Tina Nordström shares her thoughts on food, filming and hosting New Scandinavian Cooking from Sweden.

Tina Nordström is hosting the third season of NEW SCANDINAVIAN COOKING which was taped entirely on location in Sweden. Nordström visited APT's Fall Marketplace last year at the Doral Resort in Miami, Florida.

Q: Tina, your first cooking show, Mat with Tina Nordström broke new ground for cooking shows in Sweden. Why do you think this program was such an instant succ ess?

A: I think it was a success because it is a very laid back cooking show. It is a very relaxing show and I make mistakes in the kitchen and we don't cut them out. Well of course, if they are big, we cut them out. I show viewers that it is human to make mistakes. I think viewers look at me not as a celebrity — but more as the girl next door.

Q: Do they look at you like a celebrity in Sweden and how do you handle that?

A: I think I have handled it okay. Of course, whenever I am out people recognize me. Especially when I am grocery shopping. There are always some people who come up to me and say 'well I tried your stew recipe today and it was great. But I did something wrong.' Then, they always have a bunch of questions about what they could have done wrong. I think that is okay because people are always friendly — I like it.

Q: You won a prize for the most popular female TV-host — how did that feel? Were you surprised?

A: Of course I was surprised, especially because I won it twice. Yes, I was very surprised. The viewers in Sweden are the jury. They put their trust in me. That is the fun.

Q: What were your expectations when you first began Mat?

A: It was hard because I'd been working as a chef for 10 years before I took the job as a host. So I didn't know anything about television. It was completely new to me. I didn't have any expectations. I remember people said that in about a few months, people will start to recognize me on the street. They told me all that stuff — but I really didn't believe it. It was more like — 'oh yes, we'll see about that.' But, it happened.

Q: What are some of the adjustments you've made for this role? Has it been challenging?

A: First of all — the language! That was the biggest challenge. When they asked me the first time I said NO … 'no no no no, I'm not going to do that.' But then I was thinking about it and I've wanted to learn English more. So I said yes and [learning English] was the biggest challenge.

Q: How did you work to improve your English?

A: In the beginning, I traveled to London twice and took two different courses. Then I met an American and talked to her at least twice a week. It's so hard. When I speak Swedish and when I'm at my Swedish show, I have a weird accent more of the Southern accent. Sometimes, with English, I sound very British because that is what I learned when I was in school. But then I've seen a lot of American television so it's a mix. You will see, you will definitely notice that [on the TV show].

Q: The program is taped outdoors. What is it like?

A: Well, I just got home yesterday and we were recording in Stockholm and it was raining all the time. That is a big problem because you can't shoot outside when it is raining. Then we just had to sit inside the hotel and wait and wait. When we saw the sun, we ran out and recorded everything. I think we did that in five hours. Luckily we made it. It is special. There are always a lot of sounds — cars, planes. The sound girl — she doesn't like it. So we have to stop and start over because there is an airplane or people are interrupting.

Q: What are some of the recipes highlighted in your new series?

A: There are a lot of different recipes. There are those that are very traditional, for example, mid-summer's eve you have to have strawberry cake and I do that in the show. Pickled herring — that is a very special Swedish food. Roasted garlic herring. But then also I make a lot of newer recipes. Last week, I did Norwegian Lobster with vinaigrette with mango and vanilla. That was delicious. It was a great combination. Sometimes it is very old-fashioned food. When it's Christmas I have to show you how to make real Swedish ham with new carrots and mustard and you eat it with brown cabbage. But then in another show, it's trendier dishes.

Q: What can American audiences expect from NEW SCANDINAVIAN COOKING?

A: Well … a lot of things! The first thing is that we're not in a studio. That is a big thing. We are outdoors. We are traveling from the North of Sweden to the Southern. We show the viewers beautiful spots in Sweden. We show them our traditions and Americans will see how fun it is. I just love to be in front of the camera and I love to travel. There are a lot of things that I think you will like — I hope so.