A walk though Amsterdam and the food along the way

Posted by petra08 on June 22, 2014 · 6 Comments 

In a previous life I went to The Netherlands pretty much all the time for business. I could most likely have operated blind folded around Schiphol airport! I did spend a few weekends there, Amsterdam is a great destination but I haven’t been for a few years now. I went back for a conference and the only flight possible due to timing took me there a day ahead.

I could not have picked a better day to go there, the sun was shining and it was a beautiful day. Even better was that I managed to meet up with a fellow foodie blogger, the lovely Mel from ediblethings! It was funny as we had never meet before and she gave me the brilliant description that she would arrive with her bike and have an orange bag. If you have ever been in the Netherlands this particular combination is quite commonly used! It made me laugh but we managed to find each other without any problems. We went for a walk to find a place for lunch, I was so happy to meet her and that she had the time, especially as I found out during our lunch that she was swamped with work and was due to be off the following morning to New Zealand! Mel, it was so great to meet you! have a look at her blog, it is funny and full of lovely recipes! This was a while back and she is now back.

 

 

Some streets I had been to before and I would even burst out in something like “isn’t there a bar here somewhere” and usually I was right. There were many places I had’t seen before and we went past a deli that had some delicious smells coming from it! We walked past quirky and interesting shops, like this one, a chocolate and shoe lovers dream perhaps?

 

 

We stopped and had lunch in a cafe, the sunshine was warm and it was a perfect spot for talking about food, blogging, life, work and of course, holidays! I had a feta cheese salad, it was just the right size for a light lunch and of course served with some excellent bread.

 

 

 

When I first moved to the UK I used to be fascinated by the amount of pre sliced white bread, some of it sold in plastic bags decorated with images of beans. I had never before come across beans on toast. There was other bread but not as many darker breads available and you can taste the love in the bread that the Dutch have as it is great pretty much everywhere.

 

We talked non stop through lunch and we had such a good time, well, I had(!) and before I knew it, sadly it was time for Mel to head back. I hope I will see her again!

During the years of travel I meet a friend who lives near the lovely town of Utrecht. I had a meeting and the guy brought a friend of his and we had a lovely evening. We hit it off straight away and sadly none of us are still in touch with the guy but we are good friends. You get to know your friends and I knew that a visit to the deli I passed beforehand would come in handy. I sadly didn’t register the name of the shop but it was beautiful and the guys so great. They had lots of deli meats and cheese, delicious looking wines and some ready meals. I said I was visiting a friend and I wanted to cook for her but I needed something simple. They had the perfect answer, pasta and bolognese, pre-cooked and frozen, it would de frost on my way there and all you do it place the bags in boiling water for 5 minutes and it is done!  I got a couple of bottles of wine, some cold cut meats and a block of parmesan and went on my way!

 

The shop

 

 

 

Before I left I passed a shop that made me smile. There is no Amsterdam without some smutt and I am sure this is a cake tin that we will never see in the Great British Bake off! I just had to take a pic!

 

 

The spag bol went down a treat!

 

For dessert I was surprised when my friends daughter made absolutely delicious apple bakes! She had created the recipe based on a pastry she had eaten when travelling! How clever!

 

 

We got through both bottles of wine and realized it was more than three years since we last meet and there was plenty to catch up on. It was such a great evening!

 

The following morning I headed to the conference and along the way I picked up a sandwich for breakfast to eat some more of that nice bread!

 

 

Amsterdam is a lovely place and I didn’t realized until I went there how much I had actually missed it!

 

Filed under Travel · Tagged with Amsterdam, apple bake, chocolate shoes, Spagetti Bolognese, The Neterlands