As an adult, moving to a foreign country, forming new friendships can feel like an ordeal. I mean come on, “been there done that ” right? I am no exception; after almost 10 years here, I have seen many of my friends return to their home countries. It seemed that as the winters grew colder, their resilience grew thinner. In an unfair twist of fate, with every departure, the few who stayed felt even more precious to me. I am a picky-eater as well as picky-friend; and I have come to nurture the too rare get-together my working-mom lifestyle allows with a fierce enthusiasm.

Every months or so, we meet-up with a few friends, in a well programmed, much anticipated outing which usually involves sneakily escaping the house before kids’ bedtime. As the evening arrive, we get ready to sip a few deliciously overpriced cocktails and share the stories or the past few weeks.

Lately though, maybe because of the cold weather, the outdoors quest for most outrageous cocktails in Helsinki has turned into a “cook-off” madness which has revealed impressive skills in this group of ladies!

Irina’s Silan Teriyaki Salmon with Roasted Sweet potatoes & Asparagus

Side dish 1: Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Side dish 2: Roasted Green Asparagus

Irina’s tip: add Sea salt and some parmesan right before serving!

Main Dish: Silan Teriyaki Salmon & Roasted Shallots

You can buy Silan at Zaafran & Co in Helsinki! it’s a great ingredient for dessert or any dish that requires this beautiful brown color!

Dessert: Caramelized cinnamon Apple with crushed Hazelnuts & Vanilla Ice-cream

Ita’s  tip: Don’t worry about peeling the apple, as they roast in the oven it simply adds texture!

Every so often I’ll share the recipes & full credit to the Chef  in the hope to give you some inspiration and get you cooking with friends 🙂

What are your favorite places for a night out in Helsinki?