Dille & Kamille, Middleburg, The Netherlands

At the Dille & Kamille shops located across the Netherlands and Belgium , you can find a wide selection of things that you might need for your kitchen, garden, bath or young children.

The assortment ranges from bakeware, home canning supplies, cake decorating, assortment of glassware and serving pieces to childrens' toys, craft supplies, gardening equipment, food stuff, cleaning items and things for the bath and body.

The stores carry a wide range of porcelain serving ware, butter dishes and bowls of different sizes...

...glassware and bistro-style dishes. I particularly like the off-white French inspired dinnerware with a blue or red rim that is part of the current collection and perfect on any table, for breakfast, lunch or dinner or just about anytime.

Then there is the huge selection of wooden boards and bowls and the enamel dinnerware, also off-white with a light green rim. A great choice for taking along on a picnic, to the beach or, perhaps, arranging a country-style table setting.

There are muffin and cupcake supplies, including liners of different colors and sizes. Pepper mills of many colors. Wooden cookie molds that are in particular demand around Christmas time to bake those wonderful speculoos cookies that everybody is raving about.

And, of course, scales - maybe a good idea to get one so that you do not have to recalculate the recipes with metric measurements.

Basics and gadgets for yourself or as gifts for the special people in your life. Love the sieves, colanders and salt shakers and in particular the old-fashioned hand-held whisk with a crank.

You cannot overlook the wonderful selection of childrens´ wooden toys,  all natural wood or cotton and safe colors. You are sure to find a lot of things that will make the small people in your life more than happy.

Which aspiring knight can resist those wooden swords or shields and which chef in training would not want these wooden stoves with tiny colorful pots and pans.

There is cotton tea towels and tablecloths of different sizes that are sure to match the dinnerware that the stores carry or make a wonderful addition to your collection.

You can also buy handmade soaps, natural cosmetic and bath products.

Then there the cookbooks, tea, coffee, chocolate, jams, jellies and preserves.

The emphasis at the stores is always on natural materials, especially wood (rooling pins, spoons, speculoos molds, carving boards, shovels and much more, and, in particular, childrens'  toys) or metal (spoons, whisks, racks, moulds, pans).

Dille & Kamille ( "Dill & Chamomile"), are stores in various locations in the Netherlands and in Belgium. And they ship only to these two countries (EShop). The website is designed beautifully and published in Dutch and French.

Please note that the above pictures were taken last week at the Dille & Kamille store in the utterly beautiful City of Middelburg (the capital of the Province of Zeeland) in The Netherlands.

A big "Hartelijk dank" - "Thank You" to the very friendly manager of that store who patiently endured one long photo session in his terrific store!


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Stores in the Netherlands ("Winkels"):
Amersfoort, Arnhem, Breda, Delft, Den Haag, Deventer, Haarlem, Hilversum, Leiden, Middelburg, Rotterdam, Utrecht, Zwolle


Stores in Belgium ("Magasins"):
Aalst, Antwerpen, Brugge, Brussel, Gent, Kortrijk, Roeselare, Turnhout

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Website: http://dille-kamille.nl/start/
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French Fridays with Dorie - Café-Style Grated Carrot Salad

This week´s recipe for the French Friday`s with Dorie group is Café-Style Grated Carrot Salad (“carottes râpées”).

The recipe is nice and simple, with only a few ingredients required. Apart from fresh carrots, of course, the recipe calls for a dressing made of Dijon mustard, honey, cider vinegar, oil, pepper, salt and optional chopped parsley, walnuts and raisins.

I have been making grated carrot salad for years, on a weekly basis, and it is our favorite “raw vegetable” salad. Today I decided to prepare the carrot  salad as a side dish to grilled pork tenderloin with  homemade zucchini chutney and oven-roasted potatoes.

The recipe for the zucchini chutney was developed by one of my favorite cooks, I saw it featured on his cooking show on Wednesday and tried it for the first time today. Wonderful. The carrot salad was a nice side dish to the other dishes and the different tastes harmonized well together. I made sure to use the same apple cider vinegar for the salad and the chutney and used a neutral salad oil (sunflower) - so no one taste overpowered the other.

In summary, Dorie´s Café-Style Grated Carrot Salad is simple, refreshing, healthy and delicious, not only for a hot summer day. It is great picnic fare as well as a wonderful side dish and a winner at our house.



Zucchini Chutney
(recipe translated by yours truly from a German recipe)

Ingredients

300 g zucchini (use a medium sized zucchini, or use more and double or triple the recipe)
1 tbsp ground fennel seeds
2 shallots
1 tbsp olive oil
4 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 small bunch Italian parsley
fine sea salt
freshly ground pepper (to taste)


Preparation

1. wash the zucchini, cut ends off and slice thinly (using a mandolin makes it easy)
2. using a pestle and mortar, grind the fennel seeds
3. peel the shallots, mince finely
4. to a medium sized heavy saucepan (depending on the quantity of zucchini you chose to use), add the olive oil, heat on medium
5. add the zucchini, fennel, sugar and vinegar
6. bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, then simmer uncovered, stirring every once in a while, over medium heat for about 25 minutes or until the zucchini have “broken down” and the chutney has reached the consistency of your choice
7. in the meantime, wash the parsley, dry and mince relatively finely
8. add the parsley to the chutney, cook for additional 3 minutes
9. add salt and pepper to taste



To see how the other Doristas prepared the Café-Style Grated Carrot Salad, please click here.

Herzlichen Glückwunsch zum 100. Geburtstag, Julia! Happy 100th Birthday, Julia!

"Dear Julia,


before we start the celebration on your special day today, let me tell you that although we have never met in person or had our picture taken together and although I was never lucky enough to attend any of your cooking shows or book signings, our paths have crossed in more than one way, and one aspect stands out in particular.



For two years of your wonderful and interesting life, you used to live in the same City that I grew-up in and live in again today with my family!



While I was reading the fabulous book „As Always, Julia: The Letters of Julia Child and Avis DeVoto” (published December, 1, 2010), I came across the following excerpt from the book, it is one of your letters to your friend Avis, dated October 27, 1954:

In 1954, you and your husband Paul moved to what was then the capital of the Federal Republic of Germany, namely Bonn. You lived here for two years. In your letter, you talk about your time in Germany, your struggles with learning the German language and the apartment that you and Paul used to live in. You write that the apartment was located at “Steubenring 3, Apt. 5, Plittersdorfer Aue, Bad Godesberg, Germany”. It was located in an area of Bonn known then as the American sector, it was an apartment complex owned by the HICOG, the “High Commission for Occupied Germany”.

Well, let me tell you, I was quite delighed to see that the housing complex still exists and so does your former apartment.

1952

2012

I took my two youngest daughters to the housing complex, a mere 15 minute drive from our house. When you compare the photograph dated 1952 with the photograph I took today, you will hardly see any difference. Except, today, the people that live in these apartments work mostly for the United Nations. While, obviously, the names have changed on the name plates, the apartments still bear the same numbers - yours was number five, third floor, on the right.

After our little photo session in front of your former apartment, we decided to wander in your footsteps for a brief moment in time and it felt really special! Right around the corner from the apartment complex, there is now the so-called United Nations Campus, then there is the Bonn International School and, of course the Rhine River. In your letters, I read that you really enjoyed your walks along the riverbank. There also used to be an American supermarket and an American Club. And just a few steps away, there is the “Stimson Memorial Chapel”.

Built in 1952 and owned by the American Government until June, 20, 1999, when it was presented as a gift of the United States of America to the City of Bonn...

…by the President at the time, Bill Clinton.

Julia, looking at the house where you used to live in while you stayed in Germany for two years with your husband Paul, and walking through your former neighbourhood, I could not help but wonder about the places where you used to take your walks, do your groceries and how your kitchen used to look like, I guess it was another “very small German kitchen”.

Oh, let me mention one more thing that we share. I was born in August too, just like you, born under the sign of the Leo – now, let´s celebrate and have a slice of the birthday cake that I baked for you, a marzipan cake, shaped like a flower and proudly displayed right in front of your former apartment by two young fans of yours, my two youngest daughters! And although I took the liberty of baking one of my recipes, I am sure that you approve, a German recipe to celebrate your birthday and remember the time that you spent in this country.

Happy 100th Birthday, Julia! - Herzlichen Glückwunsch zu deinem heutigen 100.Geburtstag, Julia!"

Christel Lechner´s Ordinary People Installations Celebrate Everyday Moments - Alltagsmenschen

Detail from "Tischinszenierung - The big Feast"

Art in Public Space

For many years the German artist Christel Lechner has been working on a series of engaging sculptures entitled “Alltagsmenschen - Ordinary People”. The life-size concrete constructions depict normal people partaking in simple activities, from bathing and dancing, sipping a glass of wine and looking at the stars, to having a meal at a restaurant, or hanging out the laundry, to just sitting around at a bus stop or in the park. The statues have been installed as public art  in real world settings at various nondescript outdoor locations. Please see also my post of May 6th, 2012

Christel Lechner is a well-known artist who is based in Witten; she is quite skilled at capturing the unique essence of regular folks  that you might pass on the street. Some critics dismiss the art as irrelevant “kitsch”, but I find the work reflects our human experience, while still being insightful, funny and powerful.

The sculptures blend into their surroundings, they seem to have become an integral part of the Town´s life, such as the "The Big Feast" which was placed in front of a kitchen and interior design store, the "Hog" which was put up in front of a butcher´s shop or "The Sun Worshippers" who are bathing in the sunlight in front of a local Hotel called "Hotel Sonne".

Tischinszenierung - The big Feast

To some visitors Lechner’s statues “brilliantly convey the culture, nuanced aesthetics and idiosyncratic behavior” that one often encounters in Germany. Some of the sculptures even seem to bear a striking resemblance to some people we know.

Following are photos from a recent art installation Lechner created in Rheda-Wiedenbrück, Germany (http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rheda-Wiedenbrueck), a town located in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, founded about 1088. While visiting, you can admire the town´s beautifully renovated half-timber houses or pay a vistit to Rheda Castle.

Fotogruppe - Taking a Picture

Sonnenanbeter – Sun Worshippers

Tischinszenierung – The big Feast

Hamburger Paar – A Couple from Hamburg

Himmelsgucker – Looking at the Stars

Nonnen – Nuns

Waschtag – Laundry Day

Endstation Sehnsucht – A Streetcar Named Desire

Peter mit Heidi & Clara – Peter with Heidi and Clara

Ariadne

Frau mit Hund – Woman with Dog

Bauarbeiter – Construction Workers

Schwein Eberhard und "Wiedenbrücker Original"– Hog Eberhard and "Wiedenbrücker Original"

Grosses Tanzpaar – Large Dancing Couple

Schützenverein – Hunter´s Association

Bavarian Potato Radish Salad and Homemade Soft Pretzel Sticks - Bayrischer Kartoffel-Radieschen-Salat und Laugenstangen

Today I am posting a recipe for a Bavarian Potato and Radish Salad with Veal Sausage (“Bayrischer Kartoffel-Radieschen-Salat mit Weisswurst”).

Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. It is the largest state by area, forming almost  twenty percent of the total land area of Germany. Bavaria is Germany's second most populous state (after North Rhine-Westphalia), with 12.5 million inhabitants. Bavaria's capital and largest city is Munich, the third largest city in Germany, behind Berlin and Hamburg.

This recipe for potato salad, like the recipe for the Styrian Potato Salad that I posted on July 23, 2012, contains no heavy mayonnaise but, as is typical for Bavarian or Austrian potato salads, the cooked potatoes get coated with a warm dressing containing as a main ingredient some homemade veal, beef or vegetable broth.

This salad recipe contains two of my favorite Bavarian ingredients, namely Veal Sausage (“Weisswurst”) and Bavarian Sweet Mustard (“Weisswurstsenf”), a coarse grained sweet mustard that traditionally gets served alongside the boiled, not fried, sausages, together with warm Pretzels or Pretzel Sticks.

I used to order the sausages with the mustard every single time I was in a Bavarian family style restaurant – the waiter would bring four links of sausages in a terrine filled with warm water so that the sausages would not get cold. You would take out one sausage at a time, peel off the skin and try to get as much sweet mustard on each bite as possible. Heaven. By the way, starting at ten o´clock in the morning, Bavarian butcher shop serve this as a “hearty breakfast”.

This recipe combines the two flavors of my beloved sausage and mustard together in a potato salad with an additional crunch from the radishes. Bavarians love to eat radishes too! Overall, I believe that if you like pototo salad, you will find this one to be a deliciously different !

You can pair the potato salad with homemade Pretzel Sticks ("Laugenstangen") or a country style loaf of  bread ("Landbrot").



Bavarian Potato Radish Salad and Soft Pretzel Sticks
(Bayrischer Kartoffel-Radieschen-Salat und Laugenstangen)

Ingredients
(serves four)

1.5 pounds medium boiling potatoes, scrubbed well
2 red onions
4 Bavarian style veal sausage called “Weisswurst” (you can use a different sausage or use none at all)
1 bunch of small red radishes
50 grams ( 3.5 tbsp) unsalted butter
50 ml (1/4 cup) while wine vinegar
150 ml (3/4 cup) (homemade stock, beef or vegetable
1 tbsp Bavarian sweet mustard called “Weisswurstsenf” (you can substitute coarse mustard but then must add some sugar to the vinaigrette)
50 ml (3.5 tbsp) walnut oil (you can substitute sunflower oil or oil of your choice)
Some fine sea salt, freshly ground black pepper
Freshly chopped Italian parsley (you can substitute chives or cress)


Preparation

1. Boil potatoes in salted water until tender when pierced with a paring knife, 20 to 25 minutes (depending on the size of the potatoes).
2. Transfer to a cutting board. Let cool. Peel and then slice thinly and place them in a large bowl.
3. Peel the red onions and mince them rather finely, set aside.
4. Peel the veal sausages and slice them, set aside.
5. Clean and wash the radishes thoroughly and slice thinly, set aside.
6. Heat the butter in a pan. sauté the onions and set aside for a moment. Then fry the sausage slices ever so slightly, be careful not to let them get too dark. Add the onion and sausage to bowl with the potatoes.
7. Add the vinegar and stock to the same pan and add the mustard. Bring to a simmer on medium heat and let simmer for a few minutes, until slightly reduced and thickened. Then while whisking constantly, add the oil in a slow, steady stream.
8. Pour the hot vinaigrette over the potatoes, onions and sausage slices and gently toss with the vinaigrette.
9. Then add some freshly ground pepper and salt to the salad and add the radish slices.
10. Put the potato salad in the fridge for about two hours. After the two hours adjust seasoning if necessary and add some more pepper and salt to taste
11. Just before serving, chop parsley and add to the salad.
11. Put on a serving plate. Serve additional sweet mustard on the side and do not forget to serve some delicious homemade Soft Pretzel Sticks alongside.

Enjoy! – Guten Appetit! - An Guadn!