Persian Grilled Chicken Wings

It seemed so easy; post one blog each week on Wednesday. But last week I had a very bad cold and felt horrible. And with posting a new blog every week the problem is not just to have a topic. I like to have a recipe with it, a recipe that I tried and tested before off course. Plus self made pictures to accompany the recipe and make the story more visible.
But sometimes our plates are already empty before I realise a photo of it would have been nice!
And last week I did not feel like cooking at all; a real sign of being sick for a crazy Dutch foodie...

The weekend before I felt miserable we had a great BBQ with a few of our neighbours. It's a tradition that was started 4 years ago by my Iranian neighbours when they moved to our street. A typical gesture of Iranian hospitality we came to know!

It has been more than once that they brought us some delicious Iranian/Persian food. And our favourite is their grilled chicken with crispy skin and really fluffy rice (which I found out after I Googled it is known as Zereshk Polow) One time it happened that I was at their door around dinner time and my husband en myself were immediately invited at the dinner table. Our neighbours told us it's Iranian hospitality to always have an extra plate at the table for unexpected visitors! It's this kindness and hospitality that makes us want to travel Iran in the near future. I think it must be a wonderful Foodie Destination, with extremely friendly people, to explore.

It took me some time do discover the 'secret' of our neighbours delicious grilled chicken wings (or drumettes to be more precise). One of the reasons I guess was their way of speaking Dutch and me not speaking their Persian language known as 'Farsi' ;-)

First of all there is the special BBQ with skewers they use. (see pictures below) I guess in Iran it's common to buy that kind of BBQ but in the Netherlands he had it custom made.

Persian chicken drumettes on skewers

The second 'secret' of the crispy chicken skin is to grill it as far as possible from the charcoals.
Slow cooking on the BBQ. This way they will be done but not burnt.

Grilling chicken on skewers at my neighbours Persian BBQ

For a while I thought he used a marinade for the chicken pieces, until I found out that it was not really a marinade like I know it. But when I asked my neighbour last weekend again to explain me how he marinades the chicken this were his words; 'just some salt & pepper and a bit of saffron for the color'. And then, at the last minute just before I was about to leave, he said: 'but what's really important is the onion'.
The onion???
I had never seen any onion with the crispy chicken drumettes from their Persian BBQ before. It turned out that he 'marinated' the chicken drumettes overnight with some salt, pepper, saffron and finely chopped onions.

It found out that it's a commonly used method for Persian chicken kebabs (Jujeh Kebab) and off course there are many variations possible. Eugenia from the blog Culinaria Eugenius  advises to pulverize the onion instead of chopping it. While Sanam from My Persian Kitchen and  Laurie from Laurie Constantino both add some yoghurt to the (grated) onion and use chicken breast instead of chicken wings or chicken drumettes.

Chicken wings and drumettes marinating with onions overnight in the fridge

It was the first time I heard of this and off course I had to test it immediately as soon as I felt better this weekend.  Even though we don't own a Persian BBQ with skewers it worked out perfectly on our normal BBQ! 
I'm not sure what kind of chemical process  takes place with the onions and the chicken, but the chicken skin was as crispy as when our Iranian neighbour grills it!

Persian chicken grilling on our  'normal'  BBQ

The only thing I have not figured out yet is the amount of salt and pepper I have to use, because the taste was a bit to bland at our first attempt.
Update 10/09/2013: I made it again and wrote the exact amounts of salt and pepper I used in the recipe.

Here is my version of my neighbours Persian grilled chicken:
For the Dutch recipe you can click here.

Persian grilled chicken

For about 4 persons as part of a  BBQ or as a main dish with other side dishes

Ingredients:

• 1 kilo chicken wings or drumettes (our neighbour uses drumettes, we also like the wings so we mix)
• approximately 160 grams of finely chopped onion
• a pinch of saffron
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper & 1/4 + 1/8 teaspoon salt

1. Grind the saffron with a mortar and pestle and mix with the chicken pieces and chopped onion in a plastic bag. Season with salt and pepper.

2. Refrigerate overnight! Or at least for a few hours before grilling them.

3. Heat the charcoals for the BBQ. Place the chicken pieces ( without the onions!) on the uppermost grill of the BBQ or on skewers and roast slowly until golden and crispy.

Enjoy! 

5 tips on how to throw a stress-free dinner party!

Dinner parties are really popular nowadays. With the economical crisis there is no better option to enjoy delicious food and wine for a fraction of the price you will pay in a good restaurant. Off course it does requires some time shopping for quality ingredients, menu planning and cooking.
For most people throwing a dinner party yourself can cause a lot of stress, which is really not necessary.

I had to remind myself to that lately. Because ever since I graduated I have been thinking about starting a supperclub (aka 'underground restaurant' and in the Netherlands as 'huiskamerrestaurant'/ livingroomrestaurant). Because I find it a bit scary to start that out of nowhere I decided I first join as a host for EatWith. And before I actually go online and welcome travellers at our dining table, I thought I will test myself cooking for more than 6 people by inviting friends for dinner.
Finishing my study sounded like a great occasion to invite them over for a dinner party at the beginning of September to celebrate.

Once the invitations were sent and I had positive responses from 9 of our best friends the planning started. That went from bad to worse because I want to make everything from scratch. And for me one of the most important things about throwing a dinner party is that I can sit down with my guests and enjoy the food, the wine and the conversations.
It was only last week, with 4 weeks left for 'The Big Dinnerparty', that I realised I was writing a post about tips on how to throw a stress-free dinner party.
Time to remind myself on that tips and publish it!!!

1) Only invite people who enjoy good food and wine! 

Why would you bother stressing and showing off for people who don't even appreciate all the effort you put in throwing a nice dinner party? If you invite over family or friends who don't care about a fancy dinner than just make something simple to eat, have a few bottles of wine and beer on hand and enjoy each others company.

2) Make something you have cooked before

The benefit of making a dish you have cooked before is that you know that it's good. (why else would you bother making that recipe again!) If you do plan on making a new recipe at your dinner party, try testing it before the big date. You will be much more comfortable on the evening itself if you know it worked before.

3) Plan ahead! 

Not just with shopping but also with thinking about what you're gonna cook.
What I do as soon as I planned a dinner party with friends, is put a post-it in my agenda at that weeks page. Whenever I think of an ingredient, wine or recipe that suits the people or evening I have in mind I write it down. I know I'm a bit old fashioned but I still use my paper agenda instead of the one in my smartphone. But I guess Evernote could do a good job here to.  This process can start weeks in advance and sometimes changes until the last minute. But most of the time it gives me some air when I can look at the notes I made.

Another plan ahead thing here is the season. For example; if you want to make something with asparagus or fresh figs you have to be sure you can buy it in that season. Or have a backup dish in your head.
I experienced this recently when I thought rhubarb was already available. After visiting 3 supermarkets and 2 vegetable shops I realised it was not and had to think about another dessert 1 day before the dinner...
The big piece of almond cake from David Lebovitz which I had left in the freezer came in really handy here!

4) Start cooking in time

Start at least one hour earlier than you think you need. Things can go wrong. I always realise I miss one or two ingredients last minute... In that case my husband still has time to rush to the supermarket ;-)
It's also really nice if you have time left to take a shower and change clothes before your guests arrive.
So make sure the bathroom is clean and the table is set before you even start cooking.

Off course it is also really stress reducing if you plan a mostly make ahead menu with only one or two items that have to be made at the last moment. Even better if you have time to make some dishes the day or evening before.

5) Let loose and enjoy! 

Finally, as tip number 5 I would like to quote Megan Gordon from her piece on The Kitchn who says to: Let Loose: "For me the most important part of a dinner party is letting myself relax. At a certain point, a few minutes before everyone is to arrive, there's not much that can be perfected. It is what it is and everyone will be gracious and happy to be in one another's company. Join them. After all, isn't that the reason you're throwing the party in the first place?" 

Off course these 5 tips can be used for any dinnerparty, especially also for Christmas dinner planning. 

I can only agree to this. 

Here is my recipe for a stress-free start of your dinnerparty with an easy cocktail:

Prosecco with amaretto & raspberries

Inspired on a welcome drink I had at restaurant Tuinhuis Culinair in Tilburg, Netherlands

Ingredients: 

• Amaretto 
• Prosecco
• Fresh raspberries. 

Divide a small dash of amaretto in champagne glasses; not to much or it will be very sweet. 
Top it off with prosecco and a few fresh raspberries. 

Serve with straw. 

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Confessions of a Cookbook Addict

OK I admit; it's not just a hobby anymore it's more like an addiction. A cookbook addiction.  
I'm not sure if there is a treatment for that… 
But as long as I can afford it I don't think it's such a big problem. 

Except maybe a space problem in our house. For now they are scattered around the house; the living room, the kitchen, the study and even the bedroom!  

My last money at the end of the month is more likely to be spent on a new cookbook rather than new clothes or something for the house. And when we were backpacking in Peru last year and I discovered there were already two volumes of  Tony Custers 'The Art of Peruvian Cuisine', each volume about 2,3 kilo grams in weight, I could not resist buying them both.  A bit crazy, I know.

Fortunately I'm not the only one; many foodies are suffering from this addiction. 

Some of them even devoted a whole blog to it! Like Diary of a Cookbook Addict with lovely posts about her favourite cookbooks written by a Philly native who moved to Dublin. Unfortunately she stopped posting since this year. 
Then there are the other foodbloggers like myself who made confessions on their blogs; Anja & Ianna from the Dutch foodblogs Brutsellog & Beginspiration blame blogging about recipes as the start of their cookbook addiction.

And Dana from The Kitchn even gives some tips on things you can do if you're starting to feel out of control. But I'm not at that point, not yet! 

Although I can't find any actual numbers at the above mentioned blogs;  freelance journalist Dionne Christian admits she has 148 cookbooks in an article about why we're addicted to cookbooks in The New Zealand Herald. I counted mine; 198 cookbooks + so many issues of cooking magazines I don't even start counting them. But that's nothing compared to the cookbook collection of Tonny Eyk, a Dutch pianist, who according to Bouillon magazine owns a cookbook library with 1500 cookbooks! 
A cookbook library; I need a bigger house for that ;-)

Although my cookbooks are not organised by logical order; they are more or less divided into the following categories:

Books I cook from a lot or are frequently consulted; I keep this in my kitchen cabinet.

The 'big' books; either in weight or from big chefs; they are standing on a bookshelf in the living room.

Below it are the culinary novels; with my absolute favourite 'Cooking for Mr. Latte' from Amanda Hesser 

A big part of my cookbook collection I keep in my study...

Then there is always a pile of cookbooks or culinary novels on my bedside cabinet. Along with some culinary magazines and  'normal' books.

Most of my recently bought cookbooks are kept on a sidetable in the livingroom for a while, so I can look for new recipes while sitting on the couch in the evening.

And last but not least the 'cookbook' I use most; a collection of all the recipes I made over and over again in the last few years. I type them in Word and reprint it at least once a year. It's full of recipes from my cookbook collection, recipes I found on Internet, recipes from magazines and from family and friends. 

All updated and provided with hand written notes. When we bought our kitchen a few years ago I insisted on a cookbook holder so I have them on eye level all the time I'm cooking :-D

There was a time that I made the promises to myself that I actually have to cook 1 recipe from each copy, or else I would have to sell them. Well, let's just say I do use most of my cookbooks a lot but I have not gotten around to make anything from 'A day at El Bulli', the amazing cookbook 'Puurst' from *** restaurant Librije in the Netherlands which won the Gourmand World Cookbook award 2013 in the 'best chef' category or from *** Chef Gordon Ramsey. These are more for inspiration and new ideas for dishes I make in a simplified way.

On my wish list are Ottolenghi's Pleny,  Mastering the Art of French Cooking from Julia Child, Nigel Slater's Kitchen diaries and many, many more.

I'm really curious how many cookbooks other crazy foodies have, what's their favourite cookbook and what's on their wish list! Leave a comment to let me know :-)

Restaurant Beluga in Maastricht

I have been lucky enough to have eaten in a few of the worlds best restaurants. Lunch at D.O.M in Sao Paolo, dinner at Astrid y Gaston in Lima, both of the *** restaurants in the Netherlands, Oud Sluis & Librije, and the Tasting Room in Franschhoek, South Africa. But my all time favourite isn't ranked in the Worlds 50 best restaurants list nor does it has 3 Michelin stars.  

Although I really don't understand why not. It makes me wonder how these inspectors rate the restaurants they visit. Because it's just impossible to compare a high rated restaurant in, for example, South America with a not rated restaurant in the Netherlands.

I was not planning on writing restaurant reviews on this blog, but I make an exception for my favorite restaurant EVER. It's Beluga in Maastricht; a burgundian city in the south of the Netherlands. It has 2 Michelin stars and chef Hans van Wolde is cooking just the way I like it. Not too much meat and almost no intestines. Lots of  fish & other seafood. A major role for vegetables and light and tasty dressings instead of those with cream. 

The reason I prefer Beluga over many other fine dining restaurants, besides the food, is the relaxed atmosphere. That starts in the lounge where you are welcomed to have a pre-dinner drink, accompanied with at few amuse bouches.

Vegetarian amuse bouches

Amuse bouche: 10 preparations with local Limburg 'grotchampignon' aka Champignon de Paris

The chef himself comes around to say hi, personally hands over the menu and discuss the menu options. I've been here 8 times so far and he has done that every time. In contrary to some other chefs who walk around in their restaurant to meet the customers, he's the only one who does it with a natural flair.

After that you are guided to the comfortable chairs and couches in the restaurant which make you want to sit back and relax. Which is what they are meant to be for. Once at the table Hans van Wolde's famous Chef's special signature amuse is served; Parmesan, basil and tomato. This looks like a famous and simple combination, but is wonderfully prepared with very strong flavours. The Parmesan always as a foam, the basil sometimes as ice, the tomato I've seen liquid and crispy (like on the pictures below)

Previous presentation of Chefs special; Parmesan, basil and tomato

Latest presentation of the Chef's special amuse bouche; Parmesan, basil and tomato

It's the combination of the high quality food, perfect matching wines, the relaxed atmosphere because of the informal yet amazing service, from the minute you walk in that make it worth every Euro you spent. 

It didn't really came as a big surprise in these economical bad times, but it still was a little shock to read that Beluga decided to make a big change! They are changing the concept, NOT the quality of the food or service, which makes it accessible for more people. Less amuses bouche, less expensive menu options and less exclusive dinnerware. It sounds good to me! 

We have enjoyed quite some of their 4-course Pleasure and Business lunch deals; a great deal where you're welcomed with a glass of  Cava and about 4 or 5 amuses, then 4 courses including matching wines and coffee or tea with friandises to finish with. And all of that for the price of € 90,-! Compared to other 2-star Michelin restaurants that was a really great deal. There are still 2 months left to make a reservation for this offer on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday.

Matching sweet wine with dessert and specially for Beluga brewed beer with verbena to accompany the cheese

But I'm sure the menu in the new concept from October 1st, when the name of the restaurant will be Beluga Loves You, is gonna be great as well. They have posted a preview on their website which except for some dishes also reveals the coming of an 'upper top table'; on a stage over the stairs!

Because my husband only had experienced lunch at our visits together we decided to have a 'Last Supper' in Beluga old style and chose the full 10- course tasting menu. Plus the wine accompaniment!
I would be a very bad restaurant critic because I forget the exact ingredients of all the different dishes. Especially after some wine ;-)
But to give an impression of the fabulous food, here are some pictures I made during our visit last Friday.

Hans van Wolde's signature dish: Lobster Chicory Tarte Tatin. 

Lobster - avocado - americain - anchovy

Turbot - cauliflower- almond

Veal neck - foie gras - garlic plant- rhubarb

Hit me dessert; passion fruit

Beluga restaurant is a reason in itself to visit the city of Maastricht, either if you live in the Netherlands or as a tourist. But it is also one of the oldest cities in Holland with a beautiful centre worth visiting. Maastricht is known as a city of indulgence and culinary highlights. There are excellent restaurants and eateries, vineyards close to the city and an extensive range of great quality regional products and dishes. 
Any foodie should not miss out on Maastricht!

I will definitely pay a visit again as soon as possible to find out about the new Beluga Loves You.

Watermelon Daiquiri; Summer in a glass!

Ever since we came back from our 8 month trip to South & Central America last year we have been wanting to make cocktails at home.
Before that we actually never really drank cocktails; I prefer wine with food and my husband can appreciate both wine or a good beer. In South America that was not a problem; especially Argentina and Chili have great quality wines. But when you're travelling on a budget, once moving north to Central America we started drinking cocktails since they were cheaper than wine or beer! So while back home in the Netherlands we would never think about ordering a cocktail in a bar or restaurant, at the end of the trip we were enthusiastic cocktail drinkers.

It took us about a year before we gathered the basic stuff we needed; a cocktail shaker, cocktail glasses and a blender which can also crush ice.  No more excuses for not making these delicious drinks by ourselves.

We started with the Daiquiri; a mix of light rum, lemon juice and a sweetener like sugar or syrup.
Sitting at the bar of El Floridita in Havana, known as 'the cradle of the Daiquiri' (in Spanish: "la cuna del daiquiri"), it looked very simple. The bartenders were making all the different orders really fast without measuring. They make them so often that they know it by heart and told us they use an average of 40 bottles of Havana Club 3 years old every day. ( Bacardi is not sold in Cuba today, although the Daiquiri probably was born with that brand of rum).

Pictures of the El Floridita bar in Havana Cuba

There are a lot of variations on the original Daiquiri recipe and we are still in search of our own perfect mix.
With the beautiful summer weather of the last few weeks we started experimenting with the strawberry Daiquiri and the Watermelon Daiquiri. 
Especially for the last one there are tons of different recipes to be found on the Internet.

I was first triggered to make a watermelon Daiquiri after seeing Annabel Langbein making a big can of it on an episode of The Free Range Cook. She mixes the pieces of watermelon, lime juice and sugar in a blender and then pours it in a can with ice cubes. 
A Nigella Lawson recipe brought me on the idea of freezing  watermelon cubes and then mix all the ingredients in a blender. This is a great way but you really need a good quality blender for it to crush the frozen watermelon. 
Then there are a lots of recipes which use already crushed ice. 

From all of the above mentioned methods I prefer Nigella's way because there is no more ice needed to cool the drink. If you do use extra ice it immediately weakens the flavour of the rum.
But if you don't own a special blender to crush the frozen cubes, you can mix all the ingredients together and then put the mixture in the freezer for a few hours. This method takes a bit longer but also makes it perfect to prepare these summer cocktails in advance! 

Frozen Watermelon Daiquiri

I wrote down the recipe the way we like to make it, but you really have to adjust to taste! So add more sugar if you like it more sweet, or a bit of rum for a stronger alcohol flavour.

Ingredients for Watermelon Daiquiris

Makes 2 cocktails

Ingredients:

• 350 grams watermelon (without the seeds)
• 60 ml white Havana Club rum 3 years old 
• 60 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon icing sugar (this dissolves easily)

Extra equipment: blender or mixer

Mix all the ingredients in a blender and put it in the freezer for a few hours before serving.

Dutch pancakes; budget dinner for one

Although I love cooking most of the time; I can't deny that I like it more if I can share it.
Most of the times that's not a problem; my husband is an enthusiastic and not so fussy eater.
But sometimes he must work overtime and let me know at the last minute... Whenever I cook just for my self I like it to be quick and tasty, so I often make Nigella Lawson's Lemon Linguine, Spaghetti Carbonara (without the heavy cream) or her Pea Puree with salmon. 
I can see a Nigella pattern here ;-)  
And I even admit throwing a frozen supermarket pizza in the oven occasionally! 

But tonight I did not feel like anything from the above. And because my husband is not a big fan of pancakes it was the perfect opportunity to bake them just for myself. It's a childhood favourite and I'm still happy to eat them for breakfast, lunch or as a main meal any time of the year.  While in wintertime it's a tradition to eat them after 'snert' (a thick typical Dutch pea soup). I remember my grandmother baking big piles of pancakes while the large pot of snert was simmering on the stove. She kept them warm by putting them on a plate on top of a pan with simmering water. 

Baking Dutch pancakes 

Dutch pancakes (pannenkoeken) are much thinner and larger than the American pancakes. The basic ingredients are always flour (plain, self-rising or both), milk, salt, and eggs. The addition of buckwheat flour is traditional but according to Wikipedia much less common nowadays. Although it looks like there is some kind of revival of the use of buckwheat flour because it's more healthy and ranks low on the glycemic scale. Wikipedia wrote a nice little piece about Dutch pancakes. 

Pancakes in the Netherlands are pretty popular; we even have lots of pancake-restaurants where you can order them with tons of different fillings. Plain ones are commonly eaten with sweet toppings like icing sugar (powdered sugar) or 'stroop'; treacle or syrup. A popular savoury filling is bacon & cheese. My 'secret' ingredient when making pancakes is to add a pinch of cinnamon to the batter. This even works with savoury fillings.

Pancake batter with cinnamon

If I make them as breakfast I use Jamie Oliver's 1tweetrecipe: 'Perfect pancakes: 1 egg, 1 cup self-raising, 
1 cup milk, pinch of salt. Whisk. Pour into a hot frying pan. Flip!' I get 3 pancakes from this recipe.

Today I made a bit more because I also love to eat them cold the next day (sprinkled with icing sugar and rolled up to be eaten by hand).
This recipe is adapted from an old fashioned and much reprinted Dutch cookbook; the Margriet kookboek:

Dutch pancakes

adapted from Margriet cookbook

Makes about 8 pancakes

Ingredients:

• 250 grams self-raising flour ( or substitute up to 50% with buckwheat flour)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg (large)
• 450 ml  milk
• Butter 
• Cinnamon
• Savoury and sweet ingredients as you like

1. Mix the self-raising flour with the salt.

2. Make a well in the middle, add the egg and half of the milk. Make a smooth batter of it, starting in the middle and mixing with a whisk. Add in the rest of the milk while stirring. Flavour with a pinch of cinnamon.

3. Leave to rest for half an hour if possible. 

4. Heat a small amount of butter in a frying pan, making sure it's hot before you pour in enough batter to just cover the bottom of the pan. (if you want to use bacon fry it first then add the batter)

5. Bake the pancake on medium heat until the top is dry.

6. Flip the pancake and cook the other side till golden.

7.Keep warm while baking the other pancakes. Fill as you like with sweet or savoury ingredients.

Rolled up Dutch pancake with 'stroop'

Tasty tapas: Asparagus,Serrano Ham and Aioli

Although the white Dutch asparagus season has finished since 24th June,  I can not resist sharing my favorite green asparagus recipe here!
I only made it twice this year but it's actually one of my most successful tapas recipes and never lasts long.

It's a combination of different recipes which I changed just a bit by blanching the green asparagus peaces for 3 minutes before putting them in the oven.  Additionally I serve it together with an easy aioli made by ready made mayonnaise and sprinkled with cayenne pepper.

I love it as part of a tapas meal but also as an appetizer or starter of  a more course dinner.
No cutlery needed, just use your hands!

Roast green Asparagus with Serrano ham and Aioli

Ingredients:

• Thin green asparagus, cut into half
• Serrano Ham
• Optionally: Parmesan cheese

1. Grease a baking sheet or tray.

2. Blanch the halved green asparagus, briefly, about 3 minutes.

3. Roll  a halved slice of Serrano ham around two or three halved asparagus (bottom and top), and add some grated Parmesan cheese if wanted.

4. Grind pepper over the asparagus and cook in about 10 minutes in a preheated oven at
200 ˚C. Cover the scale the first 5 minutes with aluminum foil to prevent the asparagus from burning.

Serve together with a spicy aioli as a dipping sauce:
Mix an olive oil based mayonnaise (or regular ready made mayonnaise)  with crushed garlic (about 2 cloves), some lemon juice and cayenne pepper on top.

Finally graduated!!! Plus home made Cole Slaw recipe

It took me about 10 years to finish my Bachelor of Laws degree; but I finally graduated last Friday!

Me and my mother after my final examination

I'm so relieved not having the obligation to spent most of my free time studying anymore!
For months now I can't stop thinking about all the things I've been wanting to do but didn't have the time; cleaning up our house; spent more time with my husband; go running three times a week instead of two and off course more time for cooking and blogging.  But now it's finally that far it doesn't feel like a big relief; it actually feels a bit uncomfortable.

I'm sure it's just a matter of time before I find a new balance,  but all this free time even got me thinking;
'is this the moment in life where women decide they are ready for motherhood???'
Believe me;  for this happily childfree crazy Dutch foodie that's a really extreme thought!
But I decided that still was not something that suited me and went back to celebrating my graduation by throwing a BBQ party for my close relatives.

We started with little Peche Melba cupcakes; again by a recipe from the cupcakes book from Rudolph van Veen. Then a few cucumber/smoked salmon & melon/prosciutto appetizers.
I kept what went on the BBQ simple by buying different kind of sausages and marinated a bunch of chicken wings. There was also lots of  bread with homemade herb butter (based on a recipe from the Dutch foodblog Uit Pauline's Keuken, with an extra sprig of tarragon and a pinch of dried Provencal herbs), tzatziki and a roasted red pepper with feta dip from Epicurious.
But most of the preparation time was spent to three home made salads which were a huge success!
Even my 11 month year old niece ate a bit of everything :-).

Peche Melba cupcakes, herb butter & pasta salad

For the potato salad I used this recipe from Jamie Oliver. A pasta salad was made at random by mixing some short pasta with pesto, dried tomatoes, fresh cherry tomatoes, chopped black olives, little pieces of mozzarella, a bit of rocket salad and toasted pine nuts with a dressing of olive oil & balsamic vinegar and finished with some coarsely grated Parmesan cheese.

But I was most proud of the big bowl of  Cole Slaw salad. It was based on a American cole slaw recipe from my little brothers former father in law which is an enthusiast BBQ fan with a lovely website in Dutch full of BBQ recipes. It's funny that although we call it American cole slaw the dish has Dutch roots ('koolsla' in Dutch means 'cabbage salad'). It fits perfectly with everything that comes from the barbecue and I love it with grilled chicken because it reminds me of Belize where it is a popular combination together with black beans.

Here's my recipe of how I made it last Sunday, for the Dutch version click here:

Graduation Cole Slaw

Ingredients for 1 bowl (enough for at least 4-6 people as a side dish) 

• 500 grams of oxheart cabbage, finely sliced ( oxheart cabbage is used instead of white cabbage, which makes perfectly sense in summer time) 
• 125 grams carrots, grated
• 1/2 onion, medium, finely chopped
• 2 red chillies, seeds removed, finely chopped
• 50 grams raisins, soaked in water 

Dressing:

• 1/2 cup (= 100 grams) mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon of honey
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Make the dressing and set aside.

2. If necessary, chop the cabbage and grate the carrot.

3. Mix the onion and chili with the finely sliced ​​cabbage and grated carrot.

4. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and mix well.

You can easily make the salad a few hours in advance; keep it in the refrigerator and mix in the raisins just before you serve it.

I totally forgot to make pictures of all the food this day...

Fortunately my brother in law has a great camera and quickly made some pictures just after the buffet was opened; thanks Per!

Foodie destination: Israel

Being a crazy Dutch foodie who loves to travel it probably doesn't come as a surprise that most of my trips are planned around food & wine. It was five years ago that my husband and I had been to Israel, so when I was dreaming about a good plate of hummus last summer we decided to go back. 

If you, like myself, are a big fan of Middle Eastern food there is just no better place in the world to choose for your culinary travels than Israel. Imagine the Middle Eastern flavors combined with Arab, North African & Mediterranean influences; foodie heaven on earth! Count to that that Israel is an ethnic melting pot of immigrants from all over the world and you will understand the food scene is extremely diverse. And with almost everybody speaking English and Western standards in hygiene & service it's also really convenient travelling around. That, plus the beautiful weather most of the year, tons of historical & cultural sites and the lovely clean beaches makes it your perfect next holiday destination. 

We were in the lucky position that the Israeli friends we visited are pretty crazy Israeli foodies; no better way to taste the country than with locals.  They have showed us around the best restaurants, street food vendors and wineries. We could have never have visited all of these places and book a trip to Bethlehem in one week if they hadn't  took the time to drive us around.

After a week of eating too much delicious food (yes even for a crazy foodie there is a limit!) I am very inspired to make a table full of mezze with all that great flavors on little plates.  
But for now I will share my Top 10 tips for foodies visiting Israel. Off course these tips only cover the tip of the iceberg because there are tons of great places for foodies to discover in Israel.

1) Make reservations @ Machneyuda restaurant 

Probably the most popular restaurant in Israel; located next to Mahane Yehuda market in Jerusalem. It's owned by three Jerusalem chefs who run the restaurant together. The Israeli food with a Mediterranean touch is tasty and based on the fresh ingredients from the nearby market stands. Try the excellent calamari (with onion, tahina and a blue cheese/eggplant puree) and ShikShukit ( cooked minced beef and lamb in Mediterranean spice mixture with a mix of tahini and yoghurt) which are both house classics. And ask about the 7-course tasting menu if they forget to tell you about it! (what happened to us and we still regret not being able to order it...).

Calamari at Machneyuda restaurant, Jersusalem

But it's not just the food that makes this restaurant so busy that you really have to make reservations in advance; it's the whole atmosphere. The open kitchen, the familiar manners of the waiters, the loud music and best of all the chefs singing and 'drumming' on the pans. Don't go here if you're looking for a romantic dinner for two. Try to get seated at the kitchen bar so you can join the chefs on a toast!

                                             Machneyuda chef playing 'drums' in the kitchen! 

2) Eat hummus at Abu Ghosh

This Arab Israeli town is also known as 'Hummus capital of Israel', need I say more?  I would never dare to express my opinion about where to get the best hummus; even Israelis among each other can't  agree on this question :). But I can say that it looks like to me that the Arab places are the most popular ones.  Check out this nice post about the search of the best hummus from travel & food writer Katherine Martinelli if you want to read more it.

3) Lunch @ Raphael restaurant on Shabbat

Raphael restaurant is located in front of Frishman beach, situated in the David Tower and diners have an amazing sea view overlooking the Mediterranean beachfront.
But the view is just a very nice extra; chef Raffi Cohen cooks delicious Mediterranean/Israeli food with  Moroccan influences and the best ingredients. It's pretty expensive, although worth every shekel. But the Shabbat lunch deal on Saturday is the best food deal ever! You pay 125 Shekel (about € 26,- or $ 34,-) and start with home made bread and rolls with extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar & butter. 

Starter at Raphael restaurant, Tel Aviv

Then the real feast starts; a variety of appetizers (mezze) will arrive at your table; I counted 11! 

Appetizers/ Mezze included in the 125 NIS Saturday lunch deal at Raphael restaurant, Tel Aviv

And from most of them you can order refills if you like. My tip; even though it's really tempting to order the refills please don't and save room for the main course of your choice. I ordered the 'Lamb Shoulder Couscous with whole chickpeas, market vegetable & spices from the Maghreb' and it was absolutely marvelous but I couldn't even get close to finish it... 

Lamb shoulder with vegetables & couscous at Raphael restaurant, Tel Aviv

Needles to say that reservations are required! 

4) Visit the Jaffa Port Market in Tel Aviv

Called 'a new mecca for hungry foodies' by Haaretz you will find various food stands and restaurants in renovated warehouse number 1. It's still an active fishing port too which makes it really lively.  
We especially liked the Beer market; a small stand which sells dozens of Israeli made beers in many different styles.

Beers from the Beer Market inside Jaffa Port Market

5) Try a Sabich sandwich

I still can't believe I never heard of this extremely popular Israeli sandwich before; it's a fresh pita stuffed with  hard boiled egg & fried eggplant. Lots of it! And off course the usual fillings like hummus (off course), tahini, salads (cucumber & tomato ) and a tangy sauce from pickled mango called amba. We ate it late in the evening (and there was still a line of people waiting to order) at a place called Oved, located just east of Tel Aviv on Sirkin Street in Givatayim. It's amazing how much food will fit into one pita! Another good place to try it more centrally located is Frishman Sabich on the corner of Dizengoff & Frishman Street. You will recognize it at the big line of people waiting to order. Here they served it slightly different with red cabbage and extra pickles on the side. Just as with hummus and the iconic falafel sandwich there are probably just as many versions as there are chefs. And it's definitely worth a try.

Oved Sabich

Frishman Sabich

                                                                                            

6) Visit some Israeli wineries

I can hear you think: 'Israeli wine, really?' Yes! You will be amazed about the quality of some of them. There are over 250 wineries of all sizes. But it's still a young wine country; over 95% of them have been born in the last 20 years even though wine has been produced in this region sicne biblical times.  Lots of wineries are open for visitors and most them offer a tasting for a few shekels. Often the tasting is free when you buy a bottle. One of the biggest and oldest wineries in Israel is Carmel which offers different tours and tastings. From the boutique wineries we visited I really liked Tzora Vineyards and Vitkin Winery. The first one also sells some really tasty local cheeses and makes a unique icewine. Vitkin has a nice tasting room and provides a lot of interesting facts about wine making in Israel. Nice to know; in some of the Israeli wine regions the grapes are picked during the night! 

7) Order Msabbaha instead of hummus

Msabbaha (or musabbaha) is a variation of hummus with the main difference being the texture and the fact that it is served warm. Part of the chickpeas remain whole and are covered with tahini sauce and olive oil. It's a really nice variation and some call it 'next level' hummus. More about hummus and msabbaha at this great Hummus Blog.

Msabbaha at Sisi restaurant, Tel Aviv

8) Dine at a locals home

The Israeli people are very generous where it comes to food. We were invited to attend some home made dinners at our Israeli friends house and their parents. Every time there was a table full of fresh and tasty food made from scratch.  If you don't have Israeli friends but would like to eat a homemade dinner you should check out the Eat With website which has lots of Israelis who can host you.

Shabbat lunch at Dina's mom house

Delicious carrot salad with honey roasted pecans, made by our friend Dina

9) Stroll some local markets

Be amazed about the huge amounts of fresh vegetables and herbs, tons of olives, nuts and dried fruits, big piles of spices and have your eye out for halva; a tahini (sesame paste) and honey mixture. On the Mahane Yehuda market in Jerusalem there is a stand know as the Halva Kingdom with 100 different kinds of halva. And most of the times you will find small market restaurants and juice stands, where oranges, grapefruits, pomegranates and carrots are squeezed to order, in or around the market.

Halva Kingdom at Mehane Yehuda market, Jerusalem

Nuts and dried fruits at Mehane Yehuda market, Jerusalem

10) Buy a bottle of Sabra at the airport before you leave

Sabra is a chocolate-orange flavored Israeli liqueur which is probably the hardest local product ever to buy in the country itself! During our last visit 5 years ago we only got to take 1 bottle home because they don't seal bottles at Ben Gurion airport (we had a stopover in Swiss) and we didn't find more bottles during our visit. This time it was the same thing; we visited a few wine/liqueur stores and all we found was just 1 bottle (with the coffee flavor instead of the original chocolate-orange one). According to one of the shop owners it is an 'old fashioned' drink. But it actually is really nice; all our dinner guests who had a taste of it where enthusiastic about it and we got several request to take some extra bottles home! So buy some before you leave the country and make sure you can bring it through security if you don't have a direct flight.

Links:

For more information about Israeli cuisine or Israeli wines you could check this sites:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israeli_cuisine 
• http://www.israel-food-guide.com/
• http://www.goisrael.com/Tourism_Eng/WhatToDo/Culture/Pages/The-Wine-Routes-of-Israel.aspx