Behind her youthful demeanor; Thelma Siberg is an old soul. I am fascinated with her balanced yet contrasted personality. She is laid-back but precise; eager to discover, while adamant to maintain a sense of tradition on how and where things are done.
I’m Disciplined , but not with Chocolate!
The 24 years old actress from Helsinki plays Krista in a TV serie Called – Uusipäivä – aired on channel 2. I shamefully admit my ignorance of the show, which she elegantly appeases by guiding me through the plot & her Character’s latest adventures: “Krista is very into clothes & fashion – as her blog grew in popularity, she started her own company; but her lack of business acumen leads her to get cheated. From that point on she decides to study business and to learn from her mistake. It’s a New beginning for this princess ” she concludes with a smile.
While we chat, Ofer has placed on the table a smoky dish made by burning the skin of an eggplant in a hot oven. He slices it lengthwise and drizzles it with generous spoonful of lemon & garlic scented creamy tahini. There is a sense of fulfillment and peace emanating from Thelma as she continues: “It’s a blessing to do what you love for a living. When that happens, work is not ‘Work‘ anymore”.
As I argue that acting as a career can not be a simple one to deal with, her response is almost instantaneous:
In the end I will figure it out!
“My career choice is hard and competitive, but in the end I’ll figure it out. There is no rush – the key is to have the courage to admit you have an artistic sense and to be willing to explore it. There will always be outside pressure to ‘do the smart thing’ and it’s up to you to find the path that makes you happy, even if it may not look like the simpler choice”. Thelma’s approach to food is as strong as the rest of her opinions:
I appreciate that there is certain food that you eat with certain people in a certain place and at certain times!
“I value traditions. For example, the fact that every Sunday we go to my grandma from my father’s side to enjoy her signature meatloaf and mashed potatoes. They are especially tasty if I partied the night before” she laughs. “We can say anything to her, she is so kind and always puts others before her … But she has such a potty mouth!” While she describes her grandmother, the colorful image of a sweet and kind animated Finnish ‘Mummu’ cooking traditional delicacies while muttering outrageous swearwords is just too savory to resist!
Thelma’s revolutionary Avocado & Feta Omelette
“I go back and forth from Helsinki to Tampere, I usually have nothing in the fridge but in both my apartments there is always eggs!” – Thelma
Ingredients:for 1 hungry person!
- 3 Eggs
- a splash of Milk
- Half a red onion – finely chopped – In summertime you can use Spring onion
- Feta Cheese – a small handful
- 6- 7 Cherry tomatoes cut in four
- Grated Mozarella cheese – Any cheese is fine
- 1 Avocado
- a handful of Rucola
Steps:
- Prepare by chopping all the vegetables,
- Beat the eggs, add a splash of milk (not too much or it will not cook well)
- Add the feta
- Put a pan on a medium fire, and add some olive oil,
- Fry the onion until soften, add the egg & milk mix to the pan,
- Decrease the heat, crumble the feta on top, add the tomatoes and leave to to cook for a few minutes
- Add the Salt ( not too much as the feta is salty)
- Add the grated cheese as much as you like but a sprinkle is a good start!
- plate & slice the avocados and add a few cheery tomatoes & rucola for garnish
Thelma’s Tip # 1: To slice the avocado, half it lengthwise, remove the pit, slice it with the skin on. Spoon out the flesh from the skin and dispose on top of the omelet. Be careful not to cut yourself and make sure to use a chopping board!
Thelma’s Tip # 2: to keep the omelet’s shape beautiful and ensure it cooks through , simply put it a few minutes in a hot oven’s under the grill, this allows the top to take a nice color and you don’t have to move it to cook it on both sides!
I bite into the omelette and the subtle flavor of the avocado is perfectly balanced with the salty tang of the feta. I am always delighted when such a satisfying result can be reached in such a short time. Once again, I am reminded to never underestimate the power of simple things, and that in Food just like in Life, sometimes, Less is more!
Thelma’s Food Corner:
Favorite food: I like to make vegetarian food, because I love fresh food – as I’m not a fan of meat, I try different recipes using only vegetables. My favorite ingredients are:
- Avocados! I’ts amazing how you can get many flavors out of the same ingredient – Avocado is mild but just a bit salt and it’s incredible how delicious it is -With avocado my favorite pairing ingredient is a sweet potato! you can add Avocado on everything!
- Eggplants and grilled vegetables in general, and add some butter
- Spicy Asian flavors
Cooking style: I cook a lot! I don’t bake – it doesn’t matter how easy it is! I’ve decided not to bake. In Baking, You have to follow the instructions so carefully, cooking is more free & experimental so I’m always just trying new things – if it works “new favorite”. When I’m cooking I don’t want anybody there to help me – Sit down and I’ll take care of it – Don’t ruin my system and you will be surprised!
Food challenge – despite my point about no baking, I would love to learn how to make bread!
Food book: My grandma gave me a book with handwritten traditional recipes, it’s wonderful to have a legacy and being able to reproduce the flavors from her home
Where to eat? I have noticed that the restaurants that have opened lately in Helsinki are from all over the world, and the people who work & eat speak English as much as Finnish; it’s so great that the food landscape is getting more international here!
- SANDRO: nice vegetarian options, and delicious Moroccan flavors.
- Holiday Bar Helsinki in Katajanokka – good vegetarian food!
- FAFA’s is among my favorite places. I love falafel, and theirs is really delicious
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