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The new installment of EAT is just in time to close-out the year and holiday festivities. It spans the past two months, November and December, where fall has officially turned into a bone-chilling winter here in Amsterdam. According to Dutch standards, we received a heavy snowfall of 10cm a little over a week ago. The abundance of holiday lights lining quaint shopping streets and canal bridges along with the many DIY holiday lights installed along residential balconies and windows has made the fall to winter transition a bit more tolerable. Right now, the canals have frozen over, snow still lines many of the cobblestone streets, and holiday lights seem to be shining even brighter, as it gets dark a little past 16:00 every evening now.
These past two months have been a transitional time not only for the weather and the availability of certain foods, but also for myself as a newly installed ex-pat in Amsterdam. Food-wise, there is much to get used to and learn about here. First off, “food culture” is non-existent. I normally do not like to refer to things as a “culture” (ie: bike, tv, or facebook) but am left with no choice. There is really no emphasis on gathering around food in this country. Lunch is half a loaf of bread with different spreads and cheese. Dinner might be the same or is a quick snack from the neighborhood eetcafe or a plate of potatoes, carrots, and fish or meat. Where the first thing a Chinese person will ask you is, “have you eaten yet?” the first thing a Dutch person will ask you is, “would you like something to drink?” followed by a quick “what are you doing here?” There are a lot of quaint looking cafés to go for a drink and a cheese sandwich, but not enough that emphasis food over atmosphere. The Dutch go out to eat not for the food, but for a change in atmosphere. The way they see it, the more cafes that serve the same lunch menu of cheese sandwiches and mint tea, the more varied sitting and staring opportunities there are. This is perhaps the most frustrating and different aspect of living here, since there is nothing I like more than good food and good people watching. However, I prefer places that have both, rather than one, the other or neither. Luckily we have found a nice little café/take-out place in our neighborhood called “Olive and Cookie” that actually serves a variety of vegetarian side dishes, savory tarts, and desserts. All made by hand by a nice couple that are friendly and remember their customers.
As true Americans, and because Mike’s birthday always close to Thanksgiving, we hosted our very first official “ex-pat Thanksgiving” at our place. We invited new Dutch and fellow ex-pat friends to experience an untraditional Thanksgiving made up entirely of vegetarian side dishes. We explained that since we both do not eat meat, we like to have a Thanksgiving just the same, minus the main course of the Turkey or even Tofurkey (since I am not a fan of processed soy either). This works out very well every year since there are plenty of root vegetables to roast, mash, and stir-fry this time of year. Think sunchokes, red and sweet potatoes, celery root, beets, fennel, onions, kale, etc.
Another new food thing that we have started to do is our way of being economical and experimental at the same time. The neighborhood BioMarket we go to assembles bags filled with over-ripened bananas, dented or imperfect veggies, and semi-wilted cabbage or other greens into “grab bags” for 1 euro each. A typical “grab bag” may consist of 4 squished bell peppers, 3 dented apples, 6 bruised bananas, and a handful of wilted kale. This may seem like an unappealing way to grocery shop, but it is actually a lot of fun. Wilted greens are not a problem when they are fried up, since they wilt anyways when they are cooked. Dented apples were never a problem but are also really delicious sliced up and baked with a little cinnamon sprinkled on top—like an apple pie minus the crust. For the past few weeks we have been getting half a dozen of these “grab bags” once or twice a week and coming up with on-the-spot meals based on whatever surprise items we find in them. If anything, being unable to pre-plan meals has made me ready for iron-chef and has saved on our food bill. You can’t beat only paying 6 euro for half a week’s worth of veggies and a full weeks worth of bananas. Given that week might consist of 20 smashed bananas, 12 bell peppers, 4 cabbages, and 10 servings of kale, but it is a much healthier way to eat on the cheap side than to go out and buy a 1 euro deep-fried croquette sandwich from FEBO.
Overall, the bakeries around every corner are still my ultimate weakness, especially during holiday time when they are filled with special tarts, cakes, and sweet breads sprinkled with powdered sugar and served with plenty of slagroom (whipped cream). My attempt to eat a gluten and yeast free diet completely went away after Thanksgiving and has continued to be non-existent through Christmas. Here is to a (mostly) bread free 2011, I keep telling myself.
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