lundi 15 juin 2009

The Art of Covering Bread

If you ask me what kind of special dish there is in the Netherlands I'm afraid I would have to say I don't have a clue. I have a vague memory of "boerenkool" or another thing with mash potatoes mixed with crunchy salad (yuk? absolutly not) and also "erwtensoep" (soupe de pois cassés améliorée). But this cuisine is actually something eaten in the middle of the winter.
Still, all the year long you can enjoy "panenkoeken" pancakes the size of a pizza and covered with cheese, onions and bacon (my favourite) or.....

Bread. And that's where they are VERY inventive.
Just a few examples :


Cheese, of course not just one sort but many different. It can be young or mild or old depending on how you like it... Gouda, Leyden, Edam, or Pitjes kaas (cheese with cumin seeds)





Not very fanciful though my favourite :
Pindakaas (peanut butter)











another thing I REALLY like is
Cocosbrood :
slices of coconut paste, mainly for kids












Hagelslag : chocolate sprinkles













Muisjes literally "little mice"
traditionally eaten when a baby is born
pink for the girls and blue for the boys
(coated aniseeds)




Appelstroop :
a sort of apple treacle










and also Vruchtenhagel, (fruity sprinkels)
Ontbijtkoek (spice bread)
Vlokken (chocolate flakes)
Gestampte Muisjes (same as muisjes but powder)
or more common things like ham, bacon, fried eggs....