Asian-themed night

Inspired by a recent outting to Wagamama's, by my craving for my left cookbooks at home (oh, the time I could spend here devouring the hours-required recipes of my Momofuku and Thomas Kellar cookbooks...), and by my new friend in town who can only make cuppa noodles...I decided to try to recreate my own version of Chili Chicken Ramen. A spicy-hot brothed chicken noodle soup is perfect for a balmy night. With my Wagamama cookbook probably in storage and the nothing-exactly-what-I-was-looking-for- recipe not found online, I had to resort to making it up myself. And it turned out splendidly, I must say - and so does my new friend. At least I hope it was better than boiled water and sodium-rich noodles.

Chili Chicken Ramen

Chili Chicken Marinade:
4 breasts of chicken (yes, I splurged, after a short debated pause, and choose the Fresh Irish Free Range Chicken Breasts)
2 tablespoons of chili sauce
2 teaspoons of sugar
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
2 squirts of ginger puree
2 tablespoons of Jack Daniels (other online recipes called for sake, but having none, the JD seemed liked a good match, and it really added a sweet surprise to the chicken)
Light soy sauce to cover.

Blend the ingredients together to taste to see if you want to add any more of any of the ingredients (more ginger, more chili sauce...). I added mine all directly to the plastic bag with the raw chicken which made tasting the marinade a little risky. But add the ingredients and the chicken to a plastic bag, seal and remove excess air. Massage the chicken breasts to coat them and marinade in the fridge for a couple hours - mine were marinaded for at least 24 hours and turned out deliciously tender and flavorful.

Broth:

1 Carrot chopped

half an onion chopped

a couple mushrooms, chopped

A large pot of Vegetable or Chicken Broth (oops, didn't measure, but used two XO cubes)
1 bay leaf
Squirts of Soy Sauce
Dash of lime juice

Sautee the vegetables with extra virgin olive oil in a large pot until soft, then add the broth and the bay leaf and simmer for about 20 minutes. Add soy sauce and lime juice to taste. Remove the vegetables and bay leaf with a strainer or slotted spoon when done.

Meanwhile, prepare any of the following toppings:
Mushrooms, sliced
Fresh leafed spinach
Red pepper, sliced
Bean sprouts
Carrots, thinly sliced
Cabbage, thinly sliced

Raw red Onion

Wedges of Lime

Preparation:
Cook the chicken in a pan over low heat, adding the extra marinade until it is tender and fully cooked. Prepare a large bowl with the noodles (I used Amoy Straight to Wok which don't need pre-cooking otherwise for dry noodles, quickly blanch them in the pot of heated broth) and arrange the desired toppings (except the raw onion and lime). Pour in the soup broth with a ladle and the place the chicken, raw onion and wedge of lime on top.

Leftovers: The chicken won't last long because it's delicious so for leftover broth and noodles it is possible to poach an egg in the hot broth as a source of protein and is equally delicious. Just scoop it out with a slotted spoon while pouring the broth into the bowl then gently place the egg on top.

So that satisfied my Wagamama craving. For side dishes to go along with the soup, I found inspiration from this website - momofukufor2 - to satisfy my Momofuku craving. even though the girl is trying to cook all the recipes from David Chang's cookbook, like me, she also sometimes recreates her own preferred versions. so, on top of that, my recipes are even further removed from the real recipes with my own adaptations. ehhhh internet inspiration is a grand starting point. they still turned out pretty tasty! 

Burst-Bang-Pop Tomato Salad

1 pint of cherry tomatoes

1 tablespoon light soy sauce

1 teaspoon cider or sherry vinegar

1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil 

sprinkle of herbs - fresh chopped basil if available, or a mix of dried herbs

First, bring a pot of water to boil. 

Cut a small X lightly into the skin of the bottom of the washed tomatoes. Then, prepare a large both with cold ice water. 

Next, prepare the dressing by whisking the ingredients together and set aside. When the water boils, add the tomatoes in batches and count to 10. Quickly remove the tomatoes before all the skins peel off and immediately dunk into the ice bath. Drain and begin to peel the skin off the tomatoes, delicately.  When done, top with the dressing and mix gently to coat the tomatoes. Place in the refrigerator until ready to serve - serve chilled. 

the peeled tomatoes not only look fascinating, but emphasize a soft texture that allows the absorbed juices to pop in your mouth as you bite into the burst tomatoes. 

Crunchy Crisp Cucumber Salad - serves 2

1/2 Cucumber 

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1/2 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

3 small garlic cloves chopped finely (i don't like using a mincer - it always seems wasteful)

pinch of sugar

sea salt

dried red pepper flakes to taste

optional: leftover grated carrot from the excess you shaved for the 1 cup called for  in the carrot cake recipe - the orange colour goes nicely with it

Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise and then into equal-sized slices. Put into a bowl and sprinkle with a little bit of salt and toss. Leave for 15 minutes then drain the expelled juices, rinse, and pat dry.    Then add the rest of the ingredients and toss well. Chill in the fridge until ready to serve - leave for a while so the cucumber can absorb the dressing, but drain any extra if desired. Its great as a snack, side salad, or can be served over vermicilli noodles.

i guess making the cucumber salad wasn't as photographically exciting as the tomato one....ha.

A Walk to Horn Head.

the last two days have been beautifully sunny with bright blue skies distracting me from the sea coast's gusty wind. so, to take advantage of the day, to get some excercise, to get out of the house and to snap some pretty photos, I decided to take a walk to Horn Head. I walked for nearly an hour, enjoying the view and walking up hill most of the way but didn't quite reach Horn Head before I realized that the typical afternoon dark clouds were approaching behind me and that I would never make it back another hour without having to pee. Like Forrest Gump stopping in the middle of the narrow street, in the middle of nowhere, I abruptly decided to turn around, determined with the promise of returning again. 

enjoying the scenery. 

typical.

view of Muckish Mt and town across the low tide.

i like the red door. 

baaah.

he kept staring at me as i walked by. 

must be nice to be on a sailboat...

panorama.

our house is somewhere there...

beautiful views...and houses for sale available!

Carrot.

a bag of Irish carrots from the local store was only a euro so obviously I had to take advantage of such a steal. so what to do with all these carrots?! (other than feed the little bunny that hangs out on the patio in front of the kitchen window...) make carrot cake and carrot soup of course!

I found this recipe on the Babbo website for Carrot Cake from the Tyrol. Mario Batali claims that it's " lighter and far more delicate than its American, super-sweet, cream cheese-slathered counterpart." a little taste of italy to keep me company in Ireland! It turned out perfect - a little gooey in the middle, but I like it like that - a dry, clean toothpick is a bad sign. I guess you could just go to the Babbo website as well for the recipe, but below I added my recommendations.

Mario's Carrot Cake Carrot Cake from the Tyrol Torta di Carote 1 ½ cups unbleached flour ½ cup almond flour  (for nut free, I just added an extra 1/2 cup of the unbleached flour) ½ teaspoon baking soda  ½ teaspoon baking powder  1 teaspoon kosher salt  ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg (would double next time) 1 teaspoon ground ginger (would double next time) 3 large eggs at room temperature  1 ¼ cups granulated sugar  ¼ cup orange juice  Freshly grated zest of ½ a large lemon (would use half the amount next time) 1 teaspoon vanilla  1 cup extra virgin olive oil  1 cup finely grated carrots (about 3 medium carrots)  (I overgrated 1 cup of carrots and it still wasn't carroty enough). Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Prepare a 9-inch square pan by greasing and flouring it. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, almond flour, baking soda and baking  powder, salt and spices. Place the eggs and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment  and beat them on medium speed until they are very light in color and tripled in  volume, about two minutes. Beat in the orange juice, lemon zest and vanilla, then  beat for another full minute. With the machine running, slowly drizzle in the olive  oil until it is all fully incorporated. Beat in the dry ingredients halfway, then add the grated carrot and beat well, until the  dry ingredients have disappeared, about 30 seconds. Remove the bowl from the  machine and run a spatula through the batter and around the sides of the bowl  several times to ensure that all the ingredients are fully combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake the cake for 35 to 40 minutes,  turning the cake halfway through the baking time to ensure it cooks evenly. The cake is done when it is golden brown ...but don't let the toothpick come out too clean! Allow the cake to cool in the pan for ten minutes,  then turn it out onto a rack to cool  completely. Dust the cake generously with  confectioner’s sugar before serving.  Store any leftovers in an airtight container. Makes 9 to 12 servings, depending on size or if you're eating alone... It tastes a little too citrusy, overbearing  the flavor of the main ingredient. maybe it's  not supposed to be really carroty, but being  called carrot cake it left me wanting to taste  it a bit more. its perfect with a hot cuppa tea!

Peppery Gingery Roasted Carrot Soup with Honey and Red Pepper Flakes

8 carrots, peeled and cut into equal-sized rounds

Salt + Pepper

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 small Red Onion sliced

3 cloves of Garlic sliced

dried Red Pepper Pods

Ginger - ground and paste

Chicken Stock

2 spoonfuls of honey

Preheat the oven to 200C

Toss the carrot rounds with the s&p and evoo. Roast for 35 minutes, until soft and slightly coloured around the edges. Meanwhile, in a large pan, slowly cook the onions and garlic until fragrant and soft in some evoo. When the carrots are done, add them to the pan with some crushed red peppers and sprinkle generously with the ground ginger. Mix well together on med-high heat and then add the stock. Turn down the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes until the carrots are softer. Blend with an immersion blender, adding more water depending on the consistency you like. Spoon in some honey to taste, a lot of fresh ground pepper and some more ginger if you like. blend again. 

the orange slice is pretty queer.

i have a problem. i could (and do) spend hours and hours looking through cookbooks and the internet, trying to find the perfect recipe. i love it. but even when i find it, i generally just use it as a reference and barely use measuring cups or look at the clock to watch the time (except that I followed the Carrot Cake recipe exactly. I trust MB).  I obviously made this up as I was going along, using different ingredients that are popular in many carrot soups, maybe not together, but the mix of spiciness and sweetness with the texture of the soup is really soothing and warming - it's perfect in front of the fire place! (or possibly served chilled on a warmer day for those of you in warmer climates...)

and i still have another bag of 1 euro carrots....what to make next !?

Irish Brown Bread.

Irish brown bread is fantastic. Especially when it's homemade - I didn't make this bread, I bought it on my first day in town, hungry and craving it, from the Green Man, the small "organic" store in town, but I will make it later in the week when I have the ingredients. Especially, also, when you know it's healthy and not the hard crusty white bread only found in Northern Italy. It can be eaten fresh but I especially like bread toasted and it can be eaten alone or with any numerous toppings. Here are some that I've been munching on all week:

one slice toasted wheaten bread spread with Coleman's spicy mustard, layered with slices of good Irish white cheddar, sliced tomatoes sprinkled with salt and pepper, half moons of raw red onion and topped with wild greens. dios mios, it melts in your mouth.

one slice toasted wheaten bread spread with Branston Pickle - I don't know how long it's been in the fridge but it's still delicious. Topped with slices of Dubliner Red Cheddar, sliced tomatoes with freshly ground salt and pepper and finished with a dark leafy green. fruity. moist. chewy. bitter. the perfect combination.

saute some red onions in a couple glugs of olive oil until they are nearly soft. add the mushrooms. a couple minutes later, add a little dash of balsamic vinegar. cook until the vegetables change a nice colour and season with salt and pepper, and some mixed green herbs - dill, oregano, basil...add to the pan: tomatoes and garlic that have been drizzled in olive oil and roasted in the oven for 20 minutes. the juices from the tomato and garlic, just as they are about to pop, will blend nicely with the juices from the onions and mushrooms. add cheese to the toasted wheaten bread if you are addicted to cheese like me and cascade the mixture of the bread while steamin' hot...

Do you know what happens when it rains?

you get wet.

only in Ireland will the sun be shining, blue skies overhead, and the rain is falling on you.

Sunrise Coming Over Breaghy Head.

Killahoey Beach.

facing the sea and facing the dunes.

As well as having warm, cozy fires in August in Ireland, it is also possible to go to the beach. Killahoey is a beautiful beach with the softest sand and a sea of ever changing colours. It's possible to walk along it with a sweater and scarf, the wild winds making the eyes tear uncontrollably, while mad people in wet suits jump in the waves. it's also possible to sit in the hidden, warmly sheltered coves of the sand dunes completely blocked by the wind and soak up the sun. whether it's winter or summer, or it's summer and it feels like winter, Killahoey is breathtaking and is guaranteed to make you smile, make you feel at ease, and makes the rest of the world vanish.

such different skies and colours, but all the same beach, all taken from the same spot. right, behind, in front. 

Warm Salad of Garlicky Tenderstem Broccoli, Tomato, Capers, and Avocado.

Centra's in town is a chain, but they have great deals. Living off a poor student's budget, I love a good deal. So, given they day's limited produce selection, I chose two packets of Tenderstem Broccoli - not only because they were any 2 for 3 euro, but the sticker also declared "New Season Irish." perfect. Tenderstem broccoli looks a little bit like broccoli rabe, but it's not bitter. it's sweet, but rather mild, with a crunch like asparagus. a deliciously nutritious dark green veg.

150g Tenderstem Broccoli (from Ireland)
5 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced (from China)
glug of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (from "packed in Spain for Sainsbury's")
8 cherry tomatoes (from Holland)
1 small red onion, thinly half-mooned sliced (from UK)
4 spoonfuls of capers (from Spain)
1/2 an avocado (no label)
spalsh of Balsamic Vinegar  (from Italy)
dried red chili pods, to taste (organic, from Austria)

ok, so at least the main ingredient is "local"...

heat the oven to 200C. add the tenderstem broccoli and garlic to an oven-proof pan and coat gently with the extra virgin olive oil. cover with tin foil and roast for about 15 minutes. add the tomatoes to the pan and cook for another 7 minutes, until the tomatoes look like they are about to burst at the touch - it's ok if the skins break, the juices will add to the dressing. remove from the oven and add the capers, red onion and avocado and dress with balsamic vinegar. season with salt and freshly ground pepper and sprinkle the chili peppers on top. mix well.

the balsamic, broccoli and tomatoes add a pleasant, almost surprising sweetness, the raw red onions a crunch, the capers a bit of saltiness, the avocado a creamy mouthful texture, and the chili's of course a fire-raging house party in the mouth.

according to the website (yes the vegetable has it's own website...):

Vitamins & Minerals
Tenderstem® broccoli is very high in vitamin C and folate, a combination which is valuable in the treatment of anemia and fatigue. It is also high in vitamin A and potassium and is a good source of iron, vitamin B6 and Calcium.

Glucosinolates 
Tenderstem® broccoli is an excellent source of glucosinolates which are known to help in the prevention of certain cancers and it contains up to 45% more glucosinolates than the most common broccoli (marathon).

Phytonutrients
Tenderstem® broccoli is a great source of phytonutrients such as betacarotene and lutein and contains the natural phytoestrogen lignan.

CreamyChunky Cucumber & Avocado Soupdip

1 Cucumber - peeled and deseeded and chopped
1/2 Avocado - chopped
squirts of lime juice
a sprinkle of salt
4 or 5 grinds of freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon or so of ginger puree


blend all the ingredients together. done.


Adapted from Goop's recipe, the ginger gives it an extra zing and the freshly ground pepper a little kick. there aren't many ingredients so it was a little difficult to blend with an immersion blender so it wasn't as creamy as a soup should be and I ended up eating it with a crunchy carrot as a dip which also worked nicely.


serves one as a soup or a couple for dipping with fresh vegs.

Smokey Bacon Tayto's

the best snack ever. mandatory purchase when in Ireland. ob-lig-a-tory.

My First Fire.

Even when it's August, the height of summer, it is always appropriate, and necessary, to have a warm fire going in Ireland. Nothing is cozier. I was a little nervous making one for the first time, but it was easier than I thought! A heapful of coals, a couple rolled newspaper twists, buried fire starters and a block of peat to top it off. oh, and the smell, just fantastic. I am well thrilled with myself :-o

now i just have to figure out how to get a new bag of coal from town and up the steep drive way...

Domino's Commercial

Watching TV, a Domino's commercial just announced that their "unique" "vine ripened" "rich" "succulent" "traditional recipe" and "mozzarella from cows that graze lush green valley's"....hmmmm. is it organic, biological, eco-friendly and sustainable pizza too?

Dunfanaghy, Co. Donegal.

the view from our house.

why would i want to leave here?! oh, that's right, i changed my flight to stay the rest of the summer :)

"Standing on the fringes of life… offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor." The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Stephen Chbosky

a sleep filled bus ride brought me to Galway where I met up with my friend Colleen who is in Ireland for two weddings. the week between the two was the perfect time for us to meet up and Galway was in the middle of where she was staying in Kerry and where I was going to in Co. Donegal. Colleen and I became instant friends in Ms Flynn's 4th grade class and have been friends ever since. As she noted, we have been in four different countries together - US (CT, NYC, Wisconsin), England, Spain, and Ireland.  It's fantastic that we can meet up still, maybe only seeing each other once a year or in any country, and still get along great and catch up. 

Galway was also the perfect place to meet up because that's where Gary lives. Gary moved to Portsmouth last year to work at the Irish bar Ri Ra in town. I cannot help but laugh every time I am around him. He moved back when his visa was up right after I left for Italy, but I am sure he will be back to NH soon :) 

gary making bets on the races.

It's a good thing that Colleen was there because Gary had to work at club Cuba till late every night and I don't know what I would've done without her! It was the weekend of the Galway Races and the city was paaccckkeddd. Everyone was dressed up - girls in summer dresses (even in this balmy Irish seacoast weather) with high heels clapping against the cobble stone streets and the boys in jackets and ties. everyone looked fantastic. and adooorable. Colleen and I felt a little left out. Galway reminds me a lot of Portsmouth - a bit bigger but still a easily walkable city with lots of bars, restaurants, and a young social crowd. this weekend with the races was a bit of an exception with a lot of out-of-towners and a long bank holiday weekend, but seeing these thirsty crowds would definitely live up to the typical Irish stereotype. every bar on Shop Street had people overflowing onto the street - drinking out of plastic cups is allowed - and inside every bar was jammed packed. it was quite the sight. quite the night. 

jammed packed.

we didn't make it to the races, but to the after parties at the bars where everyone conjured after all-day  drinking. we were amused. we made some friends from dublin. i confused one completely as my northern accent came out listening to their irish accents. the next day of course we had to buy some cheap high heels from penny's so that we could fit in, but of course, those only lasted for maybe an hour. 

the closest we got to the races.

matching shoes. 5 euro steal.

italian difference #10

the time. Ireland is an hour behind Italy. Be sure to change your clocks when traveling. And that includes the time on your phone which might, and might means most probably, not change automatically. this could save you an extra hour of much needed sleep.

"Wine comes in at the mouth And love comes in at the eye; That's all we shall know for truth Before we grow old and die. I lift the glass to my mouth, I look at you, and I sigh." W.B Yeats

a little miscommunication led me to being dropped off at the wrong Dusseldorf airport and ended up spending a speedy, yet expensive, 80 kilometer ride to the right airport in a futile attempt to just miss the flight anyways. luckily, i made some friends to keep me entertained overnight as they too were stuck in the airport awaiting an early morning flight to Copenhagen.

 a quick sleep on the Starbuck's couch later, i was on my way to dublin and soon to find myself in front of a steamy basket of Elephant & Castle's spicy chicken wings. oh, they are always glorious. it's the perfect place for brunch, lunch on your own, or dinner, but they don't take reservations and it's always busy. don't go to Dublin without getting wings at Elephant & Castle (the rest of the menu is tempting too). and FYI - the NYC sister restaurant does not have the wings. 

i love dublin. 

fallon & byrne is a fantastic store too full of unique and gourmet products. mesmerized by the cheese counter, i asked for some samples of irish cheeses and bought 3 different kinds: crozier - a creamy blue cheese from raw sheep's milk from tipperary, st tola - a soft organic goat cheese from co. clare, and i believe it was coolea - a gouda-like cow's milk cheese from co. cork. not only were they "local" irish cheeses, but the guy behind the counter knew the names of the farm and even the farmer's name who produced these cheeses. 

the funny thing about dublin is that i don't know if i would like it as much as i do if i were a tourist. architecturally it's not as beautiful as some cities i've been to. the typical rainy, mild weather seems to cast a dreary, grey spell over the city that i can understand would change a visitor's perspective. but, having been there so many times in my life, it is a comforting place to me - i love going back to the same places and walking along the familiar streets and even more so, i think the people are adorable. it's bustling, young, friendly, hip, and fun. good craic.

some dublin recommendations:

Elephant & Castle Wagamama's Fallon & Byrne Avoca Ely's BooksUpstairs Trinity College Mermaid Cafe Nude Brown Thomas Davy Byrne Copper Face Jack's Globe Sheridan's Cheesemonger Guinness Chapter One National Gallery Epicurean Food Hall Barnacle's Hostel Grafton Street Jameson St Stephen's Green Schuh The Westbury Winding Stair Temple Bar Bad Ass Cafe Ron Black's 

biological, organic, ecological, sustainable.

after a walk through rainy amsterdam, away from the tourists congregating outside madam toussad's, across the canals, a pampered haircut by a girl who might have a bigger identity crisis than me and an obligatory introducing-arina-to-wagamama's meal, we came across a market right up our alley: biological, organic, ecological, sustainable. the fruits and vegetables were all labeled with their place of origin. there were beautiful cheeses. floor to ceiling wines. aisles of gourmet olive oils, crackers, pasta, baby food...all of it though had some sort of label that shouted biological, organic, eco-friendly, fair trade, 100% this, 100% that. it was overwhelming. it proved what we had learned in the EU about the problem with labels - there are too many of them that eventually they will lose their proof of certification or meaning. some of the products looked really nice, but maybe it was just the packaging. we even found drinks made from slow food presidias - la vera gazzosa - presidio del limone sfusato di amalfi and il vero chinotto - presidio del chinotto di savona. we asked the manager if he had any other slow food presidia products and he had no idea what we were talking about. after a brief explanation of all we've learned over the last 5 months about slow food and it's presidia, a blank look confirmed that he still had nothing to offer us. we bought asher a bag of bio-organic chips, but after a closer inspection of the packaging flashing "fertile" "family-run" "organic" "traditional" "100%" but nothing about where the potatoes actually came from. the label's company was from the netherlands, but then it said it was imported by bioliving australia. that's a lot of food carbon footprints. and what does bio-organic mean? not biological. not organic. but bio-organic. so regardless of all the labels and stamps, does it really make it any better, any more worth the extra euro's, any healthier for us or for the environment or do these words just make us feel better about the purchase? 

the baby food looked quite scrumptious.

organic and bio. 200%.

fanatic about organic.

fairtrade cola?

i like the name.

Slow Food Presidia !

even fairtrade and bio chocolade hagelslag!

Double Dutch.

I encountered two extraordinary culinary surprises while in Holland. both completely different, maybe repulsive or delightful, and both made me fall in love with the country even more.

Filet Americain.

filet americain is raw meat. it can come mixed with mayonnaise and spices and spread on a soft crusty baguette with lettuce and tomato as i first had it - for breakfast, from a gas station. sounds disgusting. but it's delicious. the quality of the bread is obviously an integral part but the spread is soft, melts in your mouth and the spices add a bit of a kick. it's not really like steak tartare, or eaten as one would eat steak tartare, but used more of as a meat spread. raw.meat.spread. it can also be bought from the store in a tub, spread on bread and topped with russian salad (i think is a potato-mayonnaise salad) which i had for lunch at arina's house. despite the idea of it, raw.meat.spread, the meaty taste of it is not that overwhelming for those who might be afraid. i would definitely recommend it. 

Sprinkle Sandwich. 

i was introduced to the sprinkle sandwich at arina's house. among our selection of spreads and toppings to make sandwiches was a box of chocolate sprinkles, or chocolade hagelslag. probably bought for her little nephew who sometimes stays over, i thought it was a mistake being placed on the table. but no. sprinkle sandwiches are completely normal. so, of course i had to try such a thing. on either white or brown bread, spread a thick layer of butter (or peanut butter) to cover the slice. "more butter, much more," exclaimed arina, much to my horror as anyone who knows me knows my aversion to butter, but to get the real sprinkle sandwich experience, i obliged and dug the knife back into the butter container. then, pour on the sprinkles until you can't see the butter anymore. "the idea is to have so many sprinkles that the ones that don't stick to the butter fall off onto the plate to pick up and lick up later," explained arina. maybe the idea is really just cover the sight of such buttery fatness. the slice of brown bread i had was still slightly frozen from the freezer so the first bite tasted like a sweet slice of ice cream cake. the bread was chewy, the butter was creamy and the sprinkles were crunchy. whoever came up with such an idea is genius. i was so pleasantly surprised by its sweetness i didn't mind the sugary buttery-ness. plus, the brown bread makes it healthy, right?

observation: the dutch like to eat their sandwiches as a one-slice open sandwich which they either cut with a fork and knife or fold it as an american would fold a slice of pizza. 

jammy sponge cakes in holland are also extraordinary.