Tag Archives: Finland

Bringing a little bit of Finnish Christmas to Paris

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My parents arrived in Paris yesterday, carrying a little bit of Finland in their suitcase.

Finnish Christmas treeFirst of all, they brought us a tiny pine with some Christmas decorations. The tree seems to be seven years old and now waits in the kitchen to be properly planted. It will be interesting to see how it will like French climate and after how many years it has to be moved to the balcony?

transporting frozen fish in a suitcaseIn addition we received almost ten kilos of fish caught by my father in our summer house lake: salmon (järvilohi = landlocked salmon) and pikeperch (kuha). They were frozen when they left Finland and arrived intact upon arrival in Paris. I put them directly back to the freezer together with some berries sent to us by friends of my parents. No shortage of organic, local and healthy food this winter!

Do you think we will manage to succeed in creating a fine Franco-Finnish Christmas in Paris this year? What about you: how is your own Christmas coming along? Do you have influences from different countries and cultures? I would love to learn more about you!

PS If you find this interesting and fun, why not to check out Pearlspotting’s Facebook page too!

Ice swimming in Finland

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One of the most common questions people ask me when they hear I am originally from Finland is “so, you swim in the frozen water”?  And my answer is “yes we do”. Sometimes, and depending on the family member.

Below I am going to demonstrate what this ice swimming ritual contains.

1. Find a frozen lake, sea or river. There is probably going to be a lot of snow, so get rid of it. You need to see the ice before you can start making the hole in it (at least it is easier this way).frozen lake in Finland

2. Start making the hole. Whether you do it manually or mechanically, you will sweat. Believe me.making a hole in the ice

3. Once the hole is ready, have a respected family member (like your father or mother) check that the hole fits you and your needs. swimming in the ice

4. During the last phase, other members are invited to participate in the ritual. Some like combining swimming in the ice with meditation, some prefer it with a glass of wine.  My brother thought that One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez is a relaxing way to enjoy the ice swimming, but you are free to do as you feel. hole in the ice

I hope that I have convinced you to look for plane tickets to experience this fantastically purifying ritual in Finland! Should you have questions, do not hesitate to ask me…. (and remember not to take everything I wrote too seriously!).

PS Are you already following Pearlspotting on Facebook?

 

 

 

White Finnish Christmas

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I do like celebrating Christmas in Finland, especially during those years when there is a lot of snow, but I do not need to go back there every year. I am not one of those people who follows all Christmas traditions. I do not even like most of the traditional Finnish Christmas dishes. I have spent many Christmases abroad and to be honest, one of my most memorable Christmases was in Mamallapuram, India (eating lamb chops!). Quite a traitor, some of you are thinking now…

This year we are going to celebrate Christmas with my parents in Paris. The preparations are yet to be completed, but on the 24th we are invited to a birthday party/Russian Christmas Eve buffet at a friend’s place. After smoked salmon and champagne, our night will probably continue to the midnight mass at Notre Dame. Sounds like an other excellent way to start the celebrations to me!

However, to pay respect to the Finnish Christmas and to show you how it looks like, I thought to share some old photos from where my parents live. In this first photo, you can see my father preparing a path for ice skating (yes, he is walking on a frozen river!).Finland at Christmas time

This next photo shows you the house from the river. There is a very little of light around the Christmas period, but often a nice blue light appears just before the sun sets.. frozen lake in Finland

In this last photo you can see a huge pile of snow that we accumulated by keeping the ice path free of snow. We thought of constructing an igloo of it but the time run out! snow in Finland

If I get a permission from the people involved, I will post more photos of Christmas in Finland and especially of what jumping half-naked to the frozen river or lake means…! Meanwhile, what does your Christmas usually look like? Which has been your most memorable Christmas?

A special day!

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Once in a while my lifestyle/food/wine blog gets more egocentric and personal, and today is one of those days –it is my birthday!

This is what it looked like in the morning when I woke up: Parisian apartment

The first thing I received in the morning was this beautiful bouquet my husband got me. It is on the fire place in the living room next to some Finnish design objects. Parisian bouquet of flowers

Then we paid a visit to Edouard Nahoum who sells excellent and elegant jewellery with friendly service…. and I got to visit his atelier!

Then, as I arrived at home a while ago, this box full of oysters from Cancale was waiting for me in front of our apartment’s door. Merci beaucoup dear Parisian friends!! What a lovely gesture!!Cancale oysters

Indeed, une belle journée and it is not even finished yet. We are now heading to a restaurant but I have no idea which one. I have been trying to guess but my husband’s lips are sealed. I guess I will find out soon enough, and you dear followers will know some time next week, too. Until then, have a lovely evening and preferably with some champagne! 

 

FIAC 2013

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Since my first visit to FIAC in October 1999, I have tried to go back whenever I am in Paris. To me, FIAC is an important window to the contemporary art scene that is not limited to France and the francophone world. It gives me a concrete way to witness how our globalized world is changing, and even if old European cities are still strongly represented, galleries and artists from India, South Korea and Israel are definitely gaining a solid position in the international art world.  FIAC 2013

For example, Yeesookyung is a South Korean artist living in Seoul. We saw her work at Espace Louis Vuitton in Paris in 2008 and recognized her work immediately at FIAC (she reconstructs trashed ceramic vases).Yeesookyung

Jitish Kallat is a Mumbai-based artist whose work reflects the diversified yet complex character of his home city. I am curious to know the story behind this sculpture of four men, so if you know something, please let me know! Otherwise I will pay a visit to Daniel Templon gallery.. (or ask my Mumbai friends!).Jitish Kallat

It would be difficult to make an exhaustive summary of everything I saw at FIAC, but some other interesting art pieces are pictured below:

Suenos by Jason Martin (2012): Jason Martin

Lisa by John DeAndrea (2005): Lisa by John DeAndrea

Indeed, this year we saw many real-life size sculptures of human beings, which made me leave FIAC wondering how the global crisis are influencing the artists’ works….?

PS In addition to the high-quality art, I love FIAC because of its stunning venue: le Grand Palais built in the Belle Epoque era. To see an exhibition at le Grand Palais should be on everyone’s “once in a life time” list so try to make a stop there during your next visit to Paris!

Links to the artists:

http://www.saatchigallery.com/artists/yeesookyung.htm?section_name=body_language

http://www.saatchigallery.com/artists/jitish_kallat.htm

http://www.artnet.com/artists/jason-martin-2/ (Note to my Finnish friends: Jason Martin exhibited at Galerie Forsblom in Helsinki 2012)

http://www.artnet.com/artists/john-deandrea/

 

Sicilian Caponata: a perfect autumn dish

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When I was jogging along the Seine tonight it felt a little bit like autumn for the first time. I returned home, walked into the kitchen, watched the eggplants I had purchased at the Bastille Market yesterday, and wondered what to cook. I then took a look at Facebook and a friend’s post: Sicilian aubergine stew recipe called caponata. I had almost all ingredients at home (I replaced the parsley by basil leaves, and green olives by black olives) and the result was delicious! We ate the caponata with some slices of mozzarella, and the dinner was perfect! Only wine was missing…CaponataSo, instead of continuing to make my usual cut-in-two, grilled in oven eggplants, I think I will be inventing variations of caponata in this long autumn that is about to begin. Not only that, but I think our dilemma where to take next holidays was just answered…. A place in this world that mixes eggplants, capers, almonds and vinegar must be visited!

PS If you are wondering about the bowl, it is Finnish design by Marimekko and can be found here: http://www.finnishdesignshop.fi/kattaus-astiat-marimekko-hyvassa-seurassa-hyvassa-seurassa-siirtolapuutarha-kulho-p-3983.html

Recipe: http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/vegetables-recipes/incredible-sicilian-aubergine-stew-caponata

The Wind in the Willows (kaislikossa suhisee)

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Do you have a sound that you love? I do have, and it comes from rowing a boat among the reeds. the reeds in a lakeAs far as my knowledge goes, we have two types of reeds in the lake where our summer house is located. They grow in a small bay near to us, and this bay is also a hiding place for pikes. They seem to like shallow water.reeds in the lake During my last visit to the summer house, there was one day when the temperature climbed to 25C. I took our rowing boat with my husband and we headed to the reeds for a “water safari”. We did not see any pikes, but it was nice anyway. rowing among the reedsI have tried to illustrate the rowing in the reeds experience by sharing these photos, and if you are intrigued, like my new “Pearlspotting” page on Facebook and you can access a short video to hear the sound that I love.

What does Finnish barbeque look like?

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On our first night in Helsinki, we were invited to eat barbeque with my brother and his girlfriend. They had made the groceries, so all we needed to do was to go outside, set the fire and start waiting for food to be ready!barbeque: tomatoes, chicken, sausagesThey started grilling sausages, chicken and tomatoes (we had prepared an olive oil, garlic and herbes de Provence dip for the tomatoes). garlic, herbs and olive oil dip for tomatoesTomatoes turned out delicious, and so did the chicken! It was one of the best chicken I have ever eaten (the best grilled chicken in this world is served at Le Tyrolien in Algiers…).

The next set of food to be grilled included halloumi cheese and blue cheese-stuffed mushroom. My husband’s favorite. Very tasty and so easy to make.  halloumi and blue cheese mushroomFinally, there was only a slice of salmon left. It was rather easy and fast to grill it without the usual aluminum foil. Don’t you just love the presentation of salmon on sausages…?salmon and sausagesFor dessert we had grilled, sliced pineapple with cardamom-flavored whipped cream. Yummy!

PS In case you wonder where these cute, colorful plates come from, they are Finnish made and designed by Iittala (www.iittala.com). The plates come in many colors (unfortunately no longer in brown) and can be found here: https://www.iittala.com/Tableware/Plates-and-bowls/c/Plates%20and%20bowls?q=%3Aname-asc%3Atype%3APlates+and+bowls%3Aseries%3ATeema

Short stay in Helsinki (my personal highlights)

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After the summer house we spent only two full days in Helsinki. It was a brief visit, and it rained very often, so we did not get to visit as much as we had planned. But this short stay was very pleasant and I made a mental note of returning to Helsinki again this autumn (each year I say this, and then by the time the cold weather begins in Paris, we prefer to travel to warmer places. Let’s see about this autumn). The Senate Square, Helsinki

Some highlights of our Helsinki visit were (not in any particular order):

  • Walking around Kauppatori (The Market Square) and Senaatintori (The Senate Square): watch the luxury cruise ships leave for Tallinn and Stockholm, admire the architecture dating back to the first part of the 19th century (the Russian rule), contemplating at the market by the sea whether to buy a reindeer skin or one kilo of strawberries!
  • Visiting Artek, the world famous Finnish design and furniture shop (http://www.artek.fi/index.html). A must! Artek
  • “Grillata“: prepare and eat Finnish barbeque (which includes salmon of course). For cooking ideas, see What does Finnish barbeque look like?
  • Kappeli (http://www.kappeli.fi/): this restaurant/bar/cafe opened in 1867. It is a Helsinki institution and located in a beautiful, wooden building right by the Market Square. We had just coffee.
  • Putte’s Bar (http://www.puttes.fi/): I ate a very good Funghi pizza that came with chanterelle mushrooms. I loved the pizza but I have two remarks about the place: I had made a reservation and we were seated downstairs, in the darkest corner. Also the wine is super expensive (like almost everywhere in Finland).
  • Liberty or Death (http://libertyordeath.fi/): we drunk cocktails with famous ice hockey players. Could it get more Finnish?
  • Alppitori (http://www.ravintolatori.fi/alppila/): they have excellent hamburgers. My chicken burger came with avocados. My husband’s burger came with crispy bacon. And the best part is that they have French rosé wine for 25€ per bottle.
  • Siltanen (http://www.siltanen.org/): we had drinks at this club/bar/restaurant that I like very much. It is trendy and hip, and has that industrial feeling. They have DJs and groups playing almost every night.

Time went by very fast and sooner than I realized, I was sitting in an airplane looking at those thousands of tiny islands scattered around Helsinki and its coastline. Helsinki archipelago