Life Gastronomy Travel
Loov-tuotteiden arvonta on ratkennut (Random number generatorin avulla) ja voittaja on kuudentena kommentin jättänyt
Esa Laukkanen.
Onnea voittajalle ja nautinnollista joulua!
The winner of the Loov products is Esa Laukknen. Congratulations!
English translation below.
En ole jouluihminen. Toki rakastan joulun ajan lomapäiviä, mutta perinteinen joulunvietto ei ole ollut minun ja Peten juttu. Yleensä vietämme joulua kaksin mökillä kera koirien tai matkustamme ulkomaille. Viime jouluaaton vietimme Singaporessa ja vuoden vaihde meni Pom Pom Islandilla Malesian Borneossa. Olisi mieletöntä päästä sinne vaikka joka talvi!
Tänä vuonna aiomme viettää perhejoulua äitini luona Myllypurossa. Aattona kokoonpanomme koostuu Peten, äitini ja hänen miesystävänsä lisäksi veljestäni sekä siskoni perheestä. 1,5-vuotias siskontyttöni on oikeastaan syy miksi tahdon viettää perhejoulua. Ja toki vaihtelu virkistää.
Perinteinen suomalainen jouluruoka ei ole oikeastaan koskaan maistunut minulle. Ei myöskään tänä jouluna, joten tarjouduimme Peten kanssa kokkaamaan äitini luona. Inspiraationa meillä on Teresa Välimäen & Johanna Lindholmin kirja Hyvää Joulua. Kirjan upeat kuvat on ottanut Laura Riihelä. Tämä kirja todella tuo uusia ideoita joulun pyhien kokkailuun. Kuvat ovat kauniita, talvenvärisiä ja reseptit moderneja. Pidän tässä kirjassa kaikesta, paitsi nimestä. Mielestäni nimi "Moderni joulu" olisi voinut houkutella joulusta piittaamattomiakin kirjakaupan hyllyjen ääressä. Mutta ei nimi kirjaa pahenna, jos ei kirja nimeä!
Kirjan inspiroimana suunnittelin meille joulumenun.
Moderni joulumenu
* Resepti Hyvää joulua -kirjassa.
Olen suuri Viron ystävä, joten joulupöydässämme nautitaan myös virolaisia Loov-tuotteita, kuten piparkakkuja ja glögiä. Sydämenmuotoiset piparit ovat gluteenittomia ja maidottomia. Kaikki Loov-tuotteet ovat luomua. Sinulla on myös mahdollisuus voittaa joulupöytääsi näitä Loovin Christmas Edition -tuotteita. Jätä kommentti tämän blogitekstin yhteyteen 30.11.2014 klo 16:00 mennessä, ja kerro onko sinun joulumenusi perinteinen vai moderni (muista jättää sähköpostiosoitteesi). Jos kirjautuminen ei onnistu, kokeile toisella selaimella (Chromella tai Firefoxilla pitäisi toimia). HUOM: Valitettavasti arvonta on mahdollinen vain Suomessa asuville!
Iloista hetkiä jouluvalmistelujen kanssa!
Hyvää Joulua kirja saatu lehdistökappaleena kirjan julkistustilaisuudessa. Arvonta yhteistyössä kera Sugar Helsinki and Loov.
I am not really a Christmas person. Surely I love the holidays but I don't mind about the traditions nor does Pete. For that reason we usually spend the Christmas just by the two of us at our cottage or abroad. Last Christmas we were in Singapore and the New Years Eve at Pom Pom Island in Borneo of Malaysia. If I could I would travel to Pom Pom Island paradise every year!
This year we will have a family Christmas at my mom's. My brother will be there as well as my sister with her boyfriend and their 1,5 years old daughter. My niece is really the reason why I want to have a more traditional Christmas eve celebration this year. Of course it is also nice change to spent time with my family.
Traditional Finnish Christmas food is not for my taste so Pete & I offered to be the cooks this year. For some reason my brother wanted to have some traditional food as well so our mom will cook some. Pete & I have been planning what to cook. For inspiration we have this new and modern Finnish Christmas cookbook called Hyvää Joulua (translation Merry Christmas) written by Teresa Välimäki & Johanna Lindholm and photographed by Laura Riihelä. I really enjoy this book. The pictures are beautiful with winter colors and the recipes are modern and fresh. I like everything about the book but the name. In my opinion "Modern Christmas" would have been way better name. But still I love this book!
Inspired by the book I planned us a menu for the Christmas.
Our Modern Christmas Menu
* Recipe from the cookbook Hyvää Joulua.
I am a big Estonia fan so we will also enjoy some Estonian Loov Products e.g. ginger bread and mulled wine. The heart shaped ginger bread are gluten and dairy free. All the Loov Products are organic. Now you also have a possibility to win these Christmas Edition Products. All you need to do is to leave a comment by 30.11.2014 4 pm, and let me know if your Christmas menu is going to be traditional or modern (remember to leave your email address). If you have problems signing in use different browser (Chrome or Firefox should work). Unfortunately this giveaway is only available for my blog readers living in Finland!
Have a happy Christmas planning!
The Christmas book Hyvää Joulua was given to me as a press review copy. The giveaway in cooperation with Sugar Helsinki and Loov. NOTE: The giveaway is only available in Finland!
When I have traveled to Tallinn I have stayed in few hotels and once in an airbnb loft. Here are my recommendations for your stay.
Swissôtel is defenately the nicest place to stay. It's quiet and 117 meters high with 30 floors. The view we had from the 16th floor window to the sea was peaceful and beautiful. The room price we paid didn't include breakfast as I wanted to try the room service. Pete and I ordered eggs, pancakes and juice, it was a good choice as I don't enjoy buffets. The service is five star class in this hotel.
Swissôtel Tallinn. November 2013.
The beautiful view from the Swissôtel.
Swissôtel
Room Service!
Nordic Hotel Forum* also had a nice room with an urban city view. I really enjoyed my stay there. Tia and I also took the advantage of the Leisure Center and went swimming. The breakfast was a basic hotel breakfast.
This one and the main photo are taken in the Nordic Hotel Forum. September 2013.
Savoy Boutique Hotel. February 2013.
Jenni at Savoy Boutique Hotel. February 2013.
The view from the Savoy Boutique Hotel. February 2013.
During my latest visit Marina and I stayed in Sokos Hotel Estoria*. It is a more quiet and smaller hotel next to the legendary Viru hotel. We saw some beautiful sunsets from our room window and enjoyed prosecco and chocolate we got as a gift from the hotel. We stayed in a business traveler's room.
Sokos Hotel Estoria. September 2014. Photo © Marina Ekroos
Estoria. Photo © Marina Ekroos
Estoria. Photo © Marina Ekroos
* In cooperation with Visit Estonia.
This airbnb loft is a gem. I stayed there in June 2014 with my brother, sister and niece.
We loved the area of Kalamaja with a small bakery on the home street. The loft was beautifully decorated and worked quite well even with a 1 year old child. We cooked and spent quite a lot of time there as it was so cozy appartment.
Airbnb Loft in Kalamaja. June 2014.
My sister chillin' at the concrete loft. June 2014. Photo © Matti Keski-Kohtamäki
Airbnb Loft in Kalamaja. June 2014.
Lots of Travel Books to read. June 2014.
Kalamaja Pagarikoda bakery on Jahu 11, Tallinn. June 2014.
Read what my brother Matti wrote about our trip in June 2014: Visiting Tallinn.
From Finland you can take a ferry or flight to Tallinn. I have only taken the ferry. There are three ferry companies to choose with:
Eckerö Line's comfortable Lounge Cafe is my favorite. Photo © Avaruusasema
I will share you few tips how to travel more comfortable in a ferry. The most enjoyable might be to take a cabin if you just want to rest the few hour boat trip. But if you would like to enjoy a cup of coffee or some snack with enjoying the sea view you will find a Conference Lounge or Lounge Cafe at all of the ferries. There is a Lounge Cafe at Eckerö Line, Tallink Silja Line has a Business Lounge and Viking Line offers a Conference Lounge. You need to pay 10-20 euros to get in but the price includes some drinks & snacks and a WiFi. These areas are always more quieter with less noisy people. My personal favorite has been Eckerö Line and their modern and cozy looking Lounge Cafe. They serve some delicious carrot cake among the peaceful atmosphere.
View from Eckerö Line's cabin. Septermber 2013.
My niece on her first ferry trip to Tallinn. June 2014.
Stay tuned for more blog posts about the food scene and the restaurants in Tallinn.
Most of the ferry trips traveled in cooperation with Visit Estonia and the ferry companies.
www.visitestonia.com
I have become a true Tallinn traveler. My first trip to Tallinn was in 1997 with my family. And the second trip was in 2001 when I traveled there with three friends of mine: Maikki, Annu, Liina & her daughter Matida.
Old Town, February 2013.
Septermber 2014. Photo © Marina Ekroos
Jenni. February 2013.
After the first two trips I had 12 years gap in traveling there. Within those 12 years Tallinn had really developed in many ways and that I noticed when I traveled there with Jenni from Liemessä blog in February 2013. I was so delighted about the food scene going on there that I had to take my next trip there already in Septermber 2013 when I was invited to review restaurants for The 50 Best Restaurants. I traveled with Tia & Mikko from Avaruusasema blog and a group of journalists from Finland *. I couldn't get enough of Tallinn restaurants so I traveled there again with Pete in November 2013.
Tia Instagrammin. September 2013.
The view from Swissotel.
November 2013.
Jenni. February 2013.
February 2013.
In 2014 I have been to Tallinn twice. The first trip I took with my brother, sister and niece. We traveled there last June. This autumn The 50 Best Restaurants evaluations took a place again. This time I traveled with my photographer friend Marina Ekroos in the end of September *.
Read what Avaruusasema blog wrote about our trip to Tallinn in 2013 (in Finnish) *.
My brother's journal post about our trip has some nice photos, just click here.
June 2014. Photo © Matti Keski-Kohtamäki
So at this point of my life I have already visited Tallinn seven times. And I am sure I will continue travelling there few times a year.
See you soon Tallinn! Photo © Marina Ekroos
In my desk drawer I have more post coming up about the restaurants, places to stay and the traveling options. So stay tuned for more posts about Tallinn!
* In cooperation with Visit Estonia.
www.visitestonia.com
Tasty Living Helsinki on mukana kannattamassa #metahdomme -kampanjaa tasa-arvoisen avioliittolain puolesta.
Tasty Living Helsinki is supporting #metahdomme campaign for the equal marriage law.
“Ruoka, rakkaus ja tasa-arvo. - Food, love and equality.”
Haastan tasa-arvoisen avioliittolain tukemiseen mukaan seuraavat blogit:
#metahdomme #tahdon2013
www.metahdomme.fi
I am a big music lover. I have always been since I was like 7 years old. Thanks to my parents who always played some records or had Radio City on during the 80's. I have been collecting a little bit of vinyls. Not much if you compare to collectors and DJs but I got some good shit anyways, mostly hip hop and jazz. I have always been more into marginal music than to pop. I also own Technics turntables and a mixer. I used to do some DJ gigs back in the day. But I think that at the time I was just too shy to promote myself for more gigs. I know I played good tunes as I always got good feedback even from fellow DJs. The time just wasn't right for me and there were not that many girls DJing at the time. And by DJing I mean DJs who play vinyl records. I am that way old fashioned. It is delightful that there are more and more female DJs now a days. I am also happy I got my brother into DJing and taught him how to do it. He still does some gigs occasionally.
Aino Venna. Photo © Tero Ahonen
For some years I have had this huge black out in the music area. I haven't really been listening anything but my favorite radio station Radio Helsinki. Luckily they play good tunes most of the time. I haven't really found that many new interesting artists and I have been kinda sad about it. From time to time I have a desire to listen to some artists I adore but mostly I just enjoy the silence or I just settle to what they play in the radio. The last few years I have been so tired of talking about the music. I used to love it. I used to love to search and find new interesting artists. It is sad but I have lost my sense for it.
This is me DJing, May 2007. The iPod is not mine and I have no idea who took this photo.
When I heard singer Aino Venna for the first time in Radio Helsinki maybe three years ago I have to say it was something inspirational. I think it was Njassa who played a song of hers. It was something incredibly beautiful and the time just stopped. I had to hear her songs again and again. Thank god for Soundcloud! Aino's style is quite Twin Peaks and some songs remind me of Angelo Badalamenti and others from Edit Piaf to Elvis.
After discovering Aino Venna I also found something else I like. That is Sarah Kivi & Non-Orchestra. From both of the bands you can find Mr Ville Pystynen who is highly respected among the musicians. Hopefully soon I am open for more discoveries in the music area. Would you like to recommend me some?
This week Radio Helsinki had a competition to win tickets to Aino Venna's album release concert. I was lucky and won two tickets! I took my friend Jaana with me to the concert that was held in Music Theather Kapsäkki. Aino's performance was hypnotic and fascinating. You can sense how she loves to sing and to perform, and she is definitely having fun at the stage. She communicates with the band members so beautifully and gives credit to all of them. I am so glad I went to the gig as I rarely do anymore. Thank you Aino Venna and the band. Thank you Radio Helsinki.
There are still two concerts left, one this evening and another one tomorrow. I think you should go and see the gig!
To discover more good tunes in the near feature join Ystäväklubi to support Radio Helsinki.
Radio Helsingin Ystäväklubi
