Gong Xi Fat Xai!

This year we got together with Nicoline and Edi fellow Chinese foodies to celebrate the new year with the important element of Food: theme? Lots of it!

The laden table

1st row L-R: Peking Duck (Douwe brought from Rotterdam); Peking Duck pancakes; Lobak (bean curd rolls)
2nd row: pickled cucumbers, beef n black beans; Salt and Pepper calamari
3rd row: Mixed veg with prawns and scallops, Roast Pork, Steamed Bream


Kaemon and Nelly getting ang pows/red packets from Edi and Nicoline- which was very exciting as it was filled with chocolate money (and the real thing too, but they just give that to mummy).

Happy New Year! Wishing everyone the most important things in life: happiness and health. We can't ask for more :)

Babe, pig in my kitchen

All of a sudden, my local supermarket has started selling REAL meat. None of this chicken filet, schnitzel, slavinken, pre-sliced stir-fry beef nonsense. Meat where you actually can see where it came from! This was one cut I was delighted to see- the lower leg: not much meat but all skin and bone, and you know what this means...crrrRACKling!

I opened up the shank and rubbed him in with sea salt and popped him in a hot oven sitting atop halved onions. Onions went into the gravy, and I would say that crackling is the perfect accompaniment to any meal, but it really did go well with the Boerenkool & worst (Traditional Dutch Bangers & Mash).

Also happy that I worked out how to photograph steam!

Next stop: Boston: home of historical things but here's the food tour: We had Italian, mexican, and traditional New England delicacies; all with the specialties of the region: shellfish and seafood. So little time, but we made the most of it. If you ever had to sacrifice home and other belongings for a dipping sauce, the innocent-looking green one at the bottom-left of the picture would be it. Searching for a recipe as we speak.

In Rockport, a picturesque fishing village where my heart was content...

My cousin Gerald, I'm not sure if I love him because he's family or because he brought me to lobster. Oh lobster how I adore thee. Hence the pictures of lobster in various poses. Aren't they gorgeous, nursing their bath of melted butter belly-up, a definitely provocative pose screaming, 'rip my tail off and eat my juicy flesh'. I did. FYI twist the tail off, don't bend.Clam chowda, and whole-belly clams: little juicy and plump morsels in a KFC syle batter. Mmm om nom nom. Be still my cholesterol-laden heart!

Gerco & Charlotte 4 eva!

I love weddings, yes I do. It's usually the manic happiness making it a shining point in life. Everywhere you turn manic smiles, everyone happy happy joy joy! The bride and groom were radiant and resplendent.

Beautiful Old Mansion in the forest, decorated in Art Deco style and a intruiging Shell-Horn-Mahogany Decor theme (Pau shells, with buffalo horn on massive dressoirs= lavish)

Brings the romance out in all...

I made a token cake (with three boys in the house, when do I ever get a chance to make flowers???????)

the food: the main course, cornish hen with tarragon sauce was...well, cornish hen with tarragon sauce and broccoli and mashed potato. But the entree, tatare of salmon with asparagus, was a delectable coarse chop of fresh salmon, dill that was tart and fragrant, making me want to use words such as delightful, delish and om-nom-nom-nom it's gone!

A lovely sunny day, nice catching up with friends and hanging out in luxury for a day.

Long Weekend!

The recent long weekend was the opportunity to catch up on the lost holiday moments: (clockwise from top left) so we did some crafty egg decorating, ate (more) good food (sushi, lamb and lentils, green tea cake with red bean cream filling) and finally, after I walked into a closed door this morning at 5am to stifle a Crying Nelson and Screaming Kaemon I was in need for feeling-sorry-for-myself food so 2 kg of roast pork with crackling did the trick nicely (if you see my black eye, it really was a walk-into-a-door). Unfortunately, kaemon also has discovered crackling. Previously I cut it off, reasoning that it was just too hard for his little teeth, and instead of wasting it, I'd have to eat it. He stole some from my plate and polished the rest off. As I said, pity.
Kaemon loves hats, posing naturally with Nelson, hand-modelling easter eggs, and the ladies with Cars.


Love love love living near the beach: we (I) threw a salad and quiche together for a afternoon/dinner at the strand. Instant holiday feeling, just add water!
FEED ME!

SPring has sprung...

The around the border between March and April lies somewhere the transition from winter to spring. Transitions are such that they are periods, and you emerge different and changed. This year, we had sick kids, a planned week of relaxing with/without kids, sick kids- so no planned week of relaxing and now, vacation over, we're glad to be back at work to relax and recover a little.... I DO feel different and changed, last week I felt about 30, this week about 65! Photos Below: (clockwise) Douwe being the taxi man, dutch-style; Kaemon in repose, pale and weak in sickness- now he's recovered and catching up on the obtusiveness and contrariness of a typical 2-year old double-time; Watching cars on Ipod, covered in clingwrap to protect from suprise emissions; Renee did her monthly stint relieving my horse-duty; it's Douwe's birthday and we've got cheap party hats! (economic recession)
A new season is inspiring the kitchen and my belly...num.green asparagus (although it came from Bolivia, it still seems a sign of the European spring...) with bacon-wrapped salmon in a dill-caper dressing. The spaghetti was like a sexy nun: plainly dressed but a divine accompaniment in truffle oil and garlic. Tooooo good! The leftover asparagus was hidden in a eggy terrine with ham and tomato in filo. Haricot verts, the princess of the beans also arrived to dance around on my plate with some finger-lickin grilled herby sausages, baked thyme potatoes, crispy bacon and a saucy vinaigrette. On the right are douwe's two birthday cakes. Sick kids= no fancy cake, sorry love.



Our two naughty boys *proud parents* kiss kiss

Hylke's 65th

Cake- modelled on the ANRO asia, a container ship on which Hylke sailed on long ago... I like the water flurry in the wake of the boat the best!

Food-I've never made such neat and tidy nigiri sushi before!

Late edit: Yes there were people at the party, not just food!

What we've been eating

With the winter dragging on, it was time for comfort food. There was mushroom soup with cauliflower and chicken (take packet mushroom soup and cook with cauliflower and chicken, voila...), I discovered beans, connected with my inner-dutch-wife and made Brabantse sausage rolls (good food for sick kids) and...sausage pizza (take 1/2 can of pizza, lay on pizza, top with mozarella and bake. eat.)

'Twas the night before....

Kaemon's Birthday, when all through the house, we were all stirring, and baking decorating the house!!

Although we're playing it cool, I made this cake (one of three for kaemon in the upcoming week's celebrations and douwe brought a giant helium balloon and hid it in the laundry. Here's a sneak peak...*shhh* don't tell Kaemon!!! (It's chocolate mud cake...mmmm)

I experimented with cake decorating, however, having the attention span of a goat (slightly better than a goldfish, but not as good as a chimpanzee) I'll hold off before saying I have a new hobby. But I'm hopeful...

Love it when food inspires poetry

Saturday, the steps to a zalig/divine paella. Shawn is the chef, loli the certificate of authenticity. The lemony garlic alioli is over the top flavour but is necessary to complement the full-on, smoky, full-bodied and scintillating paella.  
Sunday, first encounter with Wagyu. I've got good family connections. Abby deals in wagyu. Ian grills to perfection. Wagyu is the nightclub sexy version to the classy Kobe. Kobe gets massaged and is groomed, where wagyu is delectable by pedigree. You CAN cut it with a spoon.
 
Monday. My turn - lazy seafood platter, grilled scallops, asparagus and salmon in a lime & chilli bath.
 
Been eating at home because dining out with 8 adults trying to wrangle 5 kids is not relaxed. But the food has not suffered.

We've Hit Home

Back in Brizvegas, family reunited with a dinner: our view of each other across the table.
 
 
 
 

All things good must come to an end

For two weeks I had eating company, we had laptop parties and watched movies 10 minutes at a time (tired parents can only handle so much). Now they've gone...but not far!!! lovelove
 
 

saucisse coupée et sauces mélangée

Just to show that it's not all caviar and champagne, this is what we served up to our very special guests Renee and Martijn. What can I say?... it's a compliment when you're comfortable enough with someone to serve them cut up sausage and three (not just one, no) sauces. Melange of sauces, that does sound fancy doesn't it. french makes everything fancy.

 
 
 
 

Ode to the slice

The slice is the new leggings-under-skirt (or whatever current fad of the season). I don't know the true definition of a slice, but for me it's a hybrid of all the good features of baked yummies- cakes, cheesecake, biscuits, puddings, the list goes on on on- in a reduced format to enjoy at any moment of the day (desserts are often too filling after a meal). Take for example this apricot crumble slice: crumbly topping like an apple crumble, squishy filling like a jammy pudding and crunchy biscuit bottom. But flat and easy to stuff down in between lunch and dinner!!!!
 

kaemon meets the big chicken, kaemon loses chicken

Apologies to the vegetarians, a chicken was harmed in the making of this film.

Panic ensues when the chicken time is over...methinks he's got a little touch for Drama.

Free! Free! Like a bird!

Last friday I had a delicious experience: I have to really really really thank Marjolein for this wonderful (birthday) present which was not just a delicious High Tea but a few baby-free hours!!

Christmas and New year in one go

The christmas and new year of 2007 will (unfortunately) mostly be remembered not for the food or good times, but bu the rabid stomach virus that was doing the rounds and afflicted at least 1 member of every family that I polled, and the one that introduced me (kaemon) to "spuitdiaree" or projectile explosive diarrhoea.
A few days before christmas, there was a beautiful frosting of everything that made things very christmassy.