September 2016

Chef Jamal Hashi dialed Sweden as part of The Swedish Number initiative. He randomly (and happily!) connected with me and we discovered that we had a mutual love of *Good Food and sustainable community. 

*taste, sustainability, equality

Jamal is now on his way to Östersund as part of the UNESCO Creative Cities Conferencewhere he will participate in many events, including cooking for locals and UNESCO delegates at crEATive Östersund this week.

Jamal and more then 70 food friends from all over the world is coming and helping to create the collective event we call crEATive. More then 40 of them are staying at our home in many different ways. This cool house boat from Ottossons Bygg will host some of them.

Jamal has been cooking for more than 15 years across my the US, including a large project in Minneapolis, called Safari Restaurant, which serves as a community hub for Somalis and other East African communities residing in Minnesota. It had just celebrated it’s 10th anniversary. A similar project in NYC, the Safari Restaurant Harlem, is the first Somali restaurant in New York City. The restaurant was named the Best African Restaurant by New York Times and the Village Voice, three months after the launch in June 2015.

Jamal has also served on the Board of the American Swedish Institute (2012-2015) and the Somali-American Chamber of Commerce African Business Association of Minnesota. It is amazing what can happen when you pick up the phone!

To get there spells together(e)

The New York Times wrote about this.

Swedish Tourist Association, in honor of the 250th anniversary of the country abolishing censorship, recently created a phone number that lets people from anywhere in the world instantly connect with a Swede.

Get connected to a random Swede and talk about anything.

#uccn2016 #creativeostersund #foodinaction #jamtlandjh #foodstudio.no #culturalkitchen #chefsdinnernorwat #mettehelbæck #lenaflaten

Great things, you don’t want to miss, is happening in my little cool town. Nearly 120 amazing hero friends from all over the world are helping out to make the event crEATive Östersund superduperspecial. Get your tickets now! In addition there’s a whole week of sustainable culture and mostly eatable events as well. Gastronomy and Culture week.

Here’s some highlighted events during this week.

– TEDxÖstersund

– Creative Business

You have to see this amazing teaser on TEDx done by my talented friends Daniel Sidevärn & David Engdhal at STUM based in Östersund.

HUNGRY for best imaginable Food and Film festival, all over Jämtland next weekend?

How come all this in one week? Cause we love it here. And we see good food, culture and creativity as an essentiell part that’s integrated in our every day life. Not just an “add-on”!

“Where I come from, true enthusiasts, entrepreneurs, motivated and committed people have chosen a life in Sweden’s rural areas. We call this place home. We are part of an emerging future and we want to showcase that future to the world. We are the ones chasing the freedom to choose where we want to live and work. We embrace change and innovation with an open mind and we are the game changers who are here to stay.” TEDxÖstersund

The feeling of being in the middle of the world is really highlighted right now cause where hosting UNESCOs Creative Citites Network 10th annual meeting as well. An event I’ve lobbied to get here for nearly a decade.

Pack your bags and join us! We love building longer tables – not higher fence.