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New! Red Grapefruit & Lime Curd Recipe

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 07:41:23 +0000

In winter, when there's not much point going outdoors, the idea of tinkering away in a warm kitchen on a cold day seems reassuringly appealing. There are plenty of recipes to replenish your store cupboard in Homemade Winter, the new cookbook by Yvette van Boven. While we would have preferred to highlight one of the more Dutch recipes in the book, such as ossenworst or those sensational-sounding sausage rolls with speculaaskruiden, the publisher insisted we feature this cold weather curd instead. And a heavenly recipe it is; bitter-sweet red grapefruit and tangy lime juice make a refreshing fruit butter that will fill your whole kitchen with its vibrant citrus aromas. Try the recipe.

Photo © Fontaine

New Cookbook Review! Home Made Winter

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 09:45:33 +0000

Winter started late in the Netherlands this year and we're still being treated to bracing blue skies and biting winds. But Home Made Winter, Yvette van Boven's second cookbook, promises cold weather comfort with the author's favorite winter recipes from the Netherlands, Ireland and France. Read our full review of Home Made Winter.

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Photo © Fontaine

Roast Chicken with Chermola

Sun, 19 Feb 2012 17:36:41 +0000

Photo © Terra

Who doesn't love roast chicken? This recipe delivers a result that is moist and aromatically flavored, thanks to a marinade of coriander, garlic, lemon and caraway. You can find most of the ingredients at even the most basic supermarket, especially if you replace the poussin (male baby chickens or haantjes) with regular chicken pieces. It's a wonderful introduction to what we like to call the New Dutch Kitchen.

Slagroomtaart (Dutch Cream Cake)

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 09:59:22 +0000

This classic Dutch party cake with its layers of plain sponge, whipped cream and fruit is the Dutch answer to birthday cake. If the full slagroomtaart recipe seems a bit too much bother, there is a way to cheat and still feel like you made it your own: simply buy a good quality ready-made round sponge cake and find a jar of apricot purée. We do insist that you whip your own cream though - nothing out of a can, seriously! What remains is simply an easy to handle - and fun - assembly job. Take your time to decorate the cake with chocolate sprinkles and seasonal fruit, and display on a pretty cake stand.

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Photo © Uitgeverij de Kookboekhandel

New! Chicken Liver Pâté with Katenspek

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 15:08:53 +0000

French-style food became extremely au courant in 18th century Holland. Most Dutch cookbooks of the time included Dutch versions of classics from French cuisine, and many famous French cookbooks were translated into Dutch. In fact, employing a French chef was a status symbol for well-off Dutch families.

Some French classics, such as pâté, have endured. Other French foods have become quintessentially Dutch (think of kroketten, a popular street food in the Netherlands today). But, unfortunately, many Dutch-French dishes from this period fell prey to the now infamous huishoudscholen, and were forgotten.

Luckily this recipe for chicken liver pâté wrapped in katenspek has been revived by the lovely folks at the Landgoed Mariënwaerdt country estate in Beesd. We've made a few changes, but the pâté is as easy and delicious as ever. In fact, this is an ideal recipe for first-time pâté makers, and one that can easily be adapted to your tastes.

Photo © Karin Engelbrecht

Oude Kaas & Cumin Muffin Recipe

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 14:20:49 +0000

Even if you don't think of yourself as a kitchen wonder or you're just learning how to cook, try this easy savory muffin recipe with oude kaas (aged Gouda) and cumin. The muffins are thrown together in no time and make a delicious desk-bound lunch. Simply pop one in your lunch box with a crisp green apple and a few slices of cheese and you're all set.

Photo © Karin Engelbrecht

Glazed Carrots with Cinnamon Recipe

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:28:59 +0000

According to some sources, patriotic Dutch growers were the first to cultivate the familiar sweet orange carrot that we know and love all around the world today. They claim its orange color was a nod to the Dutch Royal Family, the House of Orange. However, other authors say that the Dutch were growing orange carrots as early as the late Middle Ages. What is certain is that carrots have been a staple food in the Netherlands for a long time, but were more common in their purple and yellow form before the 1500s. Oddly, those very same colours are now being pitched to us as posh heirloom varieties at expensive farmer's markets. You can use any type of carrot for our glazed carrots recipe. The honey and cinnamon glaze give the carrots that old-fashioned taste, like granny used to make, but we've updated the recipe so that it's suitable for quick microwave cooking - perfect for mid-week meals.

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Dutch Valentine's Day Menu Ideas

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 11:43:02 +0000

What's with all those bah humbugs who seem to loathe Valentine's Day? It's probably just overexposure to annoying advertising, but we've never quite understood what's so hateful about a holiday that celebrates romance. Okay, so we're romantics at heart, but you really don't have to go in for store-bought flowers and tinsel-wrapped chocolate hearts, if that's what annoys you. In fact, don't.

Instead, why not treat Valentine's Day as a reminder to spoil your loved ones (even if that's just you and your cat)? Rather than scoffing down dinner at the kitchen counter next Tuesday, set the table, light a candle, pour a glass of wine and dine in style. Here are a few of our favorite Valentine's Day Menu Ideas to get you in the mood.

Or, if you're in Amsterdam this Valentine's Day, treat your beloved to a romantic meal at one of the city's 10 best traditional Dutch restaurants. With its twinkling canals, Amsterdam is a wonderfully romantic city to visit, and About.com's Guide to Amsterdam has some great tips for romantic activities in Amsterdam.

Mark Your Calendar for the DiningCity Restaurant Week Spring Edition

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:03:46 +0000

Reservations for the Spring edition of DiningCity Restaurant Week (March 5-11) open tomorrow morning at 10:00 CET. As usual, three-course meals for �27,50 are up for grabs at any of the 1,000+ participating Dutch restaurants nationwide. Keep in mind that tables at the most coveted restaurants are always snapped up in minutes. Make your reservation via www.restaurantweek.nl.

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Potato & Celeriac Soup with Gouda Cheese

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 07:07:39 +0000

There may be snow on the ground outside, but this warming winter soup with celeriac, potatoes, Gouda cheese and ham will keep you cosy. My easy recipe delivers a generous pot of velvety blonde soup. Serve steaming bowls with slices of fresh, buttered whole wheat bread or toasted ham and cheese sandwiches (called tostis in Dutch) as a mid-week family meal. Children love it!