But I Digress…

In Amsterdam, everyone–young old, with dogs, kids or flowers, rides a bike.

Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum is having a major renovation but what they term their “masterworks” are on view in the Phillips Wing. For two months, a portrait of Jan Six by Rembrandt is there and I was lucky to catch it as it’s almost always in the private collection of the Six family.
The Night Watch is on view as are many other works by Rembrandt, Vermeer, and other big names of the Dutch Golden Age. An Adriaen Coorte work of a bunch of asparagus really struck me in terms of how exquisitely Herr Coorte painted the vegetables.  The photo shows green asparagus; the Coorte painting is of the thick, white kind which I don’t like eating as much but what a painting!

That night we didn’t eat asparagus but one of our group had a terrific bowl of snert, the Dutch word for pea soup. The snert was served with smoked bacon on very thin dark bread alongside. Next time I make pea soup, I will bill it as snert.                                                                             

Belgium must be heaven for beer drinkers but  I am not one.  The country produces beers with twelve percent alcohol content;  beers with seven percent and beers with five or less; beers dosed with chocolate(another Belgian fave), or cherries or black currants; light beers that are pale gold and beers so dark they’re almost black. Beers are made in abbeys, by Trappist monks and for all I know by elves.  Most beers are produced in bottles–cans are only for export and bars don’t have a lot of varieties on tap, even at the “100 Beer” bar near my hotel. Reading the beer menu there is dizzy-making  as each beer is described by type and alcohol content.  Each beer is served in a particular glass and some are fairly elaborate.

On the food side of the ledger, it was odd to find no  Brussels sprouts.  They didn’t appear on any menu that came my way.  I’d also thought endive would be coming out of my ears but maybe fall is not endive season.  Belgians are big meat and fish eaters and veggies get largely a passing nod. A few dishes included carrots and a few peas and asparagus turned up but veggies aren’t big in Belgium. Cheese, however, is. Here’s a shot of many different Belgian cheeses,displayed at a Sunday market. 

Desserts run to ice cream, sorbets, profiteroles and  custard. I couldn’t condone the calorie outlay on these, especially as Belgian chocolate is readily available.  Shops sell chocolates in fancy boxes decorated with kittens, puppies, wooden shoes (which aren’t Belgian in the slightest)  and Belgian maps or by the  kilo. To buy by weight, you select the type you want  from a variety like the ones in this picture.  After buying some in a shop, friends clued me into picking up a hefty hunk at a great price at  the nearest supermarket where I acquired several bars–all in my favorite dark.  Some lucky people might get presents if I can keep my hands off long enough!

Here’s a recipe for waterzoii  a Belgian national dish, from Rachel Ray. This version is the classic made with chicken; I also ate it made with  a firm-fleshed white fish and  a lot less cream than Rachel’s  version. Basically, waterzooii is a chicken stew, perfect for cooling fall temperatures.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 leeks, chopped, rinsed and dried
• 2 all-purpose potatoes, peeled and diced
• Salt and white pepper
• 6 cups chicken stock or broth
• 1 fresh bay leaf or 2 leaves dried
• 4 sprigs fresh parsley, plus a handful chopped for garnish
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 8 ounces
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 large egg yolk
• Crusty baguette, warmed, for passing

Directions

My husband says–not incorrectly–that I always shoot from the hip, meaning I react quickly, sometimes without thinking the situation through. I’m going to write about things that matter–food, restaurants, places I’ve been and hope to go to, family, friends and a lot else. Please join me for the ride.