Artichoke binge in Utrecht
Let’s talk about food for a change. Don’t worry; its not Dutch food as there is nothing much to talk about it anyway (lol), but food from laid-back and delightful southern Europe. I have recently converted myself to become one of the disciples of the Italian cuisine. Pizzas and pastas are not my thing but I totally adore the ambrosial Italian antipastis!
Well tonight, I did some food experimentation. I am not the greatest cook that walked on the face of the earth but I do enjoy the daily cooking activity -- something we always joke about by the way, that I should get extra domestic chores seeing as cooking would not fall under real housework for me.
Here’s what I whipped up for dinner tonight. A mix of yummy Italian antipasti with pasta.
Looks more like a pasta salad - grilled onions, aubergine, courgette, fresh tomatoes, and artichokes, olives, capers, and sun-dried tomatoes.
Speaking of my cooking abilities, Dutchman has only praises, except for this one particular occasion a couple of years back when I put a generous serving of sambal oelek (chili paste) into his erwtensoep soup (pea soup). You can only imagine the headline news, for weeks, during Dutch family get-togethers: *Gasp* Erwtensoep with sambal!
At any rate, I guess all of us have food binges from time to time. I have this too, like now, and in fact, I could go on for weeks with a certain food obsession. There was a time I only ate Indonesian Mihoen during lunch, for I think a month or so. I stopped when the kilos added up. They were far too heavy for lunch anyway. These days I have been craving for marinated artichokes in spices, vinegar, and olive oil. I just could not get enough of them.
Earlier today I went to Utrecht center. It was koopzondag and the city center was swarming with people. Given the beautiful weather, I brought my camera with me, walked around a bit, and took some shots.
Busy shopping street on a lovely day in Utrecht and the 13th century old Dom tower rising above. Next foto is a peek through the window of the inner courtyard gardens of the Dom church.
Gondolier maneuvering his gondola in Oudegracht and the Domplein (Dom square) with the statue of Graaf Jan van Nassau and the pretty Academiegebouw (Academy building) of Utrecht University.
Oudegracht facing a canal terrace, a building, and the Oudaen, a 13th century city castle, now a restaurant-cafe and brewery where I had a glass of rose. The next foto is the impressive gate to Oudaen.
It could be that I have very strong self-control attributes or perhaps... I have totally lost the shopping knack(?). I went home empty handed except for a little plastic bag from the toko (exotic food shop) – noodles, sesame oil, and artichokes.
Well tonight, I did some food experimentation. I am not the greatest cook that walked on the face of the earth but I do enjoy the daily cooking activity -- something we always joke about by the way, that I should get extra domestic chores seeing as cooking would not fall under real housework for me.
Here’s what I whipped up for dinner tonight. A mix of yummy Italian antipasti with pasta.
Looks more like a pasta salad - grilled onions, aubergine, courgette, fresh tomatoes, and artichokes, olives, capers, and sun-dried tomatoes.Speaking of my cooking abilities, Dutchman has only praises, except for this one particular occasion a couple of years back when I put a generous serving of sambal oelek (chili paste) into his erwtensoep soup (pea soup). You can only imagine the headline news, for weeks, during Dutch family get-togethers: *Gasp* Erwtensoep with sambal!
At any rate, I guess all of us have food binges from time to time. I have this too, like now, and in fact, I could go on for weeks with a certain food obsession. There was a time I only ate Indonesian Mihoen during lunch, for I think a month or so. I stopped when the kilos added up. They were far too heavy for lunch anyway. These days I have been craving for marinated artichokes in spices, vinegar, and olive oil. I just could not get enough of them.
Earlier today I went to Utrecht center. It was koopzondag and the city center was swarming with people. Given the beautiful weather, I brought my camera with me, walked around a bit, and took some shots.
Busy shopping street on a lovely day in Utrecht and the 13th century old Dom tower rising above. Next foto is a peek through the window of the inner courtyard gardens of the Dom church.
Gondolier maneuvering his gondola in Oudegracht and the Domplein (Dom square) with the statue of Graaf Jan van Nassau and the pretty Academiegebouw (Academy building) of Utrecht University.
Oudegracht facing a canal terrace, a building, and the Oudaen, a 13th century city castle, now a restaurant-cafe and brewery where I had a glass of rose. The next foto is the impressive gate to Oudaen.
It could be that I have very strong self-control attributes or perhaps... I have totally lost the shopping knack(?). I went home empty handed except for a little plastic bag from the toko (exotic food shop) – noodles, sesame oil, and artichokes.
