"What I Cooked Today" Day 137

Yesterday Jochem and I ended up finishing the entire quiche while it was supposed to last us two days. So today, while Jochem was at work, I bought some leek and creme fraiche and created a kind of quesadilla dish. I sautéed the leek with olive oil, Danielle's special sea salt and lots of black pepper before adding the creme fraiche, to which I added lots of Italian herbs. I spread this mixture in between two chili tortillas with grated cheese before preparing it on the grill. Fast and delicious!

Food Blogs

I consider myself quite the food snob and even like to modestly think of myself as a sort of kind of food blogger. But ever since a good friend of mine pointed out a couple of 'real' food blogs, I've been feeling amateurish and plain silly to say the least. Check out this lastest entry on Seven Spoons called "Summer, swallowed whole." This piece includes an actual recipe, the picture is stunning, and the writing... Oh! The WRITING! It's brilliant - it's funny, it's endearing, it's smart. I wish I could write like that. But maybe I should stop complaining so much and actually do something about it? It's scary though. Putting your dreams out there brings with it such an overwhelming sense of responsibility to act on them and I'm not sure if I'm willing to do that just yet. There is, after all, a real comfort into being a nobody in this world, knowing that only your close friends read your blog and even fewer really care about it. But enough now. More later.

"What I Cooked Today" Day 136

Today Jochem cooked quiche which he took with him to his job and which I ate when I came back from my job (of course one job ends where the other begins, but that's a whole other bitter story). For some reason we were both so hungry today that we finished the whole thing! Luckily I remembered taking a picture before I finished all of this colleague-inspired, spinach, tomato and cheese dish. And now it's all gone!

"What I Cooked Today" Day 135

Today was a long day, because after working for 8 hours at the office I had to tutor one of my students and I didn't make it home till 7.30 PM. But when I came home Jochem had cooked a wonderful fish pie with some of the left-over tilapia fish from when we made curry. He prepared it with lots of fresh vegetables and a crusted layer made from potatoes, cream, Parmesan cheese and nutmeg. Great comfort food.

Source: The Return of the Naked Chef by Jamie Oliver

"What I Cooked Today" Day 134

Today was a pretty good day for an ordinary Monday. Jochem and I got up really early to spend some more time together than our usual 5 minutes during breakfast - Jochem made me toast and coffee and we watched an episode of Top Chef. Work was busy and productive and afterwards I tutored a student whom I've been tutoring for 2 years now and it was nice to see her again after the summer break. When I came home Jochem made me coconut pancakes with lavender syrup, to which I added lavender honey, maple syrup, butter and icing sugar. Just lovely!

Source: Happy Days with the Naked Chef by Jamie Oliver

"What I Cooked Today" Day 133

Today I had the luxury of NOT cooking. Jochem cooked another Thai curry yesterday and saved me some left-overs for today. He made it with mint, onion, leek, green bell pepper, peas and tilapia fish, which I added some roasted peanuts to. Enjoy!

Source: Cooking Know-How by Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarborough

"What I Cooked Today" Day 132

For me, life is about simple pleasures. Today I traveled to Diever, a small and insignificant town in the east of the country for but one event each year: its famous Shakespeare Theater summer performances. My friends and I had only been to one of these performances once before (last year when they performed "Much Ado About Nothing"), but we already consider it quite the little tradition of ours. This year we came extra prepared (with warm shoes, winter coats, gloves, blankets, cushions, snacks and hot beverages) to see "The Two Gentlemen of Verona" performed live, which is basically Shakespeare's original version of comtempo pop culture's Dawson's Creek, but with a little less friendliness towards women and a little more homo eroticism. Mag's mom was kind enough to invite us for the second year in a row to her warm and sunny home and made us good old Dutch 'stamppot' for dinner. Thank you for your hospitality!

"What I Cooked Today" Day 131

I am having one of those days where work is long and extremely busy, boyfriend makes a huge mistake by shifting shifts (limiting your time together to exactly 4 hours this weekend), pets get under your skin (one of whom has spontaneously developed bladder issues) and generally everyone around you just pisses. you. OFF. But I decided that I need not surround myself with said BS, so, instead, I am going to the movies by myself to watch SATC2 again. I am determined to have a blast. Oh, and I am having left-over tortillas for dinner again.

"What I Cooked Today" Day 130

Today is going to be a boring day when it comes to cooking. I have a lot of errands to run today and since Jochem and I only got to spend lunch together, I decided to have today's left-over tortillas at lunch time. Tonight I have to attend a training session so I will probably end up having sandwiches for dinner or, if I'm really lazy, I might get some junk food at the train station. Boring, didn't I tell you?

"What I Cooked Today" Day 129

Today Jochem and I cooked a wonderful sauce with fresh herbs and spices, garlic, onion, tomatoes, lots of charred bell peppers and chicken. We served it on tortillas with fried chorizo sausages and creme freche. It was the mixture of all the different flavors that made this such a success - it was lovely, warm and homey food.

Source: Jamie Magazine Issue 12 August/September 2010