You don't have to walk many supermarket isles to get in a cultural appropriation huff if you are that way inclined, so it's surprising and unfair he get's this much heat. I think some people really need to chill a bit.

But if you disagree feel free to sue me for putting moose in a pastitsio, reindeer in a biryani and generally doing things to rice that should never be done to rice. Ask husband and he will testify. "Prison food" he will say brandishing his rice cooker. (He doesn't understand the concept of risotto, but only recognises middle-eastern style fluffy rice. He can be such a ricist sometimes.) Or how about the Mexican moose lasagne or Greek moose burgers. Did I manage to appropriate several cultures in one swift culinary move. How about smoked reindeer gnocchi anyone. Or is that more about just food murder than appropriation.

As a representative of a very small and historically continuously oppressed nation I might not be qualified to appropriate anyway. But let's go with this.

Coconut rice with spring onion and crayfish

I have called my lamb kleftiko "authentic" which of course it is not. I put a bit of lime and coriander in something and call it Mexican. Never even been to Mexico. A few weeks ago I made "jerk chicken" using a ready spice mix and cooked the meat in the oven instead of a fire pit or oil drum. I won't even mention the rasta pasta which probably thoroughly offended an entire religion let alone a food culture.

Which makes me think, is it cultural appropriation for a white girl to have rasta hair? Or how much cultural appropriation is at this very moment happening in Notting Hill. But I will stick to food - otherwise this will get too complicated.

And there are more more Jerk related sins I need to get off my chest. Last weekend I made jerk salmon. If there had been a labour MP around they would have been able to tell me that salmon is a cold water fish and not acceptable to combine with the word jerk. I'm lucky that our guest with Jamaican roots, a very dear friend and a wonderful person, understood my good intentions of making him feel welcome and appreciated by using tastes and spices that might appeal to him. We all often like smells and tastes that we have grown up with, was my thinking. To gild my cultural appropriation lily I served the jerk salmon with coconut and crayfish rice and a green salad with mango.
The difference here is of course, I am not making money from my food experiments and enjoyment of tastes and inspiration from around our wonderful world. Sadly envy and resentment enter when a boy from Essex gets a bit too successful for the general liking.

Mango green salad with a lime dressing

I wish all the best to poor Jamie, who seems to just rub some people the wrong way whatever he does. As for me, I will continue with my scandalous ways, I will cook the jerk salmon again, because it was really good, I will put reindeer and moose wherever the hell I like and will continue to experiment with ideas and flavours from around our beautiful world which none of us own.

So here is the recipe with a self made totally unauthentic jerk mix, but feel free to use a ready made one, some of them are really good. And of course barbecuing the salmon will only make it more lovely.


Culturally inappropriate appropriated jerk salmon with love and respect to the wonderful Caribbean inspiration on the flavours of the culinary world


Side of salmon
3 tbsp jerk spice mix
1-2 tsp dried thyme
Zest of a lime or lemon
Vegetable oil
Salt

Debone the fish and pat dry with a paper kitchen towel. Season with the jerk seasoning, dried thyme and a little bit of salt, be careful as there is some salt in the jerk mix. Zest a lemon or a lime on top of the fillet and drizzle with some oil. Bake for 25-30 minute or until the salmon is done. Serve with anything you think appropriate and don't worry about people who are ready to judge you.

Jerk seasoning mix (as per Jo Cooks):

1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp garlic powder
2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp ground allspice
2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tbsp dried parsley

The other complaint from my otherwise adventurous entourage were the numerous mosquitoes, bees and horseflies. The warm summer has been kind to our bitey and stingy little friends. I don't mind them that much, if I feel someone biting me I just kill it, won't scratch the bite and that's it. But apparently that is not a viable strategy, much arm flailing and little-girly screaming, endless scratching and crying over the bites must ensue. The kids came up with a theory that the insects prefer fresh foreign flesh and blood and don't touch us natives. That is not the case I informed them, it's just that we have manned up and don't howl and wail about it incessantly.

And proof of this was my dad who was bitten by something at the lunch table in the garden. He was lunching in the normal Finnish holiday outfit - a pair of swimming trunks from the 1970s. We call them his phantom pants, see below why. So dad was feeling something untoward on his belly and smacked the poor beast dead with one smooth move. Judging by the mess on his belly the insect had clearly managed to already export quite a bit of blood from him. Dad just wiped away the mess with his napkin and continued slurping down his salmon soup while kids slightly hysterically laughed at the bloodshed.

Separated at birth.

So the first of our awesome culinary treats to be featured in the blog has to be this sauteed reindeer soup. My cousin and his husband had invited us for lunch and served this as a starter followed by smoked salmon with lots of different sauces and dips and salads.



I have never had this version of a reindeer soup before and asked my cousin's husband who was the brains behind this soup for detailed instructions. I had to try it immediately when we got back home. Luckily I had both reindeer meat and smoked reindeer cheese in the freezer. I am never knowingly understocked in Arctic goodies.

The soup turned out fantastic although the potatoes apparently were the wrong shape. Our hosts had actually gone to the trouble of shaping the new potatoes to resemble the Lappish small oval Puikula-tatties. I am an industrious wife, but it seems this is were I draw the line.

Sauteed reindeer soup

Rapeseed oil (or butter for taste)
1 onion, chopped
400g reindeer (thinly sliced)
water (about 4 cups in total)
1 stock cube / pot (game or beef)
6-7 potatoes, peeled and cubed
2-3 carrots, cleaned and cubed
Salt
Black pepper
150 g smoked reindeer cheese (or Philadelphia cheese)
Sour cream (optional - I added a couple of tablespoons)
2 tbsp fresh flat leaf parsley - chopped

Heat the oil in a frying pan and saute the chopped onion. Add the thinly sliced meat and brown lightly. Pull the meat apart while frying, so you end up with very small pieces.

Pour the meat and onion mix into a deep sauce pan, add enough water to cover. Add the stock pot, salt and pepper. Bring to boil and let simmer until meat is really tender, around 30-45 minutes.

Add the potatoes and carrots and enough water to cover the ingredients. Cook until the vegetables are done, about 15 min.

Add the cheese and sour cream if using. Mix well until the cheese has melted. Check seasoning and sprinkle with the parsley.

Serve with toasted dark rye bread and butter.