| | X-mas wayting with Cooking
Wednesday, 20 December 2006 09:30:08 EET | | |
| | I suffered quite a flu started on friday evening and I´m still a bit convalescend. Not nice at all. I DID got sick leave for couple of days but this flu was so angry that there were no possibilities to enjoy the day offs...
 On last saturday we did the home made kebab, döner version to be more specific. Originally I choose the recipe from the net among the not_so_many_kebab_recipes available, most of them commented by the experimenters f.ex. as "I cannot made it, the result was meat loaf" etc. The original recipe convinced me because of couple of details that I will also point out later on. Otherwice I took the recipe, twist it, smash it, etc. which means that this particular recipe is quite heavily modified what comes to raw materials. The original recipe (in Finnish) is to be find from here
So here it is;
Döner Kebab a´la Marko.
400 grams of mincemeat of a pig
500 grams of mincemeat of a lamb
(around) 1 - 1,5 kg of mincemeat of a moose
around 70 grams of aroma-salt (or herbal-salt. Hmm, I really do not know what this is in english...)
around one tablespoon of sea salt
around 2 brimful teaspoons of chili powder
around 2 brimful teaspoons of chayenne powder
around one decilitre of pepper-mix
around one brimful tablespoon of black pepper.
4 cloves of garlic
1; Crush the garlic into the large bowl and
2; Throw all other raw materials into the bowl as well.
3; Start to bind.
4; Bind
5; Bind
Meanwhile you´re binding I´ll explain this one a bit more in detail. You should put your hands into the bowl, compress the pastry with your hands, press it with your wrist... You should continue at least 20 minutes which means your biceps and shoulders will be in pain with lactic acid. At least if you´re standard office worker. You have to remember that we are NOT trying to do meat loaf, what we are DOING is kebab. You should try to "knead" all "air bubbles" away from the pastry. So...
6; Bind
Enough Binding? Are you sure? Ok then...
7; Take a large piece of aluminium foil.
8; Put the pastry onto the foil and mould the shape of "elephant leg" around 15 cm in diameter.
9; Wrap the "leg" TIGHTLY in the foil.
10; Check that the packet is TIGHT
11; Put the packet into wire tray into the oven heated to 120 degrees of celcius
12; Roast 2,5 hours.
13; Perforate the foil with fork. Around... 6 - 7 prick is enough.
14;Turn the packet pinholes (you just made) downwards.
15; Continue roasting...
BTW; You DID remember to put some kind of tin pan below the wire tray before you re-assembled the kebab packet into oven? I hope you did...
16; After 2 hours (or 4,5 total) turn the packet one more time, now pinholes upwards.
17;Roast half an hour
18; Wait at least 15 minutes before open the packet
19; Slice
20; Add your favorite accompaniments and enjoy...
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| | Ancient Myths
Friday, 15 December 2006 11:21:44 EET | | |
| |  On yesterday I was in theatre with my beloved one to watch the spectacle based on the life of Elias Lönnrot and our national epic "Kalevala". I have to admit I visit once in a blue moon in theatre, which is quite sad situation, but the lack of time... (explanations, explanations). This particular drama was constructed quite nicely, it was the mix of facta (The life of our national poet with its conflicts) and epic. Some might think that that kind of performance is... heavy... whic it also was at least in somebodys point of view for in interval some of the audience left away. But me like it. And of course it all ended like the Kalevala ends, Väinämöinen (the BIG guy of Kalevala...) kind of promiced to return from exile when the Kalevala would really need him again.
The REASON for the exile (will not explain it here...) gives me a good pons asinis (bridge of monkey) to allways current subject; Religion. First of all, I have nothing against religions or homosexuals so long that they (religion or gay) do not disturb me. And it is needless to say I have nothing against women (as long they do not think they are better than me JUST FOR THE REASON THEY ARE WOMEN). Second thing, personally I am not member of ANY religious community, I am agnostic. And third one, when I write about religion in this particular case I mean Christianity.
But... Okay, I run a little bit late to blog the first one, priesthood. I am not QUITE sure what the bible actually says about the women and the priesthood but at least some books banned it. And it´s good to write something about women to collect the anger from catepillar-tread-feminists (dunnot know if this is merely idom in the Finnish language...) *wirn*
But the second one. Homosexuals. That is strictly banned by the bible. Now I have heard that some celebrity-couples at least in USA are in some kind of marriage strike because homosexuals are not allowed to get married and also here in finland that particular minority (homosexuals, not celebrities...) are fighting louder and louder for this right. Here is some kind of paradox I cannot decode. Do they really think that one religion HAVE to accept something that are NOT allowed by the religion? I mean that religion is RELIGION. If one religion do not accept something IT DO NOT ACCEPT IT. PERIOD.
There is thousands of religions from which to choose, go ahead and choose the one that ACCEPT your way of life. Or establish own one f.ex like "The Church Of Good Wank" (which is by the way trademarked by one of my friend so you cannot establish one with that particular name... and I hope I will not be charged by using that in my blog ). But do not be so fucking stupid that you think you can require to re-write the bible. Or Kalevala. Or any other book that have been written long ago before you were born. If one religion based on some particular book, it IS based on that and it is YOU who just have to accept THAT.
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| | 89 and still red-blooded?
Thursday, 07 December 2006 08:28:57 EET | | |
| |  We spent the independence day of Finland yesterday. Last year I blogged some of my thoughts and I´ll continue from that. On this week the parliament of Finland accepted the constitution law of European Union. They accept the law that can never come into operation. The law can never come into operation for the reason that they have reject that in France and in some other countries and most of the cases they have reject it by REFERENDUM! I will not write again about all the scam we had incurred for, you can read something from last year, but this particular "acception" was (again) all-inclusive mockery against the independence of Finland by our representatives.
The EU has started to annoying me in earnest lately. The reason for that is the issue with wolves of Finland. The FACT is that we have enough those animals in our country BUT for they have allready killed all from Central Europe and they do not have to fear those anymore in THEIR backyards they FUCKERS put us up in consideration of charges. They FUCKERS put us up in consideration of charges for giving shooting licence for couple of stalkers that endanger reindeer management as means of livelihood for some reindeer farmers. Shooting licence for couple of stalkers that endanger reindeer management AND put the way to school for some children in danger in eastern finland. OF COURSE they had the licence to kill the only bear happened to stray into Germany after aeons but we should not kill even the dangerous individuals in our country. OUR country.
Do they think in brussels and in Central Europe that they´re able to fence this country as some kind of zoo where they can visit to make some predatory safari during their hollidays and that we natives will be some kind of predatory farmers destined simply for their pleasure? WHICH reminds me one of the "nice details" from history; Hitler had the plans to relegate Finns as a sheepman to somewhere, cannot recall in where, after the war. Coincidence or continuum of Brown-shirt (or should we say in this particular case; Brown-skirt) politics?
Until further notice we DO have our own constitution law in force with the article of freedom of expression (Section 12). This particular human right has been topical due to plenty of reasons lately. Of course also in Finland there is some special osccasions that might confine, as example human relationships might affect ( the old joke of exhange of thoughts; man and woman went into the room to exhange of thoughts and man come out with womans thought...), the industrial relations legislation might as well... BUT the point is that those confines are totally uncolicited and selectable BY INDIVIDUAL. Of course somebody might think that the hunger is tried and tested intimidater but still it is not the law or governance that restrict.
What we have to remember that the freedom is the sword with two edges, it also entail the onus...
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| | Consummatum est
Monday, 04 December 2006 12:13:31 EET | | |
| | Moose hunting season for me for this year is over. The hunting group still continues for one weekend (and intependence day on wednesday) but I´ll skip the last days. No drama behind that decision I just spend my "free days" I have not use and will lead the weekend alone with my beloved one for it is quite long since we had possibility to do so. The hunting season continues for this winter however, I´ll go to hunt roe deers on couple of weekends on January, but more ´bout that later if there will be some success.
The "summer time" continues in Ostrobothnia with rain and with temperature from +5 to +10 degrees of Celsius. I do not know if the current weather is accordant with EU directives but it seems that we have the winter of Central European at the moment. I just hate this, I need some snow and frost.
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| | Ghosts and seascapes
Monday, 27 November 2006 09:31:26 EET | | |
| | First of all I have to accentuate this; I do not believe in ghosts. I do like ghost stories and one of the latest books I have bought is "Pieni Kummituskirja" which is in english somewhat "Little book of Ghosts" includes the folktales about the ghost from Finland beyound the years. Albeit I like ghost stories I do not believe in them. However I saw one on saturday small hours.
We drove to cottage on late friday evening and made the bed to the front of the fireplace instead went to bedroom to sleep. It was the first time we do this despite we have planned that for long (quite romantic to watch the fire until you sleep...). But now I might be in the wilderness so back to the ghost story...
I awake from asleep (nothing unusual here, I do it every now and then) and saw that it is still pitch dark (no need to wake up yet) when suddenly... A light like from the matchstick or lighter... or perhaps more like from the candle... enlighted the figure of upper body... slim, bold, withered... in the window side of the sofa of the cottage... turn its head slowly from left to right to left to right like it would have search for something. Then as quickly as appeared the light flake out and blackness descended upon the cottage...
 Now... I know that no supernatural exist. And that there is rationalization for the phenomenon (f.ex. daydream-effect, hallucination of sleepy brains...). But still... I saw the ghost which is not so common to me, I can only recall one case before this one. On that time I saw the spider size of two palm running across the road in the middle of the winter after I have been awake almost two day and night.
From the ghostly world to the cruise. Like I little bit suspected it did not ease my archipelago fever a bit. Nothing special in the cruise itself but the scenery in stockholm archipelago were quite nice as I expected. Or actually as I recalled. Well... as long there is a life there is also hope. And without dreams the life could be a quite boring. So I´ll keep on dreaming and meanwhile I´ll concentrate on my yacht, on good quality hunting, on good quality fishing etc. good quality life.
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| | Älä mene metsään...
Monday, 20 November 2006 09:19:57 EET | | |
| | 
The clause in the title is from the finnish heavy metal band "Teräsbetoni" and can be freely translated as "you shall not go into woods". This song echoes constantly in my mind when I was on the hunt on saturday and sunday. The weather did made U-turn from winter weather to allmost summer weather on friday and most of the snow melt away during couple of days which threw up a quite heavy fog that oppressively overhung over the ground. I think "spooky" would be the right word to descripe the scenery we had.
 Albeit the scenery were quite eery I felt totally confortable myself sitting in the middle of the mist in the middle of the forest. I think it is deep in our culture to retrieve the peace and loneliness from the shade of the woods. Or at least deep in MY one. I am not sure at all that f.ex. the peoples in... lets say our "beloved" capital would agree my opinion about this. But frankly. I do not consider the inhabitatns of helsinki as a "real" Finlanders anymore. Of course, juridically, they are but Helsinki (as a capital) are quite a melting pot of cultures. All capitals maybe, but the problem of the Finns; they are willing to forget our own rich history of civilization for they think they are living in "big international city". They DO absorb the fashions of Central Europe instead so they know f.ex. which wine suits with which food etc. but they do not have a clue what is e.g. "kiihtelys" and "tikkuri".
But back to myself (my favourite subject to write about *wirn*). I will be on the cruise next couple of days so I will probably be more and more "cottage-in-archipelago"-fevered at the end of the week. Well... Maybe one day...
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| | Ascetical reflections.
Monday, 13 November 2006 09:00:14 EET | | |
| | We kept the weekend off from hunting and I concentrated on windfalls of my woodlot. Sincere physical work got my office worker muscles sore guite nicely and I was quite (physically) tired when the day was done.
In the cottage, once more, I wonder the situation of modern life even here in Finland. Or actually the paradox that you have to be rich before you can retire to lead ascetical life nearby the nature. I mean that f.ex. my personal dream is to move to outer archipelago somewhere in Kvarken.
Lets make a bit of calculations; First of all you need the plot. Lets say you´ll get one in the price... 30 000 EUR. Maybe. If you are lucky. Then a cottage/house fit for winter habitation. And I MEAN fit for winter habitation for in outer archipelago the winter times might be quite raw. So two "Varaava takka"* needed, at least one with oven. Cottage maybe around 20 000 EUR, fireplaces ~5500 with oven and ~3500 "normal" version. Then proper boat for transfer traffic to mainland, sailing boat is not... best possible for this purpose. At least not in early spring and late autumn in ice. So aluminum boat with engine ~30 000 EUR. Snowmobile for witnter transfer traffic... Etc. etc. etc. (and I have not calculate ANY of those out-of-pocket expenses (taxes, freighting (gottage, ovens etc.) etc) , but I think point is clear.
If I would be satisfied the ascentical living in inland or in the coast the expences would be, of course, a little bit less for not all vechiles would be necessarily needed, but still the need of capital would be guite... salty.
*"Varaava takka" means fireplace restores more heat by circular (loop) pipe ventilation; In other words, in normal fireplace hot air/gas/smoke goes straight up and out of pipe, but in varaava takka hot air makes a loop in masses of fireplace and releases more of it's heat into (upper) fireplace. There's also more mass (stones, bricks) to heat.
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| | Wild boars and new guns
Monday, 06 November 2006 14:24:39 EET | | |
| |  A little update for blog and plans.
I got an invitation last weekend concerning wild boar hunting in Germany. I had not time to ask WHEN they hunt those but however, I need a new gun if I gonna participate. First private brainstorming give the result "Valmet Petra semiautomatic rifle" but on second thought...
...the stupid laws of europe (also in finland) bound the capasity of semiautomatic rifles to 1 + 2 cartridges in hunting. SO _MY_ "dream-rifle" would maybe be;
Calibre - Undecided yet...
Update 08.10.2006
HAA! I found the perfect Calibre
End of Update 08.10.2006
Straight pull bolt action from Lynx
Custom-made medium light walnut stock.
More details will be filled after further brainstorming session(s)...
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| | Snow storm and small-frost
Monday, 30 October 2006 08:06:02 EET | | |
| |  So the winter arrived into Finland. It come with heavy storm but unfortunately I drove into cottage in upcountry on friday evening so we missed the best part of the storm that rage here in Vaasa area.
Personally, I´m more Cocnac and Whiskey person than Rhum one but since of the old nautical-tradition we made a little investigations with Rhum on saturday evening for the next summer after-sail events and we found a perfect blend. I dunnot know if this is some famous blend (it is QUITE alike the hot rum toddy but...) for like I said I am not primally Rhum person. I will give the "full load" recipe. If somebody would like to calculate the "restaurant drink", go ahead...
You`ll need the vacuum bottle with capasity of one litre in addition of the raw materials...
0,35 litre of (dark) Rhum
12 lumps of sugar
4 brimful tablespoon of honey
Tea (I did use the blend of 3 different sort of tea)
Pour the Rhum into vacuum bottle. Add sugar and honey. Fill the vacuum bottle with a tea (do not use boiling one but let it chill down a bit. Not too much...). Close the bottle and turn around few times to mix the blend. Pour into mugs and enjoy...
This drink works also; by the fire when the storm or frost dominate outdoors, as an after-ski drink, as an after-hunt drink, as an after-fish drink etc. Perfect blend.
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| | Le Soleil Naît derrière le Louvre
Tuesday, 24 October 2006 08:56:12 EET | | |
| | Okay. The trip to Paris is over. We landed to home in late evening of sunday and I just tried to recover from the flights yesterday. I hate flying. On thursday we had two flights and on our way home three short jumps so 5 takeoffs and 5 landings within 4 days. Creepy.
There were a few things on our journey I would like to complain about. First of all when we left from Vaasa... I do not know if Blue1 had leased the plane from Skyways for something but the minimum requirement (in my opinion) would be that at least one crew member could speak Finnish. Only English and Swedish were available despite the TRUTH that if only 2 languages required from stewardess those should be FINNISH and english when the plane flies from FINLAND. Shame on you Blue1!
Second thing was that the plane from Stockholm to Paris (SAS) was delayed over 2 hours and what we get was 50 kronor (around 5 EUR) "voucher". Not even worth of a sandwich in airport of Arlanda. For me it (the delay) cost around 40 EUR for our original aim was to take the train/metro combination from Charles De Gaulle to hotel but we were too tired for a venture and we had to content ourselves to take the cab. (On our way home the last flight was also delayed but only about an half an hour...)
Third thig was the behaviour of some french clerks when they realized we do not speak the local double-Dutch . When we tried to buy a tickets to the metro from the ticket window, the fucker turn away and start to talk and laugh with her colleague and I am pretty sure we would not have got any service if one helpful and kind native had not helped us out. Thanks to him.
 It is good to write the negative thoughts first and then turn to positive ones. The hotel my French friend booked to us (La Manufacture) was a direct hit. It was small, charming... just the kind of hotel we wished for. And it situated in 13:th, far away from tourist purgatory of Paris. We spend the first night (not the one of arrival) of our trip to swan around the charming brasseries (street cafés) of that area.
The French (exluding the clerks) were more friendly than I thought. Of course it MIGHT be that they played a joke with us but that´s their problem if they did. I felt a very confortable myself in shops, street cafés etc.
The cruise in Seine, the sight-seeing... I will not write everything but overall the journey was success.
 Ah yes, allmost forgot. How about the food? Well... The food was good, cannot argue with that. BUT not better that the food I usually make. Of course I allways have the best starting materials (without too much radiation) available so it is a little bit below the belt to compare...
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| | Brouillard au pont de Tolbiac
Wednesday, 18 October 2006 11:47:36 EET | | |
| | It´s quite sharply a year ago from my entry concerning autumn vacation. I could wrote allmost same words now except we´ll fly to Paris this time to check if the food in France are really so much better that they can critizice the ones of finland.
 And of course my luggage will be overloaded with Champagne and Gognac on my flight back.
Will be blogging more after the trip, but meanwhile...
Behave yourself, I´m watching you...
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| | It's not the kill It's the thrill of the chase.
Monday, 16 October 2006 07:54:57 EET | | |
| | A picture´s worth a thousand words. Third weekend on the hunt (for this year) and enormous hind walked straight into my place on watch. 338 Lapua Magnum yelped and 300 grain Woodleigh soft nose brought that beautiful animal down unto its footholds (flight after impact; Zero meters. Tear from that all 308 faitful.)
Incidentally, my opinion is that we are not there (on the hunt) for blazing. We are there for killing. I do not mean that I will never make the bad shot, everybody will make one. Sooner or later. But if the bullet hits the "bullseye" the animal should not take the flight of several hundred meters. That is why I keep the flag flying for larger calibers. And if somebody is terrifyed for the recoil it would be time to think if big game hunting is correct choice or would the lace making be better hobby. But this is only my personal opinion...
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| | Calf hunting and slippery jack stew
Wednesday, 04 October 2006 09:32:32 EET | | |
| | It is again the time of year when the moose hunting season is on here, nearby ultima thule. We started by calf hunting weekend last saturday and the beginning was promising even no calfs into my place on watch. There were rumours before the season that it would be very difficult times at the beginning of the hunt because of the warm weather, but that did not come to fruition. At least not in our hunting area.
The desiccated summer and autumn WAS affected to mushroom crop however, no chanterelles spotted from my "secret" mushroom areas. What we DID find was penny bun bolets, slippery jacks and griping toadstools. Nothing to complain with those anyhow, I did cook a fried calf liver with boletus stew accompanimented by picled cucumber and tomato last saturday. The meal was VERY delicious with finnish rye bread and finnish lager... So... Many regards to france and italy (and every other countries that has been panned the finnish food by their leaders...)
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| | Navigare necesse, vivere non...
Tuesday, 19 September 2006 15:00:50 EET | | |
| | A bit over a year ago I made a entry (and plan) to buy my own yacht. Today it finally (well planned -> half done) materialized and project S/Y FREIJA can go forward into next step. The boat is still in southern finland and will be sailed to Vaasa right away in the spring when the weather allows.
A little bit details of the boat;
-Lenght; a bit over 10 meters (33- 34 feet)
-Waterline; 8 meters
-Width; 3.24 meters
-Draught; 1.95 meters
-Weight; 5600 kg, of which the keel is 2300 kg.
-Selden 7/8 rig
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| | New sections opened.
Friday, 10 February 2006 14:25:20 EET | | |
| | Now there is a new section(s) (Area(s)) in my Blog. The first new one (Fishing) will be in finnish only... at least in the beginning.
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