Poached Pears in Red Wine

Fruit as a dessert.  We found ourselves entering into foreign territory with this recipe.  Dessert, for my family, brings about connotations of chocolate cake, candy bars or bowls of ice cream.  Fruit, seeming to be a paltry option, is one for which we heavily scoff - in part, due to the fact that we are sugar addicts and fructose is not nearly as sweet as the things we crave.  But, also, I think even more for me than for my husband, I tend to see dessert as a reward or occasional moment of weakness - in which case, fruit would never dawn on me as being either.  Fruit is the good stuff, the day-to-day food that we eat for health.  Craving it when our horns go up seems like a waste of good badness.  Or bad goodness.  Or, simply, wrong in either context.  But, new countries, new foods, all equates to new things.  Thus, I figured I would add this famous Dutch pseudo-side dish/dessert to our meal one evening.

Pears are a favorite, no matter what is done to them.  Poaching fruit seems to be a relatively easy way of adding a hinted undertone of flavoring to a common item.  And, with no great difficulty, it all turned out as planned.  Simple.  Elegant.  Food.    

Ingredients:
8 stewing pears
1 bottle of red wine
3 cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
1 Tablespoon dark brown sugar
The grated zest of one orange
The grated zest of one lemon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
3 to 4 drops of pink food coloring

Instructions:

1. Carefully peel the pears, leaving the stalks intact. Cut a straight slice off the bottom of the pears so that they can stand upright easily.
2. Tightly pack them into a large pot. They should fit snugly. Pour the wine to the tops of the pears. Add cloves, cinnamon sticks, sugar, zest, nutmeg and food coloring.
3. Bring to the boil and then reduce heat to a gentle simmer for 1 hour, or until soft but not mushy. Remove the poached pears carefully using a spoon -- do not lift by the stalks.

Even though it is still hard for me to classify this as a dessert - despite the better coaxing of Dutch culture - I embrace poached pears with a true belief that maybe someday, with enough repetition in action, I will seek this out in place of its less-healthy counterparts.  Perhaps.  As long as there is no chocolate in our house.

(The original recipe came from this link:  http://dutchfood.about.com/od/dessertssweets/r/PoachedPears.htm)

Draadjesvlees (Traditional Dutch Slow-Braised Beef)

Nothing says good home cookin' like a warm, aromatic pot roast - and, that is essentially what this recipe is!  Sure, the name sounds exotic (Draadjesvlees - how ever the heck you say that) and the cooking time seems daunting (in or around 4 hours); but, truly, I haven't found many meat dishes that are as flavorful or easy to make. 

Don't let the uncommon aspects fool you - juniper berries can be found at most higher-end grocery stores; and, no, you don't have to stand over the stove for the majority of the cooking time.  If you possess a good Dutch oven (can you say Le Creuset?!) or any heavy-bottomed pot, you will only do the labor-intensive part in the beginning when you brown the meat and caramelize the onions.  Aside from those two tasks, the rest of the cooking will merely be a matter of time.  Slow and low gets the job done.  And, you won't believe how tender the meat will become.  Just plan ahead!

Ingredients:

2 lb stewing beef
3.5 Tablespoons butter
Salt & Pepper, to taste
3 large onions, finely chopped

3 1/4 cups beef/chicken stock

1 cinnamon stick

1 teaspoon juniper berries

3 bay leaves

4 cloves

2 Tablespoons vinegar

Instructions:

1. Pat the meat dry with clean kitchen paper and cut into medium chunks. Heat the butter in a large pot (preferably a cast iron one - of course, a Dutch oven would seem appropriate) and brown the meat. Season with salt & pepper. Add the chopped onions and allow to caramelize.
2. Pour the stock into the pot. Now add the spices and vinegar and bring to the boil. Once the stew comes to a boil, reduce the temperature to low, cover the pot with a lid and allow to simmer for at least 3 to 4 hours. Check every so often and add more water if required.
3. The dish is ready when the meat starts to disintegrate into threads and the liquid has reduced down to a thick gravy. Remove bay leaves, cinnamon stick, and whatever cloves and juniper berries you can find. Serve with boiled or mashed potatoes.

The juniper berries and cinnamon add a nice, subtle flavor to the meat without making it seem sweet.  I would definitely consider this to be a warm, cozy comfort food befitting of a winter's night. 


(The original recipe came from this link:  http://dutchfood.about.com/od/mainmeals/r/Draadjesvlees.htm?p=1)

Dutch Pepernoten

Playing it safe, my first Dutch recipe of the month was, of course, a cookie.  What better a way to break into a country's culinary realm than to discover the delectable goodies they consider treats.  Pepernoten, in particular, are apparently a special cookie reserved for the Christmas season.  And, although I am not a person who is very fond of that time of year (bah humbug!), I am also not known to discriminate when it comes to cookies.  After all, aren't they really one of life's simple pleasures?!

So, with simplicity in mind, I found a recipe that seemed pleasing, measured and mixed accordingly, and ended up in the worst possible position - with a dry, crummy mess than showed no life of becoming a dough.  Perhaps because of a typo, perhaps because of blatant inaccuracy, the recipe I had in hand was all wrong.  Not enough liquid substances to add life to the dry goods.  

Not being one to give up (or, rather, being too cheap to throw away perfectly good sugar and spice), I decided to experiment.  I figured it was worth a shot.  So, I did the only thing that made sense - I added a double dose of butter and milk to the recipe.  And, to my delight, it worked.  Though my concoction may or may not be considered a totally authentic recipe, here is what I used to make (semi) Dutch Pepernoten:

Yield: 50 cookies

Ingredients:
About 6 or 7 Tbsp. butter

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1 cup self raising flour
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground aniseed
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Cream the butter and sugar.
3. Mix in all of the spices.
4. Add the flour and milk and mix well.
5. Make very small marble sized balls.
6. Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes, until golden.

Warning to folks who try these: they are VERY addictive! I found myself eating one right after another, almost losing count of how many were entering my mouth. They are hard, spicy cookies (much like gingersnaps) and, because of their smaller size, you can easily assume that you're not doing as much damage as you would with their other cookie cousins. Just watch out. Though they will call your name, you must resist after the third one - otherwise, you will be sorry that you underestimated their filling potential.

(The original recipe came from this link : http://www.recipezaar.com/Dutch-Pepernoten-195547)

The Netherlands

Capital City - Amsterdam (population) ; The Hague (the seat of government)
Currency - Euro
Population - 16,558,674 (as of 2009)
National Language - Dutch
Religion - Only 39% of the nation are said to be religious - of that, a large majority are Protestant (of various denominations), 26% are Roman Catholic, and 5% are Muslim. 
Type of Government - Constitutional Monarchy
Leaders - HM Queen Beatrix (Monarch); Jan Peter Balkenende (Prime Minister)
Country's Motto - "Ik zal handhaven" ("I shall endure")

Geographical Highlights - The Netherlands is located in the northwestern part of Europe.  It is bordered by the North Sea to the north and the west, Belgium to the south and Germany to the east.  The Netherlands is on the western end of the European Plain.  The majority of the country is flat and about 27% of its land lies below sea level.  As such, an intricate system of dikes has been built to keep the water out.

History - Prior to the 16th century, the Netherlands was under the leadership of various foreign rulers including the Romans, the Germanic Franks, the Spanish and the French.  The Dutch declared their independence from Spain in 1581; however, this status was not fully recognized by the Spanish until 1648.  In the 17th century, the Dutch built up a great overseas empire, particularly in Southeast Asia.  From 1795 to 1813, the country was under French rule; but, by 1815, the Netherlands (which then also included Belgium and Luxembourg) became a completely independent kingdom.  In 1830, Belgium broke away to become its own nation; and, by 1890, Luxembourg also followed suit.

The Netherlands remained neutral during World War I.  During World War II, the country was heavily occupied by German troops.  As a result, much of the Dutch fleet escaped and served with the Allied forces.  About 3/4 of the country's jews were murdered and many of the remaining population was forced to work in German factories.

Following the Second World War, the Netherlands saw the need for gaining closer ties with neighboring countries.  As such, it was one of the twelve founding members of NATO and one of the six founding members of what would become the European Union.  The 1960's and 1970's were a time of social and cultural change in the country; and, the lines of traditionalism became blurred by newer ideas concerning the world.  Currently, the Netherlands is regarded as an extremely liberal country due to its tolerance and legalization of drugs, euthanasia and same-sex marriage.

Landmarks -

• The Rijksmuseum, Rembrandt's House, The Van Gogh Museum - Amsterdam is a city that is steeped in art and culture.  From Rembrandt to Van Gogh, there is something for everyone in one of the many art venues associated with the city.
• The Keukenhof - Located in Lisse, it is the place to go to see tulips.
• The Cube Houses - Designed by architect Piet Blom, the Cube Houses are a city landmark located near the Old Harbour in Rotterdam.
• Molen de Valk - Of the 19 windmills that once stood in the city of Leiden, Molen de Valk is the only one that remains.
• The Red Light District - Amsterdam's famous Red Light District (known to the locals as de Walletjes), lies (perhaps literally and figuratively) in the oldest part of the city - definitely a hub for single men and men who are married (though apparently wish not to be).  Not a destination for families.
• The Euromast - Located in Rotterdam, the Euromast is a superfast elevator that takes visitors up to a high platform wherein they can admire a spectacular view of the entire city and surrounding areas.

Interesting Trivia -

• The Netherlands is also called Holland.  The people from The Netherlands are Dutch.
• The term to "go Dutch" or "Dutch treat" is said to have originated in the 17th century when England and the Netherlands were in constant feud over trade routes.  The British, finding the Dutch to be stingy with their wealth, often used the word "Dutch" as a derogatory word.  While the derogatory nature of the term quickly fell out of common usage, Americans did retain the idea of "Dutch treat" when a large number of German (Deutsch) immigrants arrived.  The corruption of Deutsch lead to the terminology of "Pennsylvania Dutch."  As a result, many American lumped the two groups together and collectively used the term for both.  "Going Dutch" refers specifically to splitting the cost of something in the middle in an attempt to avoid unfairness.

Music - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GP2OxBrdHTE&feature=fvw