For many, Christmas just wouldn’t be Christmas without the traditional roast.

THE TROUBLE taken to properly prepare a leg of roast pork is a normal part of the Christmas routine. Even seasoned home chefs, however, need to do some revision before rolling up their sleeves to get to work.

“It’s worthwhile checking in advance if you have a working meat thermometer and a roasting bag of the right size. The thermometer is stuck through the bag into the thickest part of the joint, even when cooking just a small piece. This is the only way of being sure that the meat is cooked to the right temperature,” says professional chef Aki Wahlman.

PORK IS on the menu for many this Christmas – if not literally, then as a topic of heated debate. There are many questions – do organically raised pigs have a better standard of life than intensively raised animals, for instance? Organically bred animals at least have more space, and spend some time in outdoor pens. But organic piggeries can also be large: one such piggery in Loimaa has more pigs than a regular piggery in Ilmajoki.

Christmas is a magical time of the year – a time for family and celebration. It can also be a bitter-sweet time for those of us who live abroad and are unable to spend Christmas with family and friends from home. While we might not be able to arrange to fly our entire families’ network of friends out for Christmas, we can certainly bring a little bit of home to the Christmas table.

Even though lots of people are vegetarian, varied vegetarian dishes are seldom served at Christmas and far too many vegetarians have to make do with just potatoes and salads.

Preparing varied, tasty and Christmassy vegetarian dishes is easy and fun, but it is not always easy to find recipes for good vegetarian dishes. Veggie dishes provide variation and are a welcome change to the traditional dishes normally served at Christmas. Here are some vegetarian recipes courtesy of cookery-book author and chef Inna Somersalo.

The Finnish Federation for Naturopathic Medicine and Nutrition claims that state food safety watchdog Evira is using its authority to serve vested interests rather than the public good.

According to the Federation for Naturopathic Medicine and Nutrition (Luontaisterveyden liitto), the Finnish Food Safety Authority (Evira) is interpreting European Union food-safety regulations in such a strict way as to amount to a prohibition on health-related communications in Finland. More specifically, the Federation charges that Evira is in this way making it impossible to discuss publicly the health-related effects of naturopathic products and nutrition supplements in Finland.

A shortage of butter is causing a spin, with limited supplies prompting shoppers to begin hoarding.

Finnish butter consumption has grown by one fifth in 2011 and grocery shelves around the country have occasionally been empty as dairies have been unable to meet the increased demand. However, no true shortage seems to be at play – instead, hoarding is believed to be the cause.

In one of his most memorable experiences of late, Nick Barlow discovers the next best thing to dining out in Paris.

I went to a bistro in Paris several years ago. It was a smoky, crowded place, with tile floors and darkly varnished wooden shelving and furniture. I saw an old friend and we had moules et frites with a bottle of white wine and talked about old times, while Parisians discussed philosophy and the meaning of life around us.

Sunn is a hidden gem with a straightforward approach to basking in flavour.

AFTER the summer rush of visitors, tourists in Helsinki are becoming an increasingly rare sight on the city streets. The almost carnival atmosphere of July and August has been replaced with something more subdued, with the crowds thinning out in anticipation of the forthcoming winter.

So, sitting here in the warmth of Ravintola Sunn in Senate Square on a Friday afternoon, I enjoy the ongoing show outside as a few hardy souls from abroad brave the chilly conditions to pose for photos in front of the impressive Helsinki Cathedral.

Nutritionists say that as yet there are no proven health benefits of the sweetener, which is derived from a variety of the stevia herb.

THE SOFT drinks industry may be in for a radical change when a new, calorie-free natural product comes into use as a sugar substitute in the European Union. The substance, which is derived from one variety of the stevia herb, has been approved for use by EU health authorities, and can be used from 2 December.

A good restaurant needs not only good food but also a good story. Restaurant Hoshito is one that you will learn to love.

NOT MANY can say that they came to Finland for its food. One of the extraordinary few is 26-year-old Toshiaki Hoshi, whose fascination with Nordic cuisine brought him all the way from Japan to Helsinki three years ago.

Originally a language graduate, Toshiaki experienced a “culinary awakening” during his travels. This prompted the linguist to search for work in restaurants, where he was to learn the secrets of Japanese cuisine. After two years of work experience, he took the national cooking exam and received his license.