You're unlikely to encounter New Nordic cuisine at church events in New York. The most recent Finnish Christmas Bazaar offered no exceptions; over the years the traditional menu has changed very little, a state of affairs that attendees seem to endorse.
Shown, above and below: two takes on the karjalanpiirakka (Kar-ee-ah-lahn-pee-Rahk-kah), a savory handpie named for a region that straddles Finland and Russia. It's easier to say "Karelian pastry." The crust is made from rye flour, or with a blend of rye and wheat; the most common filling is a firm rice porridge; the traditional topping combines butter and hardboiled egg in a mixture that Finns and their Estonian neighbors know as munavoi. Or, if you prefer, "egg butter." These two batches were prepared by different bakers, with different treatments for the crust; the open-topped pastry, with a brim, was better at holding the butter.
Also shown: open-faced sandwiches; riisipuuro, or rice porridge (this serving, from a past year, was dressed with a plum-raisin sauce); and a beverage station that offered coffee, apple juice, and the mulled wine known in Finland as glögi.
Finnish Christmas Bazaar
St. John's Lutheran Church, 83 Christopher St. (Bleecker St.-Seventh Ave.), Manhattan
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(The 2019 bazaar was held on December 7)
