Time for traditions

In the winter months, we indulge in sitting inside. Fire on, stash of wine, game out of the cupboard, simmering pot in the background: doesn't sound wrong, does it?

That fire can also just be a lit candle. With a winter supply of wine, we'll help you through this entire WINELIFE with tips; your cellar need never be empty. And the simmering pot is coming. That could be simmered steaks, for example, which spread a delicious scent from the kitchen. Typically Dutch, you make them with onion, bay leaf, cloves and a bit of ketjap. A splash of wine will do as well. Or make a vegetable soup drawn from shank; spend hours making the stock. It becomes even tastier if it stands overnight. Also think about confit game, like slow-cooking a leg of goose. Slow food is it all, only our grandmothers did not yet know the term. Janneke Vreugdenhil says: 'The Netherlands is a simmering country. From string meat to chicken soup to red cabbage, many dishes call for slow cooking at low temperature. Our grandmothers used a petroleum stove for this, but with a simmer plate between the fire and the pan, it also works well.'

Dutch cuisine

Glued to the home we all are. Long cookery or good reading is on our minds. So the new bible for Dutch cuisine compiled by NRC's culinary journalist comes just at the right time. Is there actually such a thing as the Dutch kitchen? Janneke: 'In any case, it is quite varied. Vegetable soup, meatballs, meatloaf, hachee and oliebollen are Dutch. But chilli con carne, macaroni, pesto and a shoarma sandwich are just as good. We only added the latter to our repertoire a little more recently.' Some dishes seem ancient but are relatively young. Stamppot raw endive could be called one of the most iconic dishes in Dutch cuisine. Yet the dish is less than 100 years old. Kale is the Netherlands' favourite winter vegetable. As soon as the days get shorter and colder, we start looking forward to a steaming pan of kale stew.

Are you curious about these delicious old Dutch recipes? You will find them in the latest Winelife edition 68. Order this one here!

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