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EESTI ELU reedel, 7. jaanuaril 2022 — Friday, January 7, 2022
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UK magazine nominates Estonian jazz artist’s album among top for 2021 ERR, January 2022
Moldova Restaurant’s sarmale (cabbage rolls).
5 places to try cabbage rolls in the GTA Vincent Teetsov Cabbage rolls have universal popularity, being regularly served out of kitchens from Korea to Bulgaria. Its origins, on the other hand, are less universally agreed upon. For example, in an issue of La Jolla Light newspaper, food columnist Catherine Kaufman contended that the dish was invented in southwest Asia and made its way to Europe via migration and trade routes. But at the same time, she noted that it made its way to Sweden when King Charles XII came back from a mili tary mission to Moldavia. Origins aside, though, whoever first decided to make these delicious food “envelopes” was clever. Making a neat, edible package out of hardy cabbage leaves is an appealing way to present vegetables to kids, and it’s a great way to contain foods like minced beef, pork, and rice. Each time, it offers a surprise as you poke your fork into the tomato sauce and slice your knife through to the filling. Of course, in Estonia, they are known as kapsarullid and have been providing warmth and gastronomical satisfaction for generations. Making them from scratch is a fun family affair: boiling the cabbage, dolloping the filling inside, and rolling them up. But if you’re seeking the essence of this comforting home-cooked meal without setting foot in the kitchen, here are five places you can visit across the GTA. Moldova Restaurant (5000 Dufferin Street Unit #A1, North York, M3H 5T5): In Moldova, cabbage rolls are called sarmale. At this laid back spot in the north end of Toronto, rice is combined with meat inside the roll. A great choice of side dish would be mamaliga, a type of cornmeal porridge, which will balance out the sauce. Barrel House Korchma (2385 Lake Shore Boulevard West, Etobicoke, M8V 1B7): Barrel House Korchma explains that, “The word ‘Korch ma’ translates from Ukrainian to ‘tavern’ or ‘pub’ where food, beer, or ale would be consumed by travelers.” The Ukrainian word for cabbage rolls, holubtsi, translated
literally into English means “little pigeons” – but this isn’t what you’ll find inside when you take a bite! This restaurant stuffs them with ground pork; or alternatively, rice, mushrooms, and carrot (a typical variation during Lent). Other versions have buckwheat, potato, or raisins inside. The restaurant also notes that “Korchmas were popular amongst the cossacks as it was a safe haven for them to grab a bite to eat, drink horilka (a type of vodka), and have dance-offs with each other.” You may not be up for a dance contest after eating a big meal, but adjacent to this establishment is Mimico Waterfront Park, where you can go for a relaxed stroll with a view of Lake Ontario. Little Bavaria Restaurant (3222 Eglinton Avenue East, Scarborough, M1J 2H6): East Enders with a craving for the taste of authentic German krautwickel will be welcomed by a fun interior, with timber framing, walls decorated with ceramic beer steins, and Bavarian memora bilia all around. This restaurant is great for a May Day or Oktoberfest party. They’ve been known to host live music and even put up a Maibaum (Maypole) between tables inside. European Delight (St. Law rence Market [Lower Level B6], 93 Front Street East, Toronto, M5E 1C3): European Delight is a family business that’s been at St. Lawrence Market since 1999. Chef Oleg Popov makes six different types of cabbage rolls, so you have many options to choose from. Maybe even try one of each. But get there early before they’re picked clean! St. Lawrence Market is a destination all on its own, with 120 or so vendors to shop from and a Saturday Farmer’s Market that has brought in the products of Ontario farmers since 1803. So while you’re picking up some Polish gołąbki, you can take a look around and find some other special groceries to bring home. Terrace Take-Away (300 River Oaks Boulevard East, Oak ville, L6H 5T1): Since 2012, Terrace TakeAway has been cooking up a
One of the leading jazz publi cations in the UK, Jazzwise, nominated Estonian musician Susanna Aleksandra’s album ‘The Siren’ as one of the best jazz albums of last year. The judging panel included legendary US jazz guitarist Pat Metheny. The Estonian singer and songwriter was recognized by some of the the top critics in the jazz world, with British singer-songwriter-guitarist Rosie Frater-Taylor and American singer and composer Dara Tucker joining Metheny on the jury. Jazzwise critic Kevin Whitlock described “The Siren” as the work of an experienced and confident vocalist, and predicted a major breakthrough for Aleksandra. “As a singer, she knows how to sound intimate and seductively, but without exaggerating. She sounds natural. She’s one of these singers who just doesn’t sing the song, but embodies it as an actor,” Whitlock wrote. The album was published by Japanese record label Blue Gleam, and initially entitled “Souls of the Night”, but internationally it has been released as “The Siren”. In addition to Aleksandra, the album features top Finnish musicians Joonas Haavisto on piano Joonas Tuuri on double bass and Ville Pynssi on drums. “The Siren” is Aleksandra’s second album after “Miracles”, released in 2015, and features original work inspired by jazz, pop and folk music. From a family background of musicians, Susanna Aleksandra, 32, is from Tallinn. She studied jazz singing at the Heino Eller Tartu Music School, going on to study jazz at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki.
Susanna Aleksandra. Photo: Kateriine Krigul
storm of homemade Ukrainian meals (including cabbage rolls) for pick-up or delivery customers in Oakville. You can get food from them on Thursdays, from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM, and on Saturdays, from 10:30 AM to 1:30 PM. They also provide catering for parties and other events. Get a nice refreshing drink to pair with those kapsarullid, tuck that napkin in your collar, and dig in!
A passionate affection
most compelling of the tracks, Vast Antarctica. It celebrates An tarctica’s “unending ice plains and mountains that pierce deep miles of ice”. The frozen continent, An Unfortunately, just as with tarctica, has provided great the rest of the world with inspiration for Montréal’s climate change, Antarctica is Valmar Kurol. He puts his beleaguered. The point is gently feelings into gorgeous music driven home in the second and every new CD is greeted section, “Distress”, which opens with anticipation, the knowl with “Lament for the Earth”. edge that one is in for both a While certainly not a dirge, the contemplative experience as word “lament” is very appro well as one of almost un priate. Kurol’s liner notes point bridled joy. out not only the melting of Such is certainly the case polar ice, the pollution affecting with Kurol’s latest CD, again in our oceans but also ”pestilence collaboration with musician and contagions”, as well as the Michel Stibor. Released in “poverty, overpopulation and August, also having arrived in human greed at the root of most Toronto at the same time, it has of these troubles”. Perhaps the been a constant disc in our most moving of all of the selecplayer. Words to describe, certions on the recording. tainly laud the recording have The third section, “Oceans been hard to come by, hopefully and Ice”, is reflective, pensive considering our stressful times yet sure to lift spirits. Most enthis is understandable. What is joyable is “Anemones Under undeniable is that “ A Rose for Ice”, which Kurol describes to a Antarctica: Orchestral Scenes T as a “whimsical instruand Impressions” is a sure-fire ment-based excursion under an tension reducer, calming and ice shelf”. The value of the linsoothing, lush at times, almost austere at others. As with er notes in the booklet is hard Kurol’s other CDs – Rose is to over-emphasize, as the reader covers aspects of the An now his fourth, the third col dis tarctic biome perhaps not availlaboration with Stibor. (The able anywhere else other than first CD from Kurol, Antarctic specialized, scientific publicaArrival, released in 1999, was tions. reviewed in Meie Elu/Our Life, The CD concludes with a which, alas, was not online.) focus on Human Presence on Stibor has provided the arrangements and mixing and the continent. It boggles the interprets the music on synthe- mind that Spanish Galleons sizer and by programming. were in Antarctica (the title of Mastered by Richard Addison, the first cut in this lovely finale). Almost 400 years ago, the recording is of excellent quality, especially heard with in 1603 Gabriel de Castilla, a Spanish explorer, was perhaps top-notch earphones. As always there is a very the first human to lay eyes on informative booklet accompany- the Antarctic Peninsula. With the title track, A Rose ing the recording. It must also be noted that the cover, the for Antarctica, Kurol and Stibor entire packaging is simply debunk the perception of the gorgeous. Photographs are by continent as a dangerous and Kurol, album graphics by alien environment. The compoMichael Valcenat. The ex sition is rather a declaration of ploration through music of love, “respect and admiration Antarctica is explained in the for the ice.” Another highlight album notes. The various on this recording, which just themes related to the continent like a rose, opens slowly “and are often self-explanatory by quietly blossoms and blooms”. the titles; the extra notes are a This CD has received a lot of wonderful bonus. play here, deservedly so. It These musical projects were bears mentioning that the CD spurred by Kurol’s first visit to was featured on November 11th Antarctica in 1993. He has been on Estonian Classical music there four times since. Which radio, indicating that the cog confirms the strong draw, and noscenti in Estonia were also the desire to put these feelings aware of the beauty of this CD. into music. Highly recommended. It can be The music is divided into heard digitally on iTunes, four sections. The first is Spotify, Amazon.com and “Soaring Over Ice”, opening Amazon.ca. Music to warm the with a splendid fanfare. It ends cockles of your heart during our with, to these ears perhaps the cold winter. TÕNU NAELAPEA
