The
Dutch are, first and foremost, traders, people who sought out
opportunities to buy something in one country and ship it to
another. As a
result, they appreciate that different people has varying ideas
of, say breakfast.
The good news is that in most hotels that offer
breakfast, you will have a choice of sweet and savoury, a quick
bite or a full meal.
You can hunker down to thick slices of bread topped with
cheese (Edam and Gouda of course, caraway variation being one of
my favourites), along with various cold meats.
If you have a sweet tooth, you can opt for nutella or
even the funny little sprinkles that sit on breakfast tables in
hotels.
Yoghurt is ubiquitous for the health-conscious, along with
fresh fruit. All in
all, if you choose your hotel well, you can eat well enough to
make a great start on the day, full of energy to find the best
place in town for Rijsttafel.
Rijsttafel? It’s known as the national dish of Indonesia, but one
of the best places in the world to sample it is Holland.
The Dutch brought the dish back
from
what was then the
Dutch East Indies and treat it with the respect it deserves.
A big bowl of white rice surrounds as many as
40 different smaller dishes, the key being the balance of
flavours and textures, meats and vegetables, spicy and
not-so-spicy and, of course, colours.
Just make sure you know what your tolerance for spice is,
and have plenty of good Dutch beer on hand!
The
following recipe came from a Dutch immigrant family to Canada
– after the Second World War, immigrants from all over Europe
flocked to the “New World”.
Luckily, they brought their recipes with them, and share
them willingly.
Koek
Butter and flour two loaf tins.
Preheat oven to 350° F (170° – 180° C)
Beat
together until well mixed:
1
˝ cups hot water
2
cups sugar
3T.
butter
1
tsp. allspice
1
tsp ground cloves
1
˝ tsp cinnamon
1
tsp baking soda
Then
mix into first mixture:
3
cups flour
1
tsp. salt
2
˝ tsp baking powder
1
cup raisins
Divide
mixture into two loaf tins; bake for one hour and ten minutes.
Test with a toothpick to make sure it is done.