BonVivant

have never touched my rolling pin [the type that doesn't have handles at both ends]. probably because i rarely use my convection oven for anything besides baking simple crusty country bread, or fish.

if you're not keen on the sweet frothy drink you might want to try making a simple soup with it. i think in Vietnamese they call it " Canh Rau Ma ". from what i remember it was a bit like watercress soup [not veloute]. if you do make the drink it should be frothy with finely crushed ice and sugar syrup, otherwise it'll taste like sugar loaded tinned stuff. again, it can be stir fried as you would watercress.

either for the stunning photography [with or without decent recipes], or great recipes without any photos. i keep them both but hardly ever use them to cook with.

in VN they like pennywort (called Rau Ma in Vietnamese, otherwise Centella Asiatica) in a sweet frothy drink with crushed ice. very refreshing. thought to have medicinal uses [purifying the blood, improve circulation etc.]. i just thought it was very refreshing one hot afternoon in Rach Gia while waiting to board the speedboat for Phu Quoc island. can be cooked with some garlic and shallot but in VN i've only seen it sold as a drink by roadside vendors.

fantastic beers and food at the monastery on top of the hill. luckily my guesthouse is at the bottom of the hill so i went there just about everyday at least for the fabulous beers if not eating. try the massive pork knee [probably Czech Rep's most beloved dish] served with zeli, caraway seeded bread, and always always freshly grated horseradish with mustard. how i long to go back to Czech Rep...

got 6 duck legs for other things and the last 2 went into a noodle soup, just something i made up as i went along. [photos here ]

this beer, Jopen Stout 5.5%, has arrived at my pub for the first time! i had 1 to start the afternoon with, then a Hommelbier, then 3 more Jopen Stout. it's a rare draught beer outside of the brewery i'm sure it'll be sold out by this afternoon. 't Ij brewery next.

a very simple Ikura & bean salad.

i'm a member in one of those groups over there here are 2 of my latest "posters": Ikura 1, and Ikura 2

sunday lunch for two: asparagus with herby camembert. i blanch the asparagus briefly, arrange 2 slices of the cheese on top of the spears and bake in the oven until gooey and melted. the cheese would've been even better a few minutes longer in the oven but i almost collapsed from hunger!

well, Paris is only a few hours away by 2 high speed trains should you have a craving for Pho or other excellent VN dishes [those photos are crap. i have to re do them all over again very soon]

someone i know way down here who's Mexican recommends Los Pilones. apparently they import many ingredients from the old country. have been meaning to check it out but i somehow always end up at Japan Inn for sashimi and shishamo.

And then herring. I'm not truly a convert to non-pickled herring yet. As in, I like zuur haring in a jar a lot, but if it's the fresher stuff (which is only very lightly cured), I still have to be in the mood for it. When I am though (beer is usually involved), I ask for it with uitjes (onions) and zuur (pickles). tut tut.... i think haring [specifically Hollandse Nieuwe] could probably be one of the main reasons why i can't leave NL! i eat it every fortnight when i go to AMS but it's never good. here at home in the south i go to the viskraam every other day and at the market on saturdays. super lekkerrrrrrrr! the rest of the country eats haring the way it should be eaten: by the tail [26 Hollandse Nieuwe since the season started]

i like Thai food and i like the kingdom, and i've been there twice but i prefer Cambodia. the food isn't that bad! some dishes are strikingly similar to those you find in southern Vietnam. apparently the Khmer claim they invented many of them. in Siem Riep my moto drivers took us to local eateries off the tourist track a few times. the people are nice and gentle. extremely curious, also when they see me with a camera taking photos of the food i can't really recommend any restaurants as i eat mostly at roadside stalls, vendors, or places that have no menu everywhere i go. i'm going to redo all my VN and Khmer food pix one of these days. enjoy your trip. [will you try the fried critters? ]

so has anyone managed to make these? i ate them while backpacking around VN, and i just recently ate them again (twice) here at home. better in VN but still these 'cakes' are bland. the part i enjoy most is drinking the dipping sauce i much prefer "Banh Khot". now that's real nice.

rolled up goat's cheese which name i forgot. with some country granary/mixed seed bread and a few slices of jamon serrano. birds sang and played in the tree, plus a fabulous blue sky made my simple little lunch so enjoyable.

my partner and i like to meet up at a local pub on friday afternoons for a few drinks before going shopping for beers and wines for the week. last friday we had Wittekerke Rosé [from my favourite brewery Bavik. one is enough though! better than Nyquil kriek in any case. i much prefer Wittekerke witbier on tap in Antwerpen, a perfect summer thirst wencher.] followed by La Trappe so-called trappist, brewed not so far from my area. not a fan of both La Trappe and Leffe however they are very common draught beers here in southern Netherlands.

my kind of lunch, Daniel. i always have a few packs of serrano ham, a chunk of cheese, and big fat green unpitted olives in the fridge for such lunches. glasses of pinot gricio or a crisp Portuguese vinho verde rose' wash everything down nicely.

lunch for two: pork tenderloin noodle salad and a couple glasses of light Portuguese red. didn't like this disgustingly sweet spring beer [which was given to me by the 6 pack ] so i used the last bottle to steam the pork instead.

several glasses of Hommelbier and Gouden Carolus Classic on tap at my favourite pub in AMS.

i normally eat it straight with a cold pils. in Asia i love it in savoury pastries, and in Cambodia and Vietnam in baguettes. lovely in Vietnamese savoury sticky rice.

[Chufi and i are exchanging English and Dutch terms for cuts of fish.] tenderloin=haas. also used for one of the choicest meat cuts. yes, 'moot' is a slice but more specifically a [thick] slice across the thickest part [near the gills. the other end is called staart stuk. however, monkfish [zeeduivel] is called monkfish tail. [i'd love to eat the meat in the head too though if they'd sell me the thing] btw, i've got a brilliant book that lists terms for most things edible in NL in both English and NL. however, cuts of meats are most confusing! apparently one person says this cut is called such and in another country it's called something else. cheers

in NL it's called 'tenderloin' cut. the choicest cut, and is priced accordingly, too! [as Chufi has explained above.] i love it and don't mind the cost, ever!!!

i think we had the same lunch! [got mine from the market]

went to Li Qun in april this year. i think i paid RMB87 for the duck. on the last day i went to another roast duck place in the same neighbourhood, RMB67 [for the duck alone]. in Chengdu [early march this year] i paid RMB10 for dinner for 2 people: 2 different dishes, rice, and a beer. and next door another day RMB13 for 3 different dishes, rice, and 2 beers. they even took me to the very dim kitchen and let me pick out anything in endless baskets on the shelves. fabulous food and prices in Chengdu. never again will i go to Shanghai. in the hutong [Peking] where my hotel/guesthouse is located the loveliest and simplest brekkie of wonton soup [with meat filling, real stock, dried tiny shrimpies and dried seaweed, 2 bowls] and a basket of little steamed buns [again, with meat filling] all cost RMB6 [RMB2 for each thing!]. the place has 3 little tables and 10 stools, and the kind faced young wife makes everything from scratch on a little table next to yours. my favourite street food in Peking must be the egg pancakes! tried a few places but narrowed down to one i liked most [RMB1 in the same hutong]. bbq mutton skewers RMB1 each as a snack or appetiser. i like Peking