Latvia is having a birthday next week, and I cannot think of many other occasions that could warrant making a lavish cake with delicate hazelnut meringue...
False hare and cucumber salad
Commonly known in Latvia as “Viltotais zaķis” (literally False hare, also known as Falscher Hase), and everywhere else in the world as a meatloaf, it is...
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...
Tomato salad
Tomato salad, especially when made with homegrown heirloom tomatoes, is one of my favourite summer comfort foods; it is unpretentious, yet satisfying. The best part always...
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...
Milk vegetable soup
Milk vegetable soup (piena dārzeņu zupa) is a must have for summer when carrots, potatoes, peas and cabbage are just coming in season. But really, it...
Fish in Carrot and Tomato Sauce
Recently I got an email from Lidija in Sydney. She wrote that growing up as a kid and teenager she would have a particular fish and...
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...