Lunch and coffee break

Besides you will get hungry when fishing whole day, you might not notice that until you are having lunch break but you are. So I go to make fire and prepare lunch and coffee. I let my guests to know that it is about 30 minutes and they can come. And often they start to come quite soon to the fireplace. They will have chat about each other’s fishing and about nature, you know things like that. It is good place to talk about fishing and tips what they have been doing and what they had learn so far. Pro fisherman have same talk but in deeper level.

Everything has started day before. I always prepare lunch package by myself. (sometimes Satu or kids are helping, more like tasting if it is good enough for guests). I need to smoke salmon, pick up supplies for salad from our garden (satu’s garden and if they have been growing enough), or go shopping and buy things. But it is always local. Bread, cheese, salad, reindeer sausage (that is always included but not with Paul, I think he is still not eating meat, so he is vegeterian, I assume. I knew there was something wrong with him when we met first time), fish (often salmon but can be also whitefish, depends if I have been brisk enough to fish some whitefish from our private lake, well it is only 3 hectares so more like pond). And always kampanisu, it is local kind of cookie. Recipe is always to same but shape might be different depending about area. Anyway northern thing in here. Satu says that there are best in the world because her mum bakes them. I can’t say so because it is mother in law who is baking.

Or if it is just half day trip it could be also filled bread. Filling is often fish or reindeer mixed with cream cheese and some salad. And if it is half day trip it could be coffee in bottle not made on the fire. ( Last summer there was long periods that it was not even allowed to make fire in the official fireplaces, it was so dry).

When fishing whole week with me or having trip to fjells. Well then it is different menu. Good breakfast, light lunch and good dinner. Dinners are normally quite simple stuff like, fried vendace, reindeer burger and fries or fish burger (pike) and fries, or poronkäristys (sauteed reindeer) with potatoes or reindeer striploin. And if it is mushroom season then some of those also. Nothing fancy but doing the work to fill you up. I hope. And if we are lucky Satu is with us and doing some dessert and cup of tea from herbs.

And how to make right kind of coffee by the fire. First task is take water from river and right side of rock. If you take from wrong side it will take eternity to get it boil. After is boiling you add coffee beans (or those had be powdered but you need to have ones for pot). This is tricky part, what is right amount of coffee beans to water. Some says that cup per drinker or something like that but there is exactly a right amount what you need to add. Here it comes….. You add coffee beans on top water that it is a same size pile than the breast that you touched on your first date. And don’t forgot nipple, you need to add that also. Then bring to a boil and then let it settle so long that it is clear. First cup goes always to me or who ever is doing coffee. And that is only polite. You are cleaning nose and getting some beans in first cup so of course, you don’t want to give those to your guests. My father taught me how to make right kind of coffee and I have never failed after that. So your coffee is telling more about you than you know.

This remainds me that I need to start test some recipes for coming season. Well I don’t really use recipe… I go with feeling.

And after break, lunch and coffee your fishing is getting better again. Your are relaxed. It is your holiday, take your time, enjoy.

Have a nice weekend

Mika from Finland.

Ps some photos about dishes.