7/19/12 day 85: Helsinki, Finland

Cloudless day in Helsinki. First day like this in weeks it feels. Everyone is eager to spend as much time outside as possible. I escorted the Helsinki highlights tour today. We hit some of the same places I've been (big lutheran cathedral and the ultra groovy rock church) but I was interested in the local tasting that was included in this particular tour. After a short bus tour of the downtown area we went to Tar island to a restaurant whose name translates to Smoke. This building used to be a storage facility for various things including tar, wood, and during the war, munitions. Every dish on the menu has an element that is smoked. The first tasting was of savory dishes. Before the food was brought out, the chef came out and explained how he prepares his salt cured salmon with dill. The tasting plate included his salt cured salmon with dill, fresh rye bread, new potatoes with butter, smoked root vegetables, small white smoked fish from northern Norway, reindeer sausage, smoked cow cheese, rye bread with a sour cream,dill, and smoked shrimp spread, and Karjala beer. Everything was delicious, the salmon in particular.

Then came the sweet plate which included homemade chocolate w dried cranberry, liquorice, "squeaky" baked cheese with cloudberry sauce, and ginger Xmas cookies. The chocolate was outstanding. Cloudberries are a special Finnish treat; they look like raspberries but are yellow and grow in swamps.

We drove around a little more before getting dropped off back at the ship around 12:45. For some reason we always leave Helsinki early. Today, all aboard is 1:30 and we set sail at 2. So frantically I walked around the big outdoor market by the pier that sells all your usual souvenir schlock as well as fresh produce and cool original handmade stuff. Ive had my eye on a few things, so I grabbed those and headed back to the ship. Helsinki was hopping today! I'm sure the beautiful weather helped. People were out in force: sun tanning, shopping, running, biking. The weather has been really rainy and cold lately so everyone is sun hungry. I dig this place. I'd come back in the summer. Fo sho.

Chef's salt cured salmon treatment: take fresh salmon (must be fresh, not frozen) then cover filet in granular sugar, then large pieces of dill (brake stalks to release flavor), then smokey tar syrup (or maple syrup), then liberal coarse salt and use hands to push all ingredients into the fish. Then cover with saran wrap and let cure for 16 hrs in the fridge. Remove from fridge and remove all dill and salt from the filet. Slice thin and serve maybe with some rye bread on the side. I might have to try this when I get home. I wonder where you can get fresh fish in phoenix?!