I went to the Netherlands and i came back with Snert!
Sep 25
Here is my homage to my recent work trip to the Netherlands. I was there to promote my latest book (Virgin to Veteran published by Good Cook). I’ve been lucky in the past to win some London UK England Travel Deals from the many contests I partake, but this time, I had to go to Netherlands to promote the book. I had three days enjoying myself, talking to and cooking for journalists and the public. I also ran a master class at Oldenhof- a glorious cookshop which has a beautiful demo kitchen. They had some amazing gear including the most incredible €1,400 euro Kai Shi Hou Santoku knife. It was a thing of beauty, definitely one to google!
After Oldenhof, I took a short detour (it took ages, there was loads of traffic) to Antwerp, Brussels followed by the Hague, where I demonstrated in two more beautiful cookshops. On the last day I did a demonstration in a supermarket, in Amsterdam, which has the wonderful philosophy of stocking all the usual brands but sourcing the meat, fish, veg and cheese etc. locally! Take note UK!
Throughout this time I asked everyone I met “what is the Dutch national dish, please”. There were three answers. 1. Big meatballs, 2. Mashed potato and mashed vegetables, 3. Snert, a split pea soup. I chose to try and recreate the third dish, one that many Dutch people enjoy in the winter whilst ice-skating. It is a one-pot wonder and is ridiculously nutritious, delicious and warming. Just to warn you, I don’t think anyone could make this dish look “sexy”. It is what it is-big, bold and satisfying!