Mastri Birrai Umbri lentil beer
13-11-2014
The Farchioni family brews lentil beer with lentils from the Umbria region in Italy.
Tradition from Umbria
The Farchioni family is involved in processing agricultural since 1780 and is one of the oldest agro-industrial families in the Umbria region, Italy. Nowadays its agro-industrial legacy culminates in Mastri Birrai Umbri as they focus all of their conceptual, organizational and strategic capabilities on fulfilling Pompeo Farchioni’s vision of a distinctive, desirable beer that complements other products from the family. It did work out very well.
Beer with lentils
The beers of Mastri Birrai Umbri are crafted from specially selected malts, grains, and legumes from the region of Umbria. The innovative use of spelt, chicklings, and lentils give the beers a distinct taste. Escpecially the Mastri Birrai Umbri’s artisanal stout, brewed according to the Cotta 74 recipe, is a winner. The beer is based on a stout and has a typical lentil taste that’s accompanied by a chocolate-like aftertaste.
Quote from the owner of Mastri Birrai Umbri
“We want to make artisanal beers that are unique and enticing,
that are fully part of the agricultural traditions of Umbria,
easy to drink, and marked by the same unmistakable originality
that distinguishes all of our products.”
Pompeo Farchioni
Whisky tasting at the theater
4-11-2014
Tony van Rooijen is the Dutch brand ambassador for Glenfiddich and takes whisky lovers on a virtual tour during interactive whisky tasting sessions in Haarlem and Amstelveen.
Whisky tasting
At the tasting Tony van Rooijen gives a presentaino on stage while he guides the visitors through a virtual impression of the Scottish Distillery. During the presentation six varieties of whisky will be discussed, all of them are provided in a tasting box that’s included in the ticket price. This way the visitors can taste the variety of whiskys while being informed about it.
Tour through Schotland
Both experts and beginners can enjoy the tasting, that provides immerses you into Scotland for the evening. This Friday 7 November the tour is at the Stadsschouwburg & Philharmonie in Haarlem (from 20.30 o’clock) and the Schouwburg in Amstelveen will host the evening on 29 November. The first tasting of the tour was in Purmerend.
Coffee jam with Kopi Dua Coffee
31-10-2014
Kopi Dua Exquisite Coffee has invited some chefs to inspire them with coffee-food pairings. The chefs were invited at restaurant The Raffles in The Hague and at arrival they were served a mocktail with espresso, mango ice cream and ginger-ale. From there, the senses were stimulated by starting with dessert. The dishes were explained by chef Pascal Jalhay and Kopi Dua provided the explanation of the coffee being served. Coffee was not only being served as drink but also processed as ingredient.
Some examples of coffee-food pairings
• Dark chocolate with Rendang mousse being served with the Kopi Dua Cold Brew (coffee with coarse grinding, brewed for 20 hours at 2 degrees).
• Mackerel smoked on coffee.
• A dish of oyster and coffee by Bram Hellemans (Zout & Citroen).
• Mini profiterols with coffee and lime serehtopping by Jamie van Heije.
Coffee served in wine glasses
Like tea certain types of coffee are served in wine glasses. Kopi Dua serves their ‘oldfashioned filtercoffee’ Madu Dua from Sumatra, at the table through a Chemex and pours it into wine glasses.
Food pairing with tea and coffee popular
This week we wrote about the Dilmah ‘School of Tea’. Combining tea and coffee with various dishes is not new, but there are still very few restaurants doing it. It provides a surprising effect if the standard combination with wine is replaced with tea or coffee during one of the dishes. This may trigger your guests to discuss their perfect pairing suggestions with you.
Do you want to taste a Dutch ‘OHUMM kopstoot’?
30-10-2014
OHUMM Fruit Genever is created as a perfume under the Genevers. OHUMM has 3 notes as is the case with an elegant perfume. The base note is made of pure premium Dutch Genever, the second and third notes are the fruit flavors and scents like watermelon and passionfruit or cucumber and lychee. This makes OHUMM a unique composed Genever. The flavors are numbered and have an aristocratic title as Empress OHUMM No. 9 for the Watermelon-Pomegranate combination and Sultana No. 5 for the cucumber-lychee combination.
The special perfume bottle
The OHUMM bottle, with a Hummingbird flirting with Dutch tulips, is a French design. The aroma and flavor combination is developed in Schiedam, The Genever city. Thus is a combination of French chic with Dutch tradition and quality. For example, the Diamond edition is a pure Dutch genever in a beautiful black bottle with a radius of diamonds on the front of the bottle.
OHUMM is available in two editions. The Platinum edition includes 4 OHUMM’s each with a unique flavor and scent combination that invites to be discovered by the connoisseur.
The OHUMM kopstoot or headbutt
The OHUMM taste and smell perception is inspired by the famous cocktail book ‘The Bartender’s Guide’ by mixologist Jerry Thomas. Some beautiful OHUMM cocktail creations have been made so far. Simple OHUMM ice cubes and popsicles give cocktails a beautiful playful flair. The OHUMM kopstoot (freely translated as headbutt), could easily become a new trend among women and younger hedonists! According to the creaters, a shot OHUMM and a glass of Heineken tastes delicious!
OHUMM as boutique Genever brand is only available on a limited scale in the Netherlands, Hong Kong and other cities in China and soon in California. Want to know more? Contact them via info@ohumm.com
Tea Gastronomy – The Dutch School of Tea by Dilmah
30-10-2014
Tea is more than just a popular hot drink – its possibilities are in a constant evolution. You can combine tea with cheese, process it in dishes, cocktails or mocktails.
School of Tea
The Sri Lankan family business Dilmah organized the first Dutch ‘School of Tea’ at the estate ‘Duin & Kruidberg’ in the Netherlands. During the lessons, the visitors were given information about the production process and types of tea (the white-, green-, Oolong and black tea) and the distinction of the teas based on the scent. Of course, the visitors also received detailed information on making a perfect cup of tea and masterclasses were given about pairing tea and food.
Tea & Cheese Pairing by Betty Koster
Betty Koster, cheesemaker and owner of Fromagerie L’Amuse in Amsterdam, lets the audience experience how well tea and cheese go together. She presented cheeses from France, the Netherlands and Italy, which she combined with Natural Jasmine Green Tea and Ceylon Souchong Black Tea. Betty Koster has been experimenting with combining tea and cheese for years, we already wrote about it in 2011.
Tea Gastronomy by Jeroen van Oijen & Hidde de Brabander
During the ‘School of Tea’-program Chef Jeroen Van Oijen showed participants how to make a typical Dutch soup ‘snert’ (kind of pea soup) with Dilmah Ceylon Souchong as ingredient. The smoky taste – that in a normal ‘snert’ comes from the sausage – was in this case replaced by the smoky flavor of the tea. Chef Hidde de Brabander used the tea as sour-substitute in a dessert; sacher biscuit with bitter almond and sour pear. The vinegar was replaced by Japanese ‘yuzu juice’ and the water by a green tea. The dish was combined with a Ginger and Rose black tea.
Tea Mixology by Robert Schinkel & Tess Posthumus
Bartender and tea sommelier Robert Schinkel created – along with award-winning bartender Tess Posthumus – a series of surprising tea cocktails such as Souchong Ceylon with Johnnie Walker, Jasmine Green Tea with tequilla and a cocktail of Earl Grey with Ketel One. As mocktail they presented a mix of French Rose & Vanilla tea with pear juice, ginger and fresh lime.
Dilmah shows the potential of its teas
Recently we wrote about restaurant Vermeer who won the Dutch ticket to the final of the ‘Global Real High Tea Challenge’, organized by Dilmah.
A new hotspot at Laren: Gastrobar Anton
23-10-2014
As of today, 23 October, Laren officially has a new hotspot: Gastrobar Anton opens in the same building as restaurant Mauve near the famous ‘Brink’ and can be visited for a coffee, a drink or snack. The GastroBar has a hip, Scandinavian design, with high tables, designer bar chairs, a large solid bar and a comfortable lounge area with leather sofas. Different types of wood, leather and fabric are used in the interior, together with it’s vintage touch this creates a warm atmosphere.
Gastrobar Anton
Where their neighbors, Mauve restaurant, is known for its lunch and dinner, Gastrobar Anton is a great place for a drink, a culinary lunch or shared dining until late in the evening. The dishes are adapted to the drink menu and they are matching with the various drinks. These combination are served by the chefs, for example:
- Grilled beetroot, goat cheese mousse, sherry vinegar and tarragon, with a good glass of wine.
- Steak tartare with puffed quinoa and mustard foam, with a cocktail.
- Panna cotta of white chocolate with caramelized pineapple, with a cup of coffee.
In the weekends guests can stay even longer, every Friday and Saturday a DJ is playing music.
Screwpull accessories for the wine decanter
23-10-2014
The manufacturer of high-quality wine accessories ‘Screwpull’ introduces a convenient aerator. The new gadget is a thoughtful aerator that you can place in every wine decanter. By pouring wine trough the aerator, the wine will optimal mix with oxygen. The aerator has spinning ridges, leading the wine alongside the carafe. Aerating the wine is done to release the hidden flavors in young wine and to round off any tannins in the wine. This makes the wine smoother and the taste more pleasant. The aerator of Screwpull can be bought in different versions: in the materials pottery or metal and in the colors black, black-nickel and silver. Screwpull is part of the brand Le Creuset, the manufacturer of cast iron pans from northern France.
Other wine gadgets
Together with the aerator, Screwpull introduced stainless steel beads and a wine decanter as well. With the stainless steel beads you can easily clean the wine decanter by gently rotating them along the carafe together with water. The wine decanter has a cavity in the bottom which causes a better grip when pouring wine.
The products are sold in the better wine stores, cooking and household stores or through the website of Le Creuset.
Hufterproof concept: the BurgerBar
16-10-2014
In 2013 a burger bar was developed near the ‘PaintballStrand’ (Paintball Beach) in Ermelo. The bar is located near the water and has the relaxing atmosphere of a beach club. The wooden furniture provides the BurgerBar its rough edge which fits well with a concept like paintball. The BurgerBar serves a large 100% beef burger of 180 gram on a sesame bun with melted cheddar cheese, crisp lettuce, fresh tomatoes and onions as specialty. The burgers are served with thick fries in wooden crates. Besides the burgers other food & drinks are served in the crates as well. A special feature of the concept is that a discount is given for large orders: a crate for multiple people is less expensive then when ordered individually.
The concept of the burger bar was developed in 2013 by the Van Spronsen & Partners Group and has been implemented in a monumental farm in Ewijk as well.
Restaurant W36: Mixing flavors like music
15-10-2014
With the opening of restaurant W36, Amsterdam gained a unique culinary experience. By the motto ‘Mixing flavors like music’ W36 is a place where different flavors and styles mix. This is reflected in the menu, what a mixture is of different cuisines, and in the interior, where the contemporary design is combined with raw materials such as steel, wood, leather and glass.
Restaurant Vermeer wins Global Real High Tea Challenge
15-10-2014
On 13 October, Dutch teams challenged each other at the Miele Inspirience Centre at Vianen for a ticket into the final of the Global Real High Tea Challenge. The team of Restaurant Vermeer won the Dutch tea competition and received a seven-day tour in Sri Lanka and a ticket for the Global Real High Tea Challenge in Sri Lanka in 2015. The winning recipe will be mentioned in the Dilmah High Tea recipe book as well. Last year the Amstel Hotel Amsterdam won, which assured them the first spot in the international final in 2015.
Linzenbier
