Friday again, and a pretty cold and rainy one it is! Whereas a week ago it seemed that fall would never come (geez, I even drank wine at the beach last Sunday!), this week it has definitely started with a vengeance. The heat has been on, t-shirts have been exchanged for sweaters and I’ve had my first eggnog! I was actually telling myself I’d be a good girl and wait until at least Thanksgiving before opening the pack I had in the cupboard, but every time I went in there it just kept calling my name. And so I greedily answered.
Speaking of Thanksgiving — is it really three weeks away? — I better order that turkey soon and visit Kingsalmarkt in Amstelveen for a can of Libby’s pumpkin. Yes, it’s what I make my pie with, and Thanksgiving just wouldn’t be the same without it. I won’t be hosting a big
dinner party this year though; it’ll just be a quiet family affair. No stress, no planning weeks in advance, just easy peasy festive cooking while watching the Macy’s Parade — a tradition I have always kept.
In my previous post, I mentioned some of the exciting things up ahead, like attending a dinner cooked by Dutch chefs Robert Kranenborg and Ramon Beuk next week, for example. Very excited about that! Unfortunately, I will not be attending the cooking workshop with Janny van der Heijden in Rotterdam though due to an important project that came up just yesterday. A real shame indeed as I am really enjoying getting back into the world of attending press events again — something that always leads to great inspiration and puts me in contact with wonderful people.
But back to the order of the day…
Tomorrow I will once again be checking out a restaurant for you. I’m not really sure where we’ll be going yet, but I can tell you one thing — I’m in the mood for some good Italian food! A proper pasta or a creamy risotto will work just fine. Tips or ideas are always welcome. Did you read my last review, by the way? If not, make sure you check it out before the new one I’ll be posting this Sunday!
As soon as I am done with this blog, I will attack a culinary translatio
n project that just came my way, and after that I will snuggle up with my new book (which oh my sweet lord am I loving!!), Mark Jensen’s The Urban Cook (the Dutch version). On the menu tonight is one of his recipes: chicken in white wine with cream and thyme. Hubby is a huge fan of chicken dishes so I am sure the boy will be highly pleased! With that I will serve an earthy celeriac and mustard mash, and to wash it down, a simple, no-frills Riesling. Dessert will be pan-fried apples with French gingerbread spices and a scoop of cinnamon ice cream. Hey, it is Friday so no use shying away from all that goodness!
Have a great weekend, eat well and drink with pleasure!