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Chufi

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Everything posted by Chufi

  1. I do that all the time! I feel like it's part of the fun, serving something new for everyone. Life on the edge, Mitch, life on the edge.... I also do this all the time. I think what I love most about cooking is the sense of adventure and the chance to try out new things. And even if things go wrong, guests hardly ever notice because there´s always some sort of emergency back-up plan!
  2. Chris, I haven't had much time to participate, but I've been reading along and I'm in awe of all that great food (and the cocktails!) It´s been really lovely following you, and also wonderful to see so many old familiar faces (or shoud I say avatars) around here.
  3. Chufi

    Cooking with Champagne

    Joesan, thanks. Love the 50 ml for the chef
  4. Chufi

    Cooking with Champagne

    Thank you, despite my horrible mistake of spelling Champagne as champagne I'm well aware of the difference between the Real Thing and sparkling wines. anyway, back on topic: the plan is now to make the jelly and I will try to have some pomegranate seeds floating in it, cut this jelly into cubes and serve with a salad of mixed leavs and lightly smoked duck breast. Will report back after the weekend. Joesan, one more question for you: does the champagne not need to be warm for the gelatine to dissolve in it? I've seen recipes where half the champagne is warmed, gelatine added, then the rest of the champagne is added cold. Would you recommend this, or another method? Sorry about going on and on about it. I need the recipe for the last article in a series I've been writing for a newspaper and it needs to be good.
  5. Chufi

    Cooking with Champagne

    this sounds like a good idea. I could make a sheet and then cut the jelly into little cubes. any ideas for a savory salad to serve this with? I´m thinking the flavors would have to be subtle so as not to overpower the champagne flavor. Or maybe go a Thai/Vietnamese flavor route?
  6. I have to come up with a savory recipe using champagne (or other sparkling wines). Any ideas? Is it generally considered a bad idea to cook with champagne? Doesn't the characteristic quality of champagne (the festive fizz) disappear when you cook with it? For the recipe, I would prefer it wasn't one of those ultra fancy ones (lobster with champagne/caviar sauce, or something like that): I think it would be much more interesting to use the champagne in a simpler and less expensive dish. All thoughts much appreciated.
  7. Chufi

    Christmas 2010 Menus

    I served those rillettes with the herb rubbed bread and the black olive stuff the way she she describes it in the book for a big dinner last year, and the combination of the rillettes and the black olive stuff is amazing.
  8. Chufi

    Christmas 2010 Menus

    Heat them in the oven, covered with foil and then crisp the skin briefly under the grill. This is the first time that for a dinner like this, I will serve something I bought ready made. Yes, I am a little bit ashamed. But my poultry guy does such great confit, and I'm so busy with work right now that I decided on this shortcut...
  9. Chufi

    Christmas 2010 Menus

    My actual Christmas dinners will be spent with family and will be quite low key, but I am doing a huge dinner for 15 a week before Christmas that will get all my 'festive dinner'energy. Menu: Belgian Endive soup, topped with crispy pancetta, served with cheese/sage biscuits ********** Salad of shrimp with shallot/orange butter (the exact name escapes me right now, it's the recipe from Wolfert's Slow Meditteranean) ********** Duck confit Panfried red cabage with port, chestnuts and walnuts Watercress salad Potato/kabocha squash puree ********** Dorie Grrenspan's chocolate Armagnac prune cake, with whipped cream. edited to add: Christmas dinners is not a typo. Here in the Netherlands, we have a 1. Christmas Day (25) and a 2. Christmas day (26). In unlucky years, when the 25 is a Friday and the 26 a Saturday, we add a 3. Christmas day to that. Pretty exhausting.
  10. So, here's what I decided on: white bean/rosemary/garlic dip, celeri-remoulade. Pita chips, bread and carrot/celery sticks to go with that. potato/red pepper tortilla little puff pastry shells (thanks Blether) with mushroom ragout at the last minute I was asked to add something substantial, so I´m making a pasta salad with roasted butternut squash, red onions, sage and goats cheese. I´m also making a couple of huge logs of these:speculaas because this is our annual Sinterklaas party. I´m not 100 % happy with the choice of food, but I had to do all of the shopping today (for 20 people) for 50 euros, including the expensive almonds for the pastries. There was no way I could afford decent black olives for the olive/fig tapenade or walnuts for muhammara, or charcuterie which I would have loved to add.. Anyway, sometimes such limitations are interesting and we´ll see how the food turns out!
  11. Yes, easy to carry is another thing.. my food for 20 has to be transported on a bike..
  12. thanks guys, great ideas so far. Yes, sausage rolls, that fig tapenade looks good, I like the idea of something rolled in ham (all of a sudden I´m thinking home made celeri remoulade!) and a white bean dip will be an interesting change from hummus. and: Dear Blether, thank you for reminding why I love, and always will love, eGullet. I had forgotten about those puff pastry squares.
  13. Hi guys, for an ofice party (there will about 20 people attending) I'm looking for ideas for cold appetizers/ finger food that can be prepared ahead (the night before), taste good when served cold, and won't break the bank. I'm thinking various dips like hummus and a red pepper/walnut spread with bread, but could use some ideas to make it all a little more interesting... any thoughts?
  14. Chufi

    Split Pea Soup

    here's my recipe for Dutch split pea soup. It has a lot of meat and a lot of vegetables, it has to cook forever, and it's delicious. I make it one a year, in January or February, but reading this thread is making me hungry for it now
  15. Chufi

    Chili – Cook-Off 15

    this may not meet your requirements, but.. when I make vegetarian black bean chili, I put the finished chili (quite simple - beans, onions, chopped carrots, onions, garlic, chiles, a bit of tomato, some alcohol (beer or red wine) and chocolate) in a casserole dish, grate over some sharp cheese, dollop some sour cream on it, and then cover with little masa cakes (just masa harina mixed with warm water until it holds together). Drizzle with oil and bake. What you get is a kind of chili masa cobbler, very satisfying and with contrasting textures.
  16. roasted until very crispy, then tossed with toasted almonds and Chinese black vinegar steamed, then mixed with smoky tahini dressing broccoli blue cheese quiche boiled, mashed into potatoes (equal amounts of both) then topped with crispy bacon
  17. Re: service: To me it always seems that in the Netherlands, service isn't really a part of the business model of a restaurant (with the exception of the really high end / Michelin starred places). So what you're dealing with when you're in a bar or restaurant is basically NOT the business philosophy of the owners who want their staff to perform a certain way. What you're also not dealing with is staff that depends on your tips for their income. So what you ARE dealing with is an individual. And as we all know, with those, anything can happen. On the other hand: I kind of like that individuality. If you expect American-style service here, then yes, you will be very much disappointed. But, I have been eating and drinking out in Amsterdam for more than 20 years now and I can honestly say that I can count my experiences of really bad service on the fingers of one hand. But then of course, what I consider 'okay' service might be considered terribly bad service by an American visitor... And another thing: since you are not expected to leave the 15% tip to help the waiter survive, you can really use the tip to express your feelings about the service.
  18. from someone I know who lives in leiden, I always hear good things about Italian deli Pomino Might be useful since you're staying in an apartment. And you can't go wrong with the bread from Vlaamsch Broodhuys.
  19. As I'm thinking about this some more, I feel that the 'cookbook or other projects' blogs are also really single subject blogs. The Julie/Julia one, of course, and French Laundry at home and Alinea at home. Any other noteworthy ones like that? I think lots of project blogs get started, but many don't seem to last. Starting a project is so much easier than actually keeping it up.
  20. simonli625, your Chez Georges link links back to Dauphine. Also, there is a Chez George in Amsterdam but it's on Herenstraat. I think you mean Café George on Leidsegracht.
  21. I've been to Door 74 a couple of times. Its a speakeasy, where you have to make a reservation (or ring the doorbell and hope they'll have a spot for you). I like it, and the hush hush secrecy aspect is interesting, but I prefer the more open and welcoming atmosphere of Vesper.
  22. Thanks for the suggestions everyone, some good ones there, keep them coming!
  23. Sure! cocktails, wine, any booze
  24. For a presentation I have to give about foodblogs, I'm looking for blogs that limit themselves to one topic (like Kuban's Pizza blog over on Serious Eats). Who knows good ones? (I realize 'good' is subjective. By that I mostly mean, blogs that are somewhat serious, not too gimmicky, and regularly updated). thanks!
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