A cooking class abroad is a window into a country’s kitchen and its heart. We met Anna, our chef teacher, at her apartment in the design district of Helsinki (Punavuori). She chatted with us about typical Finnish ingredients and spices, seasonal cooking and the Finnish palate. Our menu included Finnish pea soup, stuffed cabbage with rice, freshly picked chanterelles, carrots, onions and pine liquor (kaalikääryleet). For dessert, we made cinnamon rolls (korvapuusti).
Anna had picked the chanterelle mushrooms earlier and the rest of the vegetables were fresh from the farmer’s market. We learned about pine liquor (tastes like smoked bark) which is used for flavor similar to molasses (the belief of the Finn’s). Traditional Finnish rye bread is flat, round and has a hole in the middle (like a wreath) for stacking on pole in storage and is served buttered alongside everything. From prep to actually eating was under two hours. The Finns are efficient with time in the kitchen.
After our “Finn-tastic” meal with great conversation, we headed in another design direction, the Alvar Aalto home and studio.
Alvar Aalto’s work includes more than architecture. He and his wife Aino created many timeless pieces and buildings from the 1920s until the 1970s. Together, they designed the buildings, the interior surfaces, furniture, lamps, and glassware. His bentwood furniture designs led the way for many of the mid century furniture designers. Finland refers to his style as modern functionalism. The house and studio they built and lived in reflects a simple elegant aesthetic. It was an amazing treat to see prototypes and original pieces and know they were lived in and enjoyed.
Finnish design and food has filled us with warmth and happiness.
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