Mid-winter sliding festival lunch

Today in Finland we celebrated the Shrove Tuesday (also known as Pancake Day) by sliding down snowy hills with our bairns and our neighbours. Yes, it is Sunday today and not Tuesday. Don't ask me why we celebrate this on Sunday.

Cook some Estonian pelmenis in boiling water with some broccoli for 4–6 minutes.

Simultaneously fry in butter a chopped shallot, couple of gloves of garlic, some bacon and small scallops. Season with white pepper.

When the pelmenis are ready, pour away the cooking water and mix together the pelmenis & broccoli and bacon & scallops on frying pan. Sprinkle some finely chopped parsley on top for garnish and taste.

As it was Pancake Day, I improvised an oven chestnut-pancake with pine kernels and raisins.

Mix 3–4 eggs, 2 dl of wheat flour, 3/4 dl of chestnut flour, 2 dl cream, 6–8 dl milk, 1/2 dl of sugar, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, 1teaspoon of vanilla sugar. Let the batter sit for 2–4 hours in room temperature before baking it. Pour the batter on a buttered oven tray and sprinkle over pine kernels and raisins and bake in 180–200 degree Celsius oven for 25–30 minutes, or until the pancake is chestnut brown. Adjust the recipe according to your dynamic capabilities.

Cut round shapes with cookie cutter and serve with fig jam. Mmmm, the smell of chestnuts was delightful, and oh yes, I am going to prepare this again!!!