Eco-friendly eats

3-11-2014

Julia Soldic, our guest writer about the Scandinavian cuisine, writes about one of her passions: the sustainable food movement.
95% of the world’s ecological food products are being consumed in Europe and North America, leaving us the most conscious eaters in the world . In ten years, the turnover of organic food consumption has tripled worldwide, according to a report conducted by the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements. Switzerland is the most eco-friendly country in Europe, closely followed by the gastro country of Scandinavia: Denmark. Sweden and Germany are the runners- up whilst The Netherlands, Belgium and Norway are on a shared seventh place. Consuming eco-friendly goods, in the above countries, is not yet available for the price-sensitive working class, yet perceived as a more luxurious eating habit. What can we do to change this?

Low budget eco-friendly products

In April the Executive Vice-President of the renowned American multinational corporation Walmart revealed the news that a new low budget product line with eco-friendly food will be launched: “We know our customers are interested in purchasing organic products and, traditionally, those customers have had to pay more… We are changing that and creating a new price position for organic groceries that increases access.”
In Scandinavia, larger retail corporations have entered into lifelong supply agreements with ecological farmers supplying Danish supermarkets with sustainable food options – also on their lower shelves. A brave and forward-thinking push!

The Sustainable Restaurant Award 2014

Serving ecological food is simply a result to the known equation: supply is altered after the demand. People want Eco-Friendly Eats, both portrayed in the ingredients on the menu, yet also the restaurant owners shown effort into taking care of the planet. The Sustainable Restaurant Association, in partnership with the World’s 50 Best Restaurants, awarded the Basque restaurant “Azurmendi” the Sustainable Restaurant Award of 2014. Why? Because they care about our planet and still manage to retain Three Michelin Stars. Chef Eneko Atxa leads by example for other restaurateurs by implementing solar panels, showing a massive effort into recycling, portraying free ranged menu items, serving sustainable fish- and a large variety of self-grown organic vegetables. Chef Eneko Atxa; “We have a respect for our greatest supplier: THE EARTH, OUR EARTH.” One can say that chefs like Chef Eneko Atxa, is the sustainable restaurant industry`s reply to a glorified soul like the Catholic Church`s Saint Mother Teresa.

What does this trend mean for the restaurant industry?

Ecological food is still perceived as expensive, gourmet and food for idealists. It is not until we change this idea of ecological food, and make it food for the masses, that we will see the real change in consumer behaviour. In the second largest city of Sweden, Gothenburg, the city’s foodies have taken the matter of running eco-friendly eats to another level, introducing sustainable food panels lecturing startups on how to run a successful, sustainable and organic food operation. “Sustainability isn’t just a moral issue for restaurateurs – it’s fast becoming the hottest trend among hungry consumers”, says restaurateur, author and course initiator, Jens Dolk.

Change is difficult, but by being early adopters and support the rise of ecological agriculture, we will gradually change the idealist into you and me.

That’s a way to show your new ice-cream

31-10-2014

The last couple of months restaurant At Sea at Bonaire, the latest Jeunes Restaurateurs D’Europe member, had the At Sea Cornetto on the menu. A nod to the classic Cornetto. The Cornetto At Sea consists out of passion fruit-coconut ice cream with dark chocolate and passion fruit jelly. The positive reactions of the guests motivated the chef Rick van den Broek to make a commercial for the At Sea Cornetto. If you want to win a box of his delicious At Sea Cornetto’s like and share the video on Facebook. The video is based on the original commercial for Cornetto. The location is the beautiful Lac Bay beach at Bonaire. Jan Lokhorst produced it. Vivienne Vollebregt and Eduard de Vries have the leading roles. Jeroen Roevros sings and the music is produced by Michiel van Bokhorst as well as the voice-over.

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.

RIJKS® at Rijksmuseum

29-10-2014

On 1 November 2014, the RIJKS® restaurant of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam will open. The restaurant is located in the redesigned Philips wing, the final renovated wing of the museum. The restaurant will be open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner, has 140 seats, a separate room for 36 guests and a terrace with 130 seats. There is a separate entrance to the restaurant on outside of the Rijksmuseum. RIJKS® is a joint venture of Vermaat Groep and the Rijksmuseum.

Responsible for the interior; Paul Linse

For the RIJKS® designer Paul Linse used a mix of materials such as bronze, oak, marble, blue steel and suede. This gives the restaurant it’s cool and stylisch character in combination with the design furniture. Paul Linse was previous responsible for the interior design of various stations in the Netherlands, like Rotterdam Central Station and multiple projects at Schiphol​.

The chefs; Joris Bijdendijk, Wim de Beer and Jos Timmer

Joris Bijdendijk is responsible for the kitchen team of Restaurant RIJKS®, that each season will be inspired by an international guest cook. Margot Janse from South Africa kicks off in January. The focus of the restaurant lies on Dutch products with inspiration from the exotic flavors that influenced the Dutch cuisine through the centuries. The chefs share the Slow Food mindset and have used products from The Ark of Taste in their dishes. Inspiring: At the restaurant a ‘RIJKS TABLE’ is served, check out the menu on the website to learn more about this. We are looking forward to future RIJKS TABLES inspired by the guest cooks and wish Joris Bijdendijk and his team a lot of fun and success at the RIJKS® in the Rijksmuseum.

NIVEN’s new kitchen

29-10-2014

In the beginning of October chef Niven Kunz started a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter for a new kitchen in his Michelin starred Restaurant NIVEN. He hopes for your support in co-funding the renovation of his kitchen. He needs to raise € 50.000,- for the kitchen including a chef’s table with room for 12 guests.

Several ways to back the project

You can pay € 60,= for a 10 course tasting table or reserve the entire chef’s table for one night for € 1.250,=. After Christmas, the restaurant is closed for remodelling. Co-funders can come and eat when the renovation is completed, early 2015. It’s also possible to order the Niven 80/20 cookbook (only available in Dutch) or a bottle of NIVEN’s liqueur, The Gold Selection.
Niven Kunz quotes about the crowdfunding campaign: “Because of the fact that I’m active on social media, all my guests are involved with my restaurant. This action will only increase this. Isn’t it great to be able to tell that you have helped with the renovation of a kitchen in a restaurant?” The action will continue until 8 November and the fund raised so far is € 7.000,- (29 October).

New website

The new website of restaurant NIVEN recently launched. It’s a minimalistic website with a prominent role for the suppliers of the restaurant, with beautiful pictures by Daniel Maissan.

About the chef

Niven Kunz is a chef with an eye for great ingredients. He uses 80% of vegetables and 20% meat or fish in his dishes.

Meet your new chef; Watson, a computer

23-10-2014

At the Food Valley Expo Marc Teerlink of the Watson Group presented the new cognitive computer from IBM, Watson. The computer system develops exciting new dishes using Big Data and thereby offers chefs a new way of thinking. IBM tends to think of food and cooking as an art but in fact, there’s a massive amount of chemical and neural science that underlies a great dish. IBM’s cognitive cooking system can reason about flavor the same way a human uses his palate. This way, it can also combine flavors that people would not think of. Onno Kokmeijer of restaurant Chiel Bleu (2 Michelinstars) in Amsterdam, did make a couple of dishes created by Watson at the Food Valley Expo.

Central Park by Ron Blaauw

23-10-2014

Restaurant and boutique hotel Savelberg will be transformed into Central Park by Ron Blaauw. The hotel and restaurant is located in the historic building ‘Vreugd en Rust’ (Joy and Peace), in the green area of Den Haag-Voorburg. With the arrival of Ron Blaauw as chef they chose for a new culinary formula. The restaurant concept is inspired by the accessible formula of his successful Gastrobar (*) in Amsterdam.

Central Park by Ron Blaauw

Culinary entrepreneur Carsten Klint is the new owner of the historic building. Along with Ron Blaauw he turns it into an affordable, culinary meeting spot: “from Picnic to Château Petrus.” The new name devised Carsten Klint with Perry Valkenburg, President Europe and COO International TBWA Worldwide, and this name emphasizes the new concept and its focus points: surprising, innovative and international. Currently the building is thoroughly restyled and adapted to today’s spirit, but with respect for the monumental details. Early November the doors of Central Park by Ron Blaauw will be opened.

Last summer we experienced in Napa Valley in California, how much fun it is to combine wine tastings, small dishes and picnics. Several wineries offer this option in their gardens. Great that a ‘culinary responsible’ picnic will be possible next year in Central Park by Ron Blaauw. We wish Carsten Klint and Ron Blaauw success with their new business! ^Marjolein

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.

Storytelling around the menu at DiverXO

22-10-2014

To promote the opening of restaurant DiverXO (3 Michelinstars, chef Dabiz Muñoz) at the NH flagship hotel in Madrid, this inspiring movie has been published. In the film, six guests are bored at first, but go wild after eating the creations of the chefs. The chefs show how the dishes are prepared and presented as well.

Passion, emotions and experience around the table.

The movie shows passion, emotion and experience in a modern and artistic way. Storytelling to the max. You want to have dinner at the restaurant with the most dull people you know, just to experience their change while eating and drinking! The video takes about 10 minutes, but it’s definitely worth watching.

Sausage atelier of Brandt & Levie by crowdfunding

22-10-2014

Jiri, Geert and Samuel of Brandt & Levie sausage makers started more than three years ago their own sausage shop. This autumn Brandt & Levie want to move to the ‘Houthavens’ in Amsterdam, here they want to make one of their dreams come true. They want to open their own sausage atelier consisting of a work area and a small butcher shop. The workarea is a place where guests can make their own sausage and where new experiments can be seen, smelled and tasted. They want to give workshops, receive schools and organize events to inspire others to make their own sausage. At the small artisan butcher, products can be tasted and purchased.

read more

Dos Palillos: the new generation ‘open kitchen’

21-10-2014

Niek Timmermans, consultant at Van Spronsen & Partners horeca-consultancy, visited restaurant Dos Palillos in Berlin. There, he saw his signature menu being prepared in the kitchen while seated in the restaurant. An ‘open kitchen’ 2.0, where the whole restaurant takes a seat at the chef’s table.

During my city trip to Berlin I’ve eaten at Dos Palillos (two chopsticks), a restaurant concept by Albert Raurich. Raurich started in 1997 as an intern of Ferran Adria at the famous El Bulli restaurant. Within five year he started working as a chef and stayed at that post from 2001 until 2007. Out of the many inspiration trips he made with Ferran the idea for Dos Palillos was born. In 2008 he opened his first location in Barcelona, followed by a second location in Berlin in 2010. And there I did experience his signature menu, which consists out of a total of 17 courses.

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Opening ‘The Butcher’ in de ‘Foodhallen’ in Amsterdam

21-10-2014

The successful burger concept ‘The Butcher’ opens its second location today, 21 October 2014, in the Foodhallen in Amsterdam. ‘The Butcher’ is a stylish bar serving only top-quality burgers. The burgers are prepared on the spot and made ​​with fresh ingredients. For example, the chefs choose to work only with the best quality meat, fresh vegetables, homemade buns and their signature sauces.

Two years ago, ‘The Butcher’ opened its doors on the Albert Cuyp market in Amsterdam. After the great success of this branch, now a second location opened in Amsterdam West.

More and more great initiatives open in de the Foodhallen in Amsterdam. Earlier, we wrote about the opening of Brasserie Halte 3 in the Foodhallen.