Nadine bakes

Home-grown Rhubarb and Vanilla Torte 

I topped of the almond-based sponge with a crumbly nougatine crust before baking. For the rhubarb compote I used freshly pressed rhubarb juice. The cake is decorated with raspberry drupelets and candied strips of rhubarb.

Cupcakes with Vanilla Mousseline Cream for Mother’s (or actually Grandma’s) Day

After some sightseeing and a visit to the Hortus Botanicus we went to the Weekend van de Rollende Keukens at the Westerpark - a unique street food festival where meals are served on wheels exclusively! There was a great diversity of food and most of the owners put lots of effort into make their food stalls rolling works of art. The food was an international display of treats: from vegan superfood burgers to fresh coconuts, cupcakes and ice cream to smoked and barbecued meats. Unfortunately it was very windy and quite cold so we didn’t stay long enough to try as much of the food as I would have liked. Nevertheless I had a creamy risotto with rather rubbery gambas whilst my dad munched on a pitta bread with vegetarian gyros. My sister had a delicious white chocolate crêpe and my mom took some spicy patatas bravas. For dessert we nommed on some awesome South-American churros! 

Last Friday we all had a day off so my family and I decided we would made a cultural and gastronomical expedition to Amsterdam. This meant I could seize the opportunity of going to Patisserie Holtkamp and sample their amazing baked goods! Over the past year I have made many of Cees Holtkamp’s recipes from his book De Banketbakker, to which I refer here every so often. The bakery is now owned by Cees’ daughter and her husband but the master is still present. While I was gasping at all the lovely pies he went past me in the shop, wishing his staff and customers a good weekend. So, I can now safely say I have met one of my culinary heroes, even if I only saw him for a split second. While the cakes and pies all looked fantastic I made a choice I will never regret, the terrifically calorific ”Oriënt”. According to the website, this pie consists of

“a brittle, baked frangipane crust, lightly covered with whipped cream, with on the edges balls of hazelnut bavaroise, enclosed in a thin layer of milk chocolate. In the core a ball of walnut cream, in which thin shards of orient mass (caramel with nuts) have been placed.”

Yes, it tasted every bit as good as is sounds - it was easily the best slice of pie I have had in my life. Unfortunately, the recipe is not in the book so needless to say I will spend the rest of my life like some sort of Dr Frankenstein, bringing to life and perfecting my own version of that impossibly delectable walnut cream. 

For yesterday’s dinner I made a salad with cooked spelt grains, cucumber, celery, julienned apple and shrimps and a wild garlic dressing.

Now that I’ve turned to eating more plant-based food I find I do not take animal products for granted anymore. Therefore, I take extra care when I prepare a fish or meat dish, making sure everything tastes as special as they deserve to be. I bought a packet of North Sea shrimps and went for a special dressing made from the wild garlic that I discovered was growing in our garden. To complete my dressing I also took some chives and parsley. Much tastier than a shop-bought dressing and, as it happens, a lot cheaper!

 

These directions are for one (hungry) person.

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I made Laugenbrezeln, traditional German pretzels with a bite that’s similar to bagels but carrying a unique flavour thanks to the lye solution in which they are poached.

Bourbon vanilla porridge with red berries, strawberries and mango.

Quinoa salad with broad beans, peas, grapes, pecans, radish and goat’s cheese with a sweet and sour dressing

Tiramisu with homemade savoiardi (ladyfingers).

Vegetarian tapas table with roasted chickpeas, salads, grilled peppers and courgettes, baba ganoush and caponata.

The idea for this cake was a bit tongue in cheek. As of yesterday, The Netherlands has a new king: Willem-Alexander. I felt like making something cheesy like a Koninginnerol (no actual cheese involved) but then I came across the Pavé du Roy, which translates as “The King’s Cobblestones”. The chocolate mousse originally meant to resemble the cobblestones but of course mine decided to collapse so it ended up looking rather more like the king’s asphalt. I didn’t really care because the cake was absolutely delicious. With the little pieces of mixed fruit I meant to symbolise the crown jewels.

I made pistachio and almond Baklava with my sister :)