Will she be serving reindeer?" That was the buzz at Edsa Shangri-La's Heat restaurant when American-Finnish celebrity chef Sara La Fountain held her one-day exclusive lunch and dinner food festival recently.
The perky and pretty "cooking sensation" confessed that this was her original intent but alas, she could not source reindeer meat in our part of the world. And lugging it around from Finland throughout her tour wasn't quite practical. Sorry, no Rudolph today. Nonetheless, she did cook up a storm, serving Finnish comfort food that warms the soul on those frigid Norse winters.
To ease the creaking of bones, of course, there's steaming soup. Sara ladled Salmon Soup with Fresh Egg Roe, accompanied by a sliver of Archipelago Bread. This dark sweet bread flavored with malt and topped with herbs is for dipping into the soup. She had been carrying pieces baked from her grandmother's original recipe, yet the bread was as soft and moist since the day she left Finland.
For her next dish, Sara offers a comment: "Finnish food is all about seasonal flavors." The countryside abounds with produce, fruits, fresh vegetables and root crops. During the long months of summer and seemingly endless sunshine, they enjoy these fruits of the earth; to stock up for winter, these same crops are preserved by pickling or smoking. A bite of summer in deep dark winter was Vorchmack with Marinated Beets, a traditional dish served at weddings; it highlights minced beef, lamb and herring settled on a row of marinated and pickled vegetables.
A fusion of the old and new worlds arrived via Crayfish Salad with Boiled Quail Eggs, Radish, Avocado and Asparagus served with Dill Mayonnaise and Cilantro-Ginger Dressing. This summer salad starring Finland's ubiquitous but tiny crayfish complemented with creamy avocado is best eaten with toast.
The main dish of Karelian Stew was another treasured recipe Sara learned from her grandmother. Made with lamb, beef, cabbage and carrots and refreshed with sour cream, this stew originated from Finland's Karelian region.
For a flourishing Finnish finish, there’s a Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake. While rhubarb is not commonly found in the Philippines, Filipino taste buds need not be totally fazed, as its caramelized pinkish flesh on this cake tastes a lot like sweet pineapple.
For more of Sara's Finnish classics, check out her program New Scandinavian Cooking on the Asian Food Channel. For details and show schedules, visit www.asianfoodchannel.com.
source: mb.com.ph
