Hot Jenever Toddies on a Cold Winter's Day

Recently, I was inspired by the holiday season to make my own gluhwijn here at home. While it was pretty good, Dan really isn’t a wine drinker even when the wine is spiced and sweetened. So we set out in search of an alternative adult beverage to keep us warm on rainy nights. Enter the Hot Jenever Toddy, a drink recipe of my own creation (although its probably not that original).
 
About Jenever
First created in the Netherlands, Jenever is the maltwine-based predecessor to English gin. Flavored with juniper, the spirit has a sweet, botanical flavor and malty mouth-feel. When I first tried Jenever, I found it to be similar to drinking a nice Scotch; although without the smokey peat. Since its creation in the 16th century, it has been the quintessential Dutch (and Flanders) spirit. Jenever was popular worldwide in the 17th century but eventually lost popularity in favor of English gin, which is drier, cheaper, and easier to flavor. Recently its popularity has been on the rise again. Officially only Jenever made in the Netherland, Belgium, and a couple other places can be called ‘Jenever’. Everyone else just makes gin.
 
Although there are probably as many nuances to Jenever as there are to similar spirits (for example, scotch), there are two general varieties. Oude Jenever is made more traditionally with a greater percentage of its mash coming from maltwine and the sweeter, stronger botanical flavor that comes with it. Jonge Jenever is made with more recent methods and a lower percentage of maltwine; resulting in a spirit with a less sweet, clearer taste.
 
Jenever has typically been drunk very cold and straight from a special, flared schnapps glass. The glass is filled until the liquid peaks precariously over the edge and then the drinker bends over to slurp the excess so he can lift his drink. I prefer Oude Jenever for sipping.
 
Jenever can also be used for cocktails. Pretty much any gin cocktail can be improved (Can you tell I don’t like gin?) by using Jenever instead. Bols (a major Amsterdam brand) in particular is really pushing their product for mixed drinks (they recommend using Jonge Jenever) and have also released a series of Jenever-based schnapps in some really crazy flavors (banana? green tea? seriously?).
 
My Recipe for a Hot Jenever Toddy

• 1 1/4 oz Jonge Jenever

(I used “De Schout van Maastricht” brand because it said Maastricht on it.)

• 2 oz Hot Water
• 1 tsp Sugar or Honey
• 1 Cinnamon Stick to garnish

 
Build your drink in a heat resistant glass or mug; adding the ingredients in the order above. Stir with a cinnamon stick. Enjoy! Sugar makes for a sweeter, clear toddy. Honey makes the toddy a light golden color and brings out the spice in the Jenever better.
 

I also submitted this recipe to Instructables (a DIY site) for their Cocktails & Mocktails contests. Please take the time to check out my submission and vote if you like it. Voting runs from  January 4th – 10th. Winners are selected based on the public vote.

Happy Thanksgiving to Celebrants at Home or Abroad

Just a quick note to say Happy Thanksgiving to all those Americans out there celebrating our national holiday today regardless of where you are living. The last time I was outside the country during this holiday was 2001 when I was studying in Ireland. That time, I got together with a bunch of American friends attending the same university and we pull together a potluck turkey dinner.
 
Earlier this week we found some cranberry sauce and ate it with pork and potatoes. It was almost like a Thanksgiving meal. But I don’t feel like cooking all the fixings, so this year Dan & I are foregoing tradition all together and going out for All-You-Can-Eat Sushi. Perhaps I’ll pick up an apple pie.
 
So Happy Thanksgiving and Eet Smaaklijk! Here’s wishing family and friends back in the US a happy holiday. We’re with you in spirit.

Asian food, Dutch kitchen, American hands

Before we move to the Netherlands and some time after undergrad, I discovered a deep love for food of an Asian tradition. What started in college as occasional sushi nights became monthly outings for us when we moved to Boston. Living in Allston, we were exposed to a wide variety of cuisines and quickly became fans of Thai and the occasional Chinese fare. I even began to make some of the foods at home and still remember with amusement when I was accused of “bringing the wrong food” to a staff potluck where we were supposed to bring native and ethnic dishes. I made rice balls. I suppose I was expected to bring hamburgers.
 
When we moved in to our Maastricht flat, one of the first things we found was a nearby Thai takeout restaurant with pretty decent Pad Thai. The just a couple of months ago we found a sushi joint that serves all-you-can-eat sushi. But it wasn’t until the Asian supermarket opened up this month that I was able to seriously entertain thoughts of cooking Asian dishes again.
 

The new Asian supermarket, Amazing Oriental, is similar to the one we had near us in Boston (Super 88), but without the fish market that always made the store smell a little funky. They do have all my favorite noodles, mochi, and all sorts of strange and interesting snack foods which I hope to continue working my way through. There were also a variety of Indonesian sauces which will be sure to spice up our weekly meals.
 
Dan and I celebrated the opening of the store by purchasing two different varieties of Mochi and red bean paste-filled glutinous rice balls. Mochi is a sweet made from rice flour made into a paste and usually fill with something. It can be terribly sticky and messy, but it is a very fun food to eat. We tried a blueberry jam filled-mochi which were so tasty they didn’t last us a walk back home. We also got to some ice cream mochi which was one of our favorite snacks in Boston. The variety we bought here has a much thicker mochi shell around the ice cream then the brands we were accustomed to in the US. But I guess that means we will just have to keep hunting for the right one.
 

I first had glutinous rice balls made from scratch by a Chinese history teacher in undergrad and at that time had really enjoyed them. So when we found a frozen variety, I decided to introduce Dan to this small, sort of slimy snack. They were very easy to make. Just boil the water, toss in the frozen balls, and simmer until they all float to the top. The results is a soft ball filled with (in this case) red bean paste which is a not too sweet flavor. Dan found them a little bland and added a bit of sugar.
 
The one thing I didn’t find at the Asian grocery store that I was disappointed about is miso, although that may be because I’m not looking for the right words in Dutch. Dan and I used to eat miso soup at home at least once a month. I would make what I called “super” miso soup with extra vegetables, silken tofu, and the mild yellow miso paste. I did find what I think is the red type, but it’s not our preference so I will have to keep looking. Miso soup is just so comforting on a cold, dark winter night.
 
This blog article is dedicated to NaNoWriMo 2009. Please sponsor me and my goal of write 50,000 words by making a donation to the Office of Letters & Light.

Episode 16 of Maastricht Minutiae

Episode 16 of Maastricht Minutiae is ready for your listening pleasure. Its been a couple of real nose to the grindstone kind of weeks. So instead of having a tale of travel to share, we decided to celebrate Sinter Klaas’ arrival in Maastricht with a taste test of traditional holiday sweets. That does mean we recorded the episode on the same computer, so the sound quality is a bit off. Click here to listen to Episode 16 or download it using your favorite podcatcher.
 
 
 
In Episode 16 we talk about:

Dutch Language Class at Maastricht University

NaNoWriMo & other projects

My continued adventures with Dutch Healthcare

The dryer gets fixed! (Finally)

The Sinterklaas Sweets Taste Test

Kruidnoten: Tiny crunchy spice cookies traditionally handed out by Sinter Klaas.

Speculaas Cookies: Spiced cookies with almond slices typically shaped as windmills but also made into holiday shapes this time of year. (Dan’s Favorite)

Marzipan Sinter Klaas: A fondant like candy.

Amandelstaaf: Creamy almond paste baked in a staff with a flaky, butter crust around it like a roll. Sometimes shaped into letters.

Speculaasslofje: An inch-thick speculaas-flavored bread filled with almond paste. (Amanda’s Favorite)

 
Do you have questions or comments for the podcast? Please feel free to e-mail them to me at maastrichtminutiae@gmail.com or fill out the contact me form.
 
This blog article is dedicated to NaNoWriMo 2009. Please sponsor me and my goal of write 50,000 words by making a donation to the Office of Letters & Light.

Pannenkoeken or Pancakes?

“The Dutch invented the pancake you know.” my Dutch acquaintance told me while Dan and I road in the back of his car. I had to admit that I didn’t know nor had I ever considered the origins of one of our favorite breakfast foods. Pancakes conjure up a lazy Fall morning in my parent’s Vermont home with fresh fruit and light arguments about the virtues of real vs. fake maple syrup. We even use to tap maple trees and make our own syrup; a very rural New England activity. I was surprised to find that pancakes are more of a snack or dinner food here in the Netherlands and that they don’t eat them with maple syrup (shock!) but with sugar, fruit, meat, and a myriad of other things.
 
Pancakes: Dutch-Style
The Netherlands most readily boasts two types of pancakes: the thin, wide pannenkoeken and the small, fluffy poffertjes. Pannenkoeken are a bit thicker than crepes, but have a similar appearance and texture. Everything I read says that they are baked, but I haven’t actually made them myself yet. Frequently a pannenkoek (you only need one) will have apple slices or bacon embedded in it; but pretty much any fruit or even cheese can be used. I had one with feta cheese & spinach at one of the ubiquitous pannenkoekenhuis (pancake house) the dot the Netherlands.
 
Poffertjes are probably eaten more frequently as dessert since they appear to be exclusively served with sweet things: powdered sugar, spices, chocolate sauce, etc. These little pancakes are made with a special pan on the stove top. Each has to be muddled and flipped to create the empty space inside that marks a poffertje. The ones I’ve had were sweet and a bit chewy, but certainly filling. I wouldn’t mind picking up a pan so we can make our own.
 
Besides selling pans and grills for making pancakes, you can also buy pre-cooked pancakes and poffertjes. I’ve had the premade pannenkoeken and they are ok, but like most foods they are better fresh. The so-called “American” pancakes give me the giggles. They are easily a half inch thick, way thicker than any pancake I’ve ever made. Actually American-style products here crack me up in general.
 

Apple Pancakes

Pancakes to me also mean my mother’s apple pancakes, thick and fluffy with lots of butter and made in an electronic skillet. We use to eat them for dinner when I was a child. Recently I was trying to find a similar recipe online since I lost my copy of the original. What I found instead was something the Web hailed as the Dutch (or sometimes German) Puffed Apple Pancake. I haven’t seen pancakes like this one in the Netherlands yet, so maybe the German moniker is more accurate. Using the recipe above, the resulting pancake was similar to my childhood food, but not quite right. I usually leave the apple skins on when I make these pancakes, but only if the apples are pretty fresh.
 
Did the Dutch really “invent” the pancake?
I really don’t know if you can say any one group of people invented the pancake. Flat griddle cakes in some form are eaten the world over and were eaten well before distinct groups ever met each other. How hard could it be to come up with a flat and sweet bread with three or four ingredients? Pancakes became an important part pre-Lent food in Europe during the Medieval period, so it make sense that a traditionally Christian country like the Netherlands would have a strong pancake tradition.
 
What’s your favorite way to eat pancakes? Share with us in the Comments.

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