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OT - Forn Friday

Aniki-Moderator's picture

Submitted by Aniki-Moderator on Fri, 09/29/2017 - 12:12pm

No, I did not misspell a word. I created a new one. 'Forn' is 'food' and 'p0rn' combined. The purpose of Forn Friday is to discuss food that makes you drool at the mere thought. Maybe your heart skips a bit and flutters. You eat slooooooowly so you can savor Every.Single.Bite. Could be sweet, could be salty, could be savory, could be umami. It's all about the food, baby.

Today I'm thinking about bread. NO, not that prepackaged, mass-manufactured, chemical-laden STUFF that comes in a plastic bag. Homemade bread. Whether it's something you make or a family member or friend makes... what is the bread you lust after?

I'm a Finn. Finns loooooooooooove bread. Bread or "leipä" - pronounced "LAY-baa" (baa like bat) is a staple in the Finnish home and served all day long. Rye bread, sweet bread, Christmas bread, potato bread, Easter bread, wheat bread... My mouth is already watering.

Baby is teething? Break out the korppu (GOR-poo). Korppu is a rusk, hard and crisp. Our family always makes it with cinnamon and sugar. It's a great workout for those baby teeth coming and is delicious. Dunk it in your coffee to soften it up.

Nisu (NIH-sue) is a sweet, yeast-leavened bread that is flavored with cardamom (we use a lot of cardamom!). Leftover nisu makes absolutely divine French toast.

But neither of those are my Forn bread. My forn bread is Rieska (ree-EHS-ka). Rieska is a barley flour-based, flat bread. Some roll it out thinly so it bakes into a crisp bread (but not like a cracker). Our family rolls it out to a 1-inch thickness (no less). The secret to old-school Finnish Rieska is to use coarsely-ground barley flour. Finely ground ruins the rustic texture of the bread.

I have so many wonderful memories of the entire family in the kitchen and dining room, waiting for Dad to pull out that first loaf. Slices were quickly buttered and fingers and tongues may have gotten a bit singed, but no one cared. It was a perfect moment of family and cooking filled with love. <3

Comments

classyNJ's picture

Submitted by classyNJ on Fri, 09/29/2017 - 1:03pm

Bread! Droooollll.

I'm german and we have to have some type of bread at every meal. Breakfast is a big meal of bread. I love Landbrot which is a round of bread made from wheat and rye. And of course, I can't go anywhere there is hot pretzels without buying one, hopefully washed down by a nice cold broohaha.

ctnmom's picture

Submitted by ctnmom on Fri, 09/29/2017 - 1:08pm

Five topping bread. Surprisingly easy yeast bread. Make two perfect loaves, the top is seeded with dried onion flakes, sesame seeds, kosher salt, poppy seeds, and caraway seeds. My daughter an I have been making it for years.

Dovina's picture

Submitted by Dovina on Fri, 09/29/2017 - 1:18pm

I must add I loved reading about your warm memories with your family eating bread. Very touching.

Aniki-Moderator's picture

Submitted by Aniki-Moderator on Fri, 09/29/2017 - 3:05pm

I have thousands of happy family memories in the kitchen or during a meal! Biggrin

Mom and Dad both taught all of us kids how to cook. We were all in the kitchen/dining room around dinnertime: setting the table, filling water/milk glasses, placing bowls on the table or setting up things for self-serve... When Dad cooked, we had pot roast (always on a Sunday), Taco Nights, and Pizza Nights. He was also the family bread-maker because he learned it from his mother. It was no surprise to see my brothers (when they were preteens and teenagers) and a group of their friends in the kitchen, making Kool-Aid, baking cookies, AND washing the dishes and cleaning up afterwards.

For me, the kitchen is the heart of the home. A lot of time is spent there and a lot of love comes out of it. <3

lieutenant_dad's picture

Submitted by lieutenant_dad on Fri, 09/29/2017 - 1:39pm

This and your Flu Shot make me happy.

Bread is a serious weakness of mine PROVIDED that it's made correctly. My favorites are any with a hard crust and soft, soft, SOFT center. Or anything with cinnamon baked in - so tasty with whipped butter.

Aniki-Moderator's picture

Submitted by Aniki-Moderator on Fri, 09/29/2017 - 3:10pm

Lieutenant, when I have crusty bread with a soft center, I like to spread on some St. Angel cheese (it's a triple-crème) and drizzle it with local honey. Mmmmmmm.....

A friend of mine sent me a bread magazine. I'm looking forward to bread making this Fall/Winter!

Thumper's picture

Submitted by Thumper on Fri, 09/29/2017 - 1:48pm

BREAD PUDDING, warm, little creamy, melt in your mouth.....ahhhh Bread Pudding.

I have a LOVE hate relationship with Bread.

Aniki-Moderator's picture

Submitted by Aniki-Moderator on Fri, 09/29/2017 - 3:48pm

I make Pumpkin Bread Pudding. Mmmmmm....

Mom's Bread Pudding recipe is one of the few things I will eat with raisins. Raisins are grapes that could have been wine!!!

Justshootme's picture

Submitted by Justshootme on Fri, 09/29/2017 - 3:06pm

Lithuanian bacon buns! I love making these (and eating them). Warm little rolls filled with a bacon/onion jam.... Smile

Aniki-Moderator's picture

Submitted by Aniki-Moderator on Fri, 09/29/2017 - 3:49pm

Lithuanian bacon buns?? I have never heard of them!!! Do you have a recipe you're willing to share?

Justshootme's picture

Submitted by Justshootme on Fri, 09/29/2017 - 4:00pm

I'll have to find it. It's been a few years (my cholesterol got too high Sad ) It's not a family recipe, so I should be able to share! Smile

24 years as a SM's picture

Submitted by 24 years as a SM on Fri, 09/29/2017 - 3:45pm

Saturday mornings making sourdough bread bowls for the Saturday night chowder, chicken chowder, calm chowder or cheesy broccoli chowder. The smell that would come out of the kitchen would make your mouth water.

Saturday afternoons going up on the mountain to look for wild Strawberries for Sunday morning, sourdough crepes with strawberries and fresh whipped cream from the cow milking early Sunday mornings.

I still have my great-grandmother sourdough starter, I use it once a week for Saturday morning for sourdough waffles, with strawberries and whipped cream.

Aniki-Moderator's picture

Submitted by Aniki-Moderator on Fri, 09/29/2017 - 3:51pm

Your great-grandmothers sourdough starter? That's awesome!!

Those are lovely memories. Thank you for sharing. Smile

DaniAM73's picture

Submitted by DaniAM73 on Sat, 09/30/2017 - 7:29am

I know I am a day late and a dollar short, but homemade spaghetti or lasagna. Cupcakes....homemade if course and strawberry shortcake. Good eats!!!!

DPW's picture

Submitted by DPW on Sat, 09/30/2017 - 8:29am

I bought SO a bread machine for his birthday this year. He would divorce me for bread, I think! LOL! We haven't had the chance to experiment much with the bread maker except for making regular bread but I'd love any suggestions from the ST gang.