2 lb. lean ground beef
1 c. fresh bread crumbs (4 slices chopped in blender)
1 onion, fried until soft but not brown
1-1 1/2 c. water (do not use milk as it toughens meat)
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Note: In some parts of Sweden rice is used instead of bread crumbs.

Gravy: Serve meatballs in a brown gravy. Add 2-3 tablespoons sour cream and 1 teaspoon dried dillweed or 2 tablespoons fresh dillweed.

Fry onion until soft. Place ground beef in a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle with bread crumbs, fried onion, salt, pepper, spices and egg. With hands, mix together until everything is well blended, adding water gradually until mixture becomes a paste (mixture will be quite loose).

Roll mixture into small balls, between 3/4 inch and 1 inch in diameter, not larger - important. Swedish meatballs are small!

Fry in butter in large heavy skillet, over medium heat, turning frequently until lightly browned all over. Place in a bowl which as been lined with paper towels. These can be frozen at this point.

Over low heat, and retaining brown bits in pan, make a brown gravy, either from scratch or from a packet. You will need more than one packet.

When finished, add sour cream and dillweed. Return meatballs to pan, reheat in gravy until heated through (5-10 minutes).

Swedish meatballs are traditionally served with mashed potatoes, vegetables and cranberry sauce (try Swedish cranberries called Lingonberries found in most large supermarkets on the gourmet preserves shelf!).

My Aunt Greta was a wonderful cook and made all the traditional Swedish seasonal specialties throughout the year.

She came to America at the turn of the century as a young girl, and kept the Scandinavian tradition alive in our family, and many of her recipes have been passed on.

Hint: For minimum amount of sticking, a seasoned cast iron skillet will give the best results as it is an even heat conductor. Serves 6-8.