food

Hey, everyone! I'm super pumped about all the nice comments from everyone. I'm going to leave town for the next few days (my first vacation since I had my son almost 2 years ago!) and since I take 99% of the pictures around here, I don't think we'll be updating until I get back. Expect a new post on Wednesday! Wheeeeeeeee!

Here's a simple Estonian cucumber salad that my mum used to make quite frequently when we were younger. We never knew there was a 'recipe' involved - just a technology - but recently more detailed instructions have appeared here and there, most notably in a rather elaborate cookbook Eesti Rahvusköök or "Estonian national cuisine", also available in English and German. So why not share it with my English readers as well. What's special about this salad, you may wonder? Well, although I love the crispiness of a fresh cucumber, sometimes I don't miss that in a salad. By mixing the cucumber slices with salt first, and then shaking the mixture vigorously, the cucumber slices soften nicely, and become almost silky in texture. How's that for a cucumber salad? :) Note that caraway seeds are optional. I love them in this salad, but many people outside the region are suspicious of caraway seeds, so these can be omitted. I make mine without caraway seeds sometim...

I seem to get excited about brunch recipes recently. First there was this utterly simple, yet genius idea of cracking an egg into a tomato 'shell' and baking it in the oven ( Baked Eggy Brunch Tomatoes ). Then I saw a recipe for 'Swiss Toasts' in Oma Maitse , an Estonian food magazine. The recipe was simple enough - slice of buttered bread, boiled halved eggs smeared with mayonnaise and topped with cheese. But I wanted something even simpler, so I omitted the butter and 're-located' the mayonnaise. It's brilliant, should you happen to find some boiled eggs in your fridge in the morning. We've made it twice during last week alone, so I definitely recommend it. Use a cheese that melts nicely - and although I've made it with white bread, brown or rye bread would work well, too. Grilled Swiss Toast with Egg and Cheese ( Šveitsi võileivad ) Serves 2, can be easily doubled 4 slices of bread 4 tsp of mayonnaise 2 boiled eggs 4 slices of cheese (f. ex. Havar...

I like to pride myself on being a good pancake maker. After making them quite frequently for my three-year old for the past couple of years, I know just what a good batter should look like, how hot the griddle should be, and just when to flip them to make them look perfect. It wasn't always this way though. When I first started making my own pancakes, I was vegan and had no idea how to spot a good dairy/egg-free recipe. My batter was usually quite thick and my pancakes were squished down to nothing and either way too light-colored or black and burned (usually the latter). It took a lot of practice with many different recipes to get to where I could finally make a good pancake. These days I still prefer making vegan pancakes, mainly because they use less ingredients and because I have never liked the taste of eggs (somehow I can always taste them in regular pancakes). My two staple recipes are the one I am sharing today, which comes from The PPK and one that comes from the beauti...

Is this technically a salsa? I looked up salsa and it just means sauce, I guess. I don't really think of this as being a sauce, though. It's like a... dip? Salad? I guess it's a salad. This is a super easy (like, think Rachael Ray easy. No, think "Semi-homemade with Sandra Lee" easy. Eughdughhhh.) side dish that I like to throw onto a taco plate when the mood strikes me. I usually think it's kind of silly to post about recipes that call for prepackaged foods, but it's not like we're making kraft mac n' cheese or anything- this is really tasty. You need: 1 or 2 good sized poblano peppers a can of black beans a bag of Trader Joe's Fire roasted corn. A couple of avocados A red onion Handful of cilantro Limes/lemons Uh... salt & pepper? That's it. First thing's first, turn your oven on to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper, and trim and oil your peppers. Stick them in the oven for a few minutes ...

I am in love with all things apple. It really doesn't matter what time of year it is (I know most people associate apple desserts with autumn)- I am almost always in the mood for them. One thing I have learned when baking is that it is very hard to mess up an apple dessert. As long as you have the combination of either brown or white sugar, butter, cinnamon, and apples, it will almost always be good. I love them in all forms: pies, cobblers, turnovers , cakes , crisps, breads... you get the idea. Yesterday morning I decided to make a recipe that I posted on Design is Mine awhile back that just looked so delicious and beautiful: an Apple Crostata by one of the cooks I trust most, Mrs. Ina Garten . Her recipes, especially her baking ones, always seem to come out perfect, and this was no exception. It was quite fun to make and turned out absolutely delectable. Apple Crostata: by Ina Garten Ingredients: For the pastry (2 tarts) 2 cups all-purpose flour 1/4 cup granulated or superfine...

The other morning I was sitting at our small cafe table drinking my morning cup of coffee and suddenly had a craving for some French butter cookies (yes, I am a cookie-for-breakfast kind of girl). I absolutely love butter cookies, especially as a morning treat. French Butter Cookies: adapted from Joy of Baking Ingredients: 1 stick plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1 egg 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt Egg Wash: 1 large egg 1 tablespoon water Directions: In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes). Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat until blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat just until incorporated. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface, knead the dough a few times to bring it together...

After purchasing the April issue of Martha Stewart Living , I fell madly in love with an article on edible weeds. My vegetable garden is frequently overflowing with weeds, all of which usually get thrown in either the compost bin or the yard waste bin, so I was quite excited to learn that some of these could be used in cooking. The recipes in the article include jams and cordials, which all sounded wonderful, but there was one recipe that caught my eye immediately: Flatbread with Sorrel Pesto and Edible-Weed Salad. It was one of those recipes that I just couldn't wait to try. I have recently become rather infatuated with the beautiful bunches of sorrel at our local farmer's market, so I picked up a couple last weekend. During the week, I suddenly realized that I had all too many vegetables to use in my vegetable drawer, so I decided to make some sort of a vegetable feast for family. The menu included: the edible weed flatbreads, mini tofu quiches with red onions and broccoli, h...

My mom came to stay with us a couple of weeks ago and ended up cooking a wonderful meal of two foods I remember with great fondness from living at home: stuffed artichokes and pasta with arrabiata sauce (which she has recently perfected). I took some pictures and asked her to share the recipes, which she kindly has contributed. Thanks mom! (photo by me) "My Italian nonie used to make these every Sunday. They are very filling, but she would serve them as an appetizer, followed by a large meal of pasta, meatballs, sausage, and whatever else she decided to cook that day. To this day, I can’t get enough of artichokes and often enjoy it as a meal. She would never serve hers with mayonnaise, just the olive oil and garlic that she cooked it with." Stuffed Artichokes Ingredients: 1 artichoke per person Stale bread (preferably Italian or French) *About 2 pieces per artichoke, broken up Stem from artichoke, peeled and chopped 2-3 cloves of garlic, chopped fine Fresh parsley Oregano Par...

Last week, I purchased my first ever bottle of rosewater. I felt excitement as I pulled the beautiful bottle out of my grocery bag and set it in my cupboard, just dreaming of the tasty concoctions I could create. I adore the idea of combining flowers with baking and cooking, and really, the recipes just sound lovely (Violet & Rosemary Sorbet, Lavender Fudge, Rose Salad, etc.). After my sad first attempt at using rosewater a couple days ago, I decided yesterday that I would make something simple where the rosy taste could shine through. I remembered the Pistachio Rosewater Cupcakes recipe in http://www.amazon.com/Vegan-Cupcakes-Take-Over-World/dp/1569242739/ref=pd_ecc_rvi_2/104-8110381-2073509?ie=UTF8" target="blank">Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World , and although I was lacking pistachios, I chose to go for it anyway, sans pistachios (I am not really the hugest fan of nuts in baked goods anyway). The result was a moist and flavorful cupcake, although not overp...

I start with an apology. I cannot remember where I got this recipe from. But it was in my old recipe card box, and the only note was 'Uzbek recipe?' (refering to Uzbekistan , the country in Central Asia; well, actually it said 'usbeki retsept?' on my recipe card, but you know what I mean). I don't know about that - apart from the Cayenne pepper, it sounds very Estonian to me. And on a hot summer day last week, I made this soup - it took me 5 minutes in total, and I fell in love with it all over again. If you live in the US, you'll find kefir in Whole Foods and international food stores. Lifeway Foods does a decent one. Here's what they've got to say about kefir: A creamy probiotic dairy beverage similar to but distinct from yogurt. Lifeway believes it offers the largest selection of kefir in the world. Low-fat or non-fat pasteurized milk is the basic ingredient in kefir. Its effervescent quality stems from the kefir culture, which contains ten active ...

Oh, this lavender shortbread. I really had such high hopes for it. I had been eager to try this one recipe out for awhile, but somehow never seemed to have all the ingredients on hand. Today, however, I had both rose water, lavender, and some home-blended powdered sugar, so I was excited to make a go for it. Sadly though, other than being quite beautiful and smelling like flowers, I was not too impressed by the final product. The texture was crumbly and not very "shortbread-like" and the taste was way too flowery (not in the good way) and not sweet enough. So, this being said, I am not going to post the recipe. I couldn't resist posting about it though because I am just so in love with these photographs Alice took. The lavender flowers, the bottles of milk, the tiny violets... so, so lovely. If you would like to try a recipe for lavender shortbread, here are a few other I found online: Renee's Garden , Food Network , Dessert First , and All Recipes . If you end up try...

Before we get into anything, can we take a moment to admire these unmarred, brand new, lovely cutting boards I just purchased at Ikea the other day? I love them. I haven't used them yet. Ha! Finally oiled up and ready to go, I had to replace some of my old smaller wooden chopping boards, they were getting a little funky. And god bless you, Ikea- these were only five dollars. Okay! Onto the minor humiliation. First of all, before you read any of this and come back 2 hours later weeping, scrubbing your hands frantically- LIME JUICE WILL TAKE THE STING OUT. Kind of. But don't bother, just wear gloves, like I should have. Now that we have that out of the way- HARISSA. Harissa is an African chili paste that is currently the culinary darling of Portland. I first saw it on the menu at Toro Bravo, 2007's (well-deserved) restaurant of the year (and chef of the year, and blah blah blah) and one of Portland's most outstanding restaurants. The other night it popped up...

On Sunday this little food blog of mine, NAMI-NAMI, turned three. On June 15, 2005 (while still living in Edinburgh), I wrote my first post , which has led to three more years of food-related posts. Starting this food blog was one of the best decisions I made that year, as it has led to making and meeting many good friends both in 'real life' and on the Internet. Lots of other things have changed during that time. I've moved back home to Estonia. I've started a new life with K. I've started a new job. More importantly, during that time I've become a better cook. I've learned a lot from reading your food blogs, dear readers. I've read zillion cookbooks, taken two professional cookery courses here in Tallinn, done an 10-day internship in a top gourmet restaurant, relaunched my Estonian site . I've got a new camera, and even took a short photography course last year. Life is good.. Thank you all for being such generous readers and a special thank you to...

One of my dearest friends, Sharin, is vegan and allergic to gluten. After hearing that she would be able to make it over to our house tonight for a tiny fondue party , I decided it would be the perfect opportunity to try out a new allergen-free dessert recipe. Baking gluten, dairy, and egg free can be quite a challenge, mainly because the regular ingredients used in them are ones I never really use- xanthan gum, garbanzo bean/fava bean flour, white/brown rice flour, and potato starch, to name a few. It is quite difficult to remove all the ingredients that usually bind a recipe (eggs, milk, and flour) and create a good-tasting and moist final product. New York City's Babycakes Bakery is known for mastering this task. They are a fully vegan, gluten-free, and refined sugar-free bakery, so they know their stuff- which is why I chose one of their recipes tonight. This cinnamon swirl cake (or "Cinnamon Toasties" as they call it) came out very moist and the same texture as any...

Does it count as a guest blog if I'm blogging something I didn't actually cook? I know it can seem kind of unclear how things work around here, but here's a quick rundown: Summer is the bones of the operation. She does 99% of the baking, which ends up getting featured the most for a few reasons- for one thing, baked goods are just so lovely to look at! For another, she lives in a beautiful, colorful, stylish home which makes for a much more attractive background. Better lighting at her house, too. So, how it works is, she'll message me in the morning to tell me what she's baking that day, and I'll swing by her house (only a couple miles away from mine) whenever I get a chance and photograph the food while our kids play. Not a bad arrangement! The only thing that sucks about it is that sometimes, I'll end up photographing a few things in a row and then there's a ton of stuff to get blogged. Plus, she maintains her design blog daily, so it can ge...

I always have high hopes for the summertime. I have started constantly daydreaming of picnics, movies in the park, berry picking, and most of all, summer parties. It is not that I frequently throw them, but I usually always try for one nice warm weather get-together. We have plans this year to get our backyard together, so I keep thinking about white holiday lights, soft music, and our table outdoors with candles all over it. I really cannot wait. Another one of my favorite things about throwing parties is the food. I adore tiny finger foods, both savory and sweet. I love the idea of big beautiful plates covered with dozens of miniature delicious hors d'oeuvres. On Friday, I was flipping through cookbooks and suddenly felt like making something small and party-like. After flipping through ideas with Alice, we both agreed on me making some tiny tofu quiche tartlets made with fresh zucchini and asparagus from the farmer's market. And oh, these were good. This recipe can easily be...

There are plenty of recipes for devilled eggs on the blogosphere (just check out this ). But you know what - I think the way I make them is just enough different to justify yet another blog post on these :) There are actually two major 'schools' of making devilled eggs in Estonia - one using something similar to canned anchovy liquid to season the egg yolk filling, the other one prefering mustard. I belong to the latter 'school'. Here's my usual recipe, and I do make these quite frequently for various festive tables - most recently for my birthday, alongside these cute quail egg mushrooms , where they were devoured by the kids and grown-ups alike.. Deviled Eggs, Estonian style ( Täidetud munad )* Makes 12 6 medium or large organic eggs, boiled** 50 grams butter, not too cold 1 to 2 Tbsp mayonnaise 1 to 2 tsp strong mustard salt, to taste To garnish: fresh parsley or dill, finely chopped fresh or frozen cranberries or redcurrants Peel the boiled eggs and halve lenght...

I know I've been leaving the posting up to Summer, mostly. I'm on a MAJOR health kick right now. It's been like 2 weeks and I've been taking really good care of myself, eating lots of salads and nonfat yogurt, and bananas, and brown rice, and stuff like that. So, while it makes my body feel pretty good, most of those things aren't really spectacular food blog fodder, you know? Added to that, I'm having one of those weeks where my husband's been called away for work on way too many occasions to count, and I feel like I've been cleaning the same spot in my kitchen over and over again to no avail. Seriously, I clean and clean and clean and it still looks like a bomb went off, I don't know. But hey! Complaining aside, tonight I was in the mood for something easy as... well, pie's not very easy. I started digging around in my fridge and cupboards and pulled out the following ingredients: Corn tortillas A perfectly ripe avocado (woo hoo!) One s...