Linda and Jason draw inspiration from flavours around the world and Jason’s Greek roots
Linda Kylkis and her family have always been inspired by different food cultures. Linda’s husband Jason is half English and half Greek, so his roots alone have introduced plenty of Mediterranean flavours to the family’s kitchen. Jason works as the restaurant manager of restaurant Nerå in Jokiranta, while Linda is currently studying marketing communications. The family also includes 2.5-year-old daughter Maia.
Although Linda and Jason booth cook, there is a clear division of labour in the family: Linda prepares traditional home meals whereas Jason likes to try out more unconventional dishes. He is particularly interested in the making of ingredients that are usually bought ready-made.
As such, their house is replete with various types of bacon, pickles and jams. Recently Jason has taken an interest in cuts of meat requiring longer cooking times, which he cooks in a pressure cooker to save time.
Jason’s Greek roots have frequently taken the family to Greece to visit relatives and of course enjoy some good food. In Greece, the entire family always gather together for a shared meal, either in a restaurant or at home. The food is made to be shared and the table is always bursting with delicacies, from seafood to different types of salads and meat dishes. Everything is made from 100% fresh ingredients, and quality is a great source of pride for the Greeks. Often even the name of the fisherman who caught the fish is known, as knowing the origin of an ingredient is a sign of respect towards it.
In addition to Greek culture, the family’s kitchen reflects Linda’s recent visit to Tokyo, with pure, fresh and high-quality Japanese ingredients serving as an inspiration. The ramen and deep-fried dishes that characterise Japanese cuisine are some of Linda and Jason’s specialities, along with Thai curry dishes, American fried chicken and Finnish meatballs and mashed potatoes.
For Eat my Turku, Linda and Jason got to try out some Kolatun Juustola products. Cheeses are an integral part of Greek cuisine, so mezethes, which typically include a variety of different cheeses, were an obvious choice when it came time to choose what to make. Although Linda and Jason were already familiar with Kolatun blue cheese, this time they decided to overlook it in favour of their new favourite goat cheese, salad cheese and smoked cheese.
Check the recipes created by Linda & Jason from Saloniemen Juustola’s products:
Read more about Kolatun Juustola
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