Get to know Taryn:

Can you tell us a little bit about the history of your family?

My dad’s side of the family is from Finland. The family lineage on that side stays in Finland for as long as I know. My granny was an only child to a cook and my grandad was the youngest child in a family of 3 kids, his father was a carpenter Both grandparents were born in the 1922’s. Finland had been under Swedish rule for quite some time and later Russian rule, only gaining independence around 1900. It was quite a poor country with an infant death around 1 in 10 in the 1930’s. Since about the 1960’s the quality of life has drastically improved. After the war the grandparents still feared a Russian invasion and wanted a better quality of life for their young family. They immigrated to Canada with my dad and aunt in the 50’s.

Wherever they lived they had a garden….my grandad loved to garden! They “left” much of their culture as assimilation was standard practice, but as I have learned, there is a lot of cultural behaviors you can’t leave behind. They are stoic and hard working, determined, and quiet, a sense of dedication.  This all said my Granny still mostly cooked traditional recipes, sadly she passed away before I realized how precious this knowledge was. So with the help of my dad, my aunt and many cookbooks I have been able to get a grasp of the recipes, culture, what their life was like in Finland and most importantly learn more about all the weird yet normal food I grew up with.

The one thing that was passively passed on, something very innately Finnish was the way and being, something that can be summed up as Sisu. This grit  has not only been my biggest blessing but also my biggest curse.

My mom grew up in East Vancouver.  Her dad, of German descent, came from Alberta and her mom, from Winnipeg.  I credit my mom with my resourceful cooking. My Grandfather on my Mom's side;  his family is who wagon trained from Brazil. I wish I could say we have special recipes from that side of the family, but most of it turned into standard Canadian farmhouse cooking when they settled and when my mom was little, they just made do.   I think if it weren’t for the way my mom was raised, her mom being involved and getting the girls in the kitchen, I wouldn’t love cooking the way I do.

When and how did you develop a love for cooking?

My mom has always loved to cook and she and her sisters always cooked from a very young age, so kids in the kitchen weren't weird to her. She was also a primary teacher so wrangling kids and getting messy was sort of her thing. She got us involved in the kitchen from such a young age. 

At a certain point we were expected to cook dinner for the family a few times a month. My eldest brother and I would often make dinner or bake cookies together. It was just part of our life.  My relationship with the practice of cooking and the type of gatherings (Sunday dinners with grandparents, family picnics, birthdays, family reunions and dinners) that cooking created were always positive.

The kitchen to me is not just a place of tradition and story, but as a place of fun, exploration, family and connection.

What makes Finnish cuisine special?

The main staples of Finnish food are: dill, rye, fish, milk and butter, coffee, berries, mushrooms, white pepper and cardamom. I think as a whole it’s understated and simple but in the best way. The focus is on the ingredients/food, plain and simple so if you aren’t using in season product or have poor cooking techniques the meal is just not going to be as good. Culturally there is an eat seasonal mentality and Finns are encouraged to pick local berries and mushrooms and many have their own gardens. At the end of the day I think simple, clean and understated best describes Finnish cuisine.