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EESTI ELU reedel, 15. juulil 2022 — Friday, July 15, 2022
Nr. 28
Reconnect with food through Paul Lillakas’ new Cityline cooking show Vincent Teetsov
Photo: Ilya, via Flickr
The unsung heroes of Ukraine, the farmers who continue to feed the world Spotlighting some of the unsung heroes of the war in Ukraine, who are doing their part amid Russia’s invasion Marcus Kolga, The Globe and Mail, July 2022 In late April, Valeriy Zhivaga was finishing up work on his farm when a loud explosion broke windows in his farm house and shook nearby homes in the village of Makovysche, west of Kyiv. When Valeriy arrived at the site of the blast, he found his brother bloodied and shellshocked. The tractor he’d been using to plow the potato field had been split in two, and was now in flames – destroyed by a Russian anti-tank mine. His brother miraculously survived. But countless others, who risk their lives every day to work fields strewn with Russian mines and falling shells and missiles, have not been so lucky. Ukrainian farmers have helped ensure that their communities and their country are fed, despite Vladimir Putin’s best efforts. They’ve helped boost a terrified Ukraine’s morale in the early days of the Russian in vasion, by bravely capturing and using their tractors to tow away abandoned – and sometimes stolen – Russian tanks, trucks and armoured vehicles. Ukrainian programmers have even created a video game that allows players to use a Ukrainian tractor to take away Russian tanks. Since the beginning of Mr. Putin’s invasion, Russian forces have targeted Ukrainian agri cultural infrastructure, including farms, to impair their ability to sow crops. According to widespread reports, grain silos have been burned with their stocks plundered. Land mines have been reportedly air-dropped onto agricultural areas, littering fields with explosives. The Ukrainian government has warned that half of the country’s total land area now needs
to be checked for explosives left behind by Russian forces, and that nearly 30 per cent of the country’s farmland is now reportedly occupied, unsafe or unable to be farmed. The Russian President appears to not be satisfied with only destroying infrastructure in Ukraine’s interior; he has also moved to blockade Ukrainian grain exports from leaving the port city of Odesa. David Beasley, the executive director of the United Nations’ World Food Programme, has warned that the blockade “will result in famine and destabilization and mass migration around the world.” The failure to open up ports in Odesa, he said, “will be a declaration of war on global food security.” The head of the African Union, Macky Sall, says that millions in Africa could starve as a result of Russia’s invasion, with Russia and Ukraine accounting for more than 40 per cent of the continent’s wheat imports. If Russia maintains its blockade, the 20 million tonnes of grain currently held in storage could rot and go to waste. Without anywhere to store it, the late June harvest of Ukraine’s winter wheat crop could be completely lost. Farmers may be forced to burn the crop to make way for the planting of the summer crop. These brave Ukrainian farmers need Western support to continue feeding their people and much of the world. Western nations, then, must immediately provide naval escorts for ships carrying grain from the port of Odesa, and surface-to-sea missiles to Ukraine’s military; this would help deter Russia from bombing key agricultural and shipping infrastructure. Ukraine’s farmers like Mr. Zhivaga are heroically doing their part, in the face of great personal risk. Doing ours is the least we could do. (Marcus Kolga is the founder of DisinfoWatch and a senior fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute and CDA Institute in Ottawa.)
Has spending less time with extended family and friends during the pandemic made your cooking skills rusty, or rendered the act of cooking merely utilitarian? As we gravitate back to the dining room table together, chef Paul Lillakas is here to spice things up with his latest cooking series, Food. Friends. Family. Appearing in four parts on the Cityline YouTube channel, Lillakas explains that the show is “all about hosting family and friends and serving exciting, but also approachable, food and drinks!” Lillakas has worked as a personal peakokk (chef) and caterer. He regularly contributes to Eesti Elu. Moreover, he’s known for hosting top-notch dinner parties. All of this comes from a core desire: “to serve dishes that make people’s eyes light up.” With this ethos in mind, his focus for the new show has been to share his ideas and motivate people to branch out and try fresh, bold things in the kitchen for the next time you gather together with the people you love. This series is a little bit different from what you may be used to seeing Lillakas doing. Typically, he co-hosts with Tracy Moore, someone he truly loves working with and someone with whom a vibrant shared dynamic is always created. This time, however, he was excited to step on set as a solo host for the first time ever. This different configuration has been a long time coming. Speaking about the lead-up to
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dress up for the formal dinner (pidulik õhtusöök). They were also encouraged to ask a special someone to be their date for the dance! As the söögisaal filled with friends old and new, each looking like a million bucks and enjoying a celebratory prime rib dinner, the sound of laughter bounced around the room. Our honorary camp director (Juha taja) Liisa Novek handed out the prizes for most-enthusiastic Estonian speakers and a few speeches of thanks were given. The vibe was excellent, everyone cheering happily and sharing stories of their own experiences at camp. The evening continued with dancing, another impromptu campfire, and eventually spread to the sauna and continued into the early morning hours. On Sunday, another JKAL closed with hugs and bittersweet goodbyes though some, myself included, had a very hard time leaving. The weekend
this series, Lillakas described how “Cityline has been keen to develop digital content... but since adjusting to the pandemic was so taxing for the production team, crew and contributors, this had to wait.” As soon as things cleared up, he was asked to craft a digital series. If you’ve ever been curious about what it’s like to be in front of the camera, Lillakas confirms that it’s both stressful and exhilarating. As fun as it is to play in the kitchen, as Lillakas puts it, “it’s also a ton of work to produce the food and try to stay camera ready (I’m sweaty in the wintertime).” Lillakas assures us that what we see on camera is exactly what went down at the time. No food stylists. No redos. Paul cooks his recipes, and of course, “sometimes things spill and splatter, but that’s all part of it and we left those moments in!” When asked what he enjoys most of all about cooking for broadcast these days, he emphasized the lasting legacy of it all. Indeed, the joy of cooking as a personal chef or caterer can be quite fleeting. In contrast, Lillakas delights in the ability to create recipes that stand the test of time, recipes that may become staples in the homes of families all over, which he confirms has happened numerous times. Paul Lillakas’ charismatic, friendly approach continues to grow his fan base, and the response to his videos is indicative of that. But it’s this inviting feeling paired with the extra nudge to attempt something challenging, like a festive sea-
was a grand success. Through the generosity of our campers, and a fun swag shop, we beat our 2018 fundraising results! Special thanks to everyone who volunteered, donated and contributed to this fantastic weekend. On behalf of the JKAL Juhatus (Anneliis Põldre, Paul Lillakas, Kristina Kald and Siiri Valter) we would like to thank Eerik Valter, Monika Kolga and the other members of JSS. Thank you for all that you did and continue to do to make laager and JKAL possible. On this weekend, a diverse group of adults, spanning a 50year age range, with a deep affection for Jõekääru came together and brought the spirit of laager back to life with a bang. We gathered to raise funds for camp, but what we got in the end was even more valuable, a true feeling of togetherness in a place we all love. Me tulime koju. Mark your calendars for JKAL 2024 – June 7–9, 2024! We’ll see you there. JKAL JUHATUS Photos: PEETER PÕLDRE
food boil or a refined brunch spread, that makes the difference between longingly watching cooking videos with a bowl of Kraft Dinner on your lap or messaging all your friends to come over for food. Cooking is social. You might even say it’s a gamble. It doesn’t always turn out well. Thankfully, the way Lillakas guides you through key stages and the five senses of cooking will stay with you when you try the recipes out on your own. For instance, the pinching action used to arrange thin pastry into a muffin tin, or pointing out the crimson hue of a garlic herb butter with cayenne pepper sauce and smoked paprika added in. So go take some risks! To date, the first three e pisodes have come out already. The fourth and final episode will go live on Tuesday July 19th, sure to brighten up the early part of your week. Clear some counter space, sharpen your knives, and tune into Food. Friends. Family. on YouTube! (https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=SzCoREZRoVk)
Dance YOUR way to Tantsupidu 2025! Register by July 31 for early bird pricing to womens’ weekend dance workshop, 18+ with no upper limit on age or number of hip/knee replacements. We’ll decide at the end whether we have what it takes to take a run at Tantsupidu 2025 through semi-annual(?) dance camps, one that travels throughout North America. Let’s give it a go! Tantsulaager brought to you by Estonian Arts Centre, the charity associated with KES KUS, and supported by Estonian Foundation of Canada and Kultuurkapital. Info: www.tantsulaager.fun
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