Category: Food for Thought

Traditional Simnel Cake

I would like to share with you a family recipe for a traditional Simnel Cake.

Simnel cakes have been around since the Middle Ages and are predominantly eaten in the UK and Ireland during Easter week, or sometimes for Mothering Sunday (the Sunday halfway between the start of Lent and Easter).

In the 19th century, girls “in service” used to bake them for their mothers and take them with them on a rare trip home. It is a traditional fruit cake with marzipan in the middle and on top; and if you wish to adhere to religious tradition you can place 11 marzipan balls on top of the cake to represent the 12 apostles minus Judas. Some add an extra ball to represent Jesus.

Continue reading “Traditional Simnel Cake” →

Dutch Mussels

Mussels are best eaten during the months with an “R” in them, from September through April, and can be found on the menu in many Dutch restaurants. However, it is also fairly easy to prepare them yourself.

You can buy quality mussels at most supermarkets and fish mongers, just ask for ‘mosselen’.

Continue reading “Dutch Mussels” →

Foodblog – www.nildeae.com

Connect International is proud to announce the new blog by our member Adeline Chipaux, who has given several workshops for Culinary Connect to an enthusiastic group eager to learn and taste interesting new recipes. The recipes are in English, French and Dutch.

Adeline, from France, learned the basics of pastry cooking from her mother and took lessons in pastry and regional cuisine in Paris. She has spent much time honing her skills and is happy to share knowledge and fun in her workshops for Connect International.

The official blog opening party was on November 21 when Adeline invited us to her home and introduced us to sample some of the published recipes.

Continue reading “Foodblog – www.nildeae.com” →

Dutch Apple Tart

You may have had this traditional Dutch apple tart at a birthday party, or work celebration, and they can be purchased at supermarkets. But as with most treats, a homemade version tastes so much better!

Here is a recipe to make your own apple tart; you can opt to leave out the walnuts or raisins if you don’t like them.

Continue reading “Dutch Apple Tart” →

Christmas Turkey Dinner

At Christmas time I always suffer a bout of home sickness. Even though my life is here in the Netherlands with my husband, his family and our friends, Christmas stirs happy memories (and longing) of family get-togethers, decorating the Christmas tree while my dad muttered curse words while hanging up the window lights, and the warm fuzzy glow of Christmas day traditions like the queen’s speech and smell of a roast turkey dinner with all the trimmings, followed by a nap.

Continue reading “Christmas Turkey Dinner” →

Pea Soup

My mother-in-law (who is Dutch) doesn’t particularly do much home cooking, but one thing I look forward to during the winter months is going over for lunch because she will always have a big pot of some hearty soup on to warm you up! This pea soup recipe is one of hers that I asked if she would share with us.

Continue reading “Pea Soup” →