While we were in Saariselkä we sampled a wonderful cheese soup with cold smoked reindeer. When I asked what type of cheese was in the soup, I was told blue cheese. I jumped to the conclusion that there was a language error with blue cheese because I couldn't imagine a soup made from blue cheese.
Back in Turku I set out to recreate the cheese and reindeer soup we had enjoyed. I went to the reindeer stand at the kauppahalle and the young woman there gave me two cookbooks, Recipes for Cooking Reindeer-Meat and Poroa Kvyttä ja Herkullista. From the Poroa book I made the soup above. It is good, but not the soup I loved in Saariselkä. It has onion, parsnip, potato and a mild cheese like gruyere. The cold smoked reindeer is in the pellet form in the top picture.
But now the librarian at the Turun ammatti-instituutti has given me another recipe that calls for aura juustoa--a type of blue cheese named for the Aurajoki.
In case you want to make my first soup, here is the recipe:
Today is a Flag Day. March 13 is the anniversary of the end of the Winter War. The Winter War ended on March 13, 1940, with the Moscow Peace Treaty.
The Winter War is an extremely important part of Finnish history and a source of national pride. The Winter War was also important in unifying Finland after its civil war.
The Soviets attacked Finland on November 30, 1939, just after the start of World War II. Even though the Soviets had 3 times the manpower as the Finnish forces, Finland managed to hold off the Soviet offensive far longer than anyone could have imagined. Finland had to cede a large part of its territory (Karelia) to Russia as part of the peace treaty, but maintained its sovereignty.
Here is Mannerheim's Order concerning the Moscow Peace Treaty. It is interesting and stirring to read.
Mannerheim issues Order of the Day Nr. 34
Soldiers of the glorious Finnish army!
Peace has been concluded between Finland and Soviet Russia, a harsh peace in which Soviet Russia has been ceded nearly every battlefield on which you have shed your blood on behalf of everything we hold sacred and dear.
You did not want war; you loved peace, work and progress; but you were forced into a struggle in which you have achieved great deeds, deeds that will shine for centuries in the annals of history.
Soldiers! I have fought on many a battlefield, but never have I seen such warriors as you. I am as proud of you as if you were my own children; I am as proud of the man from the northern fells as of the son of Ostrobothnia's plains, of the Karelian forests, the hills of Savo, the fertile fields of Häme and Satakunta, the leafy glades of Uusimaa and Varsinais-Suomi. I am equally proud of the sacrifice of the factory worker and the poor crofter as of that of the wealthy.
With joy and pride my thoughts dwell on the women of the Lotta Svärd - on their spirit of self-sacrifice and untiring work in myriad fields, work which has freed thousands of men to fight at the front. Their noble spirit has given inspiration and support to the army, and they have thoroughly earned our gratitude and respect.
A place of honour has also been earned by the thousands of workers who, often as volunteers and during air raids, have worked on their machines to provide the army with vital supplies, and those, too, who have laboured unflinchingly under fire to strengthen our defensive positions. On behalf of our native land, I thank you all.
As a result of the Moscow Peace Treaty, 500,000 Finns living in Karelia were evacuated and resettled in the rest of Finland. It is estimated that 1 million people living in Finland today trace their roots to Karelia.
When Chris and I went to the kauppatori we bought some hernekeitto from a veteran's group to eat for our own celebration of the end of the Winter War.
The Spring Equinox is not until March 21, but already the days are gloriously bright. Here are some random scenes from sunny Turku!
From the top:
Top picture is a bridge over the Aurajoki and you can see that it is bowing dangerously in the centre. A passerby spotted this problem and the bridge is closed to traffic. There is great consternation over what to do about the bridge. They want to put floats under the bridge so that it won't fall far and spread debris, but the river is still frozen. Before they could install the floats, they would have to bring in an icebreaker, but there is another bridge down river that makes bringing an icebreaker all the way to this bridge impossible. Plus there is fear that an icebreaker could damage some of the historic vessels anchored in the river. Not to mention that the river is quite shallow in spots and icebreakers are designed for deep water. To top it off there is concern that the pilings under the nearby buildings could be damaged if the bridge collapses. Another note about this picture: if the child in the foreground is looking down, think twice before telling them to look up!
Next picture is a doom laden snow blob poised on the edge of the roof of the cathedral. The front of the cathedral was off limits on Sunday.
Next a hairless dog. I liked the fact that he was layering his outerwear. Mixing stripes with an animal print is quite "fashion-forward"!
Next, Sophia's latest artwork from her class.
And last but not least me with my ruby hair! It is a dark red. The picture doesn't do it justice.
I had never heard of Burbot until I had burbot for lunch at the restaurant at Mari's school.
February is burbot season in Finland. I like to lurk around the people selling kala (fish) because I found the variety of fish fascinating. The face on this guy was too good to resist. While I was snapping this head shot an older couple bought a huge burbot. I had to resist the urge to question them on how they were going to prepare that beast.
Burbots are known to have large livers and the burbot liver is a delicacy as well. According to the Wikipedia entry on burbot a druggist/furrier raising foxes in Minnesota was feeding the foxes burbot and the fox fur was markedly better than that of other foxes. They sent off some burbot oil for testing and it was found to have 4-10 times more Vitamin A than cod liver oil. Being smart entrepreneurs they founded the Burbot Liver Products Company. Sounds like the elixir of life!
This is Tarja Halonen, the president of Finland. She has held the position for ten years. She is serving her second term in office.
Above her is Moomimama. Some people say President Halonen resembles Moomimama because of the pocket book Moomimama carries throughout her adventures. (I identify with Moomimama. She is the sensible one while Moomipapa is off on a wild scheme).
Conan O'Brien thinks he resembles President Halonen and you can see from this news clip that she accepted this attention with good grace. Watch the entire clip...President Halonen appears at the end as well.
The Wikipedia biography of Tarja Halonen lists her many accomplishments and her career before becoming president, but I doubt that any politician, female or male, with her resume could win national office in the USA.
From my Wikipedia research (I know that it's slim to none, but there you have it) I have learned that President Halonen went to university originally in art history and then switched to law. After graduating from law school she was the first woman to work as a lawyer for the Central Organization of Trade Unions. She also served as the chairman of Seksuaalinen Tasavertaisuus RY, the main LGBT rights organization in Finland.
Can you imagine Hilary Clinton's campaign if that were her resume rather than her more traditional law firm background?
Voting in the New Hampshire primary for the Democratic candidate presented a difficult choice: Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton? I waited until I was behind the striped curtain in St. Peter's Church to make my decision and my decision was strongly influenced by the fact that I am pre-Title 9.
There is a very real divide between women who are pre-Title 9 and those fortunate enough to be post - Title 9. And it is not just about sports. Title 9 brought about a significant long-lasting change in how women are viewed in the US and how women view themselves. Title 9 was actually enacted in 1972 but it took the enactment of regulations and the creation of the Department of Education before Title 9 was enforced in a way that benefited female students.
Title 9 reads: No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance..
I graduated from high school in 1980, the year that the DOE came into being so I consider myself pre-Title 9.
Politicians like Tarja Halonen and Hillary Clinton are role models for students today, but I have learned of some other role models in Finland. To celebrate Halonen's ten years in office I will direct you to this on-line exhibition of the National Library of Finland: Women of Learning.
You can read about Rosina Heikel, the first woman doctor in Finland (1842-1929)
or Alma Söderhjelm, the first Finnish woman to teach at a university. Her doctoral dissertation on the press during the French Revolution was republished in 1971.
I was up last night exploring the accomplishments of these women, but up early this morning (like Muumimama) to get the pulla dough rising.
My friend Mari shared a bar of this chocolate with me while we watched Leo frown his way through Shutter Island. I confess that I took more than my fair share. This is a taste that I will crave back in the 'Shire. Lemsip makes me long for England. Salmiakki chocolate will make me pine for Finland.
Licorice is big in Finland and quite different from the shoelaces we chew on in the States. In fact, I just became Salmiakki's 45, 876th friend on Facebook.
To find Salmiakki on Wikipedia in English you have to search for "salty licorice" or rather salty liquorice. I have posted that link above. But read on...salt doesn't really enter into it. The distinctive taste of salmiakki comes from amonium chloride or salmiac. That's right, the soupcon of ammonia in your mouth will make you a fanatic for Finnish licorice.
Salty licorice is not just a Finnish delicacy, but as Wikipedia puts it..."Salty liquorice is popular in the Nordic countries, as well as Northern Germany, the Netherlands and the Baltic states. " Now as a blogger I am allowed to have pet peeves and my pet peeve is this---calling the Nordic countries countries and the Baltic states states is confusing my daughter so I will shout it from the roof tops..those geopolitical units known as the Baltic states are countries! Or, alternatively, the Nordic countries are actually states and that makes New Hampshire what...a province? I know the confusion all stems from the fact that we hail from the United States of America, but don't look for any name changes for the US of A. Just keep your fingers crossed for health care reform.
Maaliskuu (March) has arrived with a promise of spring heralded by slushy streets. I breathed a sigh of relief when everything froze again. Slush makes for slow walking.
Sophia bought these tulips on her own on her way through the kauppatori yesterday as a surprise for me. I like the way the flowers come bundled for protection from the cold with a string handle for easy carrying. There was a one day bus strike so she was navigating some uncharted waters by taking another bus line to school.
Our friends from Concord arrived in Turku on Tuesday morning. Robyn and Bob were visiting their daughter Emily who is studying in Stockholm. Bob returned to the States, but Robyn and Emily came to sample the sights and sounds of Turku. They visited some of my favorite spots: the library, Mami, Stockman's food hall, and Marimekko. They also did some proper sightseeing: the cathedral, Aboa Vetus, and the castle. For a grand finale they went with us to the third lecture in the Finnish Culture lecture series we are attending: Religions in Finland. Warning: I will be posting about that lecture too!
