Almost once a week I like to make a quiche. It is so simple and delicious – plus it’s enough lunch for Koen and me for 2 days! I follow a very simple formula.
Category Archives: Food & Drink
Sunday Brunch
Every week I look forward to Sundays. Sunday is the only day in the week that Koen and I are both off from work together. So we like to make the most of it. That involves sleeping in and making special brunches. Every week we like to try something different.
Sushi Workshop Bridal Shower
Homemade sushi assortment with pickled ginger
Last month Chris and Hannah got married! After more than 10 years together, they finally tied the knot! Koen and I wanted to do something special for them, so we came up with the idea of a Sushi Workshop Bridal Shower – a honeymoon theme because Chris and Hannah were leaving for Japan after the wedding. Bridal showers are traditionally only done in the United States and United Kingdom, so we wanted to bring our version to the Netherlands – a fun way to celebrate the upcoming nuptials of our good friends!
Shrimp Po Boys
November 3rd is National Sandwich Day in the United States. Although I’ve never heard of it, I was interested to read about the best sandwiches in each state! So many delicious combinations! I could have guessed the Po Boy would have represented Louisiana. When I saw the photo I realized how long it’s been since I’ve had one myself – and I discovered Koen had never had one! A Po Boy is a sandwich made with a baguette, fried seafood (although I’ve only had them with fried shrimp), lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, mayonnaise, and hot sauce with a squeeze of lemon or lime.
I know usually I only post photos of what I have made – but my husband is an amazing cook! Rather than going to the bakery for baguettes, he wanted to try making them himself. Mmm… They turned out so well!
Japanese Chicken Udon Soup
Japanese Chicken Udon Soup
After being in New York I was inspired to make more Japanese food. After doing some searching online, I found a great site with easy Japanese recipes! While browsing Japanese Cooking 101, I found the recipe for Chicken Udon – a Japanese chicken noodle soup. There weren’t any vegetables in the recipe, so while I was in Chinatown I picked out a leafy green to add to the soup. If you want to make this recipe, you’ll have to make a trip to an Asian grocery to find the dashi broth, Mirin, and sake. Last year when I was made soba dipping noodles, I couldn’t find dashi broth, which is a combination of katsuobushi (fermented skipjack tuna) and kombu (kelp), I bought dried skipjack tuna and made my own broth. This soup is super easy to make, healthy, and delicious!
Indian Feast
Main ingredient for the mango chutney
On facebook, I saw a list from Buzzfeed of 23 Classic Indian Restaurant Dishes You Can Make At Home and immediately wanted to make everything. I chose four dishes to begin with – Mango Chutney, Raita, Chicken Tikka Masala, and Naan. I have to say that normally I cheat a bit whenever I make Indian food. I buy jars of mango chutney, raita (yoghurt cucumber sauce), a basic curry paste for which ever main course I’d like, and prepackaged naan (Indian yoghurt based bread). When I browsed the recipes they each seemed easy, but when it came time to make everything in one day I instantly regretted it. Unless you want to spend your entire afternoon cooking, you should definitely make the mango chutney 2 days before and the raita 1 day before. It will taste better anyway because the flavors can settle. If you prepare these two sides ahead of time, then you have time to focus on your main course and making the naan. All four dishes were fantastic! At least all the time and effort I put in was worth it 🙂
Georgia
Sitting on the porch with my dad
After a busy 9 days in New York City, Koen and I went down to Georgia for a week to visit with family. There’s really no place like home. We enjoyed a relaxing week eating well and enjoying time with family – including meeting my nephew Edward for the first time! I’m so thankful Koen and I were able to see everyone! We had a big low country boil to celebrate Grayson and I being home at the same time. It mostly turned into a baby holding party 🙂
American Museum of Natural History
Breakfast at Gather – 2 cups of coffee, a lemon muffin, and an egg and kale sandwich with caper mayonnaise
For our last full day in New York City, Koen and I wanted to visit a museum. We only had time this trip to fit one in, so after a lot of thought we decided on the American Museum of Natural History. Last year we visited AMNH and loved it. This time we also wanted to take in the special exhibitions – Dark Universe at the Hayden Planetarium, IMAX: The Great White Shark, and Pterosaurs: Flight in the Age of Dinosaurs. We started our day with breakfast at Gather in Park Slope before taking the train to the Upper Westside to AMNH. Luckily at the museum you’re allowed to exit and reenter. So we visited the Hayden Planetarium first for the Dark Universe show and then headed to Shake Shack for lunch. I did not want to leave NYC without visiting Shake Shack! After lunch we visited the last two exhibitions – the IMAX show and the Pterosaurs exhibit. We ended the day in Park Slope. First we had dinner at Beet II and finshed with wine at Brookvin. A great last day!
Coney Island September 2014
Started our day at the NYC Aquarium
After the wedding, Koen and I had a couple of days to explore NYC. Last year we didn’t have time for Coney Island because it was too far from where we were staying, so we wanted to make sure to go this trip. I am so happy we planned it in. Coney Island is unbelievably beautiful and iconic. It was like walking onto a movie set. The sunny weather also helped! Because we were staying in Park Slope in Brooklyn, traveling to the bottom of the borough didn’t take too long. We started our day at the NYC Aquarium. Then we walked along the boardwalk until we found the original Nathan’s Famous that opened in 1916. If you don’t know, the hotdog was invented in Coney Island in 1870, so of course we wanted to have hotdogs for lunch! After lunch we went back to the boardwalk for a cocktail to-go, which we enjoyed on the pier. In the photos you will see the amusement park, but it is only open on the weekends after the summer holiday. Because it wasn’t so busy, we had a nice, relaxing day!
New York City 2014: Ellis Island, Bridesmaid Luncheon, and Austrian Dinner
Group Photo on Ellis Island with Manhattan in the background
Koen and I were finally able to visit Ellis Island! We really wanted to go last year, but because of Hurricane Sandy, the museum was closed. Koen and I visited Ellis Island with Christina and her family, Ashley, and Meredith. This was a special visit because Christina’s father’s father and grandfather (so her grandfather and great-grandfather) entered the United States via Ellis Island and both of their names are commemorated on a plaque. Koen and I visited the Red Star Line Museum in Antwerp recently, which is about leaving Europe for the United States, so we felt like we came full circle visiting Ellis Island and learning about entering the US.
An American in Antwerp 