Abroad... guess where ?

Ok. This blog is supposed to be about Dutch things - with a bit of Brazilian flavour now and then... But I think you will love when I also post here about some of my occasional travels abroad.

 Can anyone guess where I am going to be soon blogging about ? I could speak the local language there (it was not Portuguese) and even understand the local dialect, re-discover the modern part of the city with a bike on the river bed which was transformed into a huge park (the city is pretty flat), wear fewer clothes than in Holland and eat a lot of flavoured rice (whoaah ! now it has become too easy.)

See you on the next entry !

Aaah... Dutch Appetizers !

If you are a foreigner who just arrived in the NL and may have wondered what to serve during a party or what to expect from Dutch hosts, then this post is for you ! Well, to make a long story short: the dessert (pie) will be served first, even if is not a child's party. Then expect cubes of cheese, some raw veggies... that's it (the Dutch are a practical folk). Oh, some appetizers may cause a bit of confusion/surprise, like the ones listed below:

Worst: slices of huge soft sausages. Oddly, they call it in the short form: worstjes.

Salade: no, it is not made of lettuce and/or veggies. The basis is mashed potatoes and mayo. The main ingredient which gives the name to the "salad" (salmon salad, chicken salad, shrimp salad, egg salad, sausage salad...) ammounts to only 25% or less - plus lots of crazy letters starting with E followed by three letter codes. The salade is served topping slices of  bread or crackers.

Filet Americain: or "Steak tartare". The main ingredient is made of chopped, ground and then seasoned American expats who misbehaved while living in Holland. Served raw on crackers. It has caused outbreaks of Shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli O157- infections in the Netherlands since 2005.

Eet smakelijk !