Adventures: Bakehouse Wanders Brighton Part 2 Hi everyone! After months of procrastination, I'm thrilled to finally share part two of my Brighton adventure—because who doesn’t love a seaside story? Picking up from last time, I started my day at the Flint Owl Bakery for breakfast and coffee, followed by a visit to Vero Gusto, an Italian bakery, to pick up some delectable treats. Although I’ve been to Brighton plenty of times, my adventures have mostly centred around the Marina and the beach. This time, I wandered into The Lanes—a popular spot with locals and tourists alike, but a place I’d never explored. I didn’t even realise I was in The Lanes at first—that’s what happens when you don’t have a plan. From what I gathered, The Lanes are a mix of independent shops focused on ‘hip’ culture (do people still say ‘hip’?), fashion, and antiques. None of these are really my thing, but you know what they also had? A pasty shop. Now that is definitely up my street… or lane. The ...
Cookbook Review: Fire & Ice - Classic Nordic Cooking
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all!
We've just entered January, and every part of the country, except here, is covered in beautiful white snow.
I used to hate snow—other than it being beautiful—mostly because of walking, or sliding, to school and work on a route entirely downhill. My outlook changed after working in Switzerland for three months over winter in 2017, where I learned to enjoy the white fluffy stuff.
Quite fittingly, the first review this year is not only of a Christmas present (that I may have bought for family to give me), but it’s also titled Fire & Ice — no, not a Game of Thrones book, but a celebration of classic Nordic cooking.
Personal Connections to the Nordics
The Nordics have always appealed to me. Perhaps it’s because I prefer cold environments over hot ones, or their consistently high rankings on happiness indexes. Maybe it’s their location, tucked away and mysterious—an introvert’s dream.
Next to the monitor I’m staring at while typing this review hangs a certificate awarded to my grandfather for his role in the liberation of Oslo, signed by then-Prince (and future King) Olav. Although I never met him, this connection to Norway has always been meaningful. Perhaps 2025 will be the year I finally visit Oslo—it would make an incredible venue for a bakery tour, wouldn’t it?
First Impressions of Fire & Ice
In the short time between Christmas and now, I’ve already cooked several recipes from the book. Each one turned out wonderfully, which is a promising sign.
What’s especially cool is that, according to friends in my Final Fantasy XIV guild (or "Free Company," as the game insists on calling it), the content is authentic and traditional. Some recipes are so steeped in history—like sheep’s head—that they’re rarely made anymore. (Not that this dish leaped out at me to try!)
Here are a few standout recipes I’ve tested so far:
Lohikeitto - Salmon, Potato, and Dill Soup
On Boxing Day, I wandered into Sainsbury’s in search of discounted Christmas goodies. While the sales were disappointing, I did find whole salmon marked down—still fresh and in date. My cheffy instincts kicked in, not able to resist the challenge, and my new Nordic cookbook was calling out to me from home.
Filleting the fish was a first for me, but with Jamie Oliver’s guidance via YouTube, I managed quite well. I only stabbed myself once and found just one tiny bone during the cooking processes—not bad for a beginner!
Using the fresh salmon, I made a stock as the base for Lohikeitto. The soup itself was straightforward to assemble but packed with flavour. The salmon shone beautifully, the potatoes maintained a tender bite, and the dill (one of my favourite herbs) tied everything together.
A little tip from the recipe suggested tossing buttered rye bread into the bubbling soup as a mid-cooking snack. I suspect they meant the dense, dark rye—I used a rye-based bloomer, which disintegrated a tad. Still, it tasted nice after being fished out.
This soup was arguably one of the best I’ve ever had. Even reheated the next day, the flavors and textures were just as satisfying. My iPhone even recognized it as Lohikeitto in a photo, which made me more chuffed than it probably should have!
Jääkellarilohi - Cured Salmon
With a decent amount of salmon leftover, I decided to make Jääkellarilohi, a Finnish cured salmon dish similar to Gravlax. Unlike Gravlax, this recipe adds caraway and berries to the brining liquid, and the fish isn’t weighted down, giving it a softer, more delicate texture.
The preparation was simple: heat up the brining liquid, let it cool, and submerge the salmon fillet. The hardest part was waiting two days for the cure to work its magic. When ready, the salmon was melt-in-the-mouth perfection, with subtle caraway and dill flavors complementing the fish beautifully.
I served it with cream cheese on an English muffin, topped with pepper and more dill. While not traditional (it’s usually served on rye bread, as a guildmate informed me), it worked well. Next time, I’ll ensure my knife is sharper for cleaner slicing—and maybe ditch the skin beforehand for better presentation.
Rulltårta - Jam Roll
In the UK one of our traditional Christmas puddings is the Yule Log, I think it may be French in origin, but we have it all the same. Another thing that we have, one of the most comforting desserts, is Jam Roly Poly—now imagine if these two treats had a baby... you'd get Rulltårta!
Imagine a Swiss Roll filled with fruity jam, spiced with clove, cinnamon, ginger, and allspice—a lighter, festive alternative to heavier chocolate treats.
If you gave this to a Brit, they'd probably drown it in custard, sorry, Creme Anglais for everyone else—you know what? that'd be awesome.
For my version, I used blackcurrant jam to mimic the tartness of lingonberry. I saw a few other suggestions using cranberry sauce, but those always taste too artificially sweet for me, unless you've made it yourself—which is dead easy, basically cranberries and orange juice.
A Nordic friend also recommended trying Budapestrull, a similar log filled with tangerine and cream—a recipe I’ll tackle soon.
The Rulltårta was a delicious and elegant. It’s easy to see why this lighter, fruit-forward dessert is a Swedish Christmas staple. Next time I’m at IKEA, I’ll be grabbing some lingonberry jam for an even more authentic version.
Final Thoughts on Fire & Ice
This book isn’t just a collection of recipes; it’s a window into Nordic culture. It’s sparked conversations with guildmates I hadn’t spoken to before and deepened my appreciation for a part of the world I’ve always admired.
However, as much as I love it, there are a couple of flaws. Not every dish has a photo, which can make it harder to visualize the end result. And the recipes are heavily Americanised—particularly frustrating when it comes to baking. Measuring dry ingredients in cups feels imprecise compared to grams. (A little rant, I know, but it’s true!)
I've found this book has connected me to a group of countries that I should really visit. I read a comment on a YouTube video once 'We don't think of the British as foreigners. We think of them as very strange Norwegians'—it sounds like an invite, I think.
Is there somewhere you've always wanted to travel to, and not been? Maybe a cookbook will get you motivated too.