Explorig China: A Culinary Adventure

If you're into cooking and love Azian food you need to wach this BBC Two series by chefs Ken Hom and Cheng-He Huang called 'Exploring China: a Culinary Adventure'. Your mouth will be watering the entire time.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01lybfj

posse espressobar

posse espressobar
Katendrecht, Veenlaan 13, Rotterdam
w: posse.nl
ook op FB

Bounced out of bed with the prospect of after a small drive settling down for coffee at the sunny terrace of posse espressobar in Katendrecht, Rotterdam. Arriving there Wifi didn't work, so the owner kindly connected me to his own server so I could get online.

Mellow place with a classy vide grounded in a solid vision.

homemade 'appelmoes'

To do:
- boil or steam apples;
- mash up with fork, however smouth you want the sauce to be;
- add cinamom and honey;
- keep in beautiful jar.

Especially nice if you heat it up before eating. Enjoy!

Paris: croissants and coffee

After 10 years I got to go back to Paris. A friend and I spent our time walking, looking, shopping, sitting in parks, eating. I drank more coffee then I usually do. I couldn't have come to a better place for that. Because every big and small bar, coffee corner, lunch place, restaurant has a proper coffee machine. That big huge monster thing which only uses fresh grinded coffeebeans. And to top it off: croissants and baguettes do taste best in France.

Next time you're in Paris, pick a spot on a terrace, order coffee and a croissant. They serve great tea as well.

Easy peasy Pot roast by my mom

This is only for meat eaters. It is so easy and amazing, you really got try.

Ingredients
- beef (keep the fat on for the taste) for how many people you are serving
- 1 liter of bouillon / borth
- 3 bay leaves
- 2-3 cloves of garlic
- red wine
- couple of tomatoes
- season with peper.
Organic here is the best, as it adds to the flavor. But if you can't, it will still be amazing.

You only need one big pan / cooking pot.

How to
First seal the beef fast and good, the heat high. I always use olive oil, but butter is good too.
Then add bouillon, sliced tomatoes, garlic cloves and bay leaves. I use cubes for the bouillon, but you can make it yourself ofcourse.
Let it simmer/stew for 3 hours on a very low heat.
Add the red wine after about an hour. Use with abundance.
After 3 hours let the whole rest for a day. The day you want to eat it, reheat and let it stew for another 1/2 hour.

I promiss it's heaven, that's why I am sharing it. Just the smell that fills your house is amazing, remenisent of a great Christmas or how they should be.
I make it for two dinners. Mees and I eat it with a simple cooked potatoo and red cabbage with apple.

Extra
Don't throw the residue away. It is gorgeous as a base for a soup. I use a blender to mix it up. Add whatever vegtable you want.
If you're not using it imidiately, you can put it in the freezer for later.
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Fruit soup with creme fraiche

I found this recipe for a delicious non-fat desert. I also used it instead of a birthday cake at my own party this year.

Ingredients (for 4 persons)
- a tray of raspberries
- a tray of strawberries
- a tray of red berries (rode bessen)
- one orange
- one lime
- 250-300 ml of creme fraiche
- 1-2 packages of vanilla sugar

How to do it
Put the raspberries, strawberries and red berries (without the stems) into a big bowl and puree with a blender. Squeeze out the orange and lime in a seperate bowl; add a little lime zest to this mixture. Then add it to the red fruit soup. Put it into the fridge to let it cool for a bit.

If you like more of a bite to it, you can add more red berries if you like. This is not an exact science; your taste is what sets the tone.

Mix 1 or 2 small packages of vanilla sugar into the creme fraiche. Beat it so it's a smooth consistancy.

Take out some beautiful bowls or deep dinner plates; anything you like. Fill them with the fruit soup. Then add 1-2 table spoons of creme fraiche in the middle. Bring out to serve.

It is simply amazing. My Mees loves it and so did everyone I have served it to.
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pastries

For amazing cakes, tarts, cookies and other yummy goodies, go to these pastry shops:

De Koekela, Rotterdam http://www.koekela.nl/
de taart van m'n tante, Amsterdam http://www.detaart.com/ (this one is in English as well!)

Restaurant LUX, Rotterdam

Gorgeous, not your standard Italian dishes. Nothing else to add then: Check it out! You will fall in love with their food.

http://www.restaurantlux.nl/

Las Palmas, Rotterdam

There are many good fish restaurants around the world. Mine is Las Palmas in Rotterdam. Run by Herman den Blijker and his partner; they know their fish. Nothing else to say, excellent.

Oh, I will buy the waterjug they use to serve the bouillabaisse in, made by the Koninklijke Porceleyne Fles (Royal Delft).

www.hermandenblijker.nl
www.royaldelft.com

Golden Coffee Box, Baarn

I started drinking coffee when I was about 33. It slowly crept up on me. I had my husband take me to a lunchroom where they serve the best brand: Golden Coffee Box. Because the secret is to go for excellant coffee and you will never tire of it. And you go to places where they clean the machine minutely. It will have an impact on the taste.
I learned from experience not to stray and go for espresso, or machiato, or restretto. No Nespresso, Senseo, or old fashion coffeepot on the kitchen counter will tempt me. Like tea and wine, coffee is a culture. There is so much to learn.

The Golden Coffee Box is Max Havelaar, without wearing the name. It is about equal changes, opportunities and spreading of profit. An honest cup.

You want to know more, go to www.goldencoffeebox.nl.

Away in Neercanne

Don't tell me you can't see yourself away on a weekend, staying at this place? Hotel Huize Poswick Neercanne. I did. The rooms are a treat; suites with own bathroom, ouzing charm.

Then go and checkout Restuarant Château Neercanne. You can't miss it. Let me tell you this story. On our way to Huize Poswick, we past this castle, rising high above the road. Being me I can't resist a place like this. So we decided to go for a tea. It's was in the afternoon and the one Michelin star restaurant was closed. But they have an auberge as well. We entered, sat down and looked at the menu. This lunch menu popped out. We went for it. Four hours later we were done. It was so good that I can still taste it after all these years. The appetiser, the wine, the suckling pig, the cheeses, and to make my day: Betjeman & Barton tea!

We've been back to dine at the restaurant. Just as amazing. They have there own wine, stored in a cave behind the main building.

Neercanne is about 5 kilometers below Maastricht. It's an experience!
www.hotelhuizeposwick.nl

Habana, Kijkduin

What can I say about beach venue Habana? Great great great food, lounge, great seating arrangements. You wouldn't want to leave, ever.
Have a great day at the beach of Kijkduin.

www.habana.nl

sushi 2

Scheveningen harbor and you will find great food. Also sushi at Ginza.
Take a lunch on the terrace.

Dr. Lelykade 28b, 2583 CM Scheveningen

Café @Home, Rotterdam

The Italian Espresso Bar Belmondo, my slice of tranquility in the morning.

I rest, take an espresso, a fresh orange juice, read a magazine, write, organise my day, make lists, anything. There I get in touch with myself. All along to the slow beats of nice music.

Goudsesingel 52, 3011 KD Rotterdam

Bijenkorf

I have been a Bijenkorf girl for years. Even when I was broke I would walk around all the different departments, looking and escape, build my sense of style.

Have you ever eating their pastry?

Landwinkel 't Zand, Den Bommel

This such a great store. Located right in the middle of farming ground, you can get fresh fruit, vergetables, chees, nuts, meat, bread and dairy products. All bio and eco. Also some wicker baskets, small plants, wine, bio juices, baking products, mustard, etc.
Here comes the best part: at regular prices. Not three times as much at those hip stores in the Randstad (area Den Haag, Amsterdam, Utrecht, Rotterdam). No, normal prices. I can get a kilo of patatoos for 0,25 eruo!!!!!
It is a three miniute drive from my house. So, for anyone who wondered why in Gods name we moved to Den Bommel...

www.tzand.landwinkel.nl

Dim sum at Harvest

Chinese restaurant Harvest (Den Haag) will give you that typical Azian experience. Right smack in the middle of the Chinese district you'll find longer tables at which various groups can be seated, menus in Chinese, and the dishes will be presented whenever they're ready.
You know it's good when Chinese themself go there, and they do at Harvest.

I think their dim sum is the bomb.

Sint Jacobstraat 1
2512 AN Den Haag

High tea at DesInDes

Hotel Des Indes (Den Haag) has a lunchroom / restaurant called DesInDes. They serve a fabulous high tea with real high standard service. Everything is home made, and let me tell you: a feast for your tongue!
Time flies when you're having fun, because it took me and a friend 3 hours. Give yourself a treat and go.

To make a reservation go to: www.desindes.nl/hightea

sushi 1

There are two things that can get me out of bed (and I am not kidding; just two). Those are tea and sushi.

Hamachi, Schiedam
Tiny restaurant, also do take out, Japanese speeking cook, friendly service, excellent sushi and other Japanese dishes.
www.hamachi.nl

Oni, Den Haag
Great restaurant that also gives us modern hip people a good visual interior. Just sit at the linked tables and you know what I am talking about. Very loungy.
www.oni-restaurant.nl

Tea

There's just one store in the Netherlands, and it's in Den Haag, but oh do they have amazing tea: Betjeman & Barton. Just going to their shop is fantastic.

They have an webshop too. Making it great for people like me who moved away from Den Haag, to stay in touch and have a slice of heaven at home.

www.betjemanandbarton.nl