I recently took a poll on my Instagram page asking how many of my followers had made Swedish pancakes before - and I was a little surprised to see over 75% of respondents had never tried!  I grew up eating these pancakes - a mix between an American pancake and a French crepe. We often had them with Nutella or whatever jam was in the fridge and a sprinkle of powdered sugar.  These days, I’m always trying to find a way to make my favorite foods taste incredible but also make me feel good. Don’t get me wrong, I love ALL food (truly) but I can feel a shift in my mood and energy when I ea ..read more

Pro tip: Cut your asparagus at an angle in small pieces to create a pretty presentation! When I set out to create this dish, I was aiming for the more dense cheese tart “Västerbottenpaj”, or Swedish cheese pie. I’ve had this dish in Sweden around the Midsommar holiday, but it’s also served on Easter and for other special occasions. I ended up a little off on the egg to cheese ratio, and voila, you have more of a quiche! The recipe was too good not to share - stay tuned for a more traditional cheese pie recipe in the coming weeks.  As I was writing this recipe out, I was reminded of a fun ..read more

Pro tip: If you’re having trouble finding salmon roe, check your local Whole Foods! They usually have a jar next to the smoked salmon - it can be called “salmon caviar” It’s March in San Francisco, and the farmers market at the SF ferry building is bursting with citrus stands. This seasonal smörgås (or open-faced Swedish sandwich) celebrates local citrus and avocado alongside smoked salmon and salmon roe and it comes together in minutes. Working at Octavia as a line cook in SF, I had the chance to taste and cook with some of the freshest produce in the area. The Chef de cuisine had incredible ..read more

Pro tip: Set up your ice bath while your water is coming to a simmer so there’s no chance of over cooking your shrimp after they’re finished poaching! A couple of summers ago, my friends and I had the best time to visiting my family in Dalarna, Sweden for the Midsommar holiday. I truly wish I could bring every friend I have to experience this insanely incredible weekend! My family and their friends are such a blast, we do all of the traditional Midsommar activities like make flower crowns, take fika (sweet / coffee) breaks, dance around the maypole, sing drinking songs and of course - drink s ..read more

I recently took a poll on my Instagram page asking how many of my followers had made Swedish pancakes before - and I was a little surprised to see over 75% of respondents had never tried!  I grew up eating these pancakes - a mix between an American pancake and a French crepe. We often had them with Nutella or whatever jam was in the fridge and a sprinkle of powdered sugar.  These days, I’m always trying to find a way to make my favorite foods taste incredible but also make me feel good. Don’t get me wrong, I love ALL food (truly) but I can feel a shift in my mood and energy when I ea ..read more

*Video process of this recipe can be found on Instagram! Swedish baked goods are a slice of heaven. I told myself I was only going to have one of these babies when they popped out of the oven, but before I knew it I blacked out and had slammed two in record time. Most start with the same basic dough base that’s slightly sweet with a hint of cardamom. It’s the slightly sweet angle that does it for me - you can layer in other flavors and it never feels like too much! These chocolate cardamom buns are no exception. The fragrant, warm, aromatic taste of cardamom comes together with the sweet, nutt ..read more

Pro tip: If you’re having trouble finding salmon roe, check your local Whole Foods! They usually have a jar next to the smoked salmon - it can be called “salmon caviar” It’s March in San Francisco, and the farmers market at the SF ferry building is bursting with citrus stands. This seasonal smörgås (or open-faced Swedish sandwich) celebrates local citrus and avocado alongside smoked salmon and salmon roe and it comes together in minutes. Working at Octavia as a line cook in SF, I had the chance to taste and cook with some of the freshest produce in the area. The Chef de cuisine had incredible ..read more

It’s officially ‘Tini Tuesday! In my opinion, the Tuesday after a holiday weekend (for some) calls for a cocktail. If you’re an espresso martini fan, you have to try this! I offer two ways to make a cardamom simple syrup, and while I used mezcal tequila for the base, you can use vodka or an N/A spirit too. I’m starting to think cardamom and coffee were together in a past life - the flavors come together like peanut buttah and jelly. Cardamom Simple Syrup - Instant 1/4 c coconut sugar (can also use granulated sugar) 1/4 c water 2 tsp ground cardamom Bring to a simmer, stir until dissolv ..read more

My favorite swap for milk in sauces, curries and smoothies has to be coconut milk. It has such a delicious nutty flavor and is full of good fats that mimic the cooking process almost identically to milk or cream products. In this recipe, it pairs with the cardamom so well and makes the perfect topping to ice cream, oatmeal, peanut butter toast, fruit - you name it! Ingredients 1 cup granulated sugar 1/4 cup water 6 tablespoons butter (room temp if you can) cut into cubes 1/2 cup coconut milk (mix thoroughly before using if it’s been separated) 1 tsp freshly ground cardamom seeds In ..read more

I feel so fortunate for the close friends I’ve made through taking voice lessons in San Francisco. If you told me a year ago that the same friends I go to open mic nights with would be sous-cheffing and front-of-the-housing with me at food pop-ups on a Friday night (Liz and Pablo are angels!) - I would have told you you’re crazy. And if they’re not working with me, you better bet they’re coming out every time to eat my food. I’m looking at you, Anna! Anyway, I served this soup at a pop up recently and wasn’t sure how it would be received - soup at a wine bar? And without the traditional ham it ..read more