Walking through Midtown, on our way to eat real New York bagels
Day 2 was a busy one! First bagels at Ess-a-bagel, and then exploring Grand Central Station, Bryant Park, Fashion Avenue, the Garment District, the Highline, and then the US Open – my birthday present from my parents!
Warwick Hotel on 6th Avenue (Avenue of the Americas) in Midtown, our home for the first 4 days!
Koen and I are back from our 14 day vacation in New York City! Day One includes seeing my parents and Christina, the 29th Annual Brazilian Day Festival, that happened to take place right next to our hotel, Rockefeller Plaza, Times Square, burgers, and cupcakes!
Kofta b’siniyah
Kofta b’siniyah is hands down one of my favorite new recipes I’ve tried this year! The flavor combinations are so new and interesting – nutmeg, cinnamon, pinenuts, chilli pepper, etc. This recipe was recommended by a colleague who has been trying out recipes from the cookbook Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi. I had never had Israeli/Palestinian food before, but now I want to try more! I will definitely make this dish again!
Lombardia
When my sister-in-law Barbara came to visit we had to decide where to lunch. I have a long (and growing) list of restaurants I’d like to try and Lombardia was on it! Lombardia serves organic, natural, eco-friendly food and drinks and is most known for it’s drink Ginger Love. The Wall Street Journal even listed the drink in its top 5 to-do list for Antwerp! Barbara and I enjoyed huge sandwiches loaded with vegetables and I of course ordered a Ginger Love!
Pesto Process
After using the pestle and mortar for the Gado Gado dressing, I realized I don’t use it enough! When I think of the cooking tool, the first dish that comes to mind is pesto – and I’d never tried it before. Surprisingly, maybe just to me, pesto is easy to make. Really. I served Jamie Oliver‘s basic pesto recipe with white fish and pasta. Delcious and simple flavors!
Bourla, the building with the orange awning and outdoor seating
My colleagues and I finally celebrated Christmas dinner! Although the late dinner is attributed to scheduling conflicts, we wound up really enjoying the sunny weather by eating outside. The Bourla is located in the Graanmarkt, alongside many other cafés and restaurants – it’s nice area to relax for a drink, lunch, or dinner. Because the weather was warm outside, my menu consisted mostly of North Sea Shrimp!
Chilled Parsley and Pea Soup, topped with bacon
Normally when I’m on My New Roots, I search the site for a vegetable or grain I’d like to try. But this time, the Chilled Parsley and Pea Soup was a new entry on the home page. I had never tried pea soup and wanted to give it a try! The recipe is super easy and full of flavor. Koen came up with great addition of the bacon pieces! Yum!
Ladurée in Antwerp
I was so happy to find out earlier this year that Ladurée was not only opening it’s first Belgian store in Antwerp, but also on my street only a couple of doors down from my apartment! I have such fond memories of the original Ladurée in Paris. Koen proposed to me on the Champs-Élysées and then we celebrated with lunch at Ladurée. I love having a touch of Paris down the street.
Grayson and Tamar in Antwerp’s Central Station, fresh off of the train!
Before I can start posting my photos from New York City, I first want to make a post about Grayson and Tamar’s (my brother and sister-in-law’s) first trip to Antwerp! In early August they were traveling around Western Europe and made sure to stop over in Antwerp. Not only was it their first time visiting me in Antwerp, but also their first time in Belgium. We drank plenty of Belgian beer and ate a lot of Belgian chocolates and fries.
My mother-in-law, outside The Glorious
To celebrate Koen’s first paycheck from his new job, we invited Koen’s parents out for dinner at The Glorious. The Glorious’s sommelier, Jurgen Lijcops, who is often on Flemish TV speaking about wine, has created a winelist for the restaurant that is always evolving, depending on the month and season. For any wine lover, a trip to The Glorious is a must! I had been there once before for Christmas dinner with my colleagues and really enjoyed the food. Because of the wine and food, Koen and I thought this would be a great restaurant for celebrating his first paycheck! It was a bit more eventful than we expected (we were brought the wrong wine, the waiter spilled soup on my father-in-law, and a glass broke), but we still enjoyed the wine, food, and company!
An American in Antwerp 
