Last night French Boy and I decided to eat out. It’s a rare decision for a Monday night, but I hadn’t made it to the grocery store during the day as I had planned (note: I didn’t MAKE the time to GO to the grocery store) and we had no food to speak of in this little boat of ours.

So off we went, with no plan in mind of where to go.

We ended up at the only Indonesian restaurant that we truly love here in Amsterdam. Dining in this restaurant is a rarity on any given night because usually it’s too packed and we are too spontaneous to make a reservation so we just don’t go. But last night, it was just nicely packed which means we didn’t have to wait too long for a table. So we went to the bar and ordered some wine, and then in no time, our table was ready.

But I’m not writing all this to tell you about the restaurant, or what we drank, or what we ate. I’m writing to tell you how this place makes me feel. And the only word that I can find that comes close to the feeling is ‘home’.

However. I’ve never lived in Indonesia. I don’t speak Indonesian, and let’s be honest, my skin is almost as white as it can come, with a splattering of freckles to boot.

So how is it that the moment I open the door to this bustling dining hall, I feel ‘home’? Well, this is my theory…

(Click here to read more…)

For the past week or so I’ve been traveling back and forth from a gorgeous studio in Bilthoven, here in The Netherlands. Each morning and each night on the trains home I see the most beautiful scenery – lambs playing, cows grazing, horses galloping… all amongst lovely old dutch farmhouses, and the greenest grass. It’s a wonderful way to arrive to work and a wonderful way to leave. I haven’t had a chance to take photos of the town which is so picturesque, and unfortunately tomorrow is my last day on the shoot. So I will take my camera in the hope to catch a moment here and there to show you around. I’ve really enjoyed this shoot and the team I’m working with, and hope to work with them again. It’s a bit of a way to travel everyday, but it’s been such a pleasure! Here are some photos I’ve captured while on the train thus far…

gorgeous, non?

xx

PS oops I nearly left out this one…

I just got home.

French Boy is cooking bolognaise.

And I snapped these photos outside the window of le petit bateau.

xx

I just felt like shouting that from the (blog)house rooftop.

So here it is, the full spread from my last shoot with Maria magazine. And I am very sad to say it will be our last shoot with the magazine as it recently announced that it will no longer be published, like so many others. I loved working with Yvette (recipe writer + food stylist) and Jeroen (photographer), and I would really like to keep working with them as we make a great team. So, if anyone out there needs a fab food production team, please email me. Yvette and I have a number of awesome stories suitable for international publication that we are itching to produce, and if you’d like to see our previous work please click here, here, here and here.

This shoot, as Yvette mentioned in her post in the (blog)house kitchen, was shot at her mother’s beautiful home. I had just arrived back from sunny Sydney and had developed an horrific flu. I was barely able to walk, it was the middle of winter here, and I needed to create a Springy atmosphere! in the freezing cold! The pressure was on… but I made it through the day! with thanks to Yvette and Ms. v. Boven helping me through with plenty of hot cups of herbal tea while I stood outside with Jeroen “creating Spring”. By the end of the day I flopped onto the couch while Yvette and her mum cleaned up. I felt so guilty for not helping! But I was in no shape to do so and they wouldn’t let me. Bless their little cotton socks!

Here is what we produced, I do hope you like…

I will tell you more about the menu and the story of the shoot next week, with some behind the scenes.
For now, I give you these, and two of the recipes in English, posted in the (blog)house kitchen with many thanks to Yvette.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone! I am going to indulge in a computer-free weekend myself, which I will be sure to tell you all about next week. I will also be gorging on chocolate, but what’s new! Lately it’s with no thanks to Green & Black’s making the most delicious easter eggs ever.

See you back here on Tuesday, mes chers amis!

xx

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Lente Ladies Lunch courtesy of Maria magazine.
photographs by Jeroen van der Spek.
food styling and recipes by Yvette van Boven.
styling by Pia Jane Bijkerk.