Tuesday, May 14, 2024

Rooting for Food

A short piece about a cookbook and its historic look at the food, lifestyle and war in Finland between 1939 and 1945. Reviewed by Chris Yli-Luoma.

When I was last in Thunder Bay I stopped at a local bookstore and picked up a copy of Raili Garth and Kaarina Brooks spiral bound, 154-page book titled “Rooting for Food” – Nutritious Finnish Vegetable Recipes from the Lean War Years. I have dozens of cookbooks. Yet, I’m always happy to add in new ones.

It is a cookbook, but it is also a historic look at what life was like during the turbulent war years, 1939 – 1945, for the Finns. The authors used excerpts from letters, biographies, and memoirs, combined with visuals from the war. They created a very vivid picture of the difficult and challenging life faced by the Finns during those years. The notes, scattered throughout the book, spoke of rations, travel approvals, the importance of mail, and making do with so very little.

The overlaying and crisscrossing of war moments and its impact on the lives of individuals and families, along with practival recipes and the commentary about the normal everyday activities had a sobering effect on me. You can see why sisu is at the heart and soul of the Finnish DNA.

The first war reference is on Nov 30, 1939. The Soviet Union attacked Finland, without a declaration of war with 450,00 men vs fewer than 200,000 Finns. And the final note, April 27, 1945: Last shots of WW II on Finnish side are fired. By then, the Lapland War and the Finnish participation in WW II are over.

There are over 60 recipes ranging from bone soup to breads made using potato, carrots, nettle and vegetable-based recipes using cabbage, beets, mushrooms, onions, and other vegetables. A recipe is presented first in Finnish, then translated to English and finally, with the help of many recipe testers, a tried-and-true recipe, adapted to our current kitchens.

What I find fascinating is how some of these items resonate with many of us today. Let’s look at bone broth. Health, wellness, and fitness communities have been making a fuss about bone broth for years. Many claim it has made them feel healthier. Meanwhile, during the Finnish wars, bone broth was an essential part of their diet.

Plus, no part of the animal was wasted - from tripe to the intestines to the bones, they all ended up being utilized. Food waste was a hot issue then and now.

There is a recipe for nettle bread with yeast, salt, caraway seeds and rye flour and rosehip soup – these are the only two recipes that were not tested.

As more people explore plant-based foods in their diet, recipes like the Oven-baked carrot pancake and Carrot pudding might be worthy dishes to try out. Given the limited ingredients that were available, and the lack of spices, there was a wide range of stomach filling recipes created.

If you are watching your budget, these recipes do show you want can be made with very few ingredients. Take the under-rated cabbage.  Recipes include browned cabbage soup, mention of cabbage milk, delicious cabbage (an entrĂ©e dish), mushroom and cabbage rolls and oven-baked cabbage.

Mail was essential during the war. It helped to keep up the morale of the soldiers and connected those left behind.  There are many letters mentioning items ranging from baloney to cheese, being mailed. Travel bans were in place as well as ration coupons. The rationing of food and various goods (for example, shoes and clothing) started on October 7, 1939 and lasted until 1949. That is 10 years.  You could be jailed for bypassing the ration rules and acquiring goods on the black market.

Liisa: I won’t mail you the pillow yet, because I will try to add some cloudberries, that you can preserve. Now if I could just figure out a way so that they won’t leak into the pillow during the trip.

Children also helped during the war efforts and there was a group know as the Pikkulotat or the Little Lottas which were girls from the age of 8-17. I’m curious to know more about the Lotta Sward Organization which was disbanded in 1944 as specified in the terms of the peace agreement with Russia.

Here are some examples of comments that are sprinkled throughout the book.  

Taimi: Lottas made soup for members of the National Guard. We also knit socks, scarves, shawls and mittens, which had a special finger for the trigger.

Sirkka: I was 8 years old when I became a Pikkulotta. During the winter we piled wood in the forest and in the fall we picked potatoes and collected heads of grain that had fallen to the floor. We sang patriotic songs and were taught to honor our parents and love our country.

Liisa: Tytti, who is 4, sleeps well through the night now and during the day is busy picking mushrooms and berries. Tytti loves to pick mushrooms and I am so glad that she enjoys picking them by herself and she even brings the right kind home.

Other items highlighted include reindeer with a sleigh used by the Finnish army in Lapland, direct blood donations to soldiers, and instructions on how to make a haybox cooker.

It certainly makes me very aware, that while we are facing higher food prices in Canada, our lives are so much easier. And it saddens me to think about what is happening in the Ukraine and Russia right now as history gets repeated.  If you are interested in the book, please contact Kaarina Brooks brooks.kaarina @ gmail.com (remove spaces)The cost is $20.00 including shipping and handling.

Tuesday, June 20, 2023

June 2023: Join us for the annual Scandinavian Midsummer Festival in Burnaby BC - easy to access by bus or vehicle. The two days of activities include crafts people selling everything from wooden bowls to knitted washcloths, a beer tent, a salmon bbq, a food tent, food vendors, cultural information from the Nordic countries and much more. The full day activities on Saturday costs $15 and on Sunday $10. Children are free. There is no ATM so please bring cash with you. Not everyone accepts credit or debit cards.

Thursday, January 12, 2023

Join us Sunday Feb 5th to celebrate Runeberg Day!

 

Canadian Friends of Finland

invites you to join us for a

Runeberg  CELEBRATION


 

An afternoon of Runeberg’s songs featuring the Runeberg Chorus with soloists Austin Doyle and Kaoru Henry.

Piano duet: Janet Mowatt & Austin Doyle performing Tapiola by Sibelius.

Enjoy coffee, tea and the Runeberg torte or Runebergintorttu.

Everyone in the lower mainland of Vancouver is invited!



 

Why Finland celebrates Runeberg Day:

Johan Ludvig Runeberg (Feb 5, 1804-May 6, 1877) was a Finnish poet who wrote in Swedish. He wrote the lyrics to a song, Our Land, which was adopted as the national anthem. His literary achievements led him to be considered the National Poet of Finland. He wrote many hymns for the Virsikirja. He was also a language teacher at a number of establishments.

 

Scandinavian Community Centre

6540 Thomas St

Burnaby, BC V5B 4P9

https://scancentre.org/

 


 

Monday, May 30, 2022

Searching for Finnish-Canadian publications, films and music

Dr. Veli Niinimaa, Ph.D., was born in Revonlahti, Finland and immigrated to Toronto with his family at the age of 14 in 1964. After completing his high school education, he graduated from the University of Toronto with a BPHE (‘73), M.Sc. ('76) and Ph.D. ('79) in exercise physiology. He taught at the Universities of New Brunswick and Calgary for four years. Veli's sport career began in 1973 when he joined the University of Toronto cross-country ski team and coached it for the following five years. His organizational skills were tested when the home team hosted the annual inter-university competitions in Midland, ON. He arranged the race details, coached the team, raced, and even won a medal a few times. In 1978 Veli started in biathlon at a race at the Kitchener Pioneer Range.

Wednesday, November 17, 2021

Notice of Annual General Meeting - Friday, Dec 17, 2021

 

CANADIAN FRIENDS OF FINLAND

Notice of Annual General Meeting

TAKE NOTICE: The Annual General Meeting of Canadian Friends of Finland will take place at the Scandinavian Community Centre 6540 Thomas Street, Burnaby on Friday December 17, 2021 at 2:00pm to:

1)    Consider the Reports of the Directors to the members.

2)    Consider the Financial Statement for the fiscal year ended 14th of June 2021.

3)    Elect Directors for the coming year

4)    Transact such other business as may properly come before the meeting.

Masks and proof of vaccination required to attend CFF AGM

Dated 10th November 2021  

By the order of the Board of Directors of CFF.                                  

Dianne Kilback, President

Wednesday, November 10, 2021

Maple Ridge Museum, Searching for Finnish Heritage in Websters Corners By Dianne Kilback

Thanks to the covid-19 pandemic I had time on my hands to do some research on the history of Finnish Immigrants to British Columbia.  Searching the internet, I discovered the website for the Maple Ridge Museum.  I was happy to learn the museum had the history of Websters Corners in their archives.   Websters Corners was settled by Finnish people who left Sointula in the early 1900’s after a disastrous fire and differences of opinion in the community.  A group from Sointula founded a community in Websters Corners.  I was pleased to discover there was a book Maple Ridge: A History of Settlement at the Museum.  I contacted Val Patenaude, Director of the Museum and decided to buy some copies of the book.  The Museum has been closed due to Covid-19, but I was able to go and pick up the books through the door of the Museum.  There is a chapter on the Finnish People of Websters Corners.   

Here is a quote from that chapter that made me feel proud of my Finnish Heritage.