"What I Cooked Today" Day 280

My parents are pretty amazing people: warm, kind and incredibly generous. Not only did they take me, Jochem, Jordi and Silvana out for dinner at De Kust yesterday (where we had the most amazing sea food dinner) they also gave us lots of goodies that have become a luxury for us: beef, lamb, pork, chicken, salmon and scallops. The scallops are what we made today. I was in the mood for a pasta dish so we boiled some spagetti and cooked the scallops in garlic, chili, parsley, white wine and butter. And it was great (especially the butter if I am to believe Jochem).

Source: The Naked Chef by Jamie Oliver

"What I Cooked Today" Day 279

Today Jochem's father came over for lunch and we made him, if I may say so myself, a great lunch indeed! It was the perfect symphony of flavors for a Sunday afternoon: pancetta-wrapped green asparagus (out of season, yes, but one can't control the cravings of the stomach) dipped in soft-boiled egg, endive salad with pear, apple, herbs and a blue cheese dressing, and English pudding with pear, apple, spices and a whiskey creme fraiche. I was very proud of myself and enjoyed myself a lot - luckily Erik did as well!

Source: Jamie at Home by Jamie Oliver

"What I Cooked Today" Day 278

Today turned out to be another impromptu Saturday night dinner - perhaps this could be the start of a wonderful new tradition! We were all heading downtown for Bic's belated 27th birthday drink and I was in the mood for green chili. After having gotten the necessary groceries to make green chili, Roland called me to ask whether he and Mag could join us for dinner. Sure, we said. And that's how the four of us ended up having dinner together. Also, while we were desperately looking for out-of-season green asparagus at the downtown market, we discovered a stall that sold mushrooms. Just mushrooms. In every shape and color imaginable. It was like finding a piece of priceless antique at a flea market - we were in heaven. Of course we simply had to buy some, so we settled on some tiny chantarelle and some shiitake. We made a simple bruschetta with the mushrooms as a small appetizer before dinner. The green chili, however, was consumed before a picture could be taken.



Source: Jamie's Italy and Jamie's America by Jamie Oliver

"What I Cooked Today" Day 277

Today Jochem and I made another pasta dish. We have been all about the pasta this week, I guess! It was incredibly simple to make with some red onion, sundried tomatoes, basil and Parmesan cheese. Just add some spagetti and the obligatory sea salt, black pepper, dried chili and spicy olive oil and you've gotten yourself a Friday night meal.

Source: The Return of the Naked Chef by Jamie Oliver

"What I Cooked Today" Day 276

Today I went to Rotterdam to watch Wie is de MOL?! at Ingrid's place with Chantal, Willard and Ingrid's boyfriend Martin. Ingrid lives on a beautiful street and prepared an amazing 3-course dinner for us. For starters: a wonderfully light salad of poached chicken, orange, pine nuts and pumpkin seeds. For our main course: a beef stew. And for dessert, Martin had made cheesecake. Thank you both!

"What I Cooked Today" Day 275

Although I had to work late, I actually did most of the cooking today. We made a simple pasta with broccoli and we used butter, garlic, dried chili, anchovis, basil and Parmesan cheese to flavor the dish. And, of course, we had some chocolate and peanut butter cheesecake for dessert.

Source: Happy Days with the Naked Chef by Jamie Oliver

Wait!

I do have a picture! I do, I do! Pretty parsnip! Jochem saved me in my time of need. Look how pretty!

"What I Cooked Today" Day 274

Jochem cooked a wonderful pasta today with pancetta and parsnip. Have you ever had parsnip? Have it! According to my online dictionary parsnip is "a cold-weather root vegetable related to carrots. In fact, they look like ivory-colored carrots, but parsnips have a mild celery-like fragrance and a sweet, nutty flavor." Trust me - it's fabulous. Unfortunately, our camera broke down. AGAIN. We have two new batteries, courtesy of my dad, but it still doesn't work properly. How is it going to survive the monsoon in South East Asia when it can't even withstand everyday use?! So, no picture.

Source: Happy Days with the Naked Chef by Jamie Oliver

"What I Cooked Today" Day 273

Today I didn't cook at all. I had a dinner date with my girlfriends and while I was working late, Bic did all the cooking. When I finally arrived way past 7 PM there was a plate of spicy noodles waiting for me with fresh prawns and lots of veggies. For dessert, I brought my chocolate peanut butter cheesecake. It was great hanging out with you ladies!

"What I Cooked Today" Day 272

Today Jochem and I traveled to Veghel to visit Okke and Loes (Jochem's older brother and his girlfriend). Although I was a bit hungover from the day before, their food was fantastic. They made a little package of chicken with vegetables and cheese which they heated in the oven in tin foil. They served it with these great potatoes and very spicy chili mayonaise AND they had bread with olive oil and Prosecco with fresh mandarin juice. Unfortunately, we don't have any pictures of the event because we forgot to bring our camera, but believe you me that it was great. Thank you for a great Sunday night dinner!

"What I Cooked Today" Day 271

Today I indulged in a food and booze fest so extravagant that I am a little bit embarassed to write about it here. It was a great night though. Jochem and I went downtown to buy groceries, called Bic (who promptly came over), cooked dinner, watched Inception and Eat, Pray, Love and passed out on the couch (this last part only applies to me since both Jochem and Bic made it to their beds). For dinner we had this amazing spicy pasta dish with homemade pasta, some garlic, some fennel, some red onion, some lemon zest, some white wine and a couple of red mullet filets. It was inspired by an episode from the second season of Oliver's Twist by Jamie Oliver.



For dessert we had the most amazing chocolate and peanut butter cheesecake. It had a bottom of salted peanuts and dark chocolate, a filling of creamy peanut butter, and a top layer of milk. It is so rich that I dare say not many would enjoy it, but of course we consider ourselves quite the food die-hards. Nigella Lawson says that it's not for the faint-hearted, and she is so true. It was awesome.

Source: Nigella Kitchen: Kitchen Recipes from the Heart of the Home by Nigella Lawson

"What I Cooked Today" Day 270

Last week my parents gave Jochem some money for earning his Bachelor's degree in just 3,5 years. Mom explicitly told me not to put it into our savings account but to use it for something fun. My parents are real lovers of life who refuse to plan ahead too much but instead spend most of their money on celebrating life as it comes through dinners, nice things and vacations (you must wonder how I could possibly be their child). So today, instead of cooking, we went out to dinner at Kyushu, our favorite Japanese restaurant where we hadn't been in months. We always eat the same things: salmon and tuna sashimi, avocado maki, the Kyushu roll, shrimp tempura and friend rice. It was lovely to have sushi again after so long.

I do realize that my blog has been a little bland lately because of the lack of photographs. Our camera's battery is now so messed up that you need to recharge it every time you want to use it. Not every day, every time. And who wants to wait for a battery to charge while your food is getting cold? Not me. But I'll try to plan more carefully tomorrow.

"What I Cooked Today" Day 269

Today my ex-colleagues and I spent another Thursday evening watching Wie is de MOL?! The good news is that my suspect is still in the race and that I have therefore not lost yet, but then again I seem to understand the game less and less. Willard and I went grocery shopping and made risotto for dinner. The thing was, however, that it was from a package and I have never before made risotto from a package. There was no soffrito, no white wine, no stock, no butter and no Parmesan cheese, so I was very confused. I tried to make the best of it by adding fresh herbs and some white wine. It wasn't my best dish but I did my best. And both pans were empty so I guess that's good.

"What I Cooked Today" Day 268

Today I worked late before receiving my last bowl of chestnut soup for dinner before a friend and her friend came over to inspect and admire our apartment for their future use. It was good but also kind of sad. It had a sweet sadness to it. Now brace yourselves as I am to attempt my first yoga routine since the flu hit me. I wonder if I even remember my postures, but my back really needs a stretch. Here we go!

"What I Cooked Today" Day 267

I am tired. I had a long day at work. And it has been raining. A lot. Jochem indulged me in a little How I Met Your Mother, a little House, and a little chestnut soup. Same as yesterday. Must go - Oreo cookies and milk await!

"What I Cooked Today" Day 266

Today Jochem did most of the cooking because I was working late. Last week I went to the green grocer's across the street and saw these beautiful fresh chestnuts. I spontaneously bought a batch and today Jochem used them to make a chestnut soup. This soup was the epitomy of winter in a bowl with its earthy flavors: potato, onion, celery, garlic, butter, cream and of course our lovely fresh chestnuts. We used vegetable stock (and our Magimix) to turn these ingredients into our soup and served it with a few crumbled chestnuts, some leftover fennel leaves and a little bit of spicy olive oil. Add some toasted bread and you've got yourself a mouthwatering Monday night meal.

Source: Jamie Magazine Issue 14 November/December 2010

"What I Cooked Today" Day 265

Today Jochem and I met up with my parents at the annual holiday fair. I have been to this fair five times in total, and three years in a row, and I always love it. But make no mistake: this event must be the epitomy of suburban dullness - hordes of people walking around countless halls where pushy salesmen try to sell their overpriced, organized (ugh) vacations. We have never booked anything like it and probably never will since we're the "let's buy a Lonely Planet and see for ourselves" kind of travelers. So that's what we did. We bought four big, fat Lonely Planets to start our anticipatory fun in more detail. We are leaving in less than nine short months, after all (gulp).

Afterwards my parents went back to Almelo and we headed to our local supermarket where we purchased the means to make our own hamburgers and fries. It was messy as per usual, but great food for a Sunday night. We even got a can of rootbeer to make it a truly American experience. Back to work tomorrow!

"What I Cooked Today" Day 264

Today we celebrated Bic's 25th birthday for the third time at her parents' house in Hoevelaken. They have a Boretti oven and gas burner. Enough said. We all went over there in the afternoon to start the cooking. Bic had prepared a wonderful Middle Eastern/African feast with marinated chicken, lamb köfte, roasted vegetables with a honey dressing, Turkish bread, a roasted pepper salad and homemade garlic yogurt. It was splendid and I was so full afterwards that I didn't even need a midnight snack to compensate for all of the white wine I'd been consuming. I did leave some room, however, for our banana and chocolate muffins with chocolate icing and crumbled sugared peanuts. I believe that the overall consensus was that it needed a bit more of a banana taste, but I think that we all enjoyed it despite that flaw.

By the way, we gave Bic a Lonely Planet on Argentina, because somehow we convinced the girl (or at least I think we did) to come visit us there next year during our world trip. If the rest of our gang could also make it, it would just be perfect. And let this be an open invitation to all of our friends and family: if you are looking into you next vacation, and you would like to travel far, come visit us, wherever we are!

Source: Nigella Kitchen: Recipes from the Heart of the Home by Nigella Lawson

"What I Cooked Today" Day 263

Now, I like to cook for myself as much as the next culinary snob, but today I just wasn't up for it. Jochem is in Amersfoort to have dinner with a friend and I am home alone. I had to work till 6.30 PM so I decided to just pimp an oven pizza and watch movies on my laptop at my kitchen table.

Have I mentioned before how much I absolutely adore my kitchen table? It's not even one of those beautiful hardwood massive kitchen tables that seats six, but a modest kitchen table purchased at Ikea, but I love it. I love it so much, in fact, that I wake up extra early every morning to have some yogurt, drink some coffee, and read some chapters at said kitchen table before going to work. And of course you know by now that my most favorite of moments is the one where I sit behind our kitchen table while Jochem makes me eggs during the weekend.

After eight years of school I now associate my desk in the study with one thing and one thing alone: work. Essays. Research papers. Theses. Portfolios. NOT GOOD in other words. Don't get me wrong - I loved college and I miss it already. Lone gone are the days where I could read a novel, write whatever I wanted, and end up with an A in return. But especially grad school was hard and I for one am very happy to be done with work after work. So now I use my laptop as an actual laptop and write e-mails on the couch in the study, or browse my friends' blogs in bed, or watch movies at my kitchen table.

What a blissful way to start the weekend this Friday night. Have a good weekend yourself.

Tagged: 7 Things About Us

I have been tagged by BFF Anna from The Yellow Umbrella and I believe that I am now supposed to write 7 random things about myself. Here we go:

(1) Technology scares me. I would use the same computer, mobile phone and i-pod my entire life if I could. It makes me worry that when I am in my sixties I will be unable to communicate with the outside world. It also makes me throw laptops against walls when they do not do what I want.

(2) I really, really, REALLY want a pug for a pet. I think that they are just the cutest things in the world.

(3) I am addicted to lip balm. I always carry it with me. I would lose my mind within 24 hours without it, I am sure.

(4) I need years to adapt to major life decisions. Although I decided to move back home before going on a 9-month world trip almost 3 years ago, the thought of such radical change can still keep me awake at night. This inability to be flexible would sure have caused me to go extinct were we living in medieval times.

(5) I like being nobody. I like doing nothing and I like not being important and I like the lack of responsibility. I like to stay at home and read and cook. But I do wonder whether that is a bad thing somehow.

(6) In the weekend Jochem always makes me coffee (more milk than coffee really) with toast drowned in butter and cheddar cheese with a fried egg on top. It is my favorite time of the week.

(7) I always feel the need to rearrange my eye lashes just perfectly. It is positive proof that I am indeed insane.

I am not sure what to do next, but I would like to hear from Silvana, Jesse, Vivianne, Mariëlle and Megan. Suprise - you have been tagged!

"What I Cooked Today" Day 262

Today I will not be cooking. While Jochem will be having some leftover Thai curry for dinner, I will be with my ex-colleagues for another Wie is de MOL?! night and Myrthe will be cooking for us. More on my own cooking tomorrow!

"What I Cooked Today" Day 261

Today Jochem and I cooked a potato rosti with ham, cheese and eggs. Jochem loved it, but I thought it was kind of strange. First of all, the black pepper, chili and parsley was a little overpowering. But mainly the texture seemed a little off - too mushy. But maybe it's just me.

Source: Jamie Magazine Issue 14 November/December 2010

"What I Cooked Today" Day 260

After our little salad intermission yesterday, we went straight back to carbs today. Mainly because we had lots of rocket leftover and Jochem insists that I change my mind about having rocket in warm dishes. Apparently everyone I know think it's fabulous, but I think it's wrong. Just plain wrong. Rocket is arguably the best salad leaf in the world and why would you ruin it by heating it and causing it to wilt? It's like overcooking overpriced organic chicken - please stop wrecking it! But fine, I guess that this dish wasn't so bad. Jochem made it with garlic, anchovis and chili and it was quite hot. Add some Parmesan cheese and, like Jamie always says, Bob's your uncle. Check out the video for this recipe here!

"What I Cooked Today" Day 259

Today Jochem and I made a salad for dinner. You may find this surprising because we're the kind of people who think that life without carbs is not worth living, and although we did have the obligatory piece of bread from the oven with a little bit of extra virgen olive oil, balsamic vinegar and sea salt, it was merely an accompaniment to the salad. This salad had rocket with mint, fresh orange and grilled fennel, and roasted almonds to top it off. We made us proud!

Source: Jamie Magazine Issue 15 January 2011

"What I Cooked Today" Day 258

Today we made these tortillas because Jochem had been craving them for some time and finally convinced me to make them again. They're quite simple - just filled with some creme fraiche, homemade guacamole, grated cheese, chili and coriander and topped with homemade tomato sauce, but they're really fresh and tasty. I feel quite alright today although my throat still hurts, but my headache and cold seem to have dissolved some. Tomorrow I'm back at work!

Source: Jamie's America by Jamie Oliver

"What I Cooked Today" Day 257

Today Jochem and I traveled to Tilburg for one of our traditional dinner dates with Erik, Marjolein, Michiel and Marije. I love these dinner dates but lately they've become a little bit difficult to organize because planning a Saturday night with six very different schedules is not as easy it once was. But we planned this date and we went. Yes, we went, even though I am still sick. There were of course lots of reasons not to go today:
- cold: check
- sore throat: check
- headache: check
But then there were also some indications that I was not as sick as I have been this week:
- no fever
- no sore muscles
- no nausea
And, more importantly, I HAD TO GET OUT! For someone who loves being at home, doing nothing, I could not spend another second being at home, doing nothing. I needed a reason to take a shower, wash my hair and put on new clothes. I needed more interaction than Jochem's tired mumblings after work (and the cats really don't make very good conversational partners). So I went to try and lift my spirits and I just hope that it didn't make me any sicker. But whatever happens I'm going to work on Monday because I can't take this nonsense anymore. As for tonight, Jochem and I found some random recipe online (since neither Jamie nor Nigella has a recipe in the books that we own) for creme brulee. I wanted something a little festive for our post-holiday dinner date, but let me tell you: creme brulee is one high-maintenance little dessert. We made one with dark chocolate and used a burner and everything. Unfortunately, the burner didn't come with its necessary gas included, so we had to make do with some gas that Michiel miraculously found somewhere. This definitely did not give us our desired result, so the top of the creme brulee was not at all creme brulee-like. Luckily the pudding itself was very nice, so I guess we'll just try again another day. Jochem and I did leave quite early because my head started to hurt after a while, but it was great to be outdoors and enjoy the company of my friends. Thanks for the Mexican American tortilla soup and the India curry - it was lovely!

Oh, and the reason that there's no picture here is because the camera didn't work either. Sorry!

"What I Cooked Today" Day 256

Today is day 5 of the flu and I am still sick at home. I've lost the will to live. I put in my contacts but that's just so that I can continue watching bad TV. Other than that, I've lost the motivation to take care of myself. My throat still hurts and no matter how much medicine I stuff down there, the phlegm is not going anywhere but staying put. My head has been killing me for days. I loved having my ex-colleagues over for some much-needed company yesterday, but it seems as if now I have a cold added to the overall misery. Jochem has a new job, which is good for him, but bad for me, because I am bored to death and the new romantic comedies that he got for me are really bad, unfortunately. I may be done with the genre after all. The highlight of my day was the wonderful garlic soup that we made at night. It was so easy that I didn't even need to buy groceries for it at all, since it was just some old bread, some garlic, a couple of herbs and spices, and an egg. Bliss in a bowl!



Source: Jamie Magazine Issue 15 January 2011

To top it off, Jochem made merengue with some leftover egg whites. We added some chili, some lemon zest, some melted dark chocolate and a few roasted hazelnuts. We then proceeded to eat almost the entire thing! Sugar crash of course, but totally worth it.



Source: Jamie at Home by Jamie Oliver

"What I Cooked Today" Day 255

This is the fourth day that I'm sick and the third day that I've spent at home alone and, let me tell you, I am way beyond any level of contentment one might enjoy while being home alone for a couple of days. I am tired of coughing my guts out, waking up every morning thinking that I feel better only to spend the afternoon feverishly sweating in bed, and wearing the same sweats every day. I need a shower. My hair has turned into one big knot. My doctor was quite concerned and made me take a blood test to rule out malaria, where a kind yet surprisingly strong little woman took two viles of blood from my arm and then pricked me in the finger before pressing two more vials of blood from said finger. But luckily the results are in and I do not have malaria. I decided to go to the Chinese centre to get a massage for my sore body, but it was closed (of course). But since I refused to spend another day watching TV (I actually finished all of Dawson's Creek y'all, not kidding), I bought groceries and made a soup from southern Italy with lentils and pasta. I also prepared crostinis to go with the soup. I made them for my ex-colleagues who are coming by tonight to watch Wie is de Mol?. Although I'm still kind of sick, I decided to have them over anyway, because I could really use some company.

Source: Jamie Magazine Issue 15 January 2011

To try to make myself feel even better, I also decided to buy some mushrooms and make bruschetta for lunch. That did help for a while. Now if only this damn flu would go away and bug someone else.

Source: Jamie at Home by Jamie Oliver

"What I Cooked Today" Day 254

Still sick. Still at home. Still eating mac 'n' cheese for dinner.

Ugh.

Source: Jamie's America by Jamie Oliver

"What I Cooked Today" Day 253

Today I spent another day at home to really get the flu out of my system. I feel better than yesterday, although I still feel very weak. At times like this I wish we had a real bathroom with an actual bathtub and fruity bath salts. Instead, I made do with a leftover Christmas tree, one leather sofa and cups of herbal tea with honey. I indulged in the ultimate guilty pleasure by watching the annual All You Need Is Love Christmas Special. For those of you who do not live in the Netherlands and who are unfamiliar with this piece of epic television: All You Need Is Love used to be a weekly TV show by Robert ten Brink ('Doctor Love') in which family, friends and, of course, loved ones are reunited. The weekly shows stopped years ago, but every year on Christmas Eve there is an annual Christmas Special that lasts up to two hours. I was in Palolem at Christmas Eve, enjoying my sea food platter and secretly feeding the hotel's stray cats, so I decided to watch it today and it was just beautiful. A real tear jerker and better than any movie since these are real people. It is like chicken soup for the soul.

And on that note: today I enjoyed a lovely dinner of leek soup and mac 'n' cheese. The mac 'n' cheese was leftover from a couple of days ago and Jochem was kind enough to make me soup yesterday because I always crave soup when I don't feel well, and he was so smart to make enough soup to enjoy today. Plus: you know how much I absolutely love leek, so to have leek soup with cream and fresh herbs is just heaven in a bowl for my rotten self.

And before I forget I simply have to share this quote by Ashley from Not Without Salt about homeschooling:

"I mean really, most of what you need to know in life can be taught through baking right?! – fractions, chemistry, patience, persistence and the importance of using good chocolate."

So true.

Source: Jamie Magazine Issue 13 September/October 2010

"What I Cooked Today" Day 252

Be careful what you wish for. I love my job, but sometimes I find it a little bit difficult to get excited about having to start again after the weekend. I guess it's like going to the gym (for those people who actually go to the gym, which is certainly not me): you always have to motivate yourself to go, but once you're there, you enjoy it a lot. That's what my job is like for me. But after our holiday in India, I wished that I'd had just a couple of days more to just relax and do nothing. And I got my wish in the form of one nice and lovely flu attack. This sucks majorly, because I'm really never so sick that I actually need to spend time in bed, and I was kind of hoping to finish those short ten months at the job I love without ever having to take a sick day. But, alas, my immune system had other plans. I went to work in the morning because I 'only' had a sore throat, but you can only take so much medical advice from complete strangers on the phone without thinking that maybe you are indeed too sick to be answering the phone at all. For a minute there I was afraid that I might have malaria (which is NOT a hypocondriac move, since I did get bitten by mosquitos in Goa and, according to my tropical doctor, ANY flu up to two months after your return could be malaria (God, malaria is scary!)), but since I already felt better after a couple of hours, I'm guessing that it's probably not malaria. Anyway, by 4 PM I decided to call it quits and head home, where I spent the remainder of the day drooling, aching and asking for tea and meds in incomprehensible words and phrases. Luckily, there were also a few nice things about spending some time at home:

- spending hour upon hour in bed with two cats draped around me

- watching six episodes of Dawson's Creek in one go

- opening my belated Christmas package from work, which, when I was a tutor, used to be a bottle of Fair Trade wine, but, as an assistant office manager, is a box stocked with Fair Trade food (I love my job, I love my job, I love my job!)

- having my boyfriend feed me homemade grilled cheese sandwiches

- not having to feel guilty about asking for massages 'because I have the flu and I hurt'

It doesn't really take much to make me happy.

"What I Cooked Today" Day 251

No cooking today. Mom and dad came by to bring Bicho and Manchego back home. We showed them our pictures from India and then we went downtown to have some Mexican food. I am now in bed with a cup of tea and am about to watch Top Chef All Stars. All is well.

"What I Cooked Today" Day 250

Today was a lazy day, as January firsts should be. We spent the morning and most of the afternoon in Amersfoort, where we had spend the night with our friends. In the morning Jochem and I made coconut and raisin pancakes for everyone. After a long bath we finally came home and decided to order pizza for dinner. So far, so good. I just really miss Bicho and Manchego and I can't wait for my parents to bring them home tomorrow.

Source: Happy Days with the Naked Chef by Jamie Oliver

"What I Cooked Today" Day 249

Today was New Year's Eve. We spent it in Amersfoort with friends, who, by the time we got there in the late afternoon, had already been slaving away in the kitchen for hours to make us all sorts of snacks and bites. We contribited by preparing chicken from the oven. This recipe is incredibly simple: just stuff the chicken with lemon, bay leaf and garlic, rub the skin of the chicken with sea salt, black pepper and olive oil, and then pop in the oven for 1,5 hours. Happy New Year!!!



Source: Jamie's Italy by Jamie Oliver