Bye bye, IKEA

IKEA was my first (and unfortunately, my only) encounter with Swedish meatballs, so when I thought about creating the dish, the idea of making an unfamiliar dish scared and excited me at the same time. How nice would it be to enjoy those delicious meatballs comfortably at home as opposed to snacking on them in between shopping for chairs and office desks?

Like Germany, Swedish food tends to be practical and sustaining, but like the country itself, neighboring countries have extended their influence over Swedish cuisine. Swedish meatballs, probably Sweden's most popular and well-known dish, are usually accompanied by lingonberry jam. I figured that the jam is probably served to not only sweeten, but also lighten the thick creamy meatball sauce. I decided to reinvent this dish to create a modern Swedish Napoleon.

Swedish Napoleon - Swedish Meatballs, served with Cherry syrup and Whipped Sour Cream

I boiled down some fresh cherries and sugar to create a fresh cherry syrup to replace the lingonberry jam. I used puff pastry to give the dish some starch and crunchy texture. I also fluffed up some sour cream and milk (using a beater) to bridge all the layers together to create an explosion of flavors when you take your first bite. I will say this much - IKEA is no longer good enough for me!