Swedish Adventure: First look at Skansen

Patio at Scandic Hasselbacken

After a long day of traveling and sightseeing, we got some well needed rest and woke up at the Scandic Hasselbacken for breakfast on the outdoor patio before another day of filming.  The hotel has a great spread with eggs, bacon, pancakes (crepes), yogurt and Swedish meatballs.  They also have lots of meats, cheeses and fish.  I was surprised by the many organic and lactose free options.  I grabbed my coffee quick and headed over to Skansen to cook with Chef KC Wallberg. 

KC is the chef and owner of Gubbhylan Restaurant.  Gubbhylan Restaurant sits inside of the world's oldest outdoor museum at Skanson and serves Swedish cuisine with a modern twist.  KC likes to use fresh local and seasonal ingredients. 

KC gave us a tour of Skansen and took us into the shop for fresh cinnamon rolls. 

The wonderful aroma filled the air as we walked up to meet the baker. 

The actually bake the rolls in the original house from the 1700s with no air conditioning. 

He showed us the cumin and dill used to make aquavit and gave us a taste of the secret Christmas batch with ginger and Spanish port wine. 

The Swedish always sing when they drink it and KC sang us one of the songs (you'll get to hear it when the episode airs).  It sounds like such a good way to spend the holidays with family.  The goal is to keep singing until the bottle of aquavit is gone. 

The Swedes took us in with open arms and gave us a taste of their culture.  They are warm, friendly and hospitable people.  More to come about cooking with KC...