[Chocdoc - Checking out Chocolate in Belgium]

I'm actually not a big fan of glass teapots they lose their warmth so quickly - give me a brown Betty any day

[Chocdoc - Checking out Chocolate in Belgium]

1 hour ago, rotuts said:

nice teapot !

 

would look good next to those two Mussel thing-ies

 

just saying

 

some times :  Spot It ? Buy It.

 

not often Id say.

 You must be thinking I brought the giant trunk - instead of a mere suitcase!

[Chocdoc - Checking out Chocolate in Belgium]

Stopped for tea at OR Coffee which is beside the Marriott on prime real estate 

 

 

Honey Black tea

[Chocdoc - Checking out Chocolate in Belgium]

 

 

 

 

The fellow at Patrick Roger kept asking if I wanted a bag - finally I said "is it so I can hide the Frederic Blondeel bag?" and he admitted it was! So I took the bag.

[Chocdoc - Checking out Chocolate in Belgium]

Seen in my travels today.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I see I managed to get myself in most of the pictures - DUH!

[Chocdoc - Checking out Chocolate in Belgium]

Rather than be too familiar I didn't take a picture of the boss's croquettes (besides I think that's what I'll have for lunch tomorrow when we return to Lola). I had no such hesitation to take a picture of the artichoke being served to the man at the bar when we are on our way out! Maybe I'll have that for lunch tomorrow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Chocdoc - Checking out Chocolate in Belgium]

I think I might just have put sweetener in my coffee

[Chocdoc - Checking out Chocolate in Belgium]

Awaiting the arrival of the boss of Ecole at Lola - across the street from my hotel.

 

Came early to enjoy coffee - realized I'd forgotten papers - ran back to hotel - key wouldn't work in elevator - still back in time!

 

Lovely dried fruit and nuts (raisin alert) - and coffee

 

 

 

of course with little chocolate pieces on the side 

[Chocdoc - Checking out Chocolate in Belgium]

1 minute ago, chromedome said:

 

From the glorious silliness that is "The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert":
 

 

Well that explains it then - watched cage aux folles too many times!

[Chocdoc - Checking out Chocolate in Belgium]

8 minutes ago, Duvel said:

I second that: "Maison Dandoy" is fantastic, not only for their speculoos, but in general for fine cookies. When Inwas living in Waterloo it was on my way to work - go figure who occasionally had to skip dinner 

There is a store just next to the Groote Markt ...

 

Have enjoyed stuff from Dandoy before - saw at least one shop in my travels the other day. Figured when I'm doing the tour tomorrow I might scoot in there and grab a cookie or two.

[Yard Sale, Thrift Store, Junk Heap Shopping (Part 3)]

Just now, Shelby said:

 

Actually that might be an innovative idea....but I won't have fresh available when I plan to make this.

pickle it now - the patterns cut will be fabulous

[Yard Sale, Thrift Store, Junk Heap Shopping (Part 3)]

48 minutes ago, Shelby said:

I need to think of something besides asparagus to use.  I don't care for canned and I doubt the grocery store will have fresh....if they do it will be a million dollars a pound.

Okra of course!

[Chocdoc - Checking out Chocolate in Belgium]

2 hours ago, Anna N said:

 Perhaps you should have gone in drag. 

Would have been be'drag'gled by the time I got home in the pouring rain!

[Chocdoc - Checking out Chocolate in Belgium]

Sadly dessert was not worth waiting for - dry mousse between even drier cake. Ah well the entertainment was fun

 

[Chocdoc - Checking out Chocolate in Belgium]

Major costume failure - fixed by finding an older fellow in the audience who knew how to dance - clear issues with who got to lead though! The audience was delighted - I thought the wife was going to split a gut 

 

 

 

peacock feathers everywhere - tiara handed off - one eyelash hanging off 

[Chocdoc - Checking out Chocolate in Belgium]

 

this is must be a familiar character - as the audience was very amused

 

 

l

[Chocdoc - Checking out Chocolate in Belgium]

I didn't expect Miili Vanilli - I thought drag Queens did their own singing? Help me out wise hive mind

 

 

[Chocdoc - Checking out Chocolate in Belgium]

Apparently dessert won't happen until intermission on the drag show - perhaps if they got it started!

 

At least I got tea - and milk after a few tries!

 

[Chocdoc - Checking out Chocolate in Belgium]

Would swear I was getting a pork chop with endive - must have lost something in the translation 

 

 

[Chocdoc - Checking out Chocolate in Belgium]

Young man just walked by - took my cutlery and asked if I wanted dessert and coffee - made him bring my knife back - wonder when he'll realize I still have a plat to go before dessert 

 

Large man with made up face and still lacking his wig just walked by and kissed a few people - so the show is as I suspected I guess

 

 

[Chocdoc - Checking out Chocolate in Belgium]

Bread and water has arrived

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Chocdoc - Checking out Chocolate in Belgium]

The birthday girl has arrived for the party of 30 and so has my duck

 

 

 

[Chocdoc - Checking out Chocolate in Belgium]

Cava has come

 

 

[Chocdoc - Checking out Chocolate in Belgium]

I have wandered into something interesting - took a wrong turn on my way to my chosen restaurant and ended up down in the slightly seedy area where I had been yesterday.  First restaurant I walked into explained that they only had sausage and cheese at this time of night.   So I went into the next friendly looking one and it's a little bit of a madhouse in here. Apparently there is dinner and a show - it might be cross dressing based on something I see on the wall. But they have brought me olives and she promises to come back and explain the special menu shortly.  

 

Hope they offer a drink 

 

 

 

 

[Chocdoc - Checking out Chocolate in Belgium]

1 minute ago, MelissaH said:

You're making me quite homesick with all your photos.

 

Noses! We learned about them in Gent from the cart selling them in front of the Tierentijn mustard shop. (You can actually see the shop in the BBC video, with its green facade. Awesome mustard, and something we always bring home.) One classic use for the purple ones is to sweeten your tea, we were told. I kinda liked that, although a whole nose was a bit much for me, so I made two cups at once and used one nose for the two cups.

 

Looks like you found a Delhaize, which is our favorite of the Belgian supermarket chains. The square bottle of their store-brand speculoos spice mix is awesome. I use it in place of plain cinnamon in almost everything that calls for cinnamon...or at least I did till I ran out. :-(

 

While you're in Belgium, you might also look for brands of speculoos other than Lotus (the ones known in North America as Biscoff) in the supermarket. There's one brand that's super-good, only available in Belgium, and I can't remember the name of it. Stay tuned.

Be interested in the name - I do enjoy speculoos.