But I Digress…

This metal dragon now makes his home on the center floor of the Ghent Belfry, which dates from1313.  The dragon  originally lived on top of the building where a contemporary gilded dragon current resides. In the old days, when times got tough and invaders threatened,  the townspeople put burning pitch in the dragon’s mouth so he appeared to be spouting flames. It must have been impressive and probably terrifying.

To visit this dragon and another from the same period requires climbing a long flight of narrow, circular steps, the same kind as are in in many small Belgian buildings, perhaps to maximize space in this tidy, compact country.

Nearby, the St. Bavo Cathedral displays the Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, a large altarpiece  completed  c. 1432 by the brothers Van Eyck. The lamb was having his coat tidied when I was there (undergoing restoration) so I made do with a copy hung in one of the large, rear chapels. The photo shows only the lamb section; the altarpiece has  twenty-four sections.

Since I couldn’t come up with a recipe for anything dragon-related (dragons-head meatballs are best left to good Chinese restaurants and dragon fruit isn’t a big seller in the US) and have too many recipes for lamb, I thought I’d recirculate that classic, braised Belgian endive. Curiously, in my whole time in Belgium, I rarely saw endive. Perhaps fall isn’t the right season.

Braised Belgian Endive

8 large endive

2 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons  fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon sugar

Wash and dry the endive and trim off the bottom end. If the tips are brown, carefully trim these off also. Put butter in a heavy skillet or saute pan and gently saute the endive, turning over, about two minutes on each side. Add all the other ingredients, stir gently and cover the pan. Lower the heat to a gentle simmer and cook about twenty minutes. Serve as a side dish with any meat.

Eat endive, think dragon!

The Hermitage is in St. Petersburg, right? Well, yes but there’s another in Amsterdam. Seems that Tsar Peter the Great had a thing for Amsterdam and when the Russian powers that be were looking for a site for a “branch” they picked Amsterdam.
The building used to be a senior living facility. Everyone living there was relocated and serious renovation took place. The museum opened in July 2009 and it’s terrific–rather bland outside with a wonderful courtyard lined with stone benches and very contemporary inside right up to the elevator with glass on all six sides. The Neva Cafe could be in any large city, very white with lots or orchids and a stylish menu. Tulips are the flower I associate with Holland but during the non-tulip season, Amsterdam seems to have adopted the orchid which were in many public spaces.

The exhibit, Alexander the Great, is a tribute to the myth, the reality and the heritage of this Macedonian conqueror.  A clever video encapsulates the 22,000-plus miles Alex traveled during his war years — pretty impressive especially as it was all done on horseback.  Conquering Asia Minor, into X into India, until his death, possibly of West Nile Virus or wounds combined with years of serious drinking.

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.