On a business trip to Stockholm some years ago I stayed at the historic Grand Hotel which has a great central location overlooking the waterfront. The hotel had a memorable breakfast buffet which attracted my attention since I am a big breakfast fan. In the evening during my 4 day stay I determined to explore some of the fine restaurants within walking distance of the hotel.
Until this trip I hadn’t often thought of Sweden as a country with especially memorable cuisine. I did come away from the trip with an elevated judgment of food in Sweden, especially their preparation of fish. I had a salmon with morel sauce the first night out and it was so good that I sought a morel sauce in three of the 4 restaurants I visited.
Salmon with morel sauce was my favorite and this is an adaptation of that great morel sauce that was 
served over a broiled Swedish salmon filet
Morel Sauce
¼ cup water
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
½ pound morels cleaned and chopped
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ cup finely chopped shallots
1 cup Pinot Noir
1 cup chicken stock
Juice of 1 lemon
Preparation
Boil water and sugar in sauce pan till caramelized
Remove from heat
Slowly add wine and balsamic vinegars while sirring to mix
Place over moderate heat while continuing to stir to dissolve caramel
About 3-4 minutes
Remove pan from heat and set aside
In saucepan with butter cook morels until moisture evaporates( about 5 minutes)
Remove morels from saucepan and set aside
Add shallots to pan and cook till golden
Stir in wine , boil and reduce by ½ (12-15 minutes)
Add stock and reduce again to 1 cup total
Remove from heat and stir in caramel mixture
Add morels-salt & pepper to taste and add the juice of the lemon
Heat for a minute or two
Salmon
Using 2
½ pound Salmon filets
Coat with extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
Broil with skin side down for about 6 minutes
Remove to a warm serving platter
Top the filet with the heated morel sauce and serve
Swiss Chard is in the markets now and is on our table at least once a week. Swiss Chard is a favorite in our house and can be prepared any number of ways. A quick pan saute is a great way to prepare both the 
stalks and the leaves
Ingredients:
1 bunch of Swiss Chard
2 cloves minced fresh garlic
Extra virgin olive oil
Juice of one lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
Rinse chard thoroughly under running water
Dry with paper towels
Cut and separate the stalks from the leaves
Cut stalks into ½ inch pieces
Chop leaves into bite size pieces
In skillet lightly cover pan with olive oil
Over medium heat sauté garlic for 2 minutes
Add chard stalks and continue sauté for 2 minutes
Add leaves, then lemon juice and cover pan
Sauté covered for about 5 -6 minutes-till stalks are tender
Salt & pepper to taste- drizzle olive oil lightly and serve
A Memorial Day BBQ deserves a bit more than plain hamburgers and hot dogs. This important day needs to be set aside for remembrance of those who gave the ultimate sacrifice to protect our freedom and families.
I will be attending a yearly gathering of Marine Corps veterans to honor our fellow Marines who made that ultimate sacrifice. In the afternoon we celebrate our hard won freedoms with a family BBQ designed to start the summer season.
If you are ready to step up the family BBQ at your home, here are a few suggestions that will help to make it a special one for this special day
Fish works well on the grill and tuna does especially well with a papaya vinaigrette
Burgers are grill favorites and in our neighborhood buffalo burgers hold an important section of an afternoon
BBQ
The border is in the news almost every day but the important news from south of the border is this burger from Sonora Mexico
Salmon and ginger are a marriage made for the grill. This combination is a true family favorite
Shrimp on the Grill done island style is a great addition to the party
Last night pork loin was grilled for dinner. When I brought it in to plate, a salsa had been prepared to accompany the pork. The combination of mango and avocado was a bright accompaniment to the meat. I am sure this 
salsa would work well with most grilled meats.
Ingredients:
1 avoocado peeled , pitted, and medium diced
1 mango, peeled, pitted and medium diced
1 small red onion diced finely
¼ cup finely diced cilantro
1 jalapeno chili minced (stem and seeds removed
Juice of 1 lime
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon sea salt
Preparation:
In serving bowl mix all ingredients
served over a broiled Swedish salmon filet
