With this year’s holiday food feature in Eesti Elu / Estonian Life, you’ll notice that we’ve emphasized a lot of food that you can make yourself at home. There’s an ample bundle of recipes from cheesy, beer-infused dipping sauce and a winter salad to pub-style pie, crock pot meals for your meal prep plans, and an apple cake with meringue.
But you don’t have to exhaust yourself in the kitchen! Okay, you will a little bit, but when you need to take a break and food is needed, we have a few recommendations to offer.
Need catering? Leave it to Master’s
For generations, Master’s Buffeteria, situated conveniently within Tartu College, has been a reliable source of delicious, home-style cooking for the community. The Vatikiotis family, the dedicated owners, continue to serve high-quality, traditional meals that taste of home, drawing on decades of culinary experience.
If you’re looking to host a party and need catered food, consider that Master’s specializes in catering in addition to their restaurant operations, offering a variety of hot, cold, and traditional foods well-suited to conferences, family gatherings, and more, all delivered at a reasonable price point. To plan your next meal or catered event, visit their website. And when you give them a call, ask for Mary!
Craving Estonian flavours? Pick them up at Letts Shop
It seems like tracking down authentic, prepared dishes for Christmas is a yearly challenge for Estonians in Canada. But there are at least a couple of items you can simply grab on your way home. This December, all you have to do is visit lettsshop.org or head to the Latvian Canadian Centre (4 Credit Union Drive, Toronto, M4A 2N8).
Letts Shop is a convenient source for high-quality holiday fare, starting with traditional Estonian verivorstid (blood sausages) and valged vorstid. As in previous years, these links are freshly prepared by Eddie’s Meat and Deli Market, following Alar Soever’s trusted recipe. Beyond the main course, stock up on daily necessities and comforting treats: the store stocks frozen sweet and sour and rye breads. These are staples that are practically compulsory for every Estonian meal, but also ideal for flavourful open-faced sandwiches and nourishing breakfasts.
To fill up your treat bowl at home, grab Kalev chocolate, including many of those nostalgic Estonian flavours you won’t find anywhere else this side of Estonia. Lastly, don’t miss the 500g jars of Eagle’s Nest Apiaries' amber honey, a 100% pure, unpasteurized Wildflower product. This luxurious honey could be used for baking, spreading on bread, or dissolving into a warm tea when you need a moment to unwind.
While you’re here, take some time to explore the food feature in print and in our Food & Home section on eestielu.ca. You’ll find plenty to sink your teeth into!
Wishing you a delicious and restorative Christmas season,
The Eesti Elu / Estonian Life team
