With hearty staples, tender meats, and plenty of European influence, Estonian food packs so much warmth and comfort in every bite.

Sauerkraut is another must-have ingredient on our Christmas table - a lovely side-dish to all those fatty chunks of roast pork and crac...

Traditional Estonian recipes create every dish of Estonian food to be made by following a few simple rules that are easy enough for beginners but interesting

Rhubarb is very popular in Estonian cooking and features in numerous recipes. As this tarty fruit is now in season it's a great time to make this tasty treat. Rabarberikook is very easy to make and has been enjoyed by Estonians for generations. Ingredients Base 2 ½ cups plain flour 1 cup granulated sugar 1 egg 150g unsalted butter ¼ tsp baking powder Filling 600g rhubarb, chopped into small pieces 8 tbsp sugar 1tsp cinnamon Topping 6 eggs 6 tbsp sugar 6 tbsp flour 1tsp vanilla extract Icing sugar for dusting on top. Method Preheat oven to 180 degrees and grease a rectangle cake pan. In a bowl cream the butter and sugar using an electric mixer. Add the egg. In a separate bowl combine the flour and baking powder and then add to the butter mixture. Spread the batter evenly into the greased pan. The mixture can be quite sticky so use the back of a wet spoon to get a nice smooth result. Combine the rhubarb with the sugar and cinnamon. Gentle spoon over the top of the base layer. To prepare the topping, beat the eggs and sugar together until light and airy. Add the flour and vanilla extract then pour over the rhubarb filling. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Allow to cool then sprinkle with icing sugar. Cut into squares and serve with cream.

With hearty staples, tender meats, and plenty of European influence, Estonian food packs so much warmth and comfort in every bite.

I am born and bred in South-Estonia. I still live here and I couldn't imagine it any other way. South has a special place in my heart. It just has this uniquely different vibe. My vegan cooking workshops usually take place in Tallinn, which is in north and it's fun, but I love to drive back to our little forest cabin afterwards. Even if it's 3am. I guess there's no place like home. The culture-historical region where I'm from, is called Mulgimaa. We have our own dialect and we also have our own historical foods. Some of them are widely loved, like today's recipe, which is even considered Estonian national food in some cases. My mom has been cooking mashed potatoes with barley since I remember. She learned to make it from my dad, who learned to make it from his grandmother and so on. There are different versions of it, but the base is always the same - potatoes and barley. This dish is often served with pan-fried cubed lard and onions, but since I'm a vegan, I just love it with the onions or "beef" it up with delicious pan-fried eggplant, which has a really nice hearty texture. Some people also like to eat it with sour cream, but I replace it with sunflower sour cream. The main reasons we love this dish so much, it's because it's really filling, delicious, very affordable, doesn't need much labor and it heats up really nice when pan-fried the next day. That way it gets golden brown and crispy...yum! We also love to eat some home-made preserves with. For example tomato and green bean preserve or some spicy pickles. So it's all in all a winter season food. And since the days are getting a bit chillier here, it's the perfect time to share this recipe. Happy cooking and if you have some time, I would love to hear about your favorite foods from your region! Time: a bit over an hour Serves: 4 people Mashed potatoes with barley: 3 ⅓ pounds / 1 ½ kg potatoes ½ cup / 100 g pearl barley 2 onions 2 tsp fine salt (I used pink salt) 2 - 3 bay leaves 6 ⅓ cups / 1,5 liter water For serving: 3 onions 1 medium eggplant salt and pepper to taste sunflower sour cream, if you like Peel the potatoes and cut the bigger ones into half. Put them into a thick-bottomed pot along with thoroughly rinsed barley, chopped onions, salt and bay leaves. Cover everything with water and bring to a boil. Cover the pot with a lid and let it boil on a medium heat for at least an hour. In the meantime, you can prepare the onions, eggplant and also sunflower sour cream, if you like. Pan-fry the onions in plenty of oil, until really golden brown. Season with salt and pepper. Cut the eggplant into small cubes. Heat up a pan, add plenty of oil and half of the eggplant cubes. Sprinkle some salt on them and pan-fry them for a few minutes, until they are translucent and golden brown. Put the cubes on a plate covered with a paper towel, so it absorbs the extra oil. Pan-fry the remaining batch of eggplant cubes exactly the same way. Now check on the potatoes. If they still have too much water left (it shouldn't be too soupy), let it boil without a lid on high heat for about 5 minutes. Now mash everything using an old-school potato masher, definitely not a hand blender. Taste for salt and add more, if needed. Serve with pan-fried onions, pan-fried eggplant and some sunflower sour cream.

I realised today that I haven't been posting many Estonian recipes lately, which doesn't mean I haven't been eating lots of local food recently. I have. Especially cabbage dishes, as the new season's cabbage has hit the stalls. Today's dish is not strictly seasonal per se - it can be made in the middle of a rainy autumn, dark winter and promising spring. But somehow I always crave this dish in the early to mid-summer, when the cabbage tastes sweetest. Estonian Cabbage and Mince Stew (Hakkliha-kapsahautis) Serves 4 1 large green cabbage (about 2 pounds/1 kg), finely shredded 2 carrots, cut into matchsticks 1 Tbsp vegetable oil about a cup of freshly boiled water salt freshly ground black pepper 400 g (leanish) beef mince 1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced 1 Tbsp vegetable oil fresh parsley (optional) boiled potatoes, to serve Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the carrots and the cabbage, season with salt and sauté for a few minutes, until the cabbage wilts a little. Add the boiling water, cover and simmer on a medium heat for about 10-15 minutes, until cabbage starts to soften. On a frying pan, heat the oil, then add onions and minced beef. Fry, stirring regularly, until the mince is browned all over. Add the whole lot to the softened cabbage. Give it a quick turn and continue simmering for another 10-15 minutes, uncovered, until the cabbage is nicely softened. Sprinkle with finely chopped parsley, if you wish, and serve with boiled potatoes.

With hearty staples, tender meats, and plenty of European influence, Estonian food packs so much warmth and comfort in every bite.

This one is lovely served with salty or spicy meat. It’s of course just gorgeous with no meat! It goes great alongside some simple roasted potatoes or spicy roasted cauliflower! Sour cream is…

During Christmas all self-respecting Estonians feast on black pudding, roasted pork, sauerkraut and roasted potatoes. These are accompanied by lingonberry jam and pickled clove-scented pumpkin. At the end of the feast we nibble on piparkoogid (that's Estonian gingerbread cookies) and caramelised almonds and sip copious amounts of hõõgvein (mulled wine/glühwein/glögg). And then we're off to do some cross-country skiing in the midst of our beautiful pine forests to burn off all those calories. Well, some of us :) I must admit this was the first time I pickled my own pumpkin - usually we have my mum's or grandmother's pumpkin on the Christmas table. I'm not even particularly keen on pickled pumpkin per se, but couple of yellow chunks alongside another portion of black pudding is kind of semi-required. My university friend Piret dropped by the other day and brought me a small pumpkin from her parents' country home. When trying to think what to do with this beauty of a pumpkin, somehow, this year, I really wanted to make my own pickled pumpkin. Here's the recipe I came up with. And it's not half as bad, believe me.. Pickled Yellow Pumpkin, Estonian Style (Marineeritud kõrvitsasalat) Makes 3 half-litre jars 1 kg prepared pumpkin/winter squash (see below) 1 L water 200 g sugar 1-2 cinnamon sticks 5 black peppercorns 1 whole cloves 5 allspice berries fresh gingerroot, about 2-3 cm, peeled and sliced (optional) 2 Tbsp vinegar (30% strenght) Cut the pumpkin into wedges, then peel, remove the soft bits and seeds. Cut the flesh into small chunks or sticks (even julienne, if you can be bothered). You need about 2 pounds or 1 kilogram of pumpkin chunks/sticks. Mix water, sugar, cinnamon stick, gingerroot, black peppercorns, allspice and whole cloves in a large saucepan. (You may add a teaspoon of salt to the marinade, but it's not necessary). Bring to the boil, then add the vinegar and then your pumpkin. Simmer on a moderate heat until pumpkin pieces have become translucent, but not too soft and mushy. Transfer the pumpkin with a slotted spoon into sterilised jars, then pour the hot marinate over. Close and keep in the fridge or very cold larder. Wait for about a week before eating, so the flavours could really mingle.

I am born and bred in South-Estonia. I still live here and I couldn't imagine it any other way. South has a special place in my heart. It just has this uniquely different vibe. My vegan cooking workshops usually take place in Tallinn, which is in north and it's fun, but I love to drive back to our little forest cabin afterwards. Even if it's 3am. I guess there's no place like home. The culture-historical region where I'm from, is called Mulgimaa. We have our own dialect and we also have our own historical foods. Some of them are widely loved, like today's recipe, which is even considered Estonian national food in some cases. My mom has been cooking mashed potatoes with barley since I remember. She learned to make it from my dad, who learned to make it from his grandmother and so on. There are different versions of it, but the base is always the same - potatoes and barley. This dish is often served with pan-fried cubed lard and onions, but since I'm a vegan, I just love it with the onions or "beef" it up with delicious pan-fried eggplant, which has a really nice hearty texture. Some people also like to eat it with sour cream, but I replace it with sunflower sour cream. The main reasons we love this dish so much, it's because it's really filling, delicious, very affordable, doesn't need much labor and it heats up really nice when pan-fried the next day. That way it gets golden brown and crispy...yum! We also love to eat some home-made preserves with. For example tomato and green bean preserve or some spicy pickles. So it's all in all a winter season food. And since the days are getting a bit chillier here, it's the perfect time to share this recipe. Happy cooking and if you have some time, I would love to hear about your favorite foods from your region! Time: a bit over an hour Serves: 4 people Mashed potatoes with barley: 3 ⅓ pounds / 1 ½ kg potatoes ½ cup / 100 g pearl barley 2 onions 2 tsp fine salt (I used pink salt) 2 - 3 bay leaves 6 ⅓ cups / 1,5 liter water For serving: 3 onions 1 medium eggplant salt and pepper to taste sunflower sour cream, if you like Peel the potatoes and cut the bigger ones into half. Put them into a thick-bottomed pot along with thoroughly rinsed barley, chopped onions, salt and bay leaves. Cover everything with water and bring to a boil. Cover the pot with a lid and let it boil on a medium heat for at least an hour. In the meantime, you can prepare the onions, eggplant and also sunflower sour cream, if you like. Pan-fry the onions in plenty of oil, until really golden brown. Season with salt and pepper. Cut the eggplant into small cubes. Heat up a pan, add plenty of oil and half of the eggplant cubes. Sprinkle some salt on them and pan-fry them for a few minutes, until they are translucent and golden brown. Put the cubes on a plate covered with a paper towel, so it absorbs the extra oil. Pan-fry the remaining batch of eggplant cubes exactly the same way. Now check on the potatoes. If they still have too much water left (it shouldn't be too soupy), let it boil without a lid on high heat for about 5 minutes. Now mash everything using an old-school potato masher, definitely not a hand blender. Taste for salt and add more, if needed. Serve with pan-fried onions, pan-fried eggplant and some sunflower sour cream.

It was a chilly -9 degrees yesterday, the perfect time to stay indoors and enjoy some baking. In the past I have made several apple based desserts including apple pie, apple slice, apple puffs etc. but never apple cake. This is the first time I have tried this recipe and I am happy to say I'm pleased with the result. This is a traditional Estonian recipe and if the photo doesn't do it justice, I can assure you it's very tasty! Estonian Apple Cake Ingredients 6 apples, chopped 1 cup sugar 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 tsp baking powder 1/2 cup milk 125g butter 2 eggs, separated 1 tsp cinnamon Method Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Beat egg yolks and sugar then add in the milk and butter. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour and baking powder, then add them to the milk and egg yolk mixture. Stir in chopped apples. In a separate bowl beat egg whites until frothy and gently fold them in to the batter. Grease a 26 cm round baking tin and sprinkle some fine breadcrumbs on the bottom and sides. Pour apple mixture into the baking tin. Bake for 40 minutes. Serve with cream custard or ice.cream.

Here's a true Estonian classic - a layered cookie cake . If you've been reading Nami-Nami blog, you may remember that an Estonian cookie ...

Estonian Black Bread is fermented Rye bread. My Sister s recipe

If you're looking for a minced meat sauce recipe, try out this amazing Estonian version with south cream! It is delicious, tangy, and mouthwatering.

Estonian Meatball Soup: This soup is a perfect option during cold winter months! Enjoy our easy recipes!Visit our website: www.happyfoodstube.com/estonian-meatball-soup-frikadelli-supp

With hearty staples, tender meats, and plenty of European influence, Estonian food packs so much warmth and comfort in every bite.

Photo updated in June 2009. Here's a recipe for sweet tidbits made with mascarpone and the ubiquous Estonian ingredient kama. (I've written extensively about kama earlier here). Last night I made kamakäkid - a term that's not easy to translate, so I call them kama mascarpone balls. Every country probably hopes that visitors will try some of their local traditional foods and fall in love with the cuisine. So lots of Estonian ethnic eateries would have a roasted and ground rye-barley-pea-oat mixture (alias kama) mixed with curdled milk on the menu. Alongside thick fried blood pudding slices, hearty sauerkraut stews and pickled cucumbers. Whereas this all sounds rather divine to me, to slightly more refined taste buds all that rusticism may seem a bit too much. They'd probably finish their dish, but would order something 'safer' and lighter next time. Hence the attempt to lighten up and 'Westernise' the local food, sometimes quite successfully. In stead of fried black pudding slices you get dainty blood pudding chips, for example. Here is one such attempt to adjust a very traditional ingredient for Western - or even modern Estonian - palates. Instead of eating kama with fermented milk, it's mixed with mascarpone cheese, rolled into small balls and eaten with coffee. For those of you who can't get hold of kama (eeh - that's all of you then:), try using oatmeal instead, as texture & flavour wise this is rather similar. If you do so, you may want to replace the cream liqueur with whiskey/whiskey liqueur (Drambuie). In which case you'd probably call them Cranachan mascarpone balls:) Kama & mascarpone truffles (Mascarpone-kamatrühvlid ehk peenemat sorti kamakäkid) 250 grams of mascarpone 3 Tbsp sugar 2 Tbsp raisins 2 Tbsp chopped nuts (I used walnuts, though hazelnuts would have been more 'authentic', as these are the only nuts that are native to Estonia) 3 heaped Tbsp kama flour a generous dash of cream liqueur (I used Vana Tallinn cream liqueur, but Bailey's would do) Mix everything together, put into the fridge for a while. Form into small balls, roll in kama or cocoa powder and keep in the fridge until ready to serve. UPDATE 16.1.2006: Anne of Anne's Food successfully tried my recipe for kama truffles:)

The Classics “pirukad” by Aivar Ruukel is licensed under CC BY 2.0. 1. Pirukad Pirukad (sing. Pirukas) are filled Estonian dumplings. Large pirukas are traditionally filled with cabbage, meat, and carrots. And small pirukas can contain different fillings. For example, meat, ham, cabbage, rice, mushrooms, and carrots. “Delicious Russian Salad served on the plate” by wuestenigel is licensed under CC BY […]

It was a chilly -9 degrees yesterday, the perfect time to stay indoors and enjoy some baking. In the past I have made several apple based desserts including apple pie, apple slice, apple puffs etc. but never apple cake. This is the first time I have tried this recipe and I am happy to say I'm pleased with the result. This is a traditional Estonian recipe and if the photo doesn't do it justice, I can assure you it's very tasty! Estonian Apple Cake Ingredients 6 apples, chopped 1 cup sugar 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 tsp baking powder 1/2 cup milk 125g butter 2 eggs, separated 1 tsp cinnamon Method Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Beat egg yolks and sugar then add in the milk and butter. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour and baking powder, then add them to the milk and egg yolk mixture. Stir in chopped apples. In a separate bowl beat egg whites until frothy and gently fold them in to the batter. Grease a 26 cm round baking tin and sprinkle some fine breadcrumbs on the bottom and sides. Pour apple mixture into the baking tin. Bake for 40 minutes. Serve with cream custard or ice.cream.

Estonian Black Bread is fermented Rye bread. My Sister s recipe

If you're looking for a minced meat sauce recipe, try out this amazing Estonian version with south cream! It is delicious, tangy, and mouthwatering.

Asi on halb. Minust on saanud truudusemurdja. Ma nimelt ei pidanud midagi niisugust üleüldse võimalikuks – jätan koogi külmkappi ja ise hiilin salakohtingule pardikoibade või aeglaselt küpse…

Here's my entry for the 10th installment of Waiter, there is something in my ... (WTISIM) foodblogging event, a brainchild of three fabulous British foodbloggers Johanna, Jeanne and Andrew. This month's edition is hosted by Andrew, who has asked us to send in our recipes for LAYERED CAKES. I decided to try meekook or a layered honey cake that is available in most cake shops and is a popular birthday table option. It consists of six thin cake layers and six simple sweetened sour cream layers. Our layers were slightly thicker than we expected them to be, but the taste was exactly right. Enjoy! MEEKOOK aka Estonian Honey Cake* (Meetort) Serves 12-16 Honey cake layers: 3 Tbsp honey 200 g (250 ml/1 cup) caster sugar 3 large eggs 2 tsp baking soda/bicarbonate of soda 360 g plain flour (600 ml) Between layers: 1 kg sour cream 85 g (100 ml) caster sugar Whisk eggs until pale and thick. Heat honey and sugar in a large saucepan. When it's about to boil, remove from the heat and add the whisked eggs, stirring until combined. Add baking soda and stir again. Add flour gradually, mixing until combined. Put aside to cool completely! Divide the dough into six equal parts (it's easiest to do it by rolling it into a cylinder and then cutting into six pieces). Take six sheets of baking/parchment paper, dust very slightly with flour. On a slightly floured parchment paper, form each piece of dough into a ball and then roll out into a 24 cm circles. Bake one dough circle at the time for 5 minutes in the middle of a 225 C oven until dark golden. Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking paper. Layer five baked circles with the sour cream on a cake stand, covering also the top cake circle. Crush the sixth cake circle in a food processor and sprinkle on the top layer of sour cream. Place into the fridge for 6 hours or overnight. Here are links to my previous Waiter there is something in my ... entries: September 2007 (SAVOURY PRESERVE): Gooseberry Chutney August 2007 (MEATLESS BBQ): Roasted onions with blue cheese. July 2007 (SAUCES): Munakaste alias my grandma Senta's egg & smoked ham sauce. June 2007 (DUMPLINGS): Vareniki dumplings with curd cheese filling, served with home-made apricot jam & pistachios. May 2007 (STUFFED VEGETABLES): Stuffed tomatoes with two types of salad - cod liver salad & cucumber and wild garlic salad. April 2007 (BREAD): a traditional Estonian quick mushroom bread, Seenekarask. March 2007 (EASTER BASKET): a selection of various Easter delights. February 2007 (PIE): a great Russian puff pastry and fish pie, Salmon Kulebyaka. January 2007 (STEW): my version (in collaboration with Anthony Bourdain:) of the French classic Boeuf Bourguignon.

Alexander cake, March 2011, dyed with sea-buckthorn juice concentrate I'm dedicating February to various Estonian recipes, so if you've travelled to Estonia and want a specific recipe or two, let me know. Aleksandrikook aka Alexander cake has been requested here on Nami-Nami on several occasions, so it's about time to listen to my dear readers and post a recipe :) To start with, Alexander cake is not actually Estonian in its origin, even though it's rather popular here and found in many traditional coffee and pastry shops. Our Nordic neighbours, Finns, claim the cake as their own. But then I've even come across recipes for Alexander cake in Latvian cookbooks, so it's popular in all over the North-Eastern corner of Europe. Apparently its history goes back to 1814 or 1818, depending on your sources, when Alexander I of Russia, the reigning czar, visited Helsinki, and was served this concoction on his birthday. The cake is mentioned in Kullo manor's ledger books from 1819-1821. By 1850s, the cakes were sold in Café Ekberg (they still are, gorgeously pink in colour and sandwiched with apple spread). In principle, it's a simple cake. Two layers of shorcrust pastry, sandwiched with thick raspberry (or other) jam, and topped with simple icing. However, as one talented Estonian food blogger has written somewhere, it's actually a tricky cake to do well. First, it's important not to overmix the pastry, as it won't have the right texture. It's important to roll out the pastry evenly, as otherwise it won't bake evenly. To lift one cake layer on top of the other is tricky as well - if you're unlucky, it'll break apart. If you're making this in a cafeteria, then you'll need to cut perfectly even-sized rectangles, and the glaze needs to be pretty and pink (or cocoa-brown, if you're opting for the cocoa glaze). NOTE: this should be baked and put together a day before serving, otherwise it'll be too dry and crumbly! Alexander cake, September 2009, dyed with fresh black aronia juice and white chocolate I've included some links to Estonian and Finnish foodbloggers that have written about the cake - you'll find them at the end of this post. Alexander cake (Aleksandrikook) Cuts into 12 rectangles Alexander cake, March 2011, dyed with sea-buckthorn juice concentrate Pastry layers: 125 g caster sugar (150 ml) 300 g all-purpose flour (500 ml, about 2 cups) 1 tsp baking powder 200 g butter, at room temperature 1 egg Filling: 250 ml (1 cup) thick raspberry jam Glaze: 250 g icing sugar/confectioners sugar (about 400 ml) 3-4 Tbsp raspberry or black aronia juice Make the pastry by mixing all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add the butter, and using your fingers for mixing, mix until you've got large crumbs. Add the egg and quickly mix the pastry until it comes together. Take a parchment paper that fits your baking sheet. Place the pastry on top of the paper and using a slightly floured rolling pin, roll the pastry to fit the baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 175C/350F oven until dry and light golden brown (about 20 minutes). Take out from the oven, and cut into two even-sized rectangles (the final cake will be half the size of your baking sheet). Cool lightly.* Spread the jam over one shortcake base. Then very carefully lift the other shortcake layer on top of the one covered with jam. Cut into squares (but don't separate the pieces) and leave to cool completely. Make the glaze by mixing some colourful juice into the icing sugar until you've got a runny sugar glaze. Pour and spread that over the cake pieces and leave to set. * Note that there is an alternative way of baking this cake - you'll sandwich two shortcake layers together with jam BEFORE baking (obviously you'll need to bake it a bit longer then). I've never tried this version. Alexander cake, March 2011, dyed with sea-buckthorn juice concentrate Fancy more? Here are some links to other foodbloggers' posts about Alexander cake - these give you a good idea about the different ways of glazing the cake. ESTONIAN BLOGGERS: Aniitram (a classic cocoa frosting and white frosting, zigzag pattern), MARU (Estonian designer and food writer), Qsti, Ragne, Liina, Sille FINNISH BLOGGERS: Kinuskikissa (one of the most popular Finnish foodbloggers, she used a cappuccino-flavoured glaze), Jaana, Sarppu (apple version), Maija (she uses marzipan in the filling!). LATVIAN BLOGGERS: Zitinja

Medical Medium: Estonian Stew - now at www.medicalmedium.com

Con l’Abbecedario Culinario della Comunità Europea facciamo tappa in Estonia. Tra i piatti della cucina estone ho scelto i Pirukad dei fagottini ripieni che vengono serviti come aperitivi, o come stuzzichini nei kohvilaud o come antipasto nei pranzi. Possono essere di impasti diversi: di pasta frolla (muretainas), di pasta sfoglia (lehetainas) o di pasta lievitata (Pärmitainas); quest’ultima è la più popolare. Il ripieno può essere di: cavoli, carote, funghi, pesce, riso ecc. ma da quanto ho capito quello tradizionale è di carne cotta (Liha) che può essere arrosto, stufata o bollita. Per i miei pikurad ho preso spunto liberamente da qui, dove utilizza la pasta lievitata (Pärmitainas) la cui ricetta è tratta da un libro di Karin Annus Kärner Estonian Tastes And Traditions. Mentre per il ripieno ho scelto il cavolo verza condito con cipolla e carota che ho unito alla carne di manzo dello stracotto. Per la ricetta originale rimando - qui - Ingredienti per 15 pirukad: Per l’impasto (Pärmitainas): 250 g circa di farina 0 (150 farina 0 - 100 g Manitoba) 56 g di burro fuso 90 ml di latte riscaldato 30 ml di acqua tiepida 5 g di zucchero semolato 3 g di lievito di birra secco o 9 g di lievito di birra fresco 1 uovo pizzico di cardamomo macinato pizzico di sale Per il ripieno: 200 g di cavolo verza 1 carota 1 cipolla borettana olio extra vergine di oliva sale pepe nero 100 g circa di carne di manzo cotta (io stracotto) Preparazione: In un bicchiere si versa l’acqua tiepida (i 30 ml), il lievito e il pizzico di zucchero, si gira e si lascia riposare per 5-6 minuti per farlo attivare. In un altro bicchiere si sbatte l’uovo. In una ciotola capiente si versa il burro fuso, il latte riscaldato, il pizzico di sale, di zucchero, il cardamomo e metà dell’uovo (il resto si conserva in frigorifero). Si mescola il tutto, si aggiunge il lievito e pian piano s’incorpora la farina (se occorre si aggiunge altra farina). Si trasferisce il composto sulla spianatoia e s’impasta energicamente per almeno 15 minuti, fino ad avere un impasto consistente morbido ed elastico. Si dà la forma di una palla, si mette in una capiente ciotola unta di olio extra vergine di oliva e si copre con un panno. Si lascia a lievitare nel forno spento fino al raddoppio. Nel frattempo si prepara il ripieno. Si taglia a pezzetti la carota, la cipolla e il cavolo verza. In un’ampia padella si mette l’olio extra vergine di oliva, si uniscono le verdure e si fanno appassire per 8-10 minuti, si sala e si pepa. Poi si aggiunge la carne cotta finemente tagliata, quasi tritata. Si fa insaporire il tutto. Si lascia raffreddare (Il ripieno deve essere freddo). Passato il tempo di lievitazione, si prende l’impasto si stende una sfoglia di 5 millimetri circa di spessore e si formano dei cerchi con uno stampo, non deve essere grande (io 9 cm). Su ogni cerchio si mette un po’ di ripieno e si chiude a mezzaluna, si sigillano bene i bordi di chiusura. Si dispongono i pirukad su una placca da forno rivestita di carta forno; si spennellano con parte dell’uovo sbattuto messo da parte. Si mettono nel forno caldo a 190° C per 20-25 minuti; fino a doratura. Con questa ricetta partecipo alla raccolta dell'Abbecedario Culinario della Comunità Europea per la cucina dell’Estonia ospitato dal blog Cafe Lynnylu

With hearty staples, tender meats, and plenty of European influence, Estonian food packs so much warmth and comfort in every bite.

I've got a problem with most oat cookie recipes I come across. They are way too complicated and contain way too many ingredients, whereas I ...

Hello, all! Welcome back to those of you following, and welcome to those who are visiting for the first time! This week we’re visiting Estonia! Now this is a country I knew next to nothing ab…

Estonian cuisine is a part of the broader Northern European cuisine. Here we introduce some unique foods you must try when visiting Estonia!

Exciting hot pink potato salad made with a combo of potatoes, roasted beets and a tangy yogurt-mustard dressing.

February 2012 It's Shrove Tuesday today, and I'm sharing a traditional Estonian Shrove Tuesday recipe with you. You'll need exactly three ingredients - pearl barley, smoked pork and water (and some salt to taste, if necessary). Cheap, simple, filling, flavoursome, and surprisingly delicious :) You'll need a good chunk of smoked pork - ribs are perfect, though I've often used a fattier smoked cheek. This particular piece of meat is called maasuitsuribi (country-smoked ribs) in Estonian: Note that this porridge reheats rather well - just slowly warm it until piping hot on your frying pan. I like to serve this with some sour cream. Barley Porridge with Smoked Pork (Vastlapuder) Serves four to six 200 g smoked pork (rib, cheek or thickly cut bacon) 175 g pearl barley, rinsed and drained 1 l boiling water salt, to taste Cut the smoked pork into dice: Fry the pork cubes in a heavy saucepan over moderately high heat, until browned and slightly crispened. (Drain off the excess oil, if necessary - various cuts of pork are rather different. Leave about a tablespoon or two of pork fat). Add the pearl barley and sauté for about a minute, stirring. Add the boiling water. Reduce heat, cover the pan with a lid. Simmer on a low heat for about an hour, stirring couple of times, until the barley is just ever so lightly al dente (you don't want it to go too mushy). Taste for seasoning, add some salt, if necessary. February 2008 MORE DELICIOUS SHROVE TUESDAY RECIPES @ NAMI-NAMI: Yellow split pea soup with smoked pork Traditional lenten buns Lenten buns with raspberries and marzipan Chocolate-y lenten buns

UPDATE 1.9.2007: You can read Johanna's round-up here! My dear blog friend Johanna is hosting the latest round of Sugar High Friday, and the theme is local specialities. There are plenty of typical Estonian cakes and desserts I could write about, but considering that I have recently posted kama promotion packs* to some lovely bloggers across the world, I thought it would be appropriate to give the recipients some tips for using that funny Estonian roasted meal mixture consisting of boiled, roasted and ground peas, rye, barley and wheat. I've written thoroughly about kama here, and shared recipes for kama mousse with season's berries, and boozy kama & mascarpone truffles before. I think it's time to move on and give you the recipe for the authentic way of eating kama. Well, semi-authentic. Adding sugar to kama is a 20th century thing. The really 'authentic' way of eating kama would be without sugar and accompanied with bread and salted sprats, or perhaps humble sandwiches. That's not how most Estonians think of kama nowadays, however, to whom kama drink as described below is more familiar and rather popular summer fare.. I understand it's tricky to replicate, as you need both a kama mixture and a fermented milk product (kefir or buttermilk or sour milk) for making this, both of which aren't so easily available. I guess thin plain drinking yogurt would work, too. Kama, the traditional Estonian summer drink/dessert (Kama, traditsioonilisel moel) Serves 1 250 ml kefir, sour milk or buttermilk 2 Tbsp kama mixture 2 Tbsp sugar a pinch of salt Mix all ingredients, let stand in the fridge for 10 minutes, then garnish with berries (I've used Alpine strawberries from my container garden), bilberry syrup (see photo here) or go all modern with a drizzle of chocolate sauce (top). Serve. Kama can either be eaten with a small spoon, or drunk straight from the cup. Use more or less kama mixture, depending on your preferences. * Kama Promotion Packs consist of a 400 g packet of kama flour, a bag of kama breakfast cereal, a bar of kama 'chocolate' and a packet of kama 'Tootsie rolls'. Contact me if you're interested in trying it - I'm happy to send it to you, though I've decided to charge P&P from now on.

Are you visiting Estonia and don't know what to eat? Check our complete guide and first hand impressions on the top traditional Estonian food.

The Classics “pirukad” by Aivar Ruukel is licensed under CC BY 2.0. 1. Pirukad Pirukad (sing. Pirukas) are filled Estonian dumplings. Large pirukas are traditionally filled with cabbage, meat, and carrots. And small pirukas can contain different fillings. For example, meat, ham, cabbage, rice, mushrooms, and carrots. “Delicious Russian Salad served on the plate” by wuestenigel is licensed under CC BY […]

Klassikaline veiseliharoog, mis on väga populaarne ka Lätis (sīpolklopsis). Serveeri keedetud kartulite ja hautatud aedviljadega. Hästi sobib lihaveise antrekoot, ent ka välisfilee. Ühte õiget sibulaklopsi tuleb serveerida ohtra praetud sibulaga!

Tõenäoliselt mõlgub postituse pealkirjaks olev lausejupp praegu paljude peas. Ütlematagi on selge, et selle õhtu toit on eestimaine: kas siin kasvatatud või valmistatud. Eestimaa põllud, farmid, ta…