Living Bra:

  Towards the Gastronomic Year of a Lifetime

Yes! It’s finally getting closer. Only less than 24 hours to go until I’ll board a plane taking me away from the darkening and cooling Helsinki towards Bra – a little town in the Northwest region of Italy, Piedmont to be more precise. Ever since July 3rd, when I received the official “Dear Miss Salminen, We are delighted to inform you that You have been accepted to the University of Gastronomic Sciences” –mail, something inside of me has been bubbling, burning and tingling. Mildly put, I’ve been extremely restless in anticipation and excitement for the year ahead.

Most of the autumn I’ve already been there in my thoughts and in my heart. I’ve certainly grown a grandiose appetite for new culinary adventures and a tremendous hunger for Italian cuisine. I’ve been picturing my life in Bra; the people I’ll meet, the knowledge I’ll gain, and the food, mamma mia, the food I’ll eat…Each time, I’ve gotten utterly lost in the world of my daydreams where everything edible could be a potential new flavor, a bite of something amazing that I’ve never had before.

Bra, Bra, Bra. I’ve laughed and made all the silly wordplays over and over again: it’s going to so ‘bra’ in Bra. The food can only be ‘bra’ in Bra. (Bra means ‘good’ in Swedish, by the way). I’ll be in Bra without a bra… I think I can stop with the examples, you’ve surely got the point. Jokes aside, Bra is in fact located in a marvelous culinary region and is only a stone’s throw away from the well-known Langhe area famous for wine, cheese and truffles. Even though Bra and the neighboring gastronomic haven Alba are somewhat rivals, Bra too has claimed a strong identity as nucleus of fine wines and food. After all, none other than the Slow Food Association was first founded in Bra in 1989. Bra is also the home of rising culinary genius and unconditional love for food, as most of the students of the University of Gastronomic Sciences pilgrim here from all over the world.

As if there wouldn’t be enough excitement for this autumn as it is, two days after my arrival to Bra, the biennial world class gastronomic fair Terra Madre and Salone del Gusto in Turin opens its doors. Not a total coincidence I must admit, but still, the food event of the year just happens to conveniently take place the same week that I set my foot in the little town only an hour’s car ride away. Perfect!

When I realized this fact, it was some time this summer, I couldn’t see myself there as just another visitor. Oh no, I knew I’d need to get my hands dirty straight away. After dozens of emails, calls, visits and puppy eyed pleads, I finally managed to get deeper into the game. I’m honored and thrilled to get to participate hands-on in various preparations and represent Finland. I’ll barely have time to sit down and order a Spritz for aperitivo and indulge myself with a (gluten free) pizza before I’ll already be busy as a bee heading full speed ahead towards the delicious event.

So, boys and girl, if you wonder why my post for the next year or so will most certainly be very Italy-related, now you know the reason. I also have to warn you and maybe even excuse myself for the future posts. Something tells me that their content will be even more extravagant and foodgasmic than ever before. Let’s face it, what else can I except from a year studying and living in Italy, side-by-side with a hundred other food loving young adults, drinking amazing wines and stuffing my face with sensational Parmiggiano, than mind-blowing finger-licking culinary moments.

Bra here I come!

Purest Indulgence

Ever since last winter when I dove into the flourishing restaurant scene of Helsinki for the purpose of my Master's thesis, I’ve been licking my chops in anticipation of actually tasting the food that I analyzed and wrote about for all those months.

During a time period that seemed like an eternity, I was kept in suspense. In my thoughts, I had relished the new Finnish cuisine a thousand times. In reality though, it wasn’t as simple as walking in to one of these restaurants to just sit down and eat. There was a reservation to be made, money to be saved and the ideal season that would tingle my taste buds to the maximum to be selected.

At first, summer seemed like the most obvious choice. But I wanted to try something different and more special by not choosing the season that is in many ways the easiest for chefs, as the raw material availability is at its peak. Even though I have no doubt about these chefs’ skills in their ability to prepare “something out of nothing” amazing dishes even during wintertime, I still didn’t want to go that far. Neither was I prepare to wait that long.

Spring turned into summer and summer into autumn and I started feeling like it was time. Autumn in Finland is a fantastic food season with game, apples and mushrooms just to mention a few seasonal delicacies. It sounded just about right. Autumn it would be. I had also made it through the worst of my personal economical crisis and was ready to invest in myself – literally.

On October 2nd, I woke up like a kid on Christmas Eve. The day I had been waiting for had finally arrived. I often spend my days fantasizing about food and flavor combinations, but on this specific day, there were no limits to my imagination that was running far ahead of me.

I had made a reservation at Chef & Sommelier – a Finnish culinary oasis located in the picturesque part of Helsinki called Eira. Previously, I had been to this lovely little restaurant just to talk with Executive Chef Sasu Laukkonen. Smelling the beautiful odors coming out of the tiny kitchen that afternoon, as the team was preparing for yet another fully booked dinner was the closest I had come to eating the exquisite food they serve. Those smells made a huge impact on me and already then I knew that the days I’d return there I’d certainly do a lot more tasting than talking.

When I made the reservation, Sasu informed me of their upcoming game theme. Perfect! I love game.  Not only for the fabulous aromas, but also because, apart from reindeer, it’s something that I rarely cook myself. Besides, restaurant experiences should be something out of the ordinary and not comparable to home cooking in any way. To order something that you cannot make yourself is the best.

On that chilly October evening I was welcomed by a smiling team of positive and energetic culinary professionals, “How nice of you to come here for dinner tonight!” (As if dragging my ass to one of the city’s absolutely finest restaurants had been the most disgustingly horrible effort). “The pleasure will be all mine, I assure you”, I answered and sat down at my table. I felt overwhelmingly happy and I hadn’t eaten anything yet! I had to cover my mouth with both hands so that I wouldn’t accidentally scream out of immense joy.

A few minutes later, Sasu welcomed me like I’d be the only guest there. He handed me the menu for the evening and I swear I almost fell off the chair. It was beyond belief. Here’s what it said:

Pheasant and cabbage

Reindeer and lingonberry

Roe deer and hay

Sea buckthorn and fir

Elk and onion

Wild duck and porcini

Pike-perch and mushrooms

Cranberry and apple

Finnish cheese

Two hands covering my mouth didn’t help at this point. Sasu explained the process and content of each masterpiece and I was drooling like a dog. I think the elderly couple next were slightly uncomfortable due to my “ooohs” and “aaahs”… never mind them. I was ecstatic. Luckily, I didn’t have to choose one over another. Besides, I never do anything half hearted any way. “Bring it on, all nine of them!” I said. Sasu seemed pleased, “Okay, let’s get stated, it’s going to be a long night”. Boy did I love the sound of that.

Right when I thought it couldn’t possibly get any better, the second half – the sommelier –approached me with his wine recommendation. To my surprise, two out of three wines were natural wines. Fabulous. It would be a first for me.

When the first dish arrived in front of me, I wanted to relish that moment forever. I took a look at the kitchen, the dish,  I glanced at the people around me, then the dish, again, the wine, and then, the dish, the gluten-free bread baked just for me (!), and finally, I only had eyes for the pheasant that was about to melt in my mouth. And I can tell you boys and girls, it sure did! It was perfection!

As the dishes started rolling in, one by one, perfection after perfection after perfection, not only did I feel like the luckiest and happiest girl in the world, I knew I was the luckiest and happiest girl in the world. No doubt about it.

The game tasting at Chef & Sommelier was something I had never experienced before. Not only was the food amazingly delicious, it was the first time I knew for a fact that the smiling man dressed in white standing right there, a few meter away in his kitchen where I could see him, had personally selected only the most exquisite raw materials and prepared each dish with utmost love and care. His food philosophy shone through and surely created one of my most memorable dining experiences.  The words I wrote in my thesis made absolute sense to me now. Boosting the purest raw material in a righteous way and trusting in their naturally characteristic flavors absolutely pays off. And there’s nothing bland about it!

I can but only salute Sasu and his team for staying true and trusting both in their incredible know-how and the finest fruits of nature.

Thank you Chef & Sommelier!