Welcome to a quiet afternoon in my kitchen. There is a specific kind of melancholy that is part of the expat life. Every time I pack my bags to leave my home country, Finland, and head back to Prague, the transition feels a little bittersweet. When homesickness hits, I no longer try to fight it, but embrace it instead. Today I'm cooking my way back home with three traditional Finnish recipes: classic blueberry pie (Mustikkapiirakka), creamy and comforting salmon soup (Lohikeitto) and a dense coastal archipelago bread (Saaristolaisleipä). Whether you are here to cook along, or simply looking for a peaceful companion video to keep you company while you study, work or unwind, I invite you to step inside, let the world slow down for a while. CHAPTERS 0:00 Golden Finnish sunset and the expat dilemma 2:25 Baking blueberry pie (Mustikkapiirakka) 7:20 Cooking salmon soup (Lohikeitto) 12:40 Lunch 18:32 Baking archipelago bread (Saaristolaisleipä) RECIPES FROM THE VIDEO 1. Blueberry Pie (Mustikkapiirakka) Crust 100 g butter 1 dl (88 g) sugar 1 egg 1 dl (50 g) rye flour 1.5 dl (75 g) wheat flour 1 tsp baking powder pinch of grated lime zest/vanilla sugar or cardamom (optional) Cream the sugar and softened butter. Add the egg and continue beating. Mix the baking powder and some of the spices with the flour. Fold the flour into the egg-sugar-butter mixture. Press the dough into a pie pan. Filling 300 g wild blueberries 200 g sour cream dl (66 g) sugar 1 tsp vanilla sugar 1 egg Sprinkle the blueberries over the pie crust. (If using frozen blueberries, add 1 tablespoon of potato flour to the blueberries) Mix the sugar, sour cream and egg in a bowl. Season with vanilla sugar. Pour the sour cream mixture over the blueberries. Bake the pie on the bottom shelf of the oven at 200°C for about 30 minutes, until the edges are nicely browned. Let the pie cool before serving. Serve as is or with vanilla ice cream! 2. Salmon soup (Lohikeitto) Ingredients: 400 g fresh salmon (skin removed and cubed) 5-6 medium potatoes (cubed) 1 large leek or onion (sliced) 1 litre of water 2 fish stock cubes 2 dl of heavy cream 2 tbsp butter Allspice, salt and black pepper Bunch of fresh dill Instructions: Melt the butter and gently saute the sliced leeks or onion in a pot. Pour the water in the pot and let it simmer. Add stock cubes. Then add the cubed potatoes and spices. 3. Cook until potatoes are fork-tender. While potatoes are cooking, cube the salmon. Turn the heat down and add the cream and salmon in the pot. Let it gently simmer for 4-5 minutes until the salmon is just cooked through (do not boil). Remove from heat, stir the entire mountain of chopped fresh dill in te soup and let it sit covered for 5 minutes before serving. 3. Archipelago bread (Saaristolaisleipä) 2 loafs Ingredients: 1 litre of buttermilk 75 g yeast 3 dl (450 g) dark sirup (or molasses) 3 dl (100 g) beer malt 3 dl ( 100 g) oatmeal flakes (wheat bran in the original recipe) 3 dl (150 g) rye flour 10 dl (600 g) wheat flour 1 tbsp salt Mix one tbsp of syrup with a small glass of water. This will be poured over the top of the bread towards the end of their time in the oven. Heat the buttermilk to hand temperature (to activate the yeast). Then break the yeast and pour it in the buttermilk. Work the yeast into the buttermilk with your clean hands to make sure it properly dissolves. Pour the syrup and salt in the batter. Add all the other ingredients and mix with a wooden fork or spoon. Do not kneed. Butter two bread tins or line them with baking parchment and pour the dough in the tins. Let them rise under a tea towel for 1.5 hours. Preheat the oven to 175°C and bake the loafs for two hours. Note! After 1.5 hours of baking, gently pour the syrup water on the loafs using a spoon and keep baking them in the oven for another 30 minutes. After taking the loafs out of the oven let them cool down properly and store them in a cool place. They are best served 2-3 days after baking.