eG Foodblog: Chufi - Birthday Cakes & Royal Celebrations

[Chufi]

Good morning everybody!

Between the Dutch Cooking thread, the Amsterdam thread and my regular postings on the Dinner thread, I feel that my daily food-life is pretty well-documented here on Egullet. (too well, some of my friends might say). So when I was thinking about doing another foodblog (after the fun I had doing the first one February 2005), I wanted it to be really special. I was very happy when it turned out I had the opportunity to share one of my favorite weeks in the year with you all!

I have a lot of fun things planned for this week. I have shuffled my workweek around a bit so I only have to be at the office 1 day during this blog, on Friday. The rest of the week will be devoted to food and festivities

Tomorrow is my birthday. I love my birthday. I usually manage to get a whole week of celebrations out of it, and this year is no exeption. On Sunday I had the first birthday dinner for 10, with family. Tomorrow I’ll start the day with coffee and cake with a friend, then do a bit of shopping and sightseeing in Amsterdam, and have dinner at one of my favorite places with my husband and some friends later.

On Sunday the 30th, there’ll be a party for about 18 people at my house! Lots of Egulletters have helped me plan the menu over on this thread, and I’m sure it’s going to be great!

On Monday, I’m baking somethng to take to work on Tuesday and treat 20 or so co-workers.

Now that’s the Birthday Cakes part of the blog title explained. I’ll talk about the Royal Celebrations part later… or maybe some of you already know what I'm referring to?

If you have any question, things you would like me to eat or do, let me know. (but please don't say frites )

It looks like it's ging to be a nice, moderately sunny day in Amserdam today. I'm going to go out for some air & a little excercise.

See you later!

Edited April 25, 2006 by Chufi (log)

[Pan]

See you later. Very happy to see you blogging!!!

[Ling]

Yay, you're one of my favourite posters, Klary! I've learned so much about Dutch cooking from you. I would love to see stroopwafels in your blog somewhere. I once read that the recipe is a closely guarded secret, and it's not to be found in cookbooks! Is this true? Do bakeries sell stroopwafels, or do they come packaged from cookie manufacturers?

ETA: I just found some stroopwafel recipes. I guess they're not a closely guarded secret after all. Do you make them at home, Klary?

Edited April 25, 2006 by Ling (log)

[Anna N]

So happy to see you blogging again, Klary. Happy Birthday! So nice to see someone make a real occasion of their birthday.

[sanrensho]

Happy b-day, Chufi!

I would dearly like to see some bakery/pastry shop photos. Not uber high-end patisseries (although those would be great, too), but neigbourhood bakeries and pastry shops. I'd like to see what kind of baked goods the typical Amsterdam resident buys and eats.

Also, it would be interesting to see the baked goods selection at a typical supermarket in Amsterdam.

[Chufi]

Thanks everybody for the kind welcome!

I would love to see stroopwafels in your blog somewhere.

I don't make them myself, you have to have special equipment, and besides that, hot sugar scares me If I see the stroopwafel guy at the market i will take pictures for you!

I would dearly like to see some bakery/pastry shop photos. Not uber high-end patisseries (although those would be great, too), but neigbourhood bakeries and pastry shops. I'd like to see what kind of baked goods the typical Amsterdam resident buys and eats.

Also, it would be interesting to see the baked goods selection at a typical supermarket in Amsterdam.

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I'll try to give a report sanrensho!

I just had this for breakfast:

The big box in the back is Brinta, a breakfast cereal mainly eaten by children. It's wheatflakes that you stir into hot milk for a kind of porridge. A couple of years ago they came up with an even quicker version: powder that you whisk into cold milk. It makes a slightly sweet drink, not very substantial, but I like it as a light breakfast after excercise (or, when you know you have a day of eating ahead of you)

'Eaten' while browsing through one of my early birthday gifts, Nigella Lawson's How to be a Domestic Goddess...

I had planned some household chores this morning, but the weather is so glorious, that I hear the park calling my name. Chores can wait, after all, this is supposed to be a week of festivities!

Edited April 25, 2006 by Chufi (log)

[jackal10]

Is this the time of year for herring?

We must also see some tulips (they are out in my garden in the UK), although I don't expect you will have time to make it to Keukenhof...

Oh, and windmills, and Genever, and Hopjes, and cheese...

[Rehovot]

Exciting! I really enjoyed your last blog. And the photography in your posts is lovely.

Is there a particular food that signals the arrival of spring to people in Amsterdam? Just wondering.

Happy Birthday! (Mine is this week, too.) Have fun celebrating!

[Swisskaese]

Gelukkige Verjaardag Klary!

Heb een fantastische verjaardag week.

I really miss a good Dutch ginger cake. Can you take a picture of some when you go to a bakery. My cousin and I were talking about this cake when I made the orange and ginger cake for Passover.

Do you have a good recipe for one?

[Marlene]

I'm guessing "Royal Celebrations" has to do with Queen Beatrix' birthday on April 30, which is not really her birthday, but Queen Julianna's? (sorry, I'm a royals geek).

[MarketStEl]

I'm guessing "Royal Celebrations" has to do with Queen Beatrix' birthday on April 30, which is not really her birthday, but Queen Julianna's?  (sorry, I'm a royals geek). 

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I was going to guess either that or a royal jubilee year--Beatrix has been on the throne for a while now, right?

So how do you get around the city? Car, bike, or do you keep a Strippenkart in your purse?

And forgive me for making a specific request, but if you can make that supermarket one owned by Royal Ahold NV, I'd appreciate it. I'd be interested in seeing how one of the big multinational operators with holdings in the US runs its stores in its home territory.

(In the Philadelphia area, Ahold owns the Giant chain. It also owns the separate chain of the same name that does business in the Washington/Baltimore market.)

[Marlene]

I think her 25th Jubilee was last year. Although Queen's day is also the day Beatrix ascended the throne. (I told you I was a royals geek!) Chufi, is it just you or are the Dutch particularly intent on celebrating birthdays? I'm looking forward to learning more about the foods in your country!

[fou de Bassan]

Happy Birthday! I hope you have a wonderful week of celebrations. I love the flowers in the photo upthread, so very cheerful!

[Pille]

'Eaten' while browsing through one of my early birthday gifts, Nigella Lawson's How to be a Domestic Goddess...

Happy Birthday to you tomorrow, Klary! I love Nigella's How to be a Domestic Goddess - it's full of gorgeous recipes. Apart from those pistachio macaroons on your photo, everything I've made has also been a success:)

Pille, already 1 day old

[FabulousFoodBabe]

Chufi, my "baby" turned 16 on Sunday. He's quite a character, too, and does a week of celebrations. As for Dutch cooking, I only knew from ebelskiver (sp?) before I started reading your posts. Looking forward to this week.

The photo you posted, of the Goddess book. It looks like the whole thing should be in the magazine, with the hyacinths, blue fabric, light and light wood. Beautiful.

[lexy]

Just another post to say happy birthday, and I'm thrilled that you're blogging again!

[Chufi]

I'll answer questions in a bit, first I'll report about my morning.

There are 2 places in Amsterdam that I love above anything else. 2 places that can cheer me up no matter what's going on in my life, and also the 2 places that make me feel even better, when I'm already pretty happy - like today!

This is the first one, I've talked about this place many times on EGullet before. It's right in the middle of the Vondelpark, only a 5 minute bikeride from my house: Het Blauwe Theehuis (the Blue Teahouse).

I'm here year round, but today was really special as it was such a lovely morning and the terrace was already pretty full at 10am! This is what we call 'koffie verkeerd' (wrong coffee) over here, it's a latte but even weaker, with loads of milk.

This is the second one: the Albert Cuyp market.

It's open every day except Sunday, and it sells everything! Look here how the incense and glittery shawls are right next to the tomatoes:

First, another cup of coffee. I'm not a Lady Who Lunches, but I am definitely a Lady who Drinks Coffee. there's nothing I like better than to sip a cup of coffee somewhere, read the paper, write a bit, think a bit. This place is in a little street just off the market. I have to say it's coffee is not really the best, but I still come here often because it's such a great location and atmosphere.

Inside was pretty empty today..

because everybody was out here:

Across the street is Tjin's Toko,

a foodstore with foodstuff from all over the world. They have little areas for every cuisine. It's about the only place in Amsterdam where I've seen Crisco.. they also have Jiffy.. it's also where I buy mexican peppers, Thai curry pastes, japanese rice, chinese hoisin sauce, vietnamese fish sauce, and indonesian sambal, and everything 'ethnic' or exotic I might need. When they don't have it, they'll always order it.

I have a bit of a noodle fetish

Their sambal and hotsauce selection:

Back to the market. This is a great vegetable stall that sells things you don't see much elsewhere.. like parsnips, parsley root, turniptops, chard, etc.

usually I do my vegetable shopping a bit earlier, especially in warm weather. The letuuces are already a bit droopy..

here's what I got:

On to the fish guy

[Chufi]

.. and after that, a stop at the coffee & tea shop for some tea. Dennis, my husband, does not drink coffee but is a bit of a tea-freak. I think we usually have about 15 different teas in the house. We were running low on green tea, his favorite, so I went to pick some up. He asked for Sencha, so I got that, and another green one and also some orange pekoe:

Home and hungry! I have some leftover tomato fennel soup, and some grilled vegetables. Together they become soup. With some fresh bread with cured ham and some more Nigella-reading:

Edited April 25, 2006 by Chufi (log)

[Chufi]

I'm guessing "Royal Celebrations" has to do with Queen Beatrix' birthday on April 30, which is not really her birthday, but Queen Julianna's?  (sorry, I'm a royals geek). 

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Oh, Marlene, you're good!

Yes, the 30th of April is Queensday. We celebrate the birthday of our Queen, but because queen Beatrix was born in January, we still celebrate it on the birthday of her mother Juliana.

But, to complicate things a bit, this year the 30th is on a Sunday, and apparently that's not a suitable day for a nationwide celebration, so we celebrate this year on the 29th instead.

I'll talk about the day, and what we will do, later. But here are some signs of the approaching queensday I saw in the shops today:

Orange is the color of our royal family and generally associated with The Netherlands (as any of you who have seen Dutch crowds at international soccer games or at the Olympics, will probably know..)

[Chufi]

So how do you get around the city?  Car, bike, or do you keep a Strippenkart in your purse?

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The major necessity for anybody shopping in Amsterdam:

[Chufi]

Is this the time of year for herring?

We must also see some tulips (they are out in my garden in the UK), although I don't expect you will have time to make it to Keukenhof...

Oh, and windmills, and Genever, and Hopjes, and cheese...

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I can't promise you any windmills.. there will be jenever though!

The season's new herring arrives early June. Last year I reported about it here

[Chufi]

Chufi, is it just you or are the Dutch particularly intent on celebrating birthdays?  I'm looking forward to learning more about the foods in your country!

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well, I think the Dutch are a little more intent on celebrating their birthdays then what I've gathered from Americans/Canadians. That said, I have some friends who don't celebrate theirs at all, and the way I do it is a bit over the top even for Dutch tastes I don't know why I love it so much, I just do!

[Chufi]

Gelukkige Verjaardag Klary!

Heb een fantastische verjaardag week.

I really miss a good Dutch ginger cake. Can you take a picture of some when you go to a bakery. My cousin and I were talking about this cake when I made the orange and ginger cake for Passover.

Do you have a good recipe for one?

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Dankjewel Michelle!

Do you mean a spicy gingercake, shaped like a loaf? I think I've donme one of those in the Dutch cooking thread. Or do you mean something different?

[Chufi]

I'm going out for a bit, do a little more shopping. Sandy, a trip to an Ahold supermarket (Albert Heijn) is on the schedule for this afternoon..

[azureus]

Chufi, when I saw your blog this morning, I was going to ask to see your local markets.

You beat me to it!

So what's for dinner tonight? Were you tempted by any of the fish even though you don't usually cook with it?

This is the second one: the Albert Cuyp market.

here's what I got:

On to the fish guy

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I can't wait to see what you have in store for us!

April