"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