1 comments about Fantastically Finnish: Recipes and Traditions.

1. This beautiful book includes Finnish communities from Florida to Minnesota and Michigan to Thunder Bay, Ontario. People from many states contributed the traditional Finnish recipes. The recipes are edited by Beatrice Ojakangas, nationally known food editor and writer from Duluth, Minnesota. The wife of the former Finnish ambassador to the U.S. contributed several recipes.

   The colorful covers show Finland State Forest in northeastern Minnesota and a Finnish-American child in a Lapp costume. The inside covers show scenes of Minnesota's Voyageur National Park, an area settled by Finns, resembling Finland's lake country. The Finnish embassy dining room in Washington D.C. and Finnish Canadians in full costume are shown.

   About 20 pages of articles detail the history and traditions of Finland and sites of Finnish interest in America and Canada to visit.

   Finnish Americans and Finnish Canadians assisted in the editorial preparation of this soft-cover book.

No comments about Natural cooking the Finnish way.

No comments about Woman's Day Encyclopedia of Cookery, Vol 5 (Volume 5: Finnish Cookery to Gumdrop).

2 comments about Fine Finnish Foods.

1. I am not finnish but have studied and lived in finland over the course of a few years, and know it is very difficult to find any really informative real finnish recipes. This is simple and fun, I got it as a gift and love it!



2. Fine Finnish Foods, in the popular recipe-card file size Stocking Stuffer format, is chock-full of recipes and notes about the best of Finnish food and culture. The recipes were collected by Gerry Kangas, a Finnish American who actively participates in the promotion of Finnish culture. The cover shows a birch leaf motif and calligraphy by Esther Feske.

   In addition to wonderful recipes, Fine Finnish Foods also contains information on Finnish heritage and culture. There are pages devoted to Finnish Art, the Finnish-American Experience, and Finnish Table Prayer. Also featured is a menu from An Evening in Finland dinner at the International Club of Washington D.C. The buffet consisted of Herring á la Finlandia, Smoked Fish Salad á la Pirjo, Grandma's Green Salad, and Cranberry Parfait! In addition, there are many other recipes featured for you to prepare your own Finnish meal. Try the Tuna Chowder or the Meat and Cabbage Casserole for a delicious meal. The Finnish Oven Pancakes are sure to please at any breakfast table. The Rutabaga Casserole is a Finnish specialty that you won't want to miss!

   Fine Finnish Foods is excellent for personal collections and as a gift for those interested in Finnish cooking and culture.

3 comments about A Finnish Christmas Cookbook.

1. In "A Finnish Christmas Cookbook: Recipes And Traditions From The Old Country", long-time Wisconsin residents Sargit Warriner and Liisa Krumsieg have collaborated to compile and organize the recipes for a series of time-honored and Christmas season appropriate dishes from the culinary heritage of Finland that would grace any family meal or celebratory occasion. Also featured along with the ethnic cuisine, are the Christmas traditions of Finland. From Kotikalja (Homemade Beer); Suolattu lohi (Salted Salmon); Imelletetty perunalaatikko (Sweetened Potao Casserole); and Luumukiisseli (Prune Pudding); to Karinin voirinkilat (Karin's Butter Rings); Jouhatortut (Christmas Tarts); Sekahedelmakeitto (Mixed Fruit Soup); and Kola karamellit (Kola Candies), "A Finnish Christmas Cookbook" is a simply wonderful compendium of kitchen cook friendly recipes that even the most novice of family chefs can accomplish with ease. Of special note are the traditional menus described and offered, as well as a handy Recipe Index. "A Finnish Christmas Cookbook" is especially recommended for family and community multi-ethnic cookbook collections.



2. I bought this book to cook Finnish christmas food as my in-laws were coming over to our house in CA from Finland. We actually used the recipes and the food turned out very good. I showed the book to my mother-in-law who is an excellent cook and she said that the book was very good. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has finnish relatives or just want to cook Finnish foods for Christmas.



3. I purchased this book for my granddaughter who is a newlywed in Finland. She is so eager to embrace the culture and her new life, but she didn't speak Finnish. I thought she would like a recipe book of Finnish treats in her own language. She tells me she cooked a big dinner for her in-laws. I hope this book helped make the dinner a success.

1 comments about Simply Scandinavian: Travelling Through Time with Finnish Cuisine and Nature.

1. Reviewed by Irene Watson for Reader Views (01/10)
   
   I was totally mesmerized when I started flipping through the pages of this cookbook, "Simply Scandinavian," and all that would come out of my mouth was "WOW!" This is one of the most beautiful cookbooks I have encountered and I have seen and have many. But, there is more besides the beauty of the photographs; the recipes I tried so far are fantastic.
   
   The first recipe I tried was "Rhubarb Smoothie." I was excited to see I could do more than just stew or make a pie out of rhubarb. Because of my lactose intolerance I was able to use goat yogurt and rather than sour milk I used coconut kefir. I don't believe the substitutions made any difference because the end result was to die for.
   
   The second recipe I experimented with is "Dandelion Salad." Making my usual substitutions worked very well in this recipe also and the end result was very nice. The dressing is creamy, but light.
   
   The third recipe I tried is "Pot-Roasted Mallard." Although I wasn't able to get a wild mallard, I purchased a fresh duck. I found it interesting the recipe called for juniper berries. I did have those on hand and know they are available at herb or health food stores. Simply exquisite.
   
   I am looking forward to trying more of the recipes. As I skimmed the rest of the recipes in the book, I will venture to say most ingredients will be found in a kitchen pantry.
   
   Aside from a wonderful collection of recipes "Simply Scandinavian" by Tero Kallio and Kimmo Saira offers the owner of the book a glimpse into Finland with a concise description and beautiful photos of elements in nature. It is very obvious both Kallio and Saira are dedicate to their craft and are willing to share it with others. Their creation is of coffee table book quality and when used will create adventure for the browser and harmony for the diner. What a wonderful gift this book would make to a chef or connoisseur of fine foods.

1 comments about Finnish Touches: Recipes & Traditions.

1. Now in a revised and expanded edition, Finnish Touches: Recipes And Traditions blends Finnish traditions and lore with mouth-watering recipes. The first half of Finish Touches is devoted to engaging anecdotes, thoughts, and introductions to beloved Finnish cultural icons such as the sauna. The second half proves authentic Finnish cuisine ranging from Kaljakeitto (Finnish Beer Cheese Soup); Klimpit (Finnish Dumplings); and Rieska (Finnish Flat Barley Bread); to Sillisalaatti (Herring Salad); Lammasmuhennos (Finnish Simmered Lamb); and Illmapuuro (Finnish Air Pudding). Color and black-and-white photographs enhance this joyous and highly recommended celebration of Finnish cultural and culinary heritage.

5 comments about A Baker's Odyssey: Celebrating Time-Honored Recipes from America's Rich Immigrant Heritage.

1. "A Baker's Odyssey" is thick with recipes of all kinds---fried sweet pastries and doughs, flatbreads, savory & sweet pastries, yeast breads & pies (both sweet and savory), cookies, cakes, tortes, and more.
   
   There are a few small bundles of color photos in the book. Most of the time I'm happy either way when it comes to the presence of photos---they aren't a must-have for me the way they are for some folks---but given the wide array of unusual (to me, anyway) treats in here, I would have loved more photos. The ones that are here are gorgeous, though.
   
   There are plenty of notes on ingredients, which is incredibly helpful given that, for example, you might not have worked with lard before. Mr. Patent even includes instructions for rendering your own so it'll be of better quality than that found in your average grocery. There are also plenty of notes on equipment; just because these are traditional recipes doesn't mean you have to forgo modern convenience appliances!
   
   A Baker's Odyssey includes recipes from all over the world---Kahk from Iraq; Puff Puff from Nigeria; Casatelli from Italy; Lebanese pita; Norwegian lefse; and on and on. I'd say that hands-down the biggest hit out of the recipes we've made so far was the Kachauri, fried flatbreads stuffed with a spiced split pea mixture. Cheese Sambouseks were quite popular as well---pockets stuffed with an egg-and-cheese mixture. We made a delightful whole wheat oatmeal bread as well as the tasty, crunchy little Kahk nibbles.
   
   The recipes are clear and easy to read. So far I've only found one editing snafu (two slightly different sets of instructions to divide up a dough in one paragraph, such that it took a moment to realize I wasn't supposed to try to divide up the dough multiple times) and it was easily recognized and dealt with. All in all, I expect this will become one of our more treasured bread books. I just love being able to try out the vast wealth of recipes from around the world.



2. `A Baker's Odyssey' by professional Zoologist, Greg Patent is a sequel to his excellent `Baking in America' and is also different from the rich selection of books we have on American desserts from the likes of Nancy Baggett, Wayne Harley Brachman, and Judith Fertig. It is most similar to `A Baker's Tour' by noted baking author and teacher, Nick Malgieri, except that Professor Patent limits himself to baking imported into the United States by Immigrants.
   This book successfully emulates the virtues of `Baking in America' in many ways. First, it is a superior reference on how to recreate authentic recipes for many classic international dishes, plus some great homegrown dishes, especially from my favorite Pennsylvania Dutch corner of the world. Second, its discussion of the fundamentals is far more nuanced than one would expect in a book intended to be a collection of traditional recipes.
   The very first recipe I checked, for the Russian Easter bread, kulich, is a fine example of both how thorough and how `ethnic' Patent's recipes can be. I have found and made similar recipes in both Betsy Oppenneer's `Celebration Breads' and in `The Best of Gourmet, 20th Anniversary Edition', and it is fascinating to see what the three recipes have in common and what is different. The most surprising common feature is that all three recipes call for baking the bread in two pound coffee cans. And, I can testify from experience that one strays from this recommendation at your own risk. I have mad kulich in three quart soufflé dishes and in 1 quart soufflé dishes, and neither one came out quite as good as I expected. There is something about the metal and the tall thin shape of the container which seems to be needed. The problem is that all 2 lb coffee cans today come with easy open tops, with pronounced lips, which make them virtually unusable as baking pans. I found that small metal springform pans are a reasonable substitute to the metal coffee cans. One simply has to carefully follow the directions on how to determine when the baking is done. The primary difference between Patent and the two more `modern' recipes is that Gourmet and Oppenneer both call for two rises of four hours or less while Patent's grandmother's recipe calls for three rises totaling up to eight hours. Less significant differences are that the modern recipes add saffron. I constantly puzzled over how Russian peasants could get or afford saffron. Patent's ethnically accurate recipe achieves the yellow coloring form using plenty of eggs and butter.
   The second recipe I checked was the classic Pennsylvania Dutch shoo fly pie. Not only does Patent include one, he includes two, both from authentic sources, Betty Groff and William Woys Weaver. So, Patent remedies the omissions in practically every other authors' book(s) on `American' baking.
   Another ethnic recipe very important to me are the Hungarian Walnut Torte, classically flourless, with `body' provided by walnuts and bread crumbs and lift provided by egg whites. Patent gives ample instructions on being careful not to over bake, but I'm surprised he gives no special instructions on how to avoid droopy centers. I'm totally amazed that my grandmother was able to make this cake without a droopy center. When my aunt took over the duties of making it for my birthday, her cake always drooped.
   The last recipe near and dear to my heart I found was for Apple Strudel. Like every other recipe, this one comes from an authentic German recipe, relayed by an authentic German! The highlight of the recipe is that it includes instructions for making strudel dough from scratch. There is a family resemblance between strudel dough and the Greek Phyllo dough, but anyone who has improvised strudel with Phyllo knows they are simply not the same thing. German / Austrian strudel dough is a bit easier to make, and has more body to it.
   As I have intimated above, every recipe comes from an authentic source. Patent had a good start for his cosmopolitan sources, as his parents were Iranian and Russian, and he was born in China. And, virtually all the recipes have a basis in home baking. There is not a trace of artisanal baking from ambient wild yeasts, something which can only be done effectively with a commercial bakery which specializes in such breads. Thus, the whole world of artisanal breads is left for other writers. But this is no loss, as this is a very well-tilled field of writing.
   It is just a bit surprising to find no hot cross buns, especially since it did not appear in `Baking in America'. It is not surprising to find no buttermilk biscuits, since that did appear in `Baking in America'. But Irish Soda Bread, even the `Spotted Dick' variety is here.
   The obligatory list of sources at the back of the book is as good or better than I've seen elsewhere. If you love baking `ethnic', this book and its predecessor are a superb pair of references, especially if you don't have lots of room for a dozen baking books.
   The book includes a DVD which, I am happy to say, includes techniques on two of my favorite recipes cited above, the apple strudel and the Hungarian walnut cake.
   There are many, many good baking books these days. If traditional recipes are your thing, there is nothing better than these two.



3. Baking is made easy with the enclosed dvd. I always prefer to bake instead of fry, this gives me more options. I also recommend Finger Licking different.



4. After hearing the author on NPR, I was expecting the book to have a bit more in the way of savory recipes. That being said, this book contains the only recipe I've ever found for the real Russian kulich I had as a child. While time consuming,the recipe is easy enough to follow for an experienced baker. The result was magnificent-the only perfectly scented and textured kulich I've ever managed to make.



5. I love this book. Mr. Patent has devoted a great amount of time to the research of the recipes and it shows. So far I have tried 4 and loved every single one of them. I have had to make adjustments because I live in a high altitude city, that's standard for me. Actually, the only reason I'm not giving this book 5 stars is because Mr. Patent as most authors, does not give too much of his attention to the subject of high-altitude baking.

5 comments about The Best of Finnish Cooking.

1. Hi Taimi! It's been 40 Years, since we arrived from Our Homeland "Finland" to this land of Opportunities. I never knew you could Cook. Congratulations to Your Book. (Old Room-Mate Jane) If you get this, E-Mail me: jtymon@4link.net



2. Hi Taimi! It's been 40 Years, since we arrived from Our Homeland "Finland" to this land of Opportunities. I never knew you could Cook. Congratulations to Your Book. (Old Room-Mate Jane) If you get this, E-Mail me: jtymon@4link.net



3. "New" E-Mail:jtymon@hotmail.com Love to hear from you.Your Book is Great! Jane T.



4. I have tried for years to duplicate my Finnish grandmother's cooking. Asking for her recipes is hopeless...in her mind she just throws things in a pan and they come out that tasty. (She is constantly telling me it is not worth my time because her only secret is that Finnish cows, chickens, and fish are much happier and treated nicer than American animals, and therefore taste better.) This book is the first (and only, so far) Finnish recipe book I've found that carries many of our family's traditional recipes. It is easy to follow and I have had success with every recipe I have tried.



5. This is a good book with all the favorite meals thatFinnish Americans grew up with.

5 comments about Finnish Cookbook (International Cookbook Series).

1. This book is an introduction to the Finnish kitchen. Ojakangas, a second generation Finnish-America, learned some traditional Finnish dishes from her grandmother. But when her husband was awarded a Fulbright grant in Finland for 1960-61, she was able to get make an intensive study of Finnish food culture. She discovered how some of the dishes she had learned to make as a child had roots deep in Finland, while others were presumably American creations. In this collection of recipes, Ojakangas focuses on the foods found on Finnish tables, although she does include some of the Finnish American traditions that have become standard in Finnish-American culture.
   
   The book makes fascinating reading, for Ojakangas provides not only the common recipes, but she also includes with each recipe a brief description of how the dish fits into the context of the daily diet. Rather than following the standard American cookbook organization of appetizers and soups, main dishes, sides dishes, and desserts, Ojakangas pay close attention to which types of foods are most important for Finns and how they are used together. With this in mind, the book begins with breads, moves on to the coffee table (mainly cookies and cakes), pastries (both sweet and savory), soups, fish, meat dishes (heavy on the liver, pork, and sausage, and very little chicken), vegetables and salads (mostly roots, very little greenery), desserts (fruit soups and porridges), dairy and eggs, beverages, sauces, and sandwiches (open-faced). At the end of the book is a chapter with suggested menus for special occasions and a selected reading list and bibliography.
   
   This is the best and most authentic Finnish cookbook that I've come across in English. I've tried out a few Finnish American cookbooks, and although their recipes may be tasty, they often are distinctly American in flavor, with many more ingredients like green vegetables than one would ever find in Finland. In this book, we find recipes for all the Finnish standards, for everything from kalakukko to maksalaatikko, from mämmi to sima. Ojakangas provides both the Finnish and English names for each dish; although the Finnish is generally quite accurate, there are a few typos. (I stared at "valdemariisi" for quite some time before I realized it should have been written "vadelmariisi", or raspberry rice.)
   
   The culinary descriptions make this book great reading for anyone contemplating visiting or living in Finland for an extended period. I sure wish I had read it before heading off to study in Finland as an exchange student. The first week I arrived in the country, my host-mother showed me around the kitchen and told me to make myself at home. Then she went off to work in Helsinki for the week, and I was left to fend for myself along with her teenage daughters. By the end of the week, I was starving, having consumed all the food that was familiar to me in the first few days. When my host-mother returned from Helsinki and heard that I had reported there was no food in the house, she became very upset, and showed me a large sack of potatoes and other mysterious food stores. At the time, although I was an decent pasta cook and could make some passable stir-fried vegetables, I had never cooked a potato in my life-nor did I know what to do with any of the other foods in the kitchen. I didn't know what Finns ate or when they ate it, so I was completely at a loss when left to feed myself in a Finnish kitchen. A thorough reading of this book before leaving home would have provided a great preparation for what I would find in Finland. I would not have been so surprised by the dark chewy breads, the early meal times, and the importance of lunch and coffee-hour rather than dinner and dessert.



2. This book is really a keepsake for the newest Finnish generations. I didn't have a recipe book from my grandparents or aunts, but there are so many things my grandmother made and she was also from Northern Minnesota. The only thing I wish it had more of was pictures, but the author is so knowledgeable, that this book is a must for the 3rd and 4th generation Finns.



3. My first husband was a Finn, bred, born and raised, and often longed for the food of his youth. This book was invaluable; it had all the recipes for dishes that he missed, with instructions that let me turn out perfect pulla (a wonderful bread), kalakukko (rye bread stuffed with fish and bacon) and piirakka (rice or potato pasties) in record time. Some of the cultural information is a bit dated in my edition (I have the old 60s version), but it was still an interesting read. My daughters still make piirakka every Christmas Eve.
   
   My edition has a typo that I hope has been corrected in the newer one. The recipe for lutefisk starts with "Take a large fried codfish..." It should, of course, be a large dried codfish.



4. This is an excellent Finnish cookbook. My wife, who is of Finnish decent, has been thrilled with her copy. She says she has found many recipes that her mother and grandmother both used and it is especially fun to read the titles in the Finnish words she has known . We use a great deal of Finnish food in our daily diet, but there are a great many in this book that are yet to be tried. Beatrice Ojakangas deserves 5 stars for putting forth such a great book, and for mixing in a little of Finnish culture as a bonus.



5. I love this book. When I married a Finn, (in 1980) his sister gave me this book. I've had it for years and use it whenever I need a Finnish recipe. According to my in-laws, the recipes are very authentic. I eventually bought both of my daughters the book for their cookbook collections. Make the Pulla (coffee bread) it's the best!