pannekoek anyone?

I like food. That's not a surprise to anyone that knows me. But, I had seriously low expectations about the food that I would find in the Netherlands. I guess I was thinking something along the lines of bland British food. 

Now Turkey? My expectations were high. Everyone says Turkish food is amazing. So you can imagine my chagrin when I became utterly sick of kabobs and started craving my favorite Dutch food, pannekoek (or pancakes). Everywhere we went in Istanbul, vendors and restaurant owners would shout out "Kabobs! Kabobs! You want!"

It isn't that the kabobs are bad. Well, mostly. I would recommend avoiding the beef, which was more like ground up left over beef bits including some crunchy parts that I would like to forget about. However, the chicken was actually really good. It was just that after 3 days, I was ready for a change.

Here's a typical chicken "kabob" style meal with rice, grilled veggies, and pita bread and mini-coke

If food boredom wasn't bad enough, the liquids held a problem all of their own. I think that this little 7 ounce bottle of water cost somewhere around 5 euros. And refills definitely are not free. This ushered in a period of water rationing that left us craving American dining.

But things really weren't all bad. Belgium waffles, Dutch stroopwafels (a wafer-like waffle that is filled with caramel) and chocolate were all plentiful. Shopping for chocolate never got old.

Dixie shopping for chocolate in Belgium.

And of course, the Dutch make great cheese. Their gouda (pronounced how-dah) was yummy. I especially liked the pesto and truffle varieties. And, NO, truffles are not chocolate. They are a mushroom. 

Josh sampling gouda in Delft, Netherlands

But, my all time favorite? Well, second to the Belgium waffles, stroopwafels and chocolate, but that goes without saying, was the Dutch pancakes, called pannekoek. They are thin, more crepe-like than pancake-like. They serve them with everything from chocolate, fruit, and/or whip cream, to eggs, bacon and cheeses.  They also eat them all during the day. This was our lunch in Leiden, Netherlands:

Notice the meat on Lamar's plate? And this was my lunch in Delft. Gouda, tomatoes and who knows what else. It was YUM!

Melanie and Dixie eating lunch

So just in case you are interested, here's a recipe for pannekoek for you to try.

Dutch Pancakes (Pannekoek)

1 c flour
2 eggs
1 1/2 c milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp sugar

1. Combine all ingredients together in electric blender and blend at high speed for 30 seconds, or until batter is smooth.

2. Allow batter to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes before using.

3. In heavy skillet, melt 1-2 tbsp butter over moderate heat to coat entire bottom of pan, and pour in batter, tipping pan gently from side to side to evenly coat the bottom of the pan. Too much batter will make the pannekoek too thick, too little batter will make for irregular shaped pannekoek.

4. If desired, add thin slices of cooked bacon, thin sliced gouda, or apple slices. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the top of the pancake is dry and the bottom is golden brown. Carefully flip over and cook remaining side.

5. Serve warm. 

Topping ideas:
-currents, raisins, apple slices
-cooked bacon, thin sliced gouda, sliced tomatoes
-hazelnut spread, chocolate sprinkles, apple butter or jam
-syrup

Brugge...Brugge....Bruggggge

Aww, Brugge. What can I say about this magical place?

We learned that it is called "The Venice of the North", and it's not a stretch to figure out why. This was the view directly across the street from our B&B. It felt almost too good to be true. 

Like many European cities, it's old, with it's "golden age" running from the 12th to 15th century when Brugges was a major trading center. Many of the buildings hale from that time period.

We toured a lot of old buildings, including the Belfry. It is a medieval bell tower that was built in 1240. We walked the 366 steep and winding steps to the top of the building and were inspired by not only the views, but the vicious wind that cut through the open windows.

"The Belfry of Bruges"

In the market-place of Bruges stands the belfry old and brown;

Thrice consumed and thrice rebuilded, still it watches o'er the town.

-Henry Wadsworth Longefellow

Probably my favorite place of all was a little bridge walkway next to the Church of Our Lady. If you look in the picture, you can see the little foot bridge. It looks old, but it's not. It was built in the 19th century. Only in Europe is that considered new. We couldn't get enough of this place.

Of course, one cannot go to Belgium and not try the food. Did you know that French fries were actually invented here? They fry them twice and they really were good. And then there's chocolate. We had a running debate. Josh preferred the Dutch chocolate that we had tried in the Netherlands. Dixie preferred the Belgium. Uncle Lamar settled the debate when he gave us Norwegian chocolate, the hands down best, but that's for another post.

But let's not forget waffles. The waffles are different than "Belgium" waffles that we've always eaten. Yes, they looked the same. Yes, toppings can be added. But that's about where the similarities stop. They are a sweet, doughy treat that can be eaten plain or with chocolate and whipped cream on top. They were so good, that I found this recipe to try out:

Real Belgium Waffles

1 (.25 oz) package active dry yeast
1 1/2 tbsp white sugar
3/4 c lukewarm milk
3 eggs
1 c melted butter
2 tsp vanilla 
3 c flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 c pearl sugar (such as Lar's Own)

Directions

1. Sprinkle the yeast and white sugar over warm milk in a small bowl. The milk should be no more than 100 degrees F (40 degrees C). Let stand for 15 minutes until the yeast softens and begins to form a creamy foam.
2. Whisk the eggs, melted butter, and vanilla extract into the yeast mixture until evenly blended; set aside. Stir together the flour and salt in a separate large bowl, and make a well in the center. Pour the egg mixture into the well, then stir in the flour mixture until a soft dough forms. Cover with a light cloth and let rise in a warm place (80 to 95 degrees F (27 to 35 degrees C)) until doubled in volume, about 30 minutes. Gently mix in the pearl sugar.
3. Preheat a waffle iron according to manufacturer's instructions.
4. Place a baseball-size ball of dough on the preheated waffle iron. Cook waffles until golden and crisp, about 2 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough. Allow waffles to cool for 2 to 3 minutes before serving.

And I learned that pearl sugar can be ordered online from here. Good thing, because I need a sugar fix. Now. So maybe I will order some pearl sugar. Right now. 

Okay, now that the shopping is done...