The San Francisco Professional Food Society Book Club embarked on a worldwide voyage of far-reaching destinations, social introspection and amazing tastes, inspired by Marcus Samuelsson’s Memoir “Yes, Chef”. As we traveled from Ethiopia to Sweden to Switzerland to New York in the path of the author, our culinary manifestations included dishes made with berbere spices or lingonberries or gravlax or Swedish sweets. My contribution was the gravlax. I unearthed a recipe from the Norwegian cruise line of my past – Royal Viking Line – calling for sherry, cognac, salt, sugar, dill and peppercorns. After more than three days of turning the salmon over and over: Voila – Gravlax! The gravlax, Ina Garten’s recipe for mustard sauce and pumpernickel bread culminated in these savory appetizers, happily reviewed as The “delicious food talk of the day” by club members. Thank you Marcus Samuelsson for propelling us with your passion, hard work and never-ending search for excellence!
