delivery date.  After maternity leave ends, parents get an additional 435 days off to share, with compensation calculated at the average of their two earnings.IMG_2525My sister got two wonderful children. And of course, her children are very good children 🙂 🙂
And that would not be boring, she started own business :)I love robes, she is making 🙂 And maybe you as well? Maybe  I can help you and solve the biggest problem:
” right Christmas present”. So, check it out, I hope you like Prii robes 🙂

Ülla, my sister is writing:

We all know how tricky it is to find “the right item” from the stores. Especially if you know exactly, what you´re looking for. Well, I was looking for a nice robe for my husband. Natural fabrics, nothing too fancy or expensive, yet not the ordinary boring frotees. Something with style and quality. Maybe I was looking in all the wrong places, but what a huge amount of polyester and “Made in Taiwan”…
And so, I came to a conclusion- I have to do it myself. My husband liked the first robe and since then I´ve made a few more 🙂
It has been an exciting journey! To find the right designs , good fabrics and excellent partners. BTW, the sewing quality is really great! All these robes are sewn in Tallinn, Estonia and each seam is made with the heart, you can make sure of it yourself.
So, I hope you like Prii robes. And if you have good suggestions on how to get more better – all thoughts are welcome!