Healthy Rhubarb Muffins

A few weeks ago I finally managed to find rhubarb at the market. What a joy! I had eagerly been waiting for that moment; the arrival of rhubarb signifies the beginning of spring to me. Plus, I can't help feeling happy when I see its bright pink color! 

I got home and immediately made some compote to go over my vanilla yogurt in the morning, but I still had a little left and shamefully, it managed to stay on my kitchen counter since then. Unused and unhappy. Until this afternoon when I was inspired to make a batch of pretty darn yummy rhubarb muffins. And, added bonus- they're healthy too! No butter or oil, raw cane sugar and spelt flour make them a relatively guilt-free snack or fun breakfast. I'm going to give them to my teen to take to school as a mid-morning snack. Just yesterday she was complainig that she was rather bored of bananas. These will go down well, I bet...

Here's the recipe:

Healthy Rhubarb Muffins

Makes 12 muffins
270g spelt flour
2 tsps baking powder
150g chopped rhubarb
1 very very ripe banana (mashed)

200ml organic vanilla yogurt
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
180g raw cane sugar

Preheat oven to 200°C. Prepare a 12-hole muffin tin. Combine flour and baking powder in a bowl. Add rhubarb and stir again.
In a measuiring jug, whisk the mashed banana, yogurt, eggs, vanilla extract and sugar. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and gently combine everything with a wooden spoon.
Fill the muffin tin with the batter and bake for 15-20 minutes. Test after 15 minutes with a wooden skewer. Allow to cool on a rack before serving.

Blue Cheese! At Last!

Hans hates blue cheese. Just like he hates escargots, offal, bouillabaise and just about any kind of stinky cheese. A shame because sometimes there's nothing I want more than to make something with escargots or spend an evening indulging in a plate of smelly French cheese.
Just last Saturday however, he shocked me. He actually agreed to trying a piece of blue cheese as dessert after our weekly 'at-home-dinner-date'. Mind you though, it was a piece of Dutch blue cheese. Not that I minded. After visiting various dairy farms as part of research for an article, I sure was craving some Dutch cheese! And I was thrilled when I found an organic, blue variety!
At first, I really wasn't sure what to expect in terms of taste, but oh boy did this cheese make me swoon! In fact, it was probably the best blue cheese I've ever had. Sharp yet round. Strong yet with a very mild, slightly peppery finish. My hubby loved it too! We had it with some grapes and washed it down with the bottle of wine we shared over dinner. I'm already looking forward to a repeat this weekend!

PS: you can get the cheese at the Dutch Albert Heijn supermarket.

Food Writings

I'm very excited to tell you about a few pieces I've recently written for three wonderful publications. First of all, Bouillon Magazine recently published one of my articles regarding food habits during the Dutch Golden Age, a period known for its prosperity. During the 17th century, this tiny little country stood at the center of the universe. Trade, arts and sciences flourished and the Dutch economy boomed. But did everyone share in this extraordinary wealth? In still-life paintings we often see a plethora of luxury food items: lobsters, gleaming fruits, oysters and wine. What percentage of the population actually had the means to eat like this? Well, that's what you'll discover when you read this article! The piece is in Dutch, so apologies to my English readers!

For the Canadian publication, Dutch, The Magazine, I wrote a piece on the cultural aspects and history behind one of the Netherlands'  best-known delicacies- herring!I am a regular writer for this brilliant publication, but I must tell you that researching this particular piece was delightful! Perhaps because I am one of herring's biggest fans.
I don't think any market trip (for me, at least) would be complete without the indulgence of ordering one of those briny, velvety little fish at a seafood stand and devouring it within a matter of seconds. With lots of chopped onions and pickles, please. Not everyone shares my love for herring, yet it is undoubtedly as much of a Dutch cultural icon as tulips and windmills! The issue of the magazine is due to appear very soon so watch out for it at your newsstand (In Canada or The US), or better yet, treat yourself to a subscription!

A few months ago I started writing food historical pieces for the Australian magazine Holland Focus. You won't be reading simple recipes from me in this one, but rather articles regarding the origins and cultural aspects of Dutch food. In the March/April issue, I kicked off with an opinion piece titled A Lack of Dutch Food Culture. My aim in this piece was to put to rest the idea that the Dutch are culinary barbarians without a decent food culture to account for. I went into the anthropological aspect behind my opinion and gave some interesting arguments which I hope might get some people thinking. Should that subject interest you, make sure you get a copy of that issue soon! In the upcoming issue I will be discussing the different types of Dutch table pieces and giving you guidelines on how to tell them apart. You'll be able to impress your friends the next time you see Dutch food paintings at a museum!

As you see, I am writing a lot of pieces having to do with Dutch food culture. It is very rewarding work, especially because it really brings together my Dutch cultural studies at the University of Leiden, my love of art and beautiful things...and my insatiable passion for food!

Chocolate Advocaat Muffins

I love chocolate Easter eggs! The brightly colored foil wrappers are so pretty and they are the perfect size for a little indulging without a lot of guilt. My favorite kinds of chocolate egg are probably the ones with some kind of fun added flavor. White, pure and milk can be a tad boring, but advocaat for example...yum! 
For those of you who don't know, advocaat is a thick, Dutch eggnog which is not meant to drink, but to spoon! In Holland they sometimes refer to it as an "old-lady's drink", but who cares! With a little whipped cream it makes the perfect dessert and if I want something closer to the eggnog I remember from Christmasses long ago, I just add some full-fat milk and blend away!
But back to those advocaat flavored chocolate eggs. They were the inspiration for these muffins and a good excuse to use up some of the advocaat that had been sitting in the back of the fridge since Christmas. This is a very easy recipe, so if you have people coming over today and are looking for a nice little something to serve them, this might be worth a try!
Happy Easter!


Chocolate Advocaat Muffins
Makes 10 big muffins

225g flour

2 tbsps baking power

100g dark pépites de chocolat (or chocolate chips)

100ml advocaat

150ml full-fat milk

1 egg

3tbsps sunflower oil

150g raw cane sugar

Preheat oven to 200°C. Prepare a 12-hole muffin tin. Combine flour, baking powder and chocolate morsels in a bowl. In a measuiring jug, whisk the advocaat, milk, egg, oil and sugar. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and gently combine everything with a wooden spoon. Fill the muffin tin with the batter and bake for 15-20 minutes. Test after 15 minutes with a wooden skewer. Allow to cool on a rack before serving.