Categorie: Gesprekken en Gerechten

Geplaatst op

Judith Works, Coins in the Fountain

foto: Judith Works (internet)

Some while ago I posted a tweet on a Byzantine history book I was reading. Immediately Judith Works reacted. A conversation began and we started to follow each other. Judith is a woman from Portland, Oregon, who decided to go to Rome and start all over again. She ended up at the FAO, but perhaps that is a thing she certainly wants to comment on herself. She wrote a book “Coins in the fountain” When in Rome Judith still throws coins in the Trevi fountain. A way to keep returning. I immediately started to research and found a lot of adventures. I invited Judith  to participate in “gesprekken en gerechten” (baptized talk and table by my friend Frances Mayes) Let’s see if we can conceive a dish for Judith from the answers she gives to my virtual questions. Needless to say that this willl be a dish  full of travel and with a Roman hint.
Who is Judith? Tell me some more
Life was routine until I decided to earn a law degree. Then a chance meeting led me to run away to the Roman Circus (Maximus) – actually to the United Nations Food & Agriculture Organization next door – where I worked as an attorney in the Human Resource department. After four years my husband and I returned to the U.S. But we missed La Dolce Vita: the sweet life with wonderful food and wine and the endless history that Italy offers. The gods smiled and another opportunity came along: six more years in Rome, this time working for the UN World Food Programme. Now retired and living near Seattle I wrote a memoir about our many happy and sometimes fraught experiences. It’s titled Coins in the Fountain, in memory of the many times I threw a coin in the Trevi Fountain to wish for yet another return to Rome.
How did your attraction for Rome and Italy start?
It started in a very round-about way. I always wanted to travel but had done little except Mexico and one trip to Europe during my first marriage. When the ferry from Dover docked at Hook of Holland I knew from the first moment I put foot on the Continent I wanted to see more. New marriage brought a man who agreed. And, a miracle and several years later, an opportunity came. A friend had returned from Rome and told me about working for the United Nations there. I applied and was selected. If he had said Paris, London,  Amsterdam or Oslo it would have been the same. But once in Rome and getting over the shock of becoming an expatriate (or innocent abroad I should say) I knew Italy was as close to perfection as you can find.
You wrote a book, “Coins in the Fountain” Can you tell something about it?
Here’s the “book blurb”
Pasta! Vino! Hill Towns! Coins in the Fountain will transport you to Italy where you can find out what it’s really like to live the expatriate life. It’s all here in the story of a couple who said “NO!” to middle age boredom and made a dash from a small-town in Oregon to cosmopolitan Rome when the author went to work for the United Nations.  In between actually working there were Italian weddings to attend, music to be heard, a close-up with the Pope, travel with the wine club and country weekends in Umbria where the Etruscans still seemed to be lurking about. A brush with the Italian medical system, an auto accident with the military police, a fall in the subway, interactions with an excitable landlord and helping pick grapes at harvest time all became part of their daily adventures. And of course there were many new friends like the countess with her butt-reducing machine and the count who served as a model for statues of naked horsemen.
Unexpectedly taking up early retirement, the author’s husband met strange vegetables in his valiant efforts to learn to cook Italian-style. When not struggling in the kitchen he played golf on a course where the rough featured snakes and unexploded bombs and crewed on a sailboat that came close to disaster on the way to Greece.
Part memoir, part travelogue to off-beat sites in Rome and elsewhere, you will be amused and intrigued with the stories of food, friends and adventures. You, too, will want to run away to join the Circus (the Circus Maximus, that is). And before you depart Rome, you will never forget to throw a coin in the Trevi Fountain to ensure a return to beautiful Rome and enchanting Italy.
You worked at the FAO, what did you experience over there?
My work was very interesting and challenging because it was the first time I had been in a true international environment with colleagues coming from every corner of the world. Many were in working in the field in difficult situations trying to provide aid while coping with war and natural disasters. My own job was more bureaucratic with work on pension, pay, credit union and medical issues including medical evacuations or even on occasion a staffmember’s death.
What is your favorite type of agriculture?
I love the beauty of orchards, when apples, peaches, oranges and lemons decorate the trees; but most of all I love olive trees with their silver-grey leaves and bright black olives in the late fall. Unfortunately our climate does not allow them or citrus to be grown but we have lots of apple, pear, peach and apricot trees in the Pacific Northwest.
In Rome we had the pleasure of an olive tree on our terrace providing some shade for us and our orchids.
Which plant do you like the most and which one you dislike? I am very curious about that
We have an extensive garden surrounding our house here in the cool damp Northwest. My favorite plants are rhododendreons which flourish from later winter to early summer splashing color in everyone’s gardens including ours. Our current garden has invasive plants like creeping ivy and vicious blackberry vines – hate them.
I was still in Rome I’d have to say mimosa is my favorite which always heralded spring days and International Women’s Day.
You traveled a lot, mention 100 countries out of 200, what was your most striking moment?
A hard question to answer. In the end I’d have to say it was sitting on one of the towers at Ankor Wat, Cambodia shortly after the Pol Pot regime collapsed. I was there as part of a UN World Food Programme mission, evaluating food aid distribution for workers who were trying to clean up and restore the ruins. As I sat contemplating the past, presence and future the sun set in the west and a full moon rose over the horizon. It was so overwhelming that I slipped a story about it in my book when I wrote abut WFP.
What was the biggest difference for you to overcome when you moved to Rome?
There were many but perhaps moving from our private home with lot and garden to an apartment house where, with the exception of one other person, no one spoke English.
What is you attitude to Rome nowadays?
I do love eternal Rome. It always brings mixed feelings because of the challenges of some aspects like the bureaucracy. When I was there last spring I saw firsthand how hard the economic crisis had hit with many shops closed. I read Italian news regularly and the economy and political situation is always to the forefront. But still…how can you not get a tear in your eye when you gaze at the Trevi Fountain or sit in Piazza Navona sipping a prosecco.
Can you tell something about your voluntary work in art and literature?
I serve on the Board of Directors for the Edmonds Center for the Arts, our local performing arts center bringing everything from jazz to rock to classical music and dance. On the literary side I am on the board of our local writer’s conference called Write on the Sound (we’re on Puget Sound in the State of Washington). I’m President of our local Edmonds library support group, Friends of the Edmonds Library, and am a founding ”mother” of a new group called EPIC which is just beginning – so far we have writing classes and speakers, and will have a literary contest this spring.
On food, which food do you like and which you would never eat?
After ten years in Italy I like Italian food, especially pasta dishes. My husband, bless his heart, became the cook while Iwas working there and he does a great job. In the winter he whips up an excellent pasta carbonara – always a favorite that brings back many memories. Otherwise it depends on which country we’re in – had wonderful rijsttafel in Amsterdam and Bali; lamb and souvlaki in Athens; lovely small oysters in Brittany; stroganoff  in St Petersburg and Cape Malay cuisine in Cape Town. But I admit cowardly skipping the fish maw on the breakfast table in Shanghai; stuck to dim sum and other items that looked familiar. I’ll soon be there again – maybe I’ll be more daring.
Being on the West Coast and having a large Asian population Seattle and the surrounding area has marvellous Thai, Chinese, Japanese. Vietnamese and Korean food.
I’m sure I’d eat just about anything if Iwas starving. Since I’m not I do not eat farm-raised salmon or anything that could be considered endangered. I don’t like the thought of eating horse or the donkey sausage hanging in a window in one of the towns in the Alban Hills outside Rome.
Which wines do you like?
For celebrations Champagne is never wrong; for sitting on our deck in the summer looking at cruise ships passing by on their way to Alaska I love a glass of prosecco. For warm winter meals there’s nothing like a Brunello or something else thick and red like Barolo. And for a glass before dinner a good malbec is nice. When traveling we try local wine and beer although sometimes the results are unusual like the Egyptian wine we jokingly called eau de Nil.
Can you tell me something about your “foodprint” A lot of waste we have in the Western world?
I recently read that half of the world’s food is wasted, much of it in the third world due to lack of transportation, storage and efficient distribution methods. Here in the West we have our own problems, not of too little but of too much, especially of processed foods which we try to avoid. Our own family food footprint isn’t large as we buy in small quantities only being two of us. But, we do throw some out from time to time I’m sorry to say.
In the Netherlands we have a scholar Mrs Louise Fresco. She states in her latest book, that only local produced and organic food is not enough to feed the world in the long run. Do you agree?
I would like to disagree but, unfortunately, I think she is correct. How would it be possible to feed everyone with shrinking land available and inadequate water resources combined with an ever-increasing population? I can’t imagine feeding the population of Mumbai that way – they can’t get enough of any kind now. Another problem is that organic food is more expensive, at least here where I live.
Happily for us in Puget Sound we have an ample supply of organic food in most grocery stores and speciality stores. We buy most of our food from these sources, much of it coming from local farmers and ranchers, and from our Farmer’s Market in summer.
What else do you want to tell?
Since we “met” by you saying you were reading a book on Byzantine history I’d like to add that I am fascinated by mosiacs – from the ancient Romans to the modern like Gino Severini’s work in Cortona. Ravenna is one of my favorite spots in Italy along with Monreale near Palermo and of course Hagia Sophia and the Chora in Istanbul.
My blog: http://aLittleLightExercise.blogspot.com is mostly travel essays but the title is based on an old novel set in Sicily where the author describes the monastic life: “The monks lived according to the motto ‘Good food and drink, not forgetting a little gentle exercise.’” It seemed to be an excellent receipe for living the good life.

My book can be found on Amazon with the link: http://www.amazon.com/Coins-In-The-Fountain-ebook/dp/B005M2RLAI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1358548498&sr=8-1&keywords=coins+in+the+fountain

 

foto cover of Judith’s book (internet)
The Recipe for Judith

Kaleidoscopical is the word for the life and adventures of Judith. She traveled a lot. Did a lot of different things. She volunteers. Changed her life many times and in many directions. Wrote a wonderful book on living the good  life in Roma. An above all she likes mosaïcs form all over the Mare Nostrum. For Judith I have a pasta dish, containing Dutch mussels, a dash of chili pepper, parsley, grapes, zest, curry and turmeric powder to give the penne some color and spice. Topped with a  grilled langoustine. Of course there is wine. I would suggest a white one, made from the viognier grape varietal  from the Languedoc in Southern France. Apricot flavours to match the spicy hints in this dish.

 

Ingredients 4 persons:2 lbs/ 1 kg Dutch mussels, cleaned, preferably from Zeeland
4 big langoustines
1 chili pepper in rings
1/2 container of small wild cherry tomatoes (red, ornage and yellow)
1 red onion in rings
1 package of penne rigate
chopped parsley
1 red bell pepper
2 glasses of white wine
2 garlic cloves chopped
1 cup/ 250 g of seedles grapes in halves
1 tbs lemon zest
1 ts turmeric powder to color the penne
1/2 tbs curry powder
water
pepper and salt
olive oil

Preparation:

Bring to the boil some water and cook the penne rigate according to the instructions on it’s package. Chop the  red onion in rings, do the same with the chili pepper and garlic. Cut the red bell pepper in rings, halve the tomatoes, chop the parsley and put aside for later use. Grate some peel of the lemon, preferably an organic one.
Put some oil in a pan and gently fry the chili, onion, 1/2 tbs of curry powder and garlic. Add one glass of white wine and a glass of water. Add the mussels and bring to a boil. Cook for about 8 minutes and when the mussels are done, throw away the non openend ones. Put te mussels aside for later use. Grill the langoustines until ready. Put them under some aluminium foil. Pour some oil in another big pan and add the penne and 1 ts of turmeric powder.
Then add the mussels and bell pepper rings. Stir fry and add another glass of white wine. Leave to simmer for a short while. Season with some salt and pepper.
Put the dish on 4 big plates, garnish with the chopped parsley, halved grapes, halved tomatoes and some lemon zest. Put the grilled langoustines on top.

Geplaatst op

Mijn blog in 2013, what’s new?

Goedemorgen, gelukkig Nieuwjaar!  De kruitdampen zijn opgetrokken en de stilte van de eerste ochtend van het jaar omringt me. Een nieuw jaar, een nieuwe ronde, een tabula rasa, schone lei. Ik heb er zin in dit jaar. Sommige onderwerpen op mijn blog gaan verdwijnen, sommige veranderen andere gaan extra aandacht krijgen. Nieuwe dingen ga ik toevoegen. Heerlijk vooruitkijken nu. Een heel jaar vol blogs over eten en wijn ligt voor me. Een korte samenvatting van mijn voornemens:

Gesprekken en gerechten:
Met deze serie ga ik onverdroten verder. De Engelstalige wel te verstaan, de Nederlandse versie was niet zo levensvatbaar. Ik noem het voortaan “Talk en table”‘ naar het idee van schrijfster Frances Mayes. Op de rol staan Jeff Titelius, reiziger in hart en nieren, Joe Wolff, koffiehuis expert (en dan bedoel ik niet dat soort koffiehuizen in Amsterdam) en Kate Hill kook”ster” uit de Gascogne. Ik verheug me op hun verhalen.

Ma Bourgogne:
Rond dit thema valt nog heel wat te bloggen. Recepten en wijnen gelardeerd met foto’s uit deze mooie streek.

Wijn:

Zal het smeersel blijven van mijn blog. Ga in 2013 weer nieuwe wijnen ontdekken en proeven. En erover berichten. En bij vragen over wijn, weest allen welkom.

Foodblogevent:
Ga zeker weer mee doen. Ik hoop dat dit jaar het zoet- en bakgehalte af zal nemen en er meer mannen een bijdrage gaan leveren aan het event. En dat het geheel wat meer verdieping krijgt. We gaan het meemaken.

Dit nieuwe jaar betekent ook een start van een aantal nieuwe dingen. Ben heel benieuwd wat de respons hierop zal zijn.

www.thuisafgehaald.nl:
Naast het schrijven over eten wil ik mensen dit jaar ook laten proeven van mijn kooksels. Sinds korte tijd sta ik op de site www.thuisafgehaald.nl. Een forum waarop kokers en afhaler elkaar ontmoeten. Heb je zin in iets lekkers? Kom dan eens iets afhalen. Eventueel met een lekker wijntje erbij!

Restyling blog:
Op korte termijn ga ik actief aan de slag met mijn vriendin Esmée Scholte. Zij opperde het idee om mijn blog opnieuw in te richten. We gaan hard werken aan het resultaat.

ACBM:
Het broeide al een tijdje, maar 2013 wordt het geboortejaar van de “ACBM” Intimi weten al een beetje wat dit betekent. De Anti Cupcake Behaviour Movement. Deze beweging is ontstaan als reactie op de overkill aan zoete gerechten. Ook wil de ACBM regelmatig tegengas geven tegen gewriemel met eten… Kan nog spannend worden.

En als laatste nieuwtje:

Gereons keuken thuis:
De laatste loodjes wegen het zwaarst. Iets later dan de bedoeling was komt komend voorjaar mijn eerste boekje uit. “Gereons keuken thuis” Vol verhalen, recepten en wijnen.

Heel wat werk aan de winkel dus, het nieuwe jaar. Straight forward! Ik heb er veel zin in!

Ik start vandaag met een simpel soepje. Goed tegen katers of voor mensen die gewoon back to basic willen na al het feestgedruis. En de wijn sla ik vandaag even over.

Nodig 4 personen:

1 kg iets kruimige aardappels
2 uien
2 tenen knoflook
1 prei
halve knolselderij
125 g spekblokjes
water
1 bouillonblokje (kip)
bieslook
potje crème fraîche
peper en zout

Bereiding:

Schil de aardappels en snijd in stukken. Maak de selderij schoon en snijd in blokjes. Was en snijd de prei in ringen. Snipper de ui. Pel de tenen knoflook. Verhit wat olie in een pan en bak de spekjes uit. Fruit daarna de uien mee. Doe de knoflook erbij en alle groenten. Bak kort aan. Zet alles onder water en verkruimel het bouillon blokje in het vocht. Breng aan de kook. Laat alles een half uur rustig pruttelen. Controleer of alles gaar is. Pureer de soep met een staafmixer en voeg de crème fraîche toe. Maak de soep af met wat peper, zout en fijn geknipte bieslook.

Geplaatst op

Gesprekken en gerechten, cuisinier Bill Smith

 picture cook Bill Smith

I invited chef Bill Smith to join in in my blog series “gesprekken en gerechten” American writer Frances Mayes suggested me to invite him for this series. She calls him a prince. Bill is a man from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, who I follow on Facebook. He is the proud owner of a reaturant Crook’s Corner. Bill is the creator of many original recipes in his cookbook called Seasoned in the South. And I hope a wine lover. I know he takes a beer with him when  foraging for ingredients. For instance honeysuckle to make sherbet. Now my curiosity became even bigger.  I immediately ordered his book and started to read. In  the Netherlands we do not know much of the cuisine from the Southern states. The USA are more than burgers or an incidental Cajun style dish as Bill proves. Time to send him some questions and  based on Bill’s answers he will be rewarded a “southern style” Dutch recipe. To pair with a wonderful wine.

Who is Bill Smith and what would you like to share with us?

I was born and raised in Eastern North Carolina. This very much informs the way I cook today. I didn’t set out to be a chef. It was just good luck that I stumbled upon this profession.

You come from Chapel Hill, can you give a description what makes this place so special? 
Chapel Hill is a university town so although it isn’t a large city, it has sophistication. People tend to be progressive in thought and less judgemental than in other places. It is very pretty and is halfway between the beaches of North Carolina and the Smoky Mountains. Because it is so attractive, intersting people choose to live here.
You invest a lot of energy in cooking, escpecially when it comes to Southern dishes, can you tell something about it?

Cooking, or things associated with cooking, take up almost all of my time. Our menu can change every day if I choose for it to. It varies with the season. We are lucky to have a large community of farmers and artisans who cater to the food community here. This makes a seasonal menu easy. This restaurant was Southern before I came to work here, but since I was born in the South I already understood what was expected of me. I actually don’t think about “Southern” so much. It just happens.

Your book speaks to the imagination,  the recipes,  certainly with me. How do you do that?

Every recipe has a story, whether the person who is cooking it knows it or not. I had some sort of history with most of the things in my book. And, I see the dinner table as a lot more than just a place to eat. People who might disagree about religion or politics are liable to come together around food.

My parents were/are very French food oriented. The last two decades there has been a shift from French to a more international cuisine, certainly in my generation. Do you notice that too?

My first serious cooking job was in a French restaurant so my technique is certainly oriented in that direction. I still cook the way I learned to there. In this country from the end of World War II to maybe the mid 1980s, French food and style was seen as the most sophisticated. In recent years people have become able to see the whole world with ease so naturally France has had to share the stage with other cuisines. Still, when I have a wonderful meal in a French restaurant or taste a classic French vintage, I feel an affection and respect for that country.

What  would  you miss from the USA when you would live abroad ?

Foodwise, probably fried chicken. Culturally, there is a kind of self confidence that we seem to have here that I find appealing

Culinary speaking, you are very experienced in cooking, which one is your favorite recipe?

I have a lot of favorites and they seem to follow the season. By August each year, I have grown tired of dishes with fresh tomatoes. Yesterday at the market I found five different kinds of winter greens so I made gumbo z’herbes for dinner. It’s a Lenten stew from Louisiana, so today that is my favorite recipe.

Do you like wine and if you do can you tell me about your favorites?
I do like wine and I like many kinds. Champagne is always a favorite. I like the European classics like Bordeaux, Riojas, and such. I also like Vinho Verdes from Portugal, reds from Chile, whites from Austria and New Zealand.

Maybe you van tell a thing or two on North Carolina?  I have never been there but it is often portrayed a wonderful state. So different.

North Carolina is lucky in that it has a strong working class and middle class tradition. There is wealth of course as well. There is a tradition of caution and moderation in it’s politics, although there are the ocasional glaring exceptions to this. We were lucky in the second half of the last century to have had a series of forward looking leaders. The weather is mild, there are many medium sized cities rather a few large ones and the are scattered across the state. Much of North Carolina is still rural.

You learned to cook form your Grandmother and grand mère, can you explain some more on this subject?

I grew up in a time when women for the most part remained in the home rather than worked. My great grandmother, grandmothers and aunts were all good cooks and cooking was an important part of their lives. I grew up with the expectation of good food. I was expected to eat everything that was put before me. All this is a good professional foundation for me.

If you were to start all over in the Netherlands, what would you want to teach us? I know this is a though question.

I have never been to your country so I’m not sure what you do or don’t already know there. I suppose I would choose some traditional East North Carolina recipes, cook them and tell you the stories that come with them.

Last but not least, do you want to share anything else in my blog? Please be welcome
Recently it has occurred to me that while most of my friends are retiring, I am busier than ever. I have asked myself why. This is a hard job for someone of my age. I have decided that as long as it remains interesting, I’ll continue doing it.

 picture:  Book from Bill’s  cooking




The Recipe

Having read all the answers of Bill Smith, I tought let’s go to the Deep South of the Netherlands, the region of Southern Limburg, where there are still many old recipes to be found. Bill does not know our country nor the traditions, so I chose for “Knien in ’t soer” or Rabbit cooked in a sweet and sour sauce. One of the main ingredients is apple syrup from the orchards of this province. People from the South are often called Burgundian, because of their attitude to food and drink. I hope Bill likes this all time traditional. The wine I suggest is a a crisp young white wine from the Mâconnais (southern Burgundy) to match the sweet and sour taste of this dish.

Ingredients for 4 persons:

1 rabbit cut in parts (about 3 lbs)
1 red onion
1 big carrot
1/2 celeriac
6 stems of parsley
2 bay leaves
3 cloves
10 juniper berries
1 1/2 cup of white wine vinager
1 cup of water
2 tbs of apple syrup
2 tbs flour
butter
pepper and salt

Preparation

Cut the rabbit in pieces. Chop the onion in rings, cut the celeriac and and carrot in cubes. Chop four of the parsley stems very finely. Put the vegetables and rabbit in a bowl. Add the parsley, juniper berries, cloves and bayleaves. Pour a mixture of water and vinager on top, stir and leave to marinate four about 12 hours in the fridge.
Pat the pieces of rabbit dry and season them with pepper and salt. Heat some butter in a frying pan and fry the rabbit parts golden brown. Get the meat out and cover for a while. Add some flour to the butter and stir. Gently pour in the vegetables and juices from the marinade. Put to a boil, get the rabbit parts back in and leave to simmer for about one and a half hours.
When the rabbit is done, put it an a big plate. Mix the apple syrup through the sauce and stir. Maybe some extra seasoning is necessary. Put the sauce and the cooked vegetables over the rabbit meat. Garnish with some parsley. This dish can be served with either cooked potatoes or mashed ones.

Geplaatst op

Kerst 2012

 foto: herders delen verhalen in Ethiopië

Kerstmis, donkere dagen, lichtjes binnen in de boom, het menu is bedacht. Tijd om te bedenken wat 2012 heeft gebracht. Via de sociale media vele nieuwe contacten, vrienden en indrukken. Virtuele vrienden zoals Antoinette uit Verona. Met haar is het heerlijk sparren over wat nu “echt Italiaans?” is. En in real life Esmée en Jonneke, we zien elkaar nu regelmatig. Mijn serie “gesprekken en gerechten” of  “talk and table”, zoals Frances Mayes voorstelde, leverde hier ook een bijdrage aan. Jeff, Frances, Susan, Maarten, James, Suus, Paula, Carol, Jeffrey, Gaby, David Charles, David Kennard, Robin. Allemaal mensen met een mooi verhaal. Met deelneemster Susan Herrmann Loomis heb ik een middag door culinair Amsterdam gestruind. Indrukken, verhalen moeten worden gedeeld. Dat doen de herders op bovenstaande foto ook, alleen dan niet met een laptop of smartphone. De serie gaat onverdroten verder in 2013. Dus wie iets te delen heeft, is altijd welkom.
En dan het foodblogevent van dit jaar. Ook zo een podium waarop je veel van je culinaire schrijfsels kwijt kunt. Het verzoette wel gedurende het jaar. Veel baksels, high teas en troostende desserts vulden de pagina’s. Als een echte Don Quichote trok ik ten strijde tegen als dit suikergeweld. Baatte het? Dat weet ik niet. Verder dan een démi sec cranberry gelei kwam ik niet. Ben niet zo’n zoetekauw.In ieder geval ontstond er een nieuw initiatief voor 2013. De ACBM. Wat dat is ga ik in deze nabeschouwing niet vertellen. Dat houdt het lekker spannend voor het volgende blogjaar.
En wat was er nog meer behalve recepten en wijnen? De volledige tekst van mijn eerste kookboek kwam af. Aan de styling wordt nu hard gewerkt. In de loop van het nieuwe jaar zal het  uitkomen. Ga beetje bij beetje de sluier oplichten na de feestdagen. Een gezellig boek vol verhalen recepten en wijnen uit Gereons keukentje.
En natuurlijk soulfood, niet alleen in materiele zin, zoals de pastitsio of jambalaya, maar ook in mentale zin. Food voor je gedachten.  Zoals mijn sprookjes op facebook als schrijfoefening. Het leverde veel nieuwe karakters op zoals Pelle Grød en meneer Zimbo. Zij blijven regelmatig ten tonele verschijnen.
Rest nu een zalige periode van rust, om na het overleven van de kerstdagen uit te buiken en met hernieuwde moed aan allerlei dingen te beginnen. Ik wens iedereen hele warme en gezellige Kerst 2012 ! In welk gezelschap dan ook! Tot in het nieuwe jaar!

Geplaatst op

Chef Robin White, Dutch mussel soup with smoked eel

 

 

picture: chef Robin White
I invited Chef Robin White to join in in my blog series “gesprekken en gerechten” Robin is a woman from California who I met through Twitter. I once sent her my recipe for white beans in the meadows. I am still curious if she liked it. Robin White is a multitalented person, who connects people through food and wine. She worked together with Frances and  Ed  Mayes on a virtual dinner party held in Napa. She is the creator of many original recipes on her blog. And a wine lover. Now my curiosity became even bigger. Time to send her some questions and  based on Robin’s answers she will be rewarded a Californian Dutch recipe. To pair with a wonderful pinot noir wine, presumably from Alsace this time
Who is Robin White and what would you like to share with us?
I am a woman who initially studied in the medical field and worked in a chemistry lab in The Boston Massachusetts area. I learned to cook late in life in my late 20’s begin 30’s, but grabbed on to it like a fire. I loved Julia Child growing up,  who knew I would work with her a few times and have her be such a huge influence to change careers   Happier ever since
You come from Sonoma, can you give a description of that special region?
I love Sonoma. Ever since I went there in the early 80’s and knew I had to be there for the rest of my life. People are down to earth, farmers of amazing foods and grapes for amazing wines. I learn every time I go out the door living there. It has enhanced me as a chef and calmed my soul
You invest a lot of energy in organising virtual dinners, being the Virtual Dinner Queen, can you tell something about it?
Virtual Dinners are an amazing way to bring hundreds of thousands, even millions together to sip, eat and share great foods and wines of the world  it brings the culinary world so close together in so many ways allows us to trade recipes and learn new techniques so much easier. I’ve made so many new friends that ill have for life. Including you. 
Your blog on speaks to the imagination, recipes, wines certainly with me. How do you do that?
I try so hard through my blog to make taking on a new recipe easy and drinking wine not snobby.Food and wine should be enjoyed by everyone in all price points. It’s more about the gathering of lives from all walks that brings what was once considered untouchable by many to everyone enjoying food and wine together
My parents were/are very French food oriented. The last two decades there has been a shift from French to a more international cuisine, certainly in my generation. Do you notice that  too?
I grew up on Cape Cod, so French food was untouchable for me.  My Mom cooked simple but good.  Because my family was in the seafood business we didn’t eat much of it unfortunately  Today I cannot wait to visit the Boston area when I go. I eat seafood from there every chance I can get it fresh. I still have family in the business and now I appreciate it so much more.
What  would  you miss from the USA when you would live abroad ?
I think a good Submarine Sandwich   I miss them now when I’m out of the Boston area. Even in California they do not make them like they do there. It’s not even close .
Culinary speaking, you are very experienced in cooking, which one is your favorite recipe?
My favorite recipe, Like my last meal,  I would want:
Froie Gras quickly seared medium rare with a delicate peach sauce. Served on brioche toast A small glass of Tokaij on the side
A really great simple wedge salad with amazing blue cheese dressing with really fresh garden tomatoes and applewood smoked bacon crumble
A great bowl of the best real New England Clam Chowder and real common crackers   Not thick but milky the way it’s suppose to be.
 Delicious mouth watering Southern Fried Chicken and great smashed potatoes from Wood Prarie Farms in Maine. ( the best potatoes ever grown  ) with fresh churned sea salted butter  And gravy !
And a perfect piece of Apple Pie with the best Vanilla ice cream I could find and the finish. A GREAT cup of Coffee and a cigarette LOL.  I have not smoked for 14 years but if its my last meal I’m going to
Pinot noir lover, for me as a Burgundy man it appeals to me, can you share something on American pinot noir wines?
My life has been. ” why do it the easy way”. Drinking wine is no different to me. I started with the usual suspects. Zinfandel, Cabernets , Syrah all that. What I found was they are heavy wines that are predictable. I like a wine you have to work for. A wine that’s unpredictable from the first leaf on the vine till the juice finally end up in the bottle. You try and try to tame it but the delicate little morsel cannot be tamed. It’s gonna do what it’s gonna do  the complexity is like no other and changes significantly from region to region. So food friendly yet challenges the palate of even the most experienced wine drinker. Yet welcomes the new wine drinker and lifts them to a higher level. It makes me think and appreciate the entire process of winemaking
Did you like the film Sideways? I have never been to California but it portrayed a wonderful wine world. So free and different.
What I say about the movie Sideways is. I was Sideways long before that movie made Pinot famous
You believe in family farming, can you explain some more on this subject?
Lastly  I am a advocate of the family farm. Small growers with a passion for what they do. You can taste the difference and I appreciate their hard work  I’m all about gatherings around the table.Bringing friends and family together and talking over a great glass of wine and something good to eat. Bring the family back to the table with all this technology no one talks anymore.  Look in people’s eyes and talk to each other around the table sharing thoughts with that wine and food.
If you were to start all over in the Netherlands, what would you want to teach us? I know this is a though question.
Hmmm I really no nothing of the foods of the Netherlands, other than what my friend Hanneke teaches me.  I think I would want to study and eat all your foods and styles and try to see how to incorporate it in mine. 
Last but not least, do you want to share anything else in my blog? Please be welcome
Thank you for having me share. I appreciate your patience Cheers
More on this remarkable woman www.chefrobinwhite.com
 picture trout smoking al fresco at pure market 
THE RECIPE:
 
Since chef Robin White stems from a family that was in the seafood business, her recipe became instantly clear to me. She also hasn’t a clue on Dutch food. For her a Dutch mussel soup with a hint of smoked eel will do. I do not know if smoked eel is widely available in the USA, so trout can be a replacement. In the south western province of Zeeland there are a lot of mussel and oyster growers. Normally you would cook mussels in white wine and serve them with French fries and mayonaise. But this sea banquet does fine in a soup.  As wine to pair this soup I suggest a white Côtes du Rhône made from the grenache and ugni blanc grapes. Rhône whites have a hint of ripe citrus fruits and spices. This will do well with the creamy and smoky soup.
Ingredients:
4 lbs/ 2kg mussels
1 bottle of brown ale
1 big leek
2 celery sticks
1 big carrot
1 cube of fish stock
1 cup of  thick cream
2 tbs butter
salt and black pepper
dash of nutmeg
chopped parsley
2 filets of smoked rainbow trout
(or if available 4 smoked eels)
3 cups water
Preparation:
Clean the mussels under cold water. Throw away the open (that do not close when you tap on them) and damaged ones. In a big soup pan yopu bring the ale to a boil. Add the mussels and cook them for 6 minutes
Get the mussels out of the pan and get them out of their shells. leave 12 mussels apart for later garnishing. Strain the cooking juices through a sieve and put in another pan Add the thinly sliced carrot, leek and celery. Add 3 cups of water an bring to a boil. Crumbe and dissolve the stock cube. Let the soup simmer for about 5 minutes. At the end you add the cream, the mussel meat and some butter. Season the soup and give it a dash of nutmeg. Serve on 4 soup plates with some pieces of the smoked trout/ eel and mussels in their shell. top the soup with some  finely chopped parsley. Serve the soup with a firm farmer’s bread and salty butter.

 

Geplaatst op

A Year in Burgundy, film maker David Kennard

Picture of David  at showing in Paris (excerpt from picture on website)

This Spring I read about a film called “A year in Burgundy” Caught  by curiousity and being a Burgundy addict, I tried to find out what this film was all about. I found a webpage www.ayearinburgundy.com  It turned out to be a  documentary by film maker David Kennard. He filmed during a year the cycle of wine growing and producing in one of my favorite regions. I discovered this filmer traveled and stayed a lot in Burgundy. Time, I thought, to invite him for my blogseries “gesprekken en gerechten” And time ofcourse to ask about the film, that was first shown in August this year during the International Pinot Noir festival.. Needless to say that David’s reward recipe willl be a Bourguignon one. A nice wine to pair, pinot noir cépage, will be part of this reward.
Who is David Kennard? Tell me some more
I am British by origin, but have lived in San Francisco for 25 years. I have been making films for more than 30 years – for the BBC, for PBS in the USA, and for worldwide cinema and TV screens. My company, InCA Productions, can be found at www.incafilms.com
How did your attraction for Burgundy  and its wines start?
I have made films on everything from classical music to astronomy – over 100 of them. I’d always wanted to make a serious film about wine-making, which featured the wine-maker as a real artist. Happily, I met Martine Saunier, a French woman who has imported great wines from Burgundy to the USA for 40 years, and she persuaded me that Burgundy was the place to film.
You undertook a great project by filming a year in the lives of winegrowers, bravo, what was the most remarkable moment?
The harvest has to be the most exciting moment in every wine-maker’s life: you have all the drama of the weather (will the summer storms ruin the grapes before they can be picked?) and all the joy of seeing great grapes come into your winery.
I know that wine making is very difficult and harsh. And you only can harvest once a year. I remember in 2008 that a total harvest was wasted by hail. Did the winemakers tell you about that?
Yes, they did. And there were hail storms in 2011 as well (though not as bad as those of 2012!). Many bad things can happen to grapes: frost, mildew, rot as well as hail. It’s a tense drama!
What is your favorite type of agriculture?
Anyone who produces artisanal food: families who really care for their products. You can taste it in the results!
Which plant do you like the most and which one you dislike? I am very curious about that
I love everything in the vegetable world: even the weirder vegetables. Everything except what the Americans call “squash”. But they must all be under-cooked – they must crunch in the mouth! And frankly, fruit is even better!
You traveled a lot through France, and I heared you were now doing a film on Champagne. What do you like about France?
I speak good French, having lived and studied there. Many Dutch, as well as English people have a second home in France. I think we appreciate the rhythms of life in the countryside there. And it’s very picturesque.
Are there differences between American and French winemakers?
You see the difference in the sense of history which French wine-makers have. In many cases, people have been making wine for almost 2000 years in French wine regions: the Romans started it. So you have long traditions and a great respect for ancient wisdom.
How was the film “A year in Burgundy” received on the International Pinot Noir Celebration?
Very well. We had many interesting reactions. Since then, it has been seen at private screenings in London, Paris and New York. It will be given a World Premiere at a California Film Festival in January 2013.
Will your film appear in Europe?
Yes, it will be distributed worldwide: first to cinema screens (it is 88 minutes long) and then on DVD and in a shorter version on television.
On food, which food do you like and which you would never eat?
I honestly like everything, apart from dog and cat, which I once tried in China. Snake, on the other hand, can be delicious. Generally, however, I avoid eating meat, except on special days.
Which wines do you like?
Pinot Noir has to be the subtlest grape. It is the hardest to grow and get “right”. It has such a complex
What else do you want to share?
Cooking, like wine-making, has to be a source of JOY! Too much snobbery, or too much complexity, ruins both of them.
Picture the vines of Mancey
The Recipe
David is a earthy man, does like to film the efforts of people making real things. He loves earnestt produce. In the case of his winefilm, it were the brave vignerons from Burgundy. Since David avoids eating meat, I will make for him a recipe containing chestnut mushrooms, girolles and cèpes with plums and balsamic vinager sauce. Next to it a tarte tatin of pumpkin, turnips and carrots. Done in the from of the known Burgundy rooftiles.The wine I present is the Bourgogne Cuvée spéciale made from pinot noir in our own village Mancey. A ruby red wine made by the vignerons in the South of Burgundy. Sun, soil and earthly tones caught in one wine.
Ingredients 4 persons:
2 big carrots
3 turnips
4 tbs brown sugar
1 lb/450 g pumpkin
6 sheets of puff pastry
3 tbs of butter
thyme
pepper and salt
8 oz./250 g chestnut mushrooms
10 oz /300 g girolles
10 oz/ 300 g cèpes
4 oz/ 125 g dried plums
one shallot
1/2 ts nutmeg
butter
olive oil
2 cloves
2 tbs balsamic vinager
1/2 glass red wine
chopped parsley
Preparation:
Peel the pumpkin, the carrots and turnips and cut them in thin slices. Melt the butter in a pan and start melting the sugar. Add a dash of red wine vinager and leave to simmer until caramelized. Put the slices of pumpkin, carrot and turnip rooftile style in a greased baking tin, pour the caramel over the vegetables and add some thyme, pepper and salt. Cover the whole with puff pastry. Bake for 25 minutes in an oven on 180 ºC or 356 º F. When it is ready leave it to cool for a while and then turn over the tarte tatin on a dish.
Gently clean the fresh girolles, cèpes and mushrooms with some kitchen paper or a brush. make sure you remove all the sand. Soak the dried plums in some red wine. Preheat the butter and oil in a frying pan. Quickly fry the shallot and add the mushrooms. When these are browned a litlle add the nutmeg, cloves, pepper and salt. leave to simmer for a while. Get the mushrooms out and put them in a slightly warm oven. Add the balsamic vinager, red wine and the slices plums. leave this sauce to thicken. Serve the warm mushrooms on a plate together with a slice of the tart tatin and finish the dish with the sauce.

 

Geplaatst op

David Charles Terry, stew with Trappist beer

  David Charles Terry on his website

Through the website of an American writer I got to know the posts of David Charles Terry, an artist from North Carolina. David always writes on the internet and has a clear and expressive way of telling his story. Curious, I searched for his own website and what I found was a site full of art, that he makes. Definitely my cup of tea. His art is just as his writing full of symbols. I invited him to particpate in “geprekken en gerechten” (conversation and recipes) David also portrays animals. In a conversation we had on Facebook, he told me that Dutch artist Rien Poortvliet is an all time favorite. I hope I can do something with this fact. Let’s see if we can make a dish for David from the answers he gives to my questions
 Who is David Charles Terry?
 How did your attraction for art start?
 Well, I’ve always drawn and painted,since I was very young, and I was encouraged by my parents to do so.  I never thought of doing it for a living until, just as I was finishing my doctorate in literature (after twelve years of teaching at either boarding-schools or Duke University), I realized that I didn’t really enjoy the profession/work anymore.  Fortunately, it was at that time that I was offered my first contracts to illustrate book-covers and the book reviews for some major newspapers….So, I did so.  I found that illustrating the outside of books paid more and was more fun than writing the insides of them.  So, the decision to switch careers was made quite easy for me.
 What is the biggest theme in your work?
 Oh….ask the critics.  They all seem to say “memory”, “narrative”, “southern gothic”, “literary references”, etcetera.  I really don’t think about this very much, since I draw and paint only what interests me.
What is your favorite type of art?
 That’s easy……Andrew Wyeth, Durer, and Cistercian architecture (of which I’m particularly fond….I spend half of my time in Europe chasing down old, Cistercian monasteries.)
Which animal do you like the most and which one you dislike? I am very curious about that
 Obviously, I’m most fond of dogs. I keep many bird-feeders and am fascinated by wild birds.  Cows interest me a great deal (mostly because they’re so profoundly inexplicable). I love geese; primarily because they’re so noisy and territorial and ill-tempered and generally unpleasant.   I REALLY dislike (or, at least, would never have around my place) chickens and over-bred breeds of cats, such as flat-faced “persians” (more precisely, I pity any breed of animal that’s so overbred that it couldn’t survive for five minutes without a human to take care of it).
You travel a lot to France, where and what do like the most?
 I most enjoy the forest-filled Perigord/Dordogne region, although I’ve spent a great deal of time in Provence and the Loire Valley (where my in-laws live and where my partner was born & raised).  I suppose I  most enjoy/appreciate the French way of living (at least among the class into which I’ve married)….long, carefully prepared & appreciated meals, paying attention to the garden, family-relations…it’s all very much like the area of America (Tennessee) in which I was raised, which is quite different from most parts/society of America.
I heard you are also a wonderful gardner, how does this interfere with your art?
It doesn’t interfere at all with it.  I would be inclined to say that drawing and painting interferes with my gardening.  Still, I’m paid to paint, and I’m not yet paid to garden….so, I do what I have to do.
And for whom you would like to cook and why?
 I cook for friends all the time; I have friends over for dinner two or three times per week (perhaps I should emphasize that I don’t have children, which makes entertaining quite a bit more negotiable).  Oddly enough, I suppose, I’m never particularly interested in actually eating the food once I’ve cooked it. Most of time, I simply hover around the table or perch on a nearby chair with a glass of wine once guests have arrived and begin eating.  I do like the cooking-process itself (most particularly, shopping for ingredients), and I really enjoy making a special night for hardworking friends on a weekday evening.  quite frankly, I know that all too many of my friends are too busy with work to cook for themselves, and I think they too-often simply opt for going-out to a restaurant.  Personally, I can’t stand wasting time in restaurants…..too much bother, and it simply takes too much time.  I’m spoiled, I suppose, in that several of my good friends and I are all good cooks…and we’d rather eat comfortably and relaxedly in our homes with each other.
On food, which food do you like and which you would never eat?
 I like almost all cuisines and am quite adept to moderately familiar with most of the major “categories”.  I suppose I tend to mostly-cook what Claudia Roden would refer to as “Mediterranean cooking”. I also do a lot of  Indian and specifically French (country) cooking. I don’t think of either cusine as “exotic” or “foreign” these days.  They’re both very sensible, practical cuisines (I should emphasize that I have no interest in “fancy”, Parisian-restaurant haute-cuisine innovations, etcetera….the food simply doesn’t interest me…it’s too fussy and demands too much attention for me to enjoy the meal or my company). To answer your direct question?….I don’t intend to ever even try testicles or chicken-feet, or dog or sea-urchins.  For better or worse, I don’t regard eating as a competitive-sport. Also, I have no interest whatsoever in sweets or desserts, and (like most French people) I leave baking to the professionals.
Which wine do you like?
 I’m sorry, perhaps to say that I “like” almost all of them. My favorites are white Bordeauxs and Sancerres. The only wine I dislike is a Provencal Rosé….but only because it’s chilled and so easy to drink on a hot day in Provence….and I end up with a piercing headache after an afternoon nap. That’s no doubt MY problem, not rosés (sorry, but I’m typing on an English keyboard and have no accents just now).
Can you tell me something about your “foodprint”  We waste a lot of food in the western world?
 Oh, I don’t waste any food.  I made a roast pork loin two days ago (my french in-laws are visiting here for three weeks, AND my parents came for the weekend); tomorrow morning, it’ll be turned into Provencal stuffed-cabbage, and the leftover chicken from one night ago will be turned into terrines for lunch.  Actually, most of my favorite foods (pates, etcetera) are made with what most Americans would regard as “leftovers”.  Similarly (and like most Italian/French grandmothers) I’m well-aware that the cheapest cuts of meat are (if you know what to do with them) the very most flavorful and best……ossobuco or coq au vin (which is basically an old rooster you can’t roast or boil), for example.
What else do you want to tell?
 I can’t think of anything else.  I’m not, as a general rule, very interested in myself, so to speak…..
The recipe:
David Charles has given a lot of hints to me for his recipy. He roams around Cistercian monastaries, likes the Périgord, is not a firm lover of Parisian nouvelle cuisine flings… I think we have a match in the way that I am also very caught by the cooking process than by the eating process. The dish has also to be one he can serve over and over when he entertains and watches his friends doing the eating. His arts for me resemble a lot of the pictures you will see in Brussels’s cafés. So a stew it will be, a Flemish style beef stew with Trappist beers. In the low countries are only 7 monasteries left that are allowed  brew genuine Trappist beer. You can either drink beer with  this dish or a classical Burgundy wine, that also used to be made by Cistercian monks…
Ingredients 4 persons:
2 lbs beef, with some fat
2 oz  butter
2 tbs olive oil
1 lb of chestnut mushrooms
3 red onions
2 tbs  plain flour
2 tbs of brown sugar
1 botlle of Trappist beer, like Westmalle dubbel
bay leaves
6 juniper berries
1 ts cinnamon
1 big carrot
1 tbs vinager (balsamic)
Salt en ground pepper
1 ½  lbs of Brussels sprouts
freshly ground nutmeg
 Preparation:
Cut the beef meat in pieces. Put in a bowl and pour  the Trappist beer. Add the sliced red onions, the carrot in dices, the brown sugar, the balsamic vinager, cinnamon, bay leaves, juniper berries and leave to marinate for 4 hours in the fridge. Cut the mushrooms in pieces and fry them. Put aside for later. Get the meat out of the beer, pat dry with some kitchen paper and cover with some flour. Add some pepper and salt. In a deep pan you heat the butter and oil and start to fry the beef til brown. In another pan you warm the beer from the bowl. When it is warm you add it to th meat and leave the meat to simmer for at least 3 hours on a low fire. At the end you will add the mushrooms and leave the dish to simmer for 30 minutes. If the sauce/gravy is too thin, make it thicker by adding some ”beurre manié” I.e. knobs of butter covered with flour. Cook the Brussel’s sprouts for only 8 minutes and serve them with some butter and freshy ground nutmeg. Serve the stew directly from the pan and with some fresh farmer’s bread and salty butter.
If you want to see the beautiful art of David Charles Terry visit his website http://www.davidterryart.com
Geplaatst op

Gaby Zwaan zalmburgers voor kleurrijk kunstenaar

 

Via een nachtelijk gesprek op Twitter leerde ik Gaby Zwaan kennen. Hij is kunstenaar en maakt expressieve schilderijen. In eerste instantie dacht ik dat Gaby een vrouw was en veel jonger. Zo zie je dat niet alles is zoals jij je het voorstelt online.  We bleken zelfs leeftijdgenoten. Mijn belangstelling was gewekt. Ik keek op zijn site en zag een veelzijdige man die er niet voor schroomt om live de “naked cowboy” op Times Square in New York te vereeuwigen. Ik bezocht in mei zijn tentoonstelling in een hotel in Hoofddorp en was prettig verbaasd over zijn kleurgebruik en materiaal keuzes. Sommige van zijn city landscapes knallen gewoon van de muur. Gaby exposeert ook veel in het buitenland en dat decor is vaak thema van zijn kunst. Reden genoeg lijkt mij om voor hem op basis van zijn antwoorden een receptje eraan te wagen.

Wie is Gaby Zwaan. Vertel eens meer over de persoon en de kunstenaar?
De persoon en de kunstenaar zijn de zelfde… Ik geloof niet dat ik heel anders ben in mijn “gewone” leven ben, wat ik maak en maak wat ik ben..Ik doe niet zo aan wat moet en volg niet zo de kunstwereld regels. Het boeit me niet en houd ik me niet mee bezig. Ik maak wat ik mooi vind en probeer dat op leuke manieren aan de mens te presenteren. Kan in een galerie zijn en dat kan op totaal andere manier.  Als mens leef ik ook zo.. Ik hou niet zo van wat moet en zo! Ik leef daar goed bij maar weet ook dat het nog al eens tegenstand oplevert.

Wat doe je op dit moment? Wat houd je bezig?
Het meeste waar ik me op moment mee bezig houd speelt zich af op de achtergrond. Het is niet echt zichtbaar maar oh zo belangrijk. Ik sta op de grens van belangrijke stappen in mijn kunstleven. Ben daar veel over aan het mailen, spreken en denken. Daarnaast ben ik een serie kleine werken aan het maken, omdat ik eens wilde zien of ik dat kan. Ik vind het erg leuk, al moet ik zeggen dat groot groter grootst toch wel leuker is.

Vertel eens over je creatieve en kunstprojecten?
Projecten zijn een deel van wat ik doe.. Ik zou het één niet zonder het andere kunnen. Ik denk dat je door projecten te doen bij mensen in het gezichtsveld kan komen waardoor jouw kunst een kans gegeven wordt om er naar te kijken. Voor mij werkt dat goed, door projecten haal ik exposities binnen en andersom. Zou niet anders willen.
.
Wat schilder je het liefst?
Het liefst schilder ik het schilderij waaraan ik nog moet beginnen. In mijn hoofd wordt dat altijd mijn mooiste! Zodra ik bezig ben is er in mijn hoofd alweer een volgend schilderij, waar ik het liefst meteen aan wil beginnen. Ik mijd natuur en ben toch wel van de steden en trendgevoelige objecten.

Je kunst is heel aanwezig en kleurrijk zag ik in Hoofddorp en wie heeft/hebben je aangestoken?
Ik kan oprecht zeggen dat helemaal niemand me heeft aangestoken of geïnspireerd. Ik heb nooit echt kunst gekend en nooit interesse in gehad. Dat houd mijn hoofd schoon om gewoon lekker onbevangen te doen en laten wat ik wil. Buiten de kunstwereld inspireren mensen me, die doen wat ze willen. En gelukkig zijn er daar nog genoeg van.

Je komt over als een vrolijke kunstenaar, maar…. je onzekerheden?
Onzekerheden over wat ik maak en doe heb ik niet. Als je doet wat je leuk vindt en de mening van anderen daarover links kan laten liggen, is het leven heel relaxed en hoef je je niet onzeker te voelen. Tuurlijk, als ik met een nieuwe style begin of zo vraag ik me wel af of het gaat lukken, maar onzekerheid is dat zeker niet. Onzekerheden horen bij de grotere dingen in het leven zoals vaderschap en een goede man voor je vrouw zijn.

Wat is je beste kant?
Mijn beste kant.? Ik geloof erin dat elke kant van elke mens goed is. Je moet alleen weten hoe daar mee om te gaan. Dus al mijn kanten zijn “ de beste” Je moet ze alleen zien te plaatsen.

Wat vind jij een lekkere maaltijd?
Ik ben een simpele eter, maar door mijn meissie ben ik wel wat beter geworden. Ik hou van Cesar’s salade en van zalm. En mijn favoriete keuken is die uit India. Verder is de Hollandse pot ook heerlijk en de zuurkool van mijn moeder (tenminste zoals ze die vroeger maakte) blijft favoriet.

En natuurlijk welke wijn? Of gaat dat niet op voor jou?
Nee ben niet van de alcohol. Ik neem een cola light bij het eten En ja…. ik weet dat dat dood saai is, maar ja aan mijn lijf geen alcohol.

Wat lust je echt niet en waarom niet?
Spruitjes!, die smaak vind ik echt gewoon vies. Verder champignons en alles wat daar op lijkt. vind ik erg qua bite erg ranzig!

Waar ga je het liefst naar op reis?
Ik reis best veel voor mijn kunst, maar als je me echt laat kiezen, kies ik voor Hawaii. Daar heb ik zo genoten en heb zo iets nog nimmer ervaren. Het is ver weg maar mega de moeite van de reis waard.

Wil je nog iets anders vertellen….?
Nee ik vertel altijd alleen wat de mensen willen weten. Anders klets ik zo veel en dat doe ik sowieso toch al.

Kijk eens voor meer over deze leuke kunstenaar op:

THE GABYGABY STORE:  http://www.gabygabyart.com

york in vegas New York in Vegas! mooi werk van Gaby Zwaan

HET RECEPT

Gaby mijdt de natuur, is een echt stadsmens. Hij heeft veel gereisd voor zijn kunst. Voor hem wil ik dan ook een ”city style” burger maken, waar verschillende smaken uit verschillende culturen samenkomen. Ik dacht aan een sesam bagel met daarop een zalmburger, veldsla, geroosterde pijnboompitten en tzatziki. Voor de kleur grill ik er nog wat gele paprika bij. Gaby kan bij dit gerecht zijn lijf drank blijven drinken, cola light! Maar de wijnliefhebbers raad ik een Sauvignon blanc aan uit Nieuw Zeeland. Lekker crisp bij de zalm en yoghurt.

Nodig vier personen:

4 bagels
500 g zalmfilet
2 sneetjes oud brood verkruimeld
1 ei
1 tl koriander poeder
1 tl chilipoeder
zout en peper
olie om te bakken
1/2 komkommer
2 tl gedroogde munt
2 tenen knoflook
2 bekertje Griekse yoghurt (Fage)
1 gele paprika
olijfolie
veldsla

Bereiding:

Snijd de komkommer overdwars door en verwijder de zaadlijsten. Hak de komkommer in kleine blokjes en bestrooi met wat zout. Laat ongeveer 20 minuten uitlekken. Dep daarna droog. Meng 2 geperste tenen knoflook, olijfolie, munt. peterselie, peper en wat zout door yoghurt. voeg de uitgelekte komkommer toe en roer tot saus.
Houd de gele paprika boven een gas pit tot geblakerd.. Doe de paprika in een plastic zak en laat iets afkoelen. Daarna kun je de paprika ontvellen en in fijne reepjes snijden.
Verkruimel de sneetjes brood met de keuken machine. Hak de zalmfilet heel fijn met de keuken machine. Let op, niet te fijn er moet nog wat textuur overblijven.  Meng het zalm gehakt, de chili- en korianderpoeder, het broodkruim, ei en wat zout door elkaar. Maak er vier burgers van. Bak de zalmburgers aan iedere kant vier minuten. Laat daarna onder aluminium folie even rusten. Bak in een droge pan wat pijnboompitten.
Rooster de bagels.
Beleg de bagel met wat veldsla, leg de burger erop. Een flinke schep tzatziki en garneer met wat reepjes gele paprika en de geroosterde pijnboompitten. Serveer direct.

Geplaatst op

Jeffrey Greene, tagliatelle with sea marsh foods

 Picture of Dutch and English copy of  books
I invited chroniqueur Jeffrey Greene to participate in “geprekken en gerechten” (conversation and recipes) Many years ago I read a book from his hands called “French Spirits” A story on living in in former presbytery in the smokey hills of Burgundy. In that time I did not visit this region often. Later I found the same book in Dutch in my parent’s house in Burgundy. It is translated by the mother of a dear school friend.  It is always nice to reread some parts from this book, especially when you are in a tiny Burgundian village. Jeffrey writes about the people he meets in a very colorful way. So I contacted Jeffrey in Paris. Kindly Jeffrey sent me another book, titled ” The golden bristled boar” He has dugged into the life and background of this beast. But Jeffrey does more things. He teaches creative writing and he is now researching on edible things from te wild. Quite a topic and a trending one.  Let’s see if  I can write him a recipe, that  reflects  his knowledge on Burgundy, animals and wild edible things. And needless to say a combination with wine is made.
Who is Jeffrey? Tell me some more
I grew up in a shack-like house in the New England woods with a rather eccentric young mother and father.  My mother was a teenage runaway from a grim boarding school, her head full of fanciful ideas of creating a family and living off the land based on M.G. Kains’ book Five Acres and Independence.  My father came from a typical Jewish family in New York’s Lower East Side.  Sent to art school to study textile design for the family business, he made himself the family’s black sheep by becoming a sculptor instead and marrying a sixteen year old.  My parents’ attempts at raising goats and planting a garden turned out to be resounding disasters with deer and rabbits decimating the garden and the goats poisoning themselves on laurel. However, my father was a naturally gifted hunter-gatherer.  He never hunted game, but he gathered wonderful bounty from the seaside or berries from the woods.  Our having to move to the city when I was eleven was a great disappointment for me.  I was a shy kid who enjoyed solitude and the woods suited that.  My mother was too isolated though and took a job at Yale University, and my parents divorced.
Although I’ve gone on to become a professor, poet, and author, I’m someone who likes to make things—whether it’s building walls and bookcases or cooking dinner.  I’m ultimately more physical than intellectual.  I think that comes from my early years in the woods.  My writing comes from this too—it springs from things, thingyness—observant of how the senses are engage.  The rest is character and place.
When did you move to France and how did you adapt to French life and habits?
 To be honest, it never occurred to me that I would leave America, that I would become a permanent resident in France, a kind of dual citizen, not officially, but in every other sense, an insider and outsider in two countries.  It was not an overt decision like ones my ancestors made, immigrating to America for economic opportunities or to save their Eastern European skins.  My life in France crept up on me.  In 1986, I was finishing my graduate studies in Texas, and my mother gave me a call, “I’ve got good news!  I will be on sabbatical at the Pasteur Institute in Paris.  Why don’t you come an write for a year?”  So instead of being a responsible, freshly minted Ph.D., hunting for a junior faculty position in some forsaken place, I came on quixotic impulse to Paris to be a writer.  I soon found myself at Castello di Gargonza in Tuscany, sharing a dinner that included crostini, pasta with artichoke, and wild boar stew with my mother’s boss, Mary.  Who knew I’d end up marrying a molecular biologist in a foreign country?  It seemed like a conspiracy of improbables.
For a decade my life was complicated, because I did get a faculty position at a university in New England and could have supported a small family on phone bills and travel.  But my sense of home slowly shifted to France, particularly after Mary and bought an old deserted presbytery (priest’s house) in northwestern Burgundy.  We were living such a privileged life between the country and Paris.  Eventually, I made the decision to give up my tenured position and devote my time to writing.  Fortunately, I was asked to teach at the American University of Paris, which is a great pleasure.  I love working with our young people coming to us from all over the world.
You wrote me that you were researching a book on edible things from the wild, why did you start these activities?
 My father had a huge influence my hunter-gather habits.  He fished, caught crabs, and gathered oysters, clams and oysters.  My brother and I joined him in these activities.  Simply, it was the most fun thing we did together, while he still lived with us.  Even now, as my father approaches 90, the woods and seaside provide pure joy for him.  He was a child of the Depression and his motivation as hunter-gatherer instincts seemed primarily based on getting something for nothing or a kind of treasure hunt.  It was my mother who instilled the value and pleasure derived from healthy natural foods.
When I came to France, I began collecting mushrooms and that alone became a passion.  I was writing for a different book, one about how I saw myself as an American transplant in France, in fact how imported my sense of Thoreau and Emerson, American transcendentalists, to the French forests.  I approached the subject through wild mushrooms, describing not only the pleasure of looking for them and their earthy, nutty, even smoky flavors that they add to cuisine but also the problems, how they absorb and concentrate radiation, heavy metals, and chemicals.  It occurred to me that wild edibles, a popular topic, could be approached in important ways, including their role in culture, art, and survival.
You wrote a book on buying a presbytery in a small village in Burgundy, where you still live. Has anything changed over the years?
 Yes, I wrote a book called French Spirits, which was translated into Dutch among other languages.  The village I wrote about is Rogny-les-Sept-Ecluses ( Rogny of the seven locks), which has the Loing River and the Briaire Canal running through it.  Built in the 1600s, the Briaire Canal is the first canal in Europe linking two river valleys—those of the Seine and the Loire.  Much has changed in the twenty years since we bought the old deserted presbytery.  Part of the charm of the village was that it seemed completely lost, and our neighbors were woodsmen, sheep farmers, and masons, people with country savvy and worked with their hands.
The ports on the canal and the river were renovated, a park built, and some parking put it, so the town has become something of a minor tourist destination.  Also a number of the old houses and the eleventh-century church next to our house were restored.  Of course we’ve don’t major renovations and restoration work.  Our gardens are thriving as is the old curé’s orchard.  My book turned out to be aptly named; many of the main characters have become French spirits.
Another book from you hand is on boars, that are abundant in Burgundy,  you even learned how to butcher a half boar, what is you most striking anecdote on this animal?
 The Golden-Bristled Boar: Last Ferocious Beast of the Forest was so much fun to write.  In many ways, it was a sequel to French Spirits, since the main setting is the same as are many of the characters.  Of course, many of experiences are recounted in the book.  The wild boar and close relative the feral hog have become the number one animal outlaw in the world, and they’ve had an extraordinary relationship with humans, particularly in Europe and Asia.  They figure in art, myth, cuisine, and even the founding of early civilizations.  Burgundy is overrun with wild boars as is Germany, Italy, and elsewhere.  This anecdote doesn’t appear in the book, but while I was doing a nationwide book tour in the United States I received an email from my personal doctor, who is a nature lover and helped connect me to a forestry expert who becomes a major character.  He was on a major highway just outside of Paris when a group of wild boars caused a six-car accident.  Only my doctor was still able to drive.  Wild boars cause 14,500 accidents in France, more than any other large animal.
 I have the feeling that you are a dreamer. If you had to choose, only one option is possible, between being a writer or adventurer? What would it be?
 Yes, I am a dreamer, which is different from being an adventurer.  I have friends, mainly journalists who are far more adventurous than I am.  They are driven to experience life’s extremes, often in awful war zones in Africa, the Balkans, Asia, and the Middle East.  It’s not just war, but some go off to exotic places to report on nature.  I admire them—they are our witnesses.  Making a life in Europe seems to me a true privilege and maybe an adventure only in taking professional risks for love and a richer life.  So this question is for me.  Nothing keeps me going more than having a project at my writing desk.
Which plant do you like the most and which one you dislike? I am very curious about that
 This is one of the hardest questions I’ve ever been asked.  All plants are amazing and a discussion of grass is hugely important, since life as we know it is sustained on grass.  And who doesn’t love violets or field poppies or wild daffodils or cyclamen or any wild flower.  The plant that amazes me is the snowdrop.  They are the first sign of spring and they generate warmth to melt through snow.  You see them take over the ground of forests here, and the wild daffodils.  It’s truly magical.
 I should say nettles and brambles, since I’m at constant war with them.  My legs are burning now from yard work and nettles.  But I wrote a book called Water from Stone about land restoration, the protection of endangered species, and environmental education.  When you change natural environment situations, certain native plants or exotics can take over and create hugely limited environments.  The ash-juniper does that in Texas.
 As an American, what did wonder you the most in Burgundy ?
 I don’t think Americans know too much about Burgundy, which is a huge region in France. They’ve heard of the wines and the cuisine.  Americans tend to go to Paris, Normandy, and Provence.  I saw a movie when I was very young that was set Burgundy, and I had a vision of gentle rolling countryside, hidden chateaus, forests, and misty world full of deer and wild boar. That’s what much of it is—a beautiful harmony of forests, rolling countryside, rivers, ponds, and fecund earth.  It’s hardly a wonder that the Neanderthals and early Homo Sapiens lived there and that there was always a significant human population.  There is much more—some of the most gorgeous Romanesque churches with carved capitals, a unique art giving insight into the both the secular and the religious life in the medieval world.  Abbeys, chateaux, and hospices.
You also write poetry, can you share something on this topic?
What is the difference between Van Gogh or Rembrandt or the great Flemish painters and the greatest poetry of their time.  These are pure arts, the creative foundations since the cave painters and oral tradition, which was in poetry.  I started out as a poet, and I’m just finishing my fifth collection.  It’s a pure art.  I love writing the prose because it really is fun and engaging, but poetry matters deeply to me.
Speaking of food, which dish you prefer the most? And of course what food you do not eat?
To pick out a single dish seems almost impossible—I love everything from macaroni and cheese and pizza to dinners we were taught to prepare by the French president’s personal cook.  I love to cook, and I love trying different ethic recipes.  If I had to choose one thing, it would probably be lobster.  I used to dive for lobsters at night as a kid.  Now it’s impossible to afford them.
 What I wouldn’t like to eat is easy—brains, although I’ve probably eaten a lot of brains without knowing it.  Now that I’m writing a book on wild edibles, there a ton of things that I’m worried about eating but will have to try.
Which wines do you like? Since you are in Burgundy it most be more.
 Our village is in northwest Burgundy.  Believe it or not, the closest wines to us are Sancerre, Menetou-Salon, and Pouilly Fumé and on the Burgundy side Chablis and wines in the north, mainly white.  We love these wines.  My wife is a scientist and I’m a professor, and we don’t have much money to invest in wine.  We love wines from all over.  I still have to say Burgundies are my favorite.  It’s still the wine we go to producers, and we put away to age.  The trick we use is to go to restaurants in the Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune, and get recommendations for wine with food and if it’s good we get the producer’s address and buy for the future.  Our big splurge is on Volnay and Pommard.  Santenay is great, Savigny les Beaune, Chassagne Montrachet.  It’s not cheap.
What else do you want to share?
 My mother is Gretchen Van Blaricom, and she is half-Dutch.  She’s proud of it.  Obvious that makes me a quarter Dutch.  We have the most extraordinary Dutch friends in our part of Burgundy.  I can’t believe how many they are, and they are among our closest friends.

Picture cover of Jeffrey’s book

THE RECIPE

The Netherlands is a country of rivers and estuaries. Its shores, mudflats and beaches are full of edible wild things. Jeffrey went  all the way to Amsterdam to collect a boat, that he will use when he gathers wild edibles.  His wonderful story and ofcourse his Dutch descent this gave me the clue for his recipe. The dish I made for Jeffrey is a pasta dish with wild clams (kokkel in Dutch), Dutch shrimps, the grey ones, and salty vegetables like grasswort (salicornia Europea) and sea lavender (limonium vulgare) from the southwestern province of Zeeland. They can be found growing on the so called “kwelders” or sea marshes.
The wine to pair this dish is a white Burgundy form the village of Mancey in Southern Burgundy, “Mâcon Mancey  “Les Cadoles”  Blanc”  The dish, the wine and the terroirs will have a gathering of their own. I hope Jeffrey enjoys it. I wish him a lot of succes while exploring, gathering, eating and writing (on) wild edible things

Ingredients 4 persons:

300 g of tagliatelle
1 kg of wild clams
250 g  peeled shrimps
150 g grasswort
150 g sea lavender
1/2 lemon
1 chopped onion
1 glass of white wine
olive oil
butter
salt and  black pepper
parsley

Preparation:

Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the package. Put aside for later use. Rinse the clams a few times in salted water. This will take some time, because clams can contain a lot of sand! The last rinse should be done with fresh water. Gently rinse the vegetables and shake them dry. Never leave these vegetables in fresh water because they are used to salty waters. Cook the grasswort  for 3 minutes al dente. Heat 2 tbs. of oil in a big casserole, stir fry the chopped onion. Then add the clams and  the glass of wine. Put the lid on and leave the clams to cook for about 8 minutes. Shake the pan from time to time. Get the clams out of the casserole and save some of its cooking moisture. Put a knob of butter in the pan. Add the grasswort, the tagliatelle and some of the cooking moisture. Let this warm gently on a low fire. Put the clams back in the pan and mingle gently with pasta and vegetables. Finally add the shrimps and sea lavender. Season with some salt and  black pepper. Serve this dish on plates. Give it a dash of lemon juice, put on a tiny knob of butter and a sprinkle of chopped parsley.

To vary this dish you may also use razors, American immigrants on our shores, to be found on every beach or mudflat. (picture)

 
Geplaatst op

Blog nr. 100 recept voor de kaasmeisjes uit Bourgondië

Photo: Ghislaine Dangoin
Enige jaren terug las ik in het tijdschrift “Leven in Frankrijk” het verhaal van  de  kaasmeisjes uit Bourgondië Suus en Paula van der Linden-Beck. Zij staan op Bourgondische markten met hun eigen Hollandse kazen.  Zowaar een bijzonder verhaal, omdat de Bourgogne waarschijnlijk de hoogste kaasdichtheid heeft van Frankrijk. Beide vrouwen verruilden hun professionele leven voor het bestaan op het platteland tussen de weilanden vol Charolais vee. Ik vind hun verhaal bijzonder, te meer omdat ik deze streek redelijk ken en er veel moed en durf voor nodig is om iets te starten. Benieuwd als ik ben naar hun relaas en het ondernemen en leven in Frankrijk, nodigde ik ze uit om mee te doen aan gesprekken en gerechten. In hun recept speelt kaas in ieder geval een rolletje.
Wie zijn Suus en Paula van der Linden. Vertel eens iets over  jullie zelf?
Tja… waar te beginnen en eenmaal begonnen waar te eindigen??
Ik kan eigenlijk in deze iedereen het beste doorverwijzen naar www.emigreermagazine.nl editie juni 2012, daar staat ons verhaal eigenhandig opgetekend (met plaatjes!!) over onze emigratie en onze achtergrond.
Wat doen jullie op dit moment? Wat houdt jullie bezig?
Letterlijk zitten wij op dit moment op het terras van onze riante tuin te genieten van een koud roseetje en het spectaculaire uitzicht. Een uitzicht dat nooit went, we zitten er al 9 jaar met open mond naar te staren. Globaal gezien bestaat de rest van ons bestaan ook vooral uit genieten, dat deden we in Nederland al maar dat doen we hier in de zuid Bourgogne eigenlijk nog meer.
De lijst van zaken die ons bezighouden is niet zo heel gek lang, we bestieren ons eigen bedrijf en proberen ver uit de buurt van stress situaties te blijven hetgeen goed lukt. Naast het werk smullen we van de Franse streekgerechten, de beroemde Bourgogne wijnen, leren we ons uit te drukken in deze zalige taal, maken we vrienden waarmee we dan weer gaan zitten eten en wijn drinken en waarvan we de taal nog beter leren… en ziet, zo is de cirkel weer rond!
Vertel eens over jullie vertrek naar de Zuidelijke Bourgogne? Hoe is dat ontstaan?
In den beginne was er ons huis hier, gekocht als vakantieverblijf waar we idioot vaak naartoe reden, men verklaarde ons voor gek, onze hand niet omdraaiend voor de hoeveelheid kilometers echter ging de terugweg ons steeds meer tegenstaan. Terug naar onze stressbanen en de vanaf Brussel zich opeenhopende verkeersdrukte die de dichtbevolktheid zo bijzonder goed illustreert om kort te gaan: we wilden niet meer weg en op een dag hebben we besloten te blijven.
Hoe hebben jullie je aangepast aan het Franse plattelandsleven?
Niet eigenlijk. Wij zijn gewoon wij en natuurlijk spreken we de taal, betalen braaf aan de Franse fiscus, betrekken producten als mede hand en spandiensten van de locale bevolking maar veel meer acties vereist het niet. “Simple comme bonjour”.
En natuurlijk de Fransen aan jullie?
Van het zelfde laken een pak. Als je zelf met een positieve insteek ergens aan begint heb je de helft al gewonnen. Overigens is 95% van onze klantenkring Frans, gewoon de locale bevolking. Dat was ook ons doel en dat is dus gelukt, je zou overigens anders ook nooit de winter overleven maar dat percentage alleen al spreekt voor zich.
Wat zouden jullie gedaan hebben, als jullie niet in de Bourgogne waren beland? Ook een buitenlands avontuur?
Niet speciaal nee. We hebben eerst in Nederland gezocht naar een wat vrijer onderkomen, minder straat, meer tuin, uitzicht, groen, rust, stilte en dergelijke maar dat wat wij zochten is binnen Nederland voor ons vrijwel onbetaalbaar. Vandaar dat we mede gedreven door de gedeelde liefde voor Frankrijk naar de Bourgogne zijn uitgeweken.
Wat is minst aantrekkelijke kant van het leven op het Franse platteland voor jullie? En dan meteen de meest aantrekkelijke?
Waar je aan moet wennen zijn de afstanden. Alles is ver. Verder moet je hier altijd rekening houden met het grote “repas-gat” tussen de middag waarin in feite heel Frankrijk stilligt. Je moet daar altijd voor je gevoel omheen plannen.
Op andere tijden een restaurant inschuiven voor een hapje dan strikt tussen de middag is ook lastig.
De rest is aantrekkelijk. De ruimte, de natuur, de ongelofelijke afwisseling in landschap, de gezellige dorpjes, de anti sloop mentaliteit want er is toch ruimte zat waardoor er oeroude gebouwtjes, kerken, krakkemikkige hutjes, oude stationnetjes als ware het vanzelf op hun plaats blijven staan. Geschiedenis schept sfeer, denk maar aan een oud huis. Naast het lekkere eten en drinken ook de eetcultuur, de Franse flair, de gulheid op het platteland, het mooiere weer en ga zo maar door. Wonen in een prachtige omgeving in een erg gezellig land.
Wat kunnen jullie over kaas maken/affineren vertellen?
Over kaasmaken niets want wij maken zelf geen kaas. Wij verkopen Hollandse Ambachtelijke kazen en die kun je hier niet maken, dan zouden het “Franse kazen naar Hollands recept zijn”. Voor Hollandse kazen met die keur aan specifieke smaken heb je Holland nodig, Hollandse boerderijen, Hollandse koeien, geiten en schapen, Hollands gras etc..
Affineren doen wij wel, vandaar de zin onder onze bedrijfsnaam:
Fromage Artisanal Hollandais, Affiné en Bourgogne.
De kazen die wij affineren komen jong binnen om hier ter Bourgogne door te rijpen en op smaak te komen.
Was het moeilijk of juist makkelijk om op markten terecht te komen?
De hangt geheel en al van de betreffende markt en het gemeentelijk beleid af. Op de ene markt hebben we een jaar moeten wachten en officieel een verzoekschrift moeten schrijven voor de aanvraag van een vaste plek, op de andere markt hadden we onze vaste plaats al na twee weken.
Inmiddels hebben we overal onze eigen vaste plek, weer een stressfactor minder.
Wat vinden de Fransen van jullie kazen?
De meeste Fransen zijn net als de meeste Nederlanders gek op kaas. Nederlandse kaas heeft een slechte reputatie wegens het aanbod van naar plastic smakende zogenáámde Goudse kazen in de supermarkt en daarnaast heeft Frankrijk zelf een keur aan kazen maar eenmaal geproefd worden de kazen die wij verkopen met open armen ontvangen.
Overigens is de Franse kaaskeuze hier in de zuid Bourgogne juist niet zo groot, er worden hier voornamelijk van die kleine ronde geitenkaasjes gemaakt. Voor het veel grotere assortiment moet je een stuk zuidelijker zijn.
Staan er nog andere projecten op stapel?
Behalve genieten? Nee hoor, niet direct behalve dan het verder verfijnen van onze zaak waar we bijzonder veel plezier in hebben en het in stand houden van wat we hebben opgebouwd. Daarnaast zien we wel wat er nog komt opborrelen.
Wat vinden jullie een heerlijke maaltijd?
Hemel! Dat loopt zeer uiteen. De Bourgondische traditionele keuken vinden wij heerlijk, salade met gesiers, entrecote, escartgots, kaasplankie uiteraard. Maar ook racletten in de winter of een Thaise maaltijd,  de Indonesische, Italiaanse, Vlaamse keuken of Spaanse tapas heerlijk! En als we een enkele keer in Nederland zijn: Chinees halen! en dan zo uit die bakkies opeten.
En natuurlijk welke wijnen, ik weet dat één keuze niet mogelijk is, gezien de keuze in Frankrijk?
Dat hangt uiteraard van het moment, het seizoen en de gerechten af maar samenvattend komen wij vaak uit op witte wijnen nou, dan kun je hier je lol op natuurlijk! Santenay, Pouilly Fuissé, Viré Clessé, Saint Véran, Chaintré, Givry… Maar een mooie rode slaan wij ook niet makkelijk af, een vriend van ons is Wijnboer en maakt een heerlijke Beaujolais gerijpt in eiken vaten, maar een volle rode Merlot kan ons ook zeer bekoren. Van wit en rood smullen wij, rosé slobberen wij meer (klok klok op het terras) maar kan ook erg lekker zijn. En vergeet niet de heerlijke Crémant de Bourgogne, de Champagne uit de Bourgogne zeg maar, daarin is én veel keus alsmede kwaliteit te vinden. Ach Frankrijk en wijn! Kan er niet over óphouden!
Wat lusten jullie echt niet en waarom niet?
Ik ben persoonlijk niet dol op oesters, heb het wel 2X geprobeerd want zo ben ik opgevoed: eerst proberen, dan oordelen! Eerst proeven en dan pas met peper en zout gaan gooien! Moest van mijn moeder en ze had gelijk. Maar met oesters ben ik eruit: Zonder dienstdoende arts die kan reanimeren begin ik er niet meer aan. P krijgt ze wel weg maar ze bestelt ze nooit dus… Verder zijn wij allebei niet te porren voor zaken als tripes (pens) en bijvoorbeeld andouilettes (die bleke worsten).
Verder eten wij vrijwel alles wat zich als eten voordoet. Proberen graag dingen uit en zijn allebei dol op koken.
Jullie wonen nu in Frankrijk.. Waar gaan jullie het liefst naar op reis?
We blijven graag in eigen land. Vroeger betrof dit land ook doorgaans onze vakantiebestemming en dat is eigenlijk zo gebleven. Frankrijk is ongelofelijk veelzijdig qua landschap, je hebt er alles, zee, bergen, laagvlaktes, hoogvlaktes, rivieren, meren, dorpjes, steden, bossen, ruig, rustig etc… terwijl je toch overal die typische Franse gezelligheid aantreft.
Een weekje naar bijvoorbeeld een Grieks eiland vinden we ook lekker mits de honden als handbagage mee mogen!
Wil je nog iets anders vertellen….delen?
Natuurlijk! Je bent ondernemer of je bent het niet!
Suus en Paula VAN DER LINDEN
Fromage Artisanal Hollandais affiné en Bourgogne
Wij zijn te vinden op de volgende markten:
Maandag: Marcigny
Donderdag: Gueugnon
Vrijdag: Digoin
Zaterdag: Cluny
Zondag: Chagny
Met zeer veel dank voor je belangstelling Gereon!
Hartelijke groeten,
Suus en Paula
foto de rijpende kazen
Het recept:
Voor deze ondernemende dames heb ik een recept voor kalfsvleesrolletjes gevuld met salami en natuurlijk wat belegen  Hollandse kaas. Erbij een saus van tomaat, courgette en witte wijn. Samen met de rosé van domaine la Rizolière uit de Beaujolais een heerlijk gerecht voor op het terras. Met natuurlijk het uitzicht op de prachtige zuidelijke Bourgogne. Geniet ervan.
Nodig 4 personen:4 kalfsschnitzels
100 g belegen kaas
100 g salami
1 eigeel
1 el citroenrasp
8 tomaten
1 courgette
1 sjalot
2 tenen knoflook
1 glas witte wijn
oregano blaadjes
tijm blaadjes
peterselie gehakt
bloem
150 geraspte oude kaas
boter
olijfolie
peper en zout
touw of prikkers

Bereiding:

Rasp de belegen kaas. Snijd de salami heel fijn. Voeg de eidooier toe en meng goed. Vul de schnitzels met dit mengsel en zet vast met prikker. Rasp de oude kaas en strooi deze op bakpapier. zet de oven op 180 graden en bak de kaas kort tot een krokantje. Dit is later garnering. Bestrooi het vlees met wat bloem waar peper en zout aan is toegevoegd. Verhit de boter en olijfolie in een pan. Bak de kalfsschnitzels kort aan. zet het vlees afgedekt met folie in een oven van 80 graden. Ontvel de tomaten en haal zaadjes eruit. Snijd de tomaten in hele fijne blokjes. Snipper het sjalotje, hak de tenen knoflook fijn. Haal de zaadlijsten uit courgette en snijd in hele kleine blokjes. Fruit het uitje en de knoflook in wat olie. Voeg de courgetteblokjes toe en roerbak kort. Blus met glas witte wijn. Voeg de tijm, oreganoblaadjes en citroenrasp toe. Laat kort sudderen. Voeg als laatste de tomaten blokjes toe en zet vuur uit. Haal het vlees uit de oven, leg in schaal en giet de groentesaus erover. Bestrooi met gehakte peterselie. Garneer met de krokantjes van oude kaas.
Serveer dit gerecht met wat met knoflook en olie gebakken spaghetti.

Door de site te te blijven gebruiken, gaat u akkoord met het gebruik van cookies. meer informatie

De cookie-instellingen op deze website zijn ingesteld op 'toestaan cookies "om u de beste surfervaring mogelijk. Als u doorgaat met deze website te gebruiken zonder het wijzigen van uw cookie-instellingen of u klikt op "Accepteren" hieronder dan bent u akkoord met deze instellingen.

Sluiten