Those who have visited Latvia know that there is more than one way to fill a pīrāgs. Bacon (or speck) and onion is the traditional way,...
Pork aspic (Galerts)
Recipe #20 in my 1920ies cookbook “Vārīšanas un cepšanas māksla” is Suckling Pig Aspic (Sivēna galerts). The original recipe leaves a lot of room for imagination:...
Lilac Ice Tea
Last year I happened to be in Riga when the lilacs (ceriņi) were in full bloom. The scent and cloud like blooms is one of the...
Herb dip (Zaļā mērce)
Herb dip or green sauce (zaļā mērce) may not be a very traditional or common Latvian recipe, however, it is made from truly Latvian ingredients –...
Honey on rye bread (Rupjmaize ar medu)
A memory… Thick slice of rye bread, soft butter, and sweet, golden honey… Complemented with a glass of milk…...
Garlic Bread (Ķiploku grauzdiņi)
Latvian garlic bread is not your regular white bread smeared with garlic herb butter and eaten as entree before pizza. Latvian garlic bread is made from...
Pickled cucumbers
I once wrote that Latvians would pickle, marinate or otherwise preserve anything that grows (or breathes). While summer is in full bloom and gardens and markets...
Yeast pancakes
Yeast pancakes with mixed berry jam and sour cream used to be (and probably still are) dessert staple in Latvian schools. They are more time consuming...
Beef turnovers
Beef turnovers (buljona pīrādziņi, literally “broth pies”) are distant cousins of popular bacon pies (pīrāgi); they are more delicate and slightly more time consuming. Nevertheless, they...