Cold coffee from a bottle
18-3-2015
Jits Krol and Robert Nijhof penetrate the hospitality industry with their Batavia Dutch cold coffee. The cold brewing method from the Dutch East India Company era is now also available in a bottled series.
Jits: “In June 2014, we quit our jobs to enter a world full of specialty (ice) coffees. Batavia Coffee is a company with only one mission; To transfer our passion for Dutch Coffee to the Dutch people. ”
The cold coffee method
The method owes its name and origin to Dutch traders in the Dutch East India Company era. The brewers made their coffee with cold water back in the days, to make it sustainable and to cool off in the tropics. With this method they introduced coffee in North East Asia, where Dutch Coffee is still very popular.
Origin
Alike wine the origin of the coffeebeans has an influence on the taste of it. Coffee has a lot of diversity in taste influenced by the region where the coffee is grown, the climate and the type of plants used.
Diversities
The Batavia Coffee is available in three variants. An Ethiopian Limu (with hints of chocolate, caramel and citrus), the Colombian Santuario (a powerful and spicy coffee where nuts, roasted peanuts and flowers can be distinguished) and the Ethiopian Yirgacheffe (a fruity coffee which has hints of melon and passion fruit).
Ingredients
The ingredients for a good Dutch Coffee are quite simple. Ice cold water and freshly roasted and ground coffee. Sugar, dyes, or E numbers are not needed, the coffee is naturally sweet and can be stored for 4 months if refrigerated.
Book about wine adventures + B(u)y the Barrel
13-3-2015
Jacqueline van Liere, owner and wine-food-specialist of restaurant & foodbar SchultenHues (*) in Zutphen (The Netherlands), is going to write a series of wine books, together with wine importer Robert Benier. The series is called ‘The Great World of Amazing Wines’ and Jacqueline and Robert write about their travels around the world and they show us the amazing world of wine. During the journey, big chefs will be visited, to prepare and taste the most favorite wine-parings with them. Back in Zutphen, the wine will be tasted with Peter Gast (chef and owner of restaurant & foodbar SchultenHues), friends and colleagues.
In the first book of the series a dish of Peter Gast will be combined with a few wine-discoveries. Besides that pretty pictures, rare wine pairings and a great story about the wine-maker Martin Steinmann.
B(u)y the Barrel
Jacqueline and Robert are going a step further…. They want you to taste along with their discoveries! That’s why they create their own, quirky, wine in every country they will visit. They create the wine with one of the nicest and best winemakers from that country. There will be created one rare ‘barrel’, which has maximum of 600 bottles. These rare bottles are exclusive available. The first wine is made of the Chardonnay grape and are vinified on the Schloss Sommerhausen in Franken, Germany. Created by Jacqueline, Robert and Martin Steinmann. There are different offers, such as one of a bottle + book but you can also order 6 bottles. You can find the offers here.
Popup Melksalon
13-3-2015
A milk bar (de MelkSalon) will pop up in Amsterdam. The MelkSalon is a temporary pilot and design room where the value of milk will be rediscovered. From 1 to 30 April at the Oude Spiegelstraat 6.
The Melksalon brings consumers, dairy farmers, dairy processors, designers and scientists together, to rediscover the value(s) of milk. Amongst other things they will organize lectures, design sessions, movie nights and walking tours. The full program is available here (unfortunately only in Dutch). With as highlights some Milk Talks and design sessions under the guidance of experts, an Old Amsterdam Milk Tour and some dinners with catchy titles such as Milk Unchained! And Milk Multi Culti! The dinners are in cooperation with Gilbert Kolff. The pop-up Melksalon is both a shop and a milk bar where you can walk in to taste special kinds of milk.
Why a Milk bar?
Around 1900, the streets of Amsterdam knew many milk parlors, where inhabitants could buy a glass of milk of local farmers. Today we buy milk in the supermarket, but milk still holds an important role in the Dutch history, (food)culture, economy, innovative spirit and in the countryside. Yet, many know little of this rich influence of milk. Milk in the supermarket has become an anonymous bulk product. At the same time there is a strong public debate about the consumption of milk, the impact on the environment and landscape, and the price one pays for it. With the pop-up MelkSalon they want to remove milk from the anonymity, and start a dialogue about the meaning of the product for our culture and society.
The pop-up Melksalon is an initiative of Sietske Klooster and Food Cabinet and is supported by the Dutch Dairy Association, The Milk Story, Triodos Foundation and the Committee Agricultural Innovation North Brabant.
Papa Poule, the new rotisserie chicken hot spot in New York
12-3-2015
Rotisserie chicken served from the counter by Michelin starred chef Arman Arnal and team in New York.
The team behind the bakery Maman, with Michelin starred chef Arman Arnal (former chef at the Michelin starred restaurant ‘La Chassagnette’ in the south of France), Benjamin Sormonte and Elisa Marshall opened their new project Papa Poule in the beginning of February 2015. Papa Poule focuses on French rotisserie chicken that is only available for takeout and delivery.
Inspiration
Papa Poule had a lot of attention in the American press with their culinary (grill)chickens and Resto Poule & Poulette in Antwerp is also very popular. We wonder if we get a culinary revival of the chicken in the Netherlands as well?
The menu at Papa Poule
The menu includes a variety of flavoured rotisserie chickens, all massaged, marinated, and stuffed. The chicken will be finished with different sauces, including BBQ, honey mustard, béarnaise, chimichurri, and aioli. If a whole chicken is too much, you can also choose for a quarter or half a chicken to take away. There will also be a daily changing selection of sides, specials and desserts, like chicken potpie, potato gratin, sage-and-onion stuffing, Israeli couscous and profiteroles.
Location
Papa Poule is located at Lafayette street in New York. It is a small room with no seating. The restaurant is inspired by a typical French farmhouse. The kitchen is enclosed with chicken wire and the lamps are made from this material as well. Check their Facebook page for pictures.
Cooperation into practice between MeetingReview and Olery
11-3-2015
Guests can write a review about their experience in the conference hotel ‘Kontakt der Kontinenten’ at one of the issued iPads, the App or in a aftersales survey of the hotel. These reviews are now visible on Meeting Review. This is an independent review platform for meeting locations. The conference hotel is the first location that uses business reviews not only internally but also publishes those reviews externally.
Conference hotel ‘Kontakt der Kontinenten’
Reviews are not yet common for conference and events centers. Commercial manager Lars Beckers of the conference hotel knows how important reviews are and has directly embraced the initiative of MeetingReview.com. He thought it was not desirable though to ask his guests to write a review twice about the same meeting (on MeetingReview and his own website).
Cooperation between MeetingReview and Olery
Integration with Olery Feedback provided the solution. Olery is the company that collects and analyzes reviews of hotels, for example on TripAdvisor.com, Zoover and many other website. Guests start a survey about their meeting and are asked if their assessment may be published on MeetingReview. If no permission is given, the answers will only be available internally. If there is an authorization, the answers to the questions are also passed to MeetingReview. The assessment will be screened by MeetingReview and if it complies with the terms of use, it will be published on the website of the Conference hotel.
The partnership between Olery and the conference hotel derives from the need to be able to publish the guests experiences, posted on various website, transparently on the website of the hotel. Visitors of the website of the conference hotel are able to see the exact and average score of the online reviews due to the Olery integration. At the same time the employees immediately know how the provided service has been rated. By merging various sources, the reliability increases. A partnership that provides transparency to future guests and guests who attended a meeting at the hotel.
Serve Cuipo Water and help to make a difference
10-3-2015
Drinking Cuipo Water is a way to make a difference. With every bottle sold, 1 square meter rainforest is protected and preserved. As from May Cuipo Water is also available in The Netherlands.
An innovative online concept
Due to the concept of Cuipo Water everyone can do something to preserve this planet for the upcoming generations. With every bottle sold, 1 square meter of rainforest is protected and preserved. This is how it works, at every bottle of Cuipo a code is printed, customers have to enter this code at the website of Cuipo and after registration with their email address, they can check ‘their’ square meter on Google Maps and share it through Social Media. With each bottle sold a donation is given to the foundation ‘One Meter at a Time’. This foundation already owns around 105 million square meters. The sustainable PET bottle is made of recycled PET and has a 65% lower carbon footprint. Cuipo water is available in 500 ml. and 330 ml.
Cuipo Water available in the Netherlands as from May
Hoo Koen Tan and Han Kamminga of ‘Water Concepts Benelux’ were introduced to the originally American brand, and decided to contribute on saving the rainforest by introducing Cuipo in The Netherlands. Hoo Koen: “With Cuipo we want to increase the awareness: we need to protect the rainforest. The Cuipo approach is fun and sustainable at the same time, which makes it accessible, effective and it actual contributes to the world. We all drink water, so for everyone this is the way to make a difference.”
Give your guests a great feeling
Selling Cuipo bottles to your guests is a great opportunity to do something good to the world in an easy way. According to the people behind Cuipo this is possible without losing on retail value and margins. An additional advantage is that guests sign up with their email address. ‘Water Concepts Benelux’ is the exclusive seller of Cuipo in West-Europe.
Culinary Nut Bread
9-3-2015
Nut Bread created by Michelin starred chef Wouter van Laarhoven and baker Edwin Klaasen. Their nut bread is available in several flavors and contains ingredients as dried fruit, honey and flavored rye.
Wouter van Laarhoven
Wouter van Laarhoven worked as chef at restaurant ‘De Molen’ and recently started his own company, ‘By Wouter.’ This is a creative company that realizes unique food-, wine- and styling projects and concepts. Earlier we wrote an article about his creative culinary skills.
Edwin Klaasen
Edwin Klaasen, the owner of ‘Desem En Zo’ is constantly experimenting with sourdough bread. Edwin and his team are conquering the hearts of top chefs in the Netherlands and Belgium with these sourdough breads. He also wrote a book about his passion: ‘I bake great, you do too by the way.’ Unfortunately only in Dutch.
Culinary Nut Bread
Wouter and Edwin created the nut bread together. Bread that is created in a shared dream of a baker and a Michelin starred chef must taste amazing. Besides that is their individual commitment to perfection a guarantee to create delicious bread. We can’t wait till we can taste it ;-). ^Marjolein
‘Slag op de Schelde’, an unique culinary competition for chefs at the Oosterschelde
5-3-2015
Michelin starred restaurant Katseveer and chef Hans Everse are organizing a culinary competition ‘Battle on the Schelde’ on the 18th of May 2015. Chefs and sous-chefs will compete on board of a ship at the Oosterschelde. They have to prepare dishes with asparagus and a product from the Oosterschelde. Amongst others the jury includes two Michelin starred chefs Edwin Vinke and Dick Middelweerd.
Slag op de Schelde
‘Battle on the Schelde’ is the sequel to the asparagus-amuse competition that was held for nine years in restaurant ‘De Zeelandburg’. Hans Everse, ‘Hero of the Taste of the region Zeeland’ and chairman/speaker of the ‘Koksgilde Zeeland’, has initiated the revival of this culinary competition together with Jessica and Rutger van der Weel, owners of the Michelin starred restaurant Katseveer. Hans Everse indicated in the press release that he only wants participants which are on a high level, that’s why only chefs and sous-chefs can sign up for the competition.
During the competition the participants have to make a dish with asparagus and a product from the Oosterschelde for 20 persons. They have to present it with a matching wine or cocktail. The dishes may be prepared, only the final preparation can be done on the spot. The participants can be assisted by one student.
They want ‘De slag op de Schelde’ to become a yearly returning culinary competition. Participants can sign up at their website, until the 15th of March 2015.
Jury
The members of the jury are Edwin Vinke (restaurant De Kromme Watergang** and SVH Meesterkok), Dick Middelweerd (restaurant De Treeswijkhoeve** en SVH Meesterkok), Sjaak Jobse (SVH Meesterkok) and sommelier Mike Dooms (restaurant De Kromme Watergang**) who judges the food / wine pairings.
Inspiration
This is a great way to put yourself in the spotlight as chef, for the regions it’s a way to promote local products.
Cooking at solar power with the GoSun
27-2-2015
GoSun is the portable solar cooker for your nature outings and picnics.
About the GoSun
The Gosun crowdsourced through Kickstarter is available now. The GoSun manages to integrate its sun-powered technology in a highly-portable form factor, making it convenient to bring along. Designed for environmentally-friendly cooking, the stove uses nothing but sunlight as fuel, allowing you to cook a variety of food items, provided the sun is peeking from the sky. But you can use it next to your barbecue to make bread or prepare vegetables.
The GoSun is 2 feet long with a 2.25-inch diameter, it’s clad in the shape of a tube. To use, you place the food inside the cylinder-shaped cooking chamber, open the lid wide, and face it towards the sun. The mirrors retain the heat from the sunlight it catches. The only obstacle for the use of the GoSun is no sun, which might make it a problem in The Netherlands. Up to three pounds of food can be cooked at a time. The GoSun can be used for steaming, baking, frying, roasting and boiling.
The GoSun is trying to break the cycle of poverty
The GoSun is trying to save lives, protect the environment and empower communities around the World. Today nearly 3 Billion people cook with dirty fuel sources, such as wood, dung or charcoal. As a result, the second leading cause of death on earth is smoke inhalation related illness. With every 5 device sold, the people behind the GoSun donate 1 device to change the way they cook at poorer parts of the world. Check this video about the stove and their plans.
Creating great meals in the GoSun stove
As you can see in the video above they asked well known chefs to help them with creating new dishes with the stove. In the video above, the famous chef José Andrés is working with the GoSun.
Tosti van Josti
26-2-2015
Tosti van Josti, a new breakfast & lunch restaurant, will open her doors at the centre of The Hague at the end of February. A concept that is different from all the other lunchrooms. The ‘Tosti’s’ (sandwiches) will be served and made by people with a mental or psychological work limitation.
Tosti van Josti
‘Tosti van Josti’ works with organic and healthy products as much as possible. The assortment will exist out of sandwiches, yoghurts, soups, salads, juices, homemade lemonades and organic soft drinks.
In the Netherlands we have a band with boys and girls who suffer from down’s syndrome they are called: ‘The Josti band’. To give the word ‘Josti’ a positive vibe and to show that people with a work limitation can function well in a lunchroom, the founders came up with the name ‘Tosti van Josti’. Check out their website, there is a countdown until the big opening at 28 February. We wish all the staff a lot of fun with working at Tosti van Josti.
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