Now is the time to reconnect and give deep thought to this as we have suffered an enormous loss from inside the kitchen. Ülle Veltmann, our longtime Eesti Maja peakokk, baker, caterer, and everyone’s friend, was taken from us far too soon. This is a loss we will feel for many years to come. In a community built on the pillars of grit and a tireless work ethic, I can think of no one who worked as hard as Ülle. She was everywhere. It felt as though she was always in three places at once, cooking, teaching and feeding us all. She was a provider, and she was legendary.
When I was a young scout in laager at Kotkajärve she was the head cook (peakokk). Having a keen interest in food, I would peek into kitchen and hear the volunteers (mostly other moms) talking enthusiastically about Ülle’s ability to make pirukad “like a machine” and discussions of how she would be up 4 hours before anyone else casually preparing 5 or 6 fresh kringlid (braided sweetbreads) which needed to be dropped off at various locations around the GTA right away – but don’t worry, she’d be back before dinner prep begins! All of this on top of caring for her family.
