Swedish Tube Food

The first time I visited my husband's family in Sweden, I spent hours at the grocery store perusing the array of foods in tubes: soft cheeses, caviars, pâtés, all sorts of condiments. There was something both retro cool and sleekly futuristic about them, with their bold colors and graphics.

I lugged home a suitcase full-tubes travel well-and threw a party to celebrate my newfound obsession. I provided boiled eggs, rye bread, and crispbread, and for toppings, tiny boiled shrimp, fresh dill, and cucumbers. My friends and I squeezed through my bounty, creating strange and wonderful combinations.