Trying to keep up the good habits; Slovenian bread, Croatian egg (bought from an old lady who only feeds her chickens good stuff), Croatian figgs and unfortunately Dutch cheese on the Amsterdam office desk.
September 11, 2012
Breakfast at the office
After a healthy & active summer vacation I’m trying to keep up the good habits, here’s my breakfast today at the office:
What did you have for breakfast?
June 12, 2012
All day breakfast at The Breakfast Club in London
I could have made this up; a place where it’s possible to have BREAKFAST ALL DAY.Sometimes you just feel like having breakfast. Sometimes you’re in a different rythm. Anyhow, breakfast is always good. Recommended to me by Tiller’s Tale over here , I thought I didn’t have enough time left to visit the place, so I kind of forget about it. Until we were looking for a place to have lunch, in the pooring rain in the vicinity of Liverpool Street Station (Spitalfields) and ran into The Breakfast Club Cafe.
Having had my first Full English the day before….. and some toasts and homemade English marmelade this morning for breakfast, it was time to have something very filling again. I ordered bangers on a roll with sweet onion chutney and a portobello mushroom (We call a roll a bun on this side of the sea), with a ginger beer. The ginger beer was great! I wish I could buy that over here!
My brunch at The Breakfast Club
My brunch at The Breakfast Club
My brunch at The Breakfast Club
The Breakfast Club serves up everything from the traditional English to Pancakes and Eggs Benedict. They even take into account those worried about fitting into their skinny jeans; they serve mueslis, porridge or fruit salads too. As the day progresses they move on to a range of wraps, burgers, burritos, pies, sharing plates and salads. All this washed down with fairtrade lattes, smoothies and a range of beers, wines and cocktails.
The Breakfast Club Cafe’s menu
Interesting detail; when my brunch-partner ordered a glass of tap water, it was served in a Grolsch (beer) beugelfles. Very stylish, like the rest of the establishment. I love the looks of the place. The design is beautiful and I definitely felt at home.
The Breakfast Club Cafe Spitalfields interior
The Breakfast Club Cafe Spitalfields interior
The Breakfast Club Cafe Spitalfields interior
The Breakfast Club Cafe Spitalfields interior
The Breakfast Club Cafe Spitalfields interior
The Breakfast Club Cafe Spitalfields interior – Ladies room
The Breakfast Club Cafe Spitalfields interior – Ladies room
The Breakfast Club Cafe Spitalfields interior
April 3, 2012
Sparoge, asperges, asparagus
Unfortunately it’s raining. No walk through the woods yet. Luckily there were Sparoge in the fridge…
March 29, 2012
Pop-Up Pork Buns Sale@Formocha Premium Tea,Saturday in Amsterdam
You read HERE how much I loved my breakfast on the 18th of this month. It wasn’t just that bun that was supertasty, I enjoyed the whole NeighbourFoodMarket that Sunday morning (read about it HERE). I love this city, there are so many fun and tasty things to do all the time! Here’s another cool pop-up event;
On Saturday 31st March, from 11.30 – 6pm, chef FongYee Wong of the Bao Project will be representing her delicious pork (AND vega too, don’t worry!) buns at the Formocha Premium Tea shop. Pass by for a bun & a cup or pot of tea (I know I will!). Eat In (Limited seatings) Or Take-Out.
On the menu:
- BaoProject Original: PORK BELLY BRAISED IN MASTER STOCK, CUCUMBER, SPRING ONIONS
- BaoProject TofuBun: TOFU BRAISED IN MASTERSTOCK, CUCUMBER, SPRING ONIONS
- The Happy Bao: CRISPY PORK BELLY, PLUM SAUCE, SPICY PINEAPPLE RELISH
- There will also be a SPECIAL: Check out on Saturday!
- PLUS Tea from Formocha.
Formocha Premium Tea Shop, Binnen Dommersstraat 22-24HS, Amsterdam, The Netherlands .
If you’re not familiar in Amsterdam; the tea shop is very walkable from Central Station.
TIP: Combine your breakfast or lunch at the tea shop with a visit to the biological Noordermarket/ Boerenmarkt, which is a few minutes walk away.
Old picture Noordermarkt- JH_Wijsmuller-Markt bij de Noorderkerk in Amsterdam
- Check the Facebook event of the Pop-Up Pork Buns Sale this Saturday;
http://www.facebook.com/events/374766385877006/ - Check the Bao Project; http://www.facebook.com/BaoProject
- Follow the Bao Project https://twitter.com/#!/BaoProject
- Check the Formocha Premium Tea Shop; http://www.formocha.nl/
and http://www.facebook.com/pages/Formocha-Premium-Tea/299705256754136 - Check the biological Noordermarkt/ Boerenmarkt (only in Dutch) http://www.boerenmarktamsterdam.nl/
March 23, 2012
Heavenly! Neighbourfood market @Westergasfabriek, Westerpark Amsterdam
Last Sunday, the 18th of March, I woke up dazzled and hungry after a busy Friday & Saturday in which lots was consumed.
I was too lazy to get out of bed, too uninspired to make breakfast, so I stayed in bed, awake and browsed the IPhone. It was around 10. I was wondering what to do that day and didn’t feel very energetic. Or quick. Or awake, but I couldn’t sleep anymore. Then I read that there was a NeighbourFood market @ the Westergasfabriek, in the Westerpark in Amsterdam. I remembered I visited the 1st edition, I was not so impressed then. Then I saw something written like; “Did you go out? Are you hungry? Want to cure your hangover? Forget about making breakfast and come to the Westerpark to have your breakfast. Just make sure you wake up before 15h.” Hmmmm that sounded perfect… I hopped in the shower, jumped on the bike & went to the park. I got more and more hungry on the way….
When I reached the Westergasfabriek, I saw some marketstalls outside, there were some raindrops, there was a Dutch girl baking very goodlooking hamburgers and I kind of instantly decided I wanted one of those. The hamburgers were € 4,– or € 5,–; a very decent price for a hamburger in amsterdam. They looked tasty. They smelled great. There was also a stall with grilled vegetables on a sandwich, looked great too, but to kill my hunger I was really craving for some meat. The sweet waffles I saw I was not interested in. I decided I shouldn’t go for the burger immediately; there could be more choice inside, so I went into the factoryhall.
I immediately stumbled upon an Italian Mister from whom I bought a heavenly capucino, decorated with a heart. With the coffee I walked around and was amazed by the smells, the decoration, the beauty, WHAT A WAKE UP! I wished I could visit this market every Sunday! I was happy I came so early, some people were still setting up their stands, it was not too busy too walk around and all the food was freshly made and actually in some stalls, still cooking…
The first stalls I was interested in, was ran by some Greek food-lovers. I spoke to the people of De Groene Griek (The Green Greek), who import their olive oil from Greece. They told me about their oil and about the island of Lesbos and said; “Too bad you’re drinking coffee, so you can’t try the oil”. I told them I’d go for a walk, finish my coffee and come back, after all, I had only just woken up.
Next I past an Italian stall… my eye fell on them ’cause their ingredients, many vegetables and breads, looked real. The boy & girl working at the stand didn’t have customers yet, were not used to standing at a market yet, and had to even call the owner of the place, Mondo Mediterraneo, to ask what was the price for the bread I wanted to buy. It didn’t matter. They were super-polite, I had time and felt relaxed. The stone-oven-baked-bread from Puglia looked gorgeous and indeed tasted much better than a Dutch bread. This is something I bought to take home. They do food and catering, I’ll check out their place soon.
I picked up a free Vega magazine and then I saw what was going to be my breakfast. Something much more heavenly than a hamburger; I was happy I didn’t immediately go for the burger outside. You may have seen a pic of my breakfast already, I posted it live last Sunday; https://dlcsmanagement.wordpress.com/2012/03/18/breakfast-good-morning/.
It was similar to what the Dutch know as (Indonesian) bapao’s, but these “braised pork buns” as chef FongYee Wong calls her very popular and very delicious specialty, are much tastier, very VERY heavenly I would almost say, I think they’re one of my new favourite foods! The pork meat is braised in stock, the steamed buns are excellent, she made pickles from rettich & carrot, added some chopped peanuts, grated coconut and chillisauce too if preferred. After I ate this bun I felt regenerated. I later bought another one to bring home. I spoke to Ms FongYee Wong and the lady that acompagnied here, I just had to ask her where she’s from and where this food comes from. The explosion of flavours reminded me of Thai food, but I thought the two ladies did not look Thai (Not that I’ve met many Thai people in my life). She told me she’s from Singapore, and this food could be described as Malaysian food. I’d love to meet her again, I’d love her to teach me about food too. And if I ever organise a party or event, I’d hire her in a sec. to organise some pop-up food on location. I’m sold. Check out the Baoproject for these amazing pork buns. Chef FongYee Wong will present her buns at Claire Sullivans next pop-up dinner My Table too, so keep an eye on her! Unfortunately I will have to miss the April 3 one. When I do visit one of these pop-up dinners, of course I’ll let you know all about it.
So I had coffee, food, I could finally think again.
I passed by the Groene Griek again, where I tried the very good olive oil from Lesbos. I ran out of Croatian olive oil and when I came home I regretted I didn’t buy a bottle. It was obviously natural. They proudly showed me the picture of the old woman who makes the oil.
My eye then fell at their neighbour, Olivity, a Greek stall full of natural, vegan delicasies, made with olive oil, ran by Ms. Caterina Tzoridou. I loved everything she offered on first sight, and was now ready to taste the olive oil delicasies. I was totally impressed by the beet & walnut dip, for some reason I didn’t buy any to take home. I did buy handmade vegan lemon-poppyseed cookies, suitable for sugar- and lactose- intolerant people, a piece of Tiropita; feta cheese crumbled pie and some coconut cake. Caterina Tzoridou, the owner and founder of Olivity, a very conscious food loving Greek woman, even gave me some cookies to try at home. Her store is in her house for now, so appointment required, but on her website you can get a bit of an impression of the well let’s say it again; heavenly Greek foods she creates.
When I left the place, with some food-goodies to test at home, I felt much better than when I woke up, and was ready to REALLY start the day. I felt tempted when I saw some stalls putting up cocktails, limoncello and prosecco, I thought it was a good time to head back home.
Haha how many times did I use the word heavenly in this post? Sorry for that!
NeighbourFood Market
Next edition; Sunday 22 April, from 10.00h (It’s always in the Westerpark, 3rd Sunday of the month, but the exact location in the park will change).
Do I see you there for breakfast????
More info (There are marketstalls available for the next edition too!); http://neighbourfoodmarket.nl/ and https://www.facebook.com/Neighbourfood
Mondo Mediterraneo http://www.mondomediterraneo.com
Chef FongYee Wongs Bao Project http://www.facebook.com/BaoProject
and to stay up to date; https://twitter.com/#!/BaoProject
Ms. Caterina Tzoridou’s Olivity http://www.olivity.nl/
and to stay up to date; http://www.facebook.com/pages/Olivity/199209113472457
Ms. Claire Sullivan’s pop up dinners in Amsterdam; My Table http://www.mytableamsterdam.nl/
February 18, 2012
Instant miso soup
WKND!
That calls for a good breakfast.
But I’m lazy & passed by the Japanese store yesterday; my breakfast is instant miso soup. I’m not a huge fan of instant soup but had to buy this one. It’s lovely. I’m actually eating miso soup! :) no idea what the ingredients are, I see miso, spring onion and egg. I taste Japanese miso soup. I’ll probably have a good lunch later, I still have problems with having breakfast.
What is your breakfast today?
