If you find yourself in the small towns of northern Belgium, I suggest you try the specialty…steamed mussels with a side of french fries. And, since I was a tourist, I went right ahead and paid the tourist prices to enjoy them at one of the quaint cafes right in the center of the main town square.

I read in a tourist book that said the biggest complaint about Brugge is that it is just too quaint and cute. It is true that charm is oozing out of every little alleyway and along each canal. If you are ever in the area, it is worth a day visit or a one night stay. Take a boat tour along the canals, stop in a few of the thousands of chocolate shops, drink good beer and eat some mussels.

I must admit that they were not the best mussels I have ever had. But, it was a bit like a hotdog at a baseball game - there were so many other factors including the people watching, horse-drawn carriage taxis clomping by and European-style outdoor seating that helped make the meal more than memorable.

When you think of a pancake house in the states, it conjurs thoughts of blue roofs, plastic booths and artificially flavored syrups. The Dutch version is oh so different. The Pannenkoeken Huizen of the Netherlands are often the most quaint of buildings dripping with charm, slanted roofs, flower boxes and cozy tables. The pancakes are a mix between crepes and American-style pancakes. They are thin and as large as a dinner plate but unlike a crepe, the “fillings” are cooked in.

Sweet offerings include apple/raisin, banana, pineapple and chocolate. The fruit and sweets are sliced thin and dropped into the cooking pancake. Savory offerings range from cheese (mmm… Dutch cheese is to die for), ham or my personal favorite…. Bacon! Why didn’t I think of it before?!?! Cook the bacon directly into the pancake!

Pancake ‘condiments’ always include powdered sugar and stroop , which is a thick, molasses like syrup. No maple flavor here. Although many do not like the stroop on the savory pancakes, I go for it over the top of my bacon pancake. After all…. Americans are used to bacon touching syrup on our plates.

Perhaps in our American kitchens, we should be a bit more experimental with what we load into our pancakes. Thin out that batter and toss in some bacon or cheese for a new pancake experience! Sadly, no amount of salty meat or delicious cheese in our home kitchens can create the undeniable charm that comes with eating the pancakes along a cobblestone street in a tiny village that dates back hundreds of years while smelling the aroma of the flower boxes just outside the window.

p.s. Speaking of revolutions in bacon… you must give this new amazing candy bar a try.

If you suffered a permanent injury to your tongue, would you rather lose the ability to taste salty or sweet?

I have been a lazy cook lately. And, due to preparations for an impending overseas trip, ’simple simon’ has remained my credo this month. I was starting to feel a bit bad about the regular trips to the nearby taqueria and repeated pasta dinners, so I flipped through my recent Everyday Food and found a recipe similar to the variation below.

As you can see, I didn’t go over-the-top with presentation. But, tonight we ate a homemade, protein filled meal with simple but delicious flavors. And, some fresh, healthy,green beans to boot!

Stay tuned in the coming weeks for a culinary tour of my favorite treats from the Netherlands… mmm… I am dreaming of the pannenkoek, poffertjes, stroop wafels, patat met and kroketten. If this is all jibberish to you, just wait for the upcoming photos and you’ll see what you are missing!

Steak with Ginger Peanut Sauce
This recipe in Everyday Food called for flank steak broiled. I used sirloin which I marinated in strips and then sauted in a hot skillet which was also good.

Put all ingredients through red pepper flakes in a blender and blend until smooth. Please in a plastic bag with the steak to marinate for an hour or overnight. Heat broiler with rack set 4 inches from heat. Lift steak from marinade, place on pan and broil until medium rare (8-10 minutes). Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing.
If you like, cook down the marinade in a sauce pan to make additional sauce.

I have found that good dried Greek oregano is the key to successfully making many Greek dishes taste authentic. Store bought dried oregano and Italian oregano just do not taste the same. We are lucky enough to get a fresh harvest each year from my father-in-law’s childhood friend. He plucks it from the hills near his home.

The oregano is already quite dry from the Greek summer sun. After bringing home our fragrant bundles, we take turns rubbing our hands together over the small branches detaching the harvest which sprinkles down into a large pan. Next, we portion it and bag it and take it home. Sounds like an illegal activity! More than once, I have been worried about a suspicious suitcase search to reveal my ziplock baggies of the fresh, pungent herb.

Horiatiki is a common fixture on the Greek table. In the neighborhood gardens in Corfu, you find a majority of tomatoes, some peppers, zucchini, eggplant. Fresh plucked tomatoes and green peppers are tossed with red onion, feta and olives. Tossed with oil, vinegar and oregano, the result is one of hte most healthy, refreshing summer side dishes to be found.

Horiatiki - Greek Peasant Salad
I like to eyeball the portions to my liking. Below is a basic guide.

Put all ingredients through red onion in a bowl. Sprinkle with oregano and toss with olive oil and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Usually, we visit Corfu, Greece every August, my father-in-law’s native island. This summer, we are going to the Netherlands instead for a wedding so we will miss the blue seas, hot sun and the food…. oh the food!

Just this week I started feeling sad and forlorn about all the things I would not eat this summer. Instead of wallowing in self pity, I decided to start making some of my favorite dishes. I turned to my trusty, dog-eared, Greek cooking handbook. This little book is so dated it is hilarious but has all you need inside to prepare the best Greek feasts. In Corfu, the bookstore carries it in about 15 languages. I often like to image others in Japan or Norway paging through their little blue manual recreating Greek vacation flavors.

Pasticcio is similar to lasagna with less cheese, a thick layer of bechamel sauce on top and special long, hollow-shaped noodles. Do the shape of the noodles really matter? YES! (But, that is a long debate for another blog discussion.) The pasticcio noodels are basically uncut macaroni. You can perhaps find them at a local ethnic grocer. If not, look for bucatini or as a last resort, use regular macaroni. Although, the idea of someone making this with regular macaroni so upsets me that I am almost willing to mail someone a package of noodles if you are seriously considering this recipe and have made every attempt to find the noodles and failed.

The recipe is a bit time consuming as you have to boil noodles, prepare the meat sauce and the bechamel before assembling and baking. But, when you are finished, you will have a huge pan of deliciousness that just tastes betters as the days go on. Pasticcio is leftover heaven.

For an even more authentic experience, serve Pasticcio with Greek Salad and Retsina wine. Follow it with some baklava or Greek yogurt with honey and walnuts.

Like many Greek dishes I have learned to prepare, I have learned to adjust a little of this and a little of that over time to get it just right. Throughout the recipe, I have added my own tips. But, be sure you are tasting regularly and adjusting as needed along the way.

Pasticcio

Put half the noodles in the pan and sprinkle with 1/2 cup of cheese. Top the noodles with the meat sauce. Place the rest of the noodles on the meat sauce. Pour the bechamel over the top. Sprinkle on the remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Some of the noodles will be sticking through the top which is good because they get brown and crunchy in the oven. Bake for approximatley 1 hour or until top is lightly browned. Remove from the oven and let sit at least 15 minutes before cutting and serving.

I have been a bit out of the loop lately… life has me wedged between some of this and some of that… you know how it goes. After a longer than usual absense, I feel like I should be posting something extravagent or exciting to re-initate my committment to this blog and “wow” the readers, perhaps a meringe pie, a cupcake tower, or a flambe. Instead, I bring you… coleslaw.

Maybe this is not overly exciting but for me, this dressing was original. A few mayonnaise-hating friends were coming over for dinner and I needed an alternative to the traditional. (well, there are a few spoons in the recipe but it is negligible!) I turned to Forkestra, my friend Dave’s wonderful recipe archive, and alas…found this cole slaw.

If you have been reading, you know how often I sing the praises of buttermilk. Actually, this blog and writing about the food has uncovered my apparent obsession with it as a favorite ingredient. So, today I unveil a new category on Whipped called Buttermilk Love. So, if you ever have some in your fridge, you know where to turn.

Make a batch of delicious BBQ pork, slap this slaw alongside and crack open a beer. Happy Summer!

Cole Slaw with Buttermilk
Makes about 6 cups.

Mix buttermilk, mayonnaise, shallot, vinegar, sugar, mustard and pepper in a small bowl.
Combine cabbage and carrot in a large bowl. Pour dressing over cabbage and carrot and toss to coat. Refridgerate until chilled, about an hour.

My buddy, Chef Stephen Gibbs, recently joined the food blog scene. His last post, Coffee Talk, is my favorite yet. Check him out... his photos are wonderful, his energy contagious and culinary skills supreme.