Category: You Are What You Eat

Name: Björn Jeffery

Occupation: CEO & Internet Strategist of Good Old

Neighborhood: Johanneshov, Stockholm
 
Relationship status: Living with my girlfriend

What did you eat today?

I just ate a veggie bagel for breakfast. But yesterday I had so good food that it inspired me to answer this thing - finally. I had an amazing deep fried salmon roll with Chinese mustard (red hot), followed by some amazing noodles with flat iron angus steak on top. Fab!

What do you never eat?

Things in shells, if I can avoid them. Not at all fond of crabs, crayfish, mussels and that stuff. I think the shell is there for a reason - someone's telling us to leave them alone.   

Complete this sentence:  In my refrigerator, you can always find:

Mustard - the ultimate condiment that you can have on absolutely anything - including a cheese sandwich.

What is your favorite kitchen item?

An old school pot for making stews and casseroles. Throw something in there, leave it for a few hours, and somehow it always tastes good.

Where do you eat out most frequently?

The local thai place. Surprisingly good for being a local actually. Apart from that, I like Jacobs on Riddargatan that does both Danish smørrebrød and French main courses. Clearly underrated place.

World ends tomorrow.  What would you like for your last meal?

Something Asian - probably something fairly simple like proper Kung Pao Chicken with those amazing garlic stirred beans that they have there (in China that is - I've never found them anywhere else). No point making things more complicated than they have to be if you're going to pop your clogs in an hour or two anyway.

And now, a special non-Stockholm, non-New York YAWYE!

Name:  Molly Wizenberg

Occupation:  food writer, sometime photographer, and co-owner of a soon-to-be restaurant

Neighborhood:  Ballard, Seattle

Relationship status:  married

What did you eat today? 

As of right now (2:30 pm): homemade granola with milk, banana bread with cinnamon sugar, blueberries, rigatoni with sweet onions and leeks and chives and ricotta salata, more banana bread, more blueberries.

What do you never eat? 

I have textural issues with raw oysters.  And brain.  I think brain is my final frontier, food-wise.  [

Complete this sentence:  In my refrigerator, you can always find:

eggs, extra sharp cheddar, milk, hot sauces, jam, peanut butter, Roland Dijon mustard, unsalted butter, and Polaroid film.

What is your favorite kitchen item?

I love my kitchen towels. They're all very soft and well worn, and many of them have stripes.

Where do you eat out most frequently?

Lately, a taqueria called Malena's.  It's in our neighborhood, and it's not really all that great, to be perfectly honest, but their guacamole is solid.  So we get guacamole, rice, pinto beans, and a few corn tortillas, along with salsa and chips.  It's cheap and quick and always hits the spot.

World ends tomorrow.  What would you like for your last meal?

I'm terrible at this kind of stuff.  But I think I would choose a cheese pie at Di Fara and a beer.  And then a scoop of Graeter's black raspberry chip ice cream, on a cone.

I had a blast with Molly in Rome last month.  She's a lady.  I'm such a fan.  If you were in Rome on the same day that we were, you might have seen Molly looking totes cycle chic in sweet black ankle strap flats, jeans, a wavy auburn ponytail and Audrey Hepburn specs.  I was the greasemonkey riding next to her, sweating through some Old Navy cankle khakis and a saggy green wifebeater.  You can follow Molly's adventures at orangette.blogspot.com.    

Name: Joanna Hellgren

Occupation: Freelance Illustrator/ Cartoonist /Graphic designer

Neighborhood: Lilla Essingen in Stockholm.

Relationship status: Living with Anna

What did you eat today?

For breakfast and lunch: My own bread that had unfortunately gone a bit dry, with cheese and cucumber. For dinner, spaghetti and a delicious pasta sauce with tomatoes and zucchini, cooked by Anna. A punchrulle brought to me by my friend Ulrika (Punch rolls are old ladies sweets) and a fruit salad. [Are those the same as dammsugare? --Ed.]

What do you never eat?

Guinea pigs. I rarely eat meat and never at home, but guinea pigs are something I know I have never eaten, and that I'm not curious to try.

Complete this sentence:  In my refrigerator, you can always find:

Soy milk for my coffee. The day holds no promise without coffee. Regular milk for the coffee is ok too, but is usually not found in my kitchen.

What is your favorite kitchen item?

My coffeepot. It's white with golden patterns.

Where do you eat out most frequently?

At a Persian café and shop in Gröndal, close to my work.

World ends tomorrow.  What would you like for your last meal?

I don't know. I like so many things. But maybe my Lilla Essingen Thai dinner from Saturday: Shrimps with green curry and coco nut sauce with lots of delicious vegetables, and their home made spring rolls. Or Stockholm's best ice cream.

Name: Stefan Mehr

Occupation: Executive Director at Bonnier Media University  

Neighborhood: Vasastan in Stockholm

Relationship status: Married and longing for my wife who is visiting in Boulder, Colorado, much far away from Sweden

What did you eat today?

For lunch: Smoked pepper pork with pickled and knuckle of pork and mustard, sauerkraut, roasted vegetable and shiitake.

For dinner: As a starter: Nettles soup, scallops, bleak roe and baked farm egg.

Main course: liquorices, tendered steak with Swedish fresh potatoes and tomato.

Dessert: Elderberry ice cream, raspberries with chocolate and pistachio.

... No, I'm not kidding. This is what they served at the place where we have our media programs.

What do you never eat?

Blood pudding [FYI for you non-Swedes, I always thought blood pudding was a kind of sausage, and it is in England or Scotland.  But Swedish blood pudding is really more like a pudding made of blood. --Ed.]

Complete this sentence:  In my refrigerator, you can always find:

Kalles Kaviar (a typical Swedish fish spread that you can find abroad only at IKEA), and dark chocolate

What is your favorite kitchen item?

For the moment my lemon squeezer and cappuccino milk foam maker. Did I forget my new smart and slick Danish tea boiler.

Where do you eat out most frequently?

At my local Sushi bar Ki Mama, the best in Stockholm.

World ends tomorrow.  What would you like for your last meal?

It used to be calf kidneys flambé. Now, maybe oysters... 

Name: Francis Strand

Occupation: Magazine editor (and blogger - How to learn Swedish in 1000 difficult lessons at www.francisstrand.blogspot.com)

Neighborhood: Vasastan, Stockholm [We're neighbors! --Ed.]

Relationship status: Married (partnership to be specific, although now that we can actually do the real thing, we're planning on switching over, probably around the 10th anniversary of when we got hitched the first time)

What did you eat today?

Filmjölk - which is something like yoghurt and buttermilk - with raw cashews, almonds and pumpkin seeds, an apple, black coffee

What do you never eat?

Organ meat - except for foie gras, which I know is very politically incorrect but what can I say, I'm not politically correct when it comes to food

Complete this sentence: In my refrigerator, you can always find:

At least 15 jars of various kinds of jams, marmelades and lemon and lime curd, a bottle of champagne, Spanish sweet peppers (sometimes totally wilted), butter, fresh ginger (should that be in the fridge?), filmjölk, jalapeños, chorizo, parmesan cheese, tomato paste and Kalles Kaviar (that peculiar Swedish concoction of fish eggs, sugar, tomato and potato flakes in a tube)

What is your favorite kitchen item?

Probably my Kitchenaid mixer, although the hot water cooker comes in a close second

Where do you eat out most frequently?

At our neighborhood bistro, Tranan - which does upscale versions of classic Swedish dishes... I always get potato pancakes with bleak roe and sour cream. More often than going out, however, we order sushi from Ita Mae (a restaurant on the ground floor of our apartment building - very convenient!)

World ends tomorrow. What would you like for your last meal?

Wow. Never thought about it. But amazingly, a last meal immediately comes to mind: First, a Bellini cocktail to whet the appetite. Then to start the meal, a small bowl of cream of Jerusalem artichoke soup with brioche to sop up what I can't get without (rudely) scraping the spoon against the sides of the bowl. The main course would be a perfect crabcake - light but buttery and rich without being greasy - with a little jug of hollandaise sauce on the side; some thin spears of green asparagus, a little undercooked; and even if it's a strange combination, potatoes baked in the oven in duck fat (the way my sister's French mother-in-law does it), all served with Louis Roederer champagne. For dessert, an outrageously large helping of my latest sweet obsession, bread pudding made of banana bread and dark chocolate custard, served with a cup of strong black coffee and a snifter of good old-fashioned Grand Marnier.

I read Francis's blog before I came.  It's an engaging ex-pat read with great style; it really captures what's charming and what's frustrating about being in Stockholm.  I'm totes a fan, and now I scored a YAWYE with him!  I love the internets.

Name: Malin Eriksson
 
Occupation: Editor for the Swedish food magazine Allt om Mat - All About Food
 
Neighborhood: Sickla, Stockholm, Sweden
 
Relationship status: Living together with Tomas, another Luleåbo in exile.
 
What did you eat today?

I had a great breakfast with cooked Italian ham, Danish rye bread, OJ and coffee. For lunch, I had six Danish smørrebrød made by a famous (in Denmark) chef named Adam Aamann-Christensen. They were small and delightful and he is very cute! Now I'm looking forward to a big beer tasting real soon here at work! The dinner is a secret but I have high hopes, cause there's another great chef in our kitchen, making it right now.
 
What do you never eat?

Oysters. They make me sick, unfortunately. I hope I'm never served eyes from sheep, or any animal. I don't want to eat eyes.
 
Complete this sentence: In my refrigerator, you can always find:

Mousse of artichoke, perfect on crostinis with a fresh basil leave on top. One of my many favorite snacks! I love snacks.
 
What is your favorite kitchen item?

My Kyocera knifes. They have ceramic blades and break easily but man! Are they sharp!
 
Where do you eat out most frequently?

Vietnamese restaurant Noodle House, Korean restaurant Arirang, and Thai restaurant Korat. They are all great! [Malin just took me to Noodle House.  We ordered her favorite, these little silver dollar rice flour pancakes topped with shrimp, peanuts and cilantro that were squishalicious.  Me hongry.  --Ed.]
 
World ends tomorrow. What would you like for your last meal?

Probably something as boring but tasty as spaghetti Bolognese.. You can't go wrong with that!

Malin is one of the dear people saving me from loneliness.  She makes excellent crostini.

Name: Hannah

Occupation: School

Neighborhood: Ekerö

Relationship status: Single

What did you eat today?

Breakfast, which was Weetabix with sliced banana and milk and an orange. For lunch I had a mix-up with tuna, cottage cheese, avocado and tomatoes served with wheatberry and salad. It's that kind of dish a restaurant in Sweden would name "Health dish", but it was really good! And for afternoon snack, I ate a cake which my grandmother had made.

What do you never eat?

Hmm... I don't really know, but maybe fried food? Don't like it at all.

Complete this sentence:  In my refrigerator, you can always find:

Well, though I don't have a refrigerator for my ow.n I guess I can tell what you always find in my family's: Milk & sour milk (something really Swedish!). [For you non-Swedes, that's filmjölk, and it's like kefir with a different funk. --Ed.] Because if you have that you can at least eat breakfast!

What is your favorite kitchen item?

I don't know... maybe a really good knife? At least that's what I use most frequently.

Where do you eat out most frequently?

In school I guess? But that doesn't count! I don't eat out very frequent, and when I do I like to try different places. But maybe SoFo Café at Söder, Stockholm.

World ends tomorrow.  What would you like for your last meal?

A dessert with really much dark chocolate and berries. Yum! And a cup of coffee.

Name: Anne Skoogh

Occupation: Politics - and food blogger

Neighborhood: Nacka

Relationship status:  Married

What did you eat today?

Just breakfast so far - rye bread with Swedish liver paste and sliced cucumbers, a glass of vitamin-c, coffee, and a fruit salad with orange and raspberries.

What do you never eat?

Despite having a food blog and all, I'm surprisingly un-adventurous in food. I won't call myself a picky eater, but... let's just say there are many, many things that I have no urge to try.

Complete this sentence:  In my refrigerator, you can always find:

Pepsi Max. How embarrassing to admit - but it's certainly true.

What is your favorite kitchen item?

I really do love my Kitchen-Aid!

Where do you eat out most frequently?

I don't eat out all that much, but  I do meet friends for "fika" quite often. Vurma is one of my favorite cafés - great sandwiches, and nice coffee.  [I got a pretty great falafel sandwich on sesame bread from the one next to Hornstull Strand last weekend, but it took a full hour from the time I got on line to the time I got my cold sandwich. That is too long to wait when the sun is out. --Ed.] 

World ends tomorrow.  What would you like for your last meal?

My mom's chicken in mild curry sauce.

Anne blogs (in English!) at annesfood.blogspot.com.

Name: Anja Cronberg

Occupation: Magazine Editor

Neighborhood: The swanky Östermalm, albeit in a very hidden enclave full of just plain ol' regular folks.

Relationship status: Taken

What did you eat today?

For breakfast I had this great dish I always make and which will most probably contribute to my economic downfall, considering the price of fruits in this part of town. It was: one mashed up banana, some pomegranate seeds, one passion fruit, four physalises split down the middle, a handful of blueberries, a handful of strawberries, a handful of raspberries and another of blackberries (all berries have to be frozen, not fresh, to contribute to the right sogginess), then some seeds, whose names I can't remember in English, suffice to say that they're supposedly good for the tummy, and chopped hazelnuts and Brazil nuts. And two Weetabix (product placement) and milk. Stir and enjoy! OK, that's where my day usually starts and from then on it's all downhill. Lunch was a bag of pick n' mix sweeties (of which Sweden does the best in the whole wide world) and pancakes with Nutella (another product placement) and more milk (a must when eating chocolate). Since I abhor cooking, I cross my fingers every morning that someone will take me out to eat at some point during the day, and today my friend Agnes cooked for me. Lucky me. Otherwise it would have meant more cereal and more milk. Agnes made borscht which I had to eat very very carefully so as not to stain my nice expensive outfit (my mum says beetroot stains are impossible to get rid of). I did well. I also had sandwiches with cheese and butter. We drank water. And then coffee, but it was decaffeinated so that we would all be able to sleep soundly. And chocolates. It was all very nice.

What do you never eat?

Nada. I eat everything! I think a picky palate is a sign of a narrow mind.  [Hear hear!  Here here?  Hear, hear!  --Ed.]

Complete this sentence: In my refrigerator, you can always find:

Milk! And chocolate - although that's in the cupboard, strictly speaking.

What is your favorite kitchen item?

I have a spoon I stole, as revenge, from a crazy flat mate I once had, and that I like very much. I never use any other spoon, when eating at home.

Where do you eat out most frequently?

I'm on a very strict budget in these financially turbulent times, so my eating out habits rely on other people's generosity, so it would be bad form to be picky. I do however like places that serve heavy pasta. Or places that serve Wallenbergare, a Swedish speciality that consists of mushy meat and cream I think. It's served with mashed potatoes (I love love love mashed potatoes) and lingonberries (ditto). Restaurant Prinsen here in Stockholm does the best ones I've tasted so far in life.

World ends tomorrow. What would you like for your last meal?

Pick n' mix!

Name: Klara Kjellberg

Occupation: Web Editor + a lotta other stuff at Hyper Island

Neighborhood: Södermalm, Stockholm

Relationship status: Boyfriend/sambo (translate it) on a distance

What did you eat today?

Apple, banana, chocolate and peanuts. And a fish oil Omega 3 pill that my friend gave me.

What do you never eat?

Chicken sausage.

Complete this sentence: In my refrigerator, you can always find:

an onion of some kind.

What is your favorite kitchen item?

I love graters! Dreaming of a vegetable holder, kinda like the one on the left. Have grated one too many fingertips.

Where do you eat out most frequently?

Right now, Louie Louie on Söder. The same dish at least once a week (most recently last night); feta cheese and olive salad with bulgur.

World ends tomorrow. What would you like for your last meal?

A spaghetti dish I had on a Caralunyan beach. I don't want to say where, it's a sacred place. The trailerish restaurant is open during summer only, and I think it's run by a family. When I was younger, they had a spaghetti dish with a salmon sauce that was unbelievable. So if the world is ending... might as well die of spaghetti OD.

Photo by Kalle Thyselius