A delectable look at Finnish cuisine
"Simply Scandinavian - Travelling in Time with Finnish Cuisine and Nature" by Tero Kallio and Kimmo Saira is a feast for the eyes and the stomach. The authors claim to take readers on a journey of two dimensions: tastes and time. Boy, do they succeed.
The gorgeous photography sets off the more than 40 recipes included in the book. Kallio and Saira divide the recipes by season, and further by appetizers, main courses and desserts, with accompanying photos of the recipes and Finnish scenery. The authors point out that "Simply Scandinavian" is a picture book and that the recipes, some of which combine the old and new, are mostly Finnish dishes with a smidgeon of Italian, Russian and other cuisines thrown in.
Readers will learn how to prepare dishes of reindeer, rabbit, salmon, crayfish, beef, lamp, cep mushrooms and more. I did have to look up some of the ingredients in the recipes because I was unfamiliar with them. With each recipe, the authors recommend a beverage ranging from pinot noir to champagne to cold milk to specialty drinks, etc. One of the recipes that sounds interesting is reindeer with cloudberries. I would like to try that someday if I were to visit Finland. Some of the dessert and drink recipes like the rhubarb smoothie and blueberry cheese-cake I may attempt to create at home.
In sum, "Simply Scandinavian" is a breathtaking picture book that readers will enjoy for both the recipes and photography. I recommend it wholeheartedly.