Olivia Henriksson is a Stockholm-based chef and good friend to us at Monteaco. On her instagram she often shares recipes and inspiring food photos of all kinds while simultaneously finishing her journalism degree and running catering events all over the city.

We visitied Olivia in her apartment recently, and after getting invited to some freshly baked sourdough bread we brewed up a batch of kombucha and asked her a couple of questions over a cup of tea.

Q: Can you tell us about your culinary journey so far and what inspired you to start cooking?

A: My grandmother and mother are important for my cooking journey. My grandmother taught me recipes from traditional swedish baking books. When I was seven I got a new rule from my dad: that I could only bake once a week. I guess that explains a lot about how long and how much cooking and baking means to me.

Q: How would you describe your cooking style?

A: I love cooking rustique and genuine food. To discover original recipes that nobody has been thinking of for a couple of years is a big interest of mine. Often italian, swedish or french recipes.

Q: As we’re in the middle of a very dark and dull November here in Sweden, what are some seasonal ingredients that gets you excited to push through?

A: Lately, I’ve been obsessed with sourdough buns, so I’m all into different types of traditional swedish wheat flours. Besides from that I would say that celery, onions, garlic and fennel is the perfect base for a nice soup. I usually make a green minestrone, greek chicken soup and ribollita with these ingredients.