It is likely you have never heard the name Leila Lindholm before (unless you are from Sweden or on of the Scandinavian countries), so let me introduce her to you. Leila grew up in a family that cooked and entertained. Once she realized that cooking could be a professional endeavour, she packed her bags at the age of 21 and left Sweden for New York to work at Swedish owned Aquavit.  Since her then, Leila has amassed quite the extensive bio as a chef, a TV personality, an entrepreneur, a cookbook author, an entertainer and now the proprietress of an e-commerce store (and a brick and mortar store in late 2013).

Leila has always had an interest in creating beautiful things.  It took her a couple years to develop the brand and create a viable collection of products when the opportunity presented itself back in 2004, but now Leila’s store is open for business online and we are big fans.  Here is a better look at the General Store’s aesthetic we described in Issue 03 of Countlan magazine.

Leila’s General store carries a broad range of kitchenware and tableware accessories including some vintage items.  There is a mix of her own designs and some kitchen appliances that she imports from other brands that meet her aesthetic and taste for quality.  Her bowls, jugs, and cake stands are so pretty, they would fit right into any tablescape.

We had a few more questions for Leila about her entertaining style that we will share with you below.

01 How would you describe your entertaining style?  I never liked the pretentious style of cooking like you find in restaurant cooking.  In my house when I entertain, I keep it simple and serve family style- I prefer a rustic, simple style of cooking like making a whole chicken with potatoes, something Italian, or making a whole piece of salmon cilantro and chili and ginger and soy. Most people want to eat healthy, so if the meal is too heavy than there is not enough room to leave extra space for something sweet.

02 What about table decor? I prefer to use real napkins and table cloths.  I like to serve sparkling water in nice bottles and set a proper table.  Still keep it kind of simple.

03 What items can always be found on your table at home when entertaining guests? A round cutting board. I have a centre island in my kitchen where I usually set out a round cutting board for serving things like cheese or sliced roasted meats. Pepper mill, never use fresh pepper sea salt.

04 You sell liquorice powder on your site, what is that for? Swedes love two spices: Liquorice and cinnamon.  The powder (on the site) is Italian and it is used for making a syrup to marinate berries.  You can also use the powder to flavour panna cotta or vanilla ice cream.

Leila Lindholm’s A Piece of Cake

Leila Lindholm’s “One More Slice”

Photo Source: Leila’s General Store

Yes- the store ships internationally!