Month: April 2017

Le restaurant Chinois, by Sem (1863-1934)

Chinese food has become an integrated part of our western culture; regardless whether you like it or not, chances are you have at least tried it.  Most Chinese restaurants today are rather sordid places with stained tablecloths, greasy chairs, cheap chopsticks and chipped tableware. Undoubtedly, there’s something red for good luck, koy fish- alive or drawn-, lampions and lanterns, and Chinese characters, of course. This is the case from London to Antwerp, New York to Amsterdam to Brussels and back. It may sound as a stereotype, which does not mean it is not a true reflection. Stereotypes are “shortcuts” we take in dealing with our complex world; they are a necessary psychological coping mechanism. Yes, they can have positive or negative charges, they can be true or false, with many cultural and social drivers behind them.  Yet, this is “the picture in my head” (A. Lippmann) when it comes to Chinese restaurants.  Read More

Lazy drunken clams

I live in the city of mussels, seriously, it’s not for nothing they came up with the expression “mussels from Brussels”. If you come to visit, you’ll find this prominent dish pretty much everywhere. Every brasserie boasts the best “moules frittes” in town…that’s mussels & fries, by the way. Don’t ask, just go with it. But as much as I love mussels, I do prefer the more subtle clams and their delicate flavor. I rediscovered them at a Portuguese restaurant in a stew of pork, potatoes and clams and since then I’ve been yearning and thinking about cooking them at home. I decided to start with a classic: clams in white wine and garlic, simple and beautiful. This is a dish made to impress and I love that I can end up with something on the fancy side in only 20 minutes- sipping my mandatory glass of wine (cigarette in hand) included. It’s a dish that screams for your best tableware, crystal glasses and white, beautiful linens. Not ashamed to admit, my bourgeois alter-ego does come out once in a while.
Go pay a visit to your fishmonger, chill the wine and relax (by this I mean start cooking). Read More

Southern Indian spicy chickpea and aubergine stew

I learned how to cook Indian food simply because my man loves it and he would, probably, be able to live on it months on end. My fair city of Brussels doesn’t offer many good alternatives; even in my early days of cooking Indian food at home, we always had the feeling that I was doing much better than the restaurants. Little by little, I started embracing it, but not by the way of my taste buds, more by the way of reading and learning about it. I find it fascinating how the food ties into the story of India and how the food itself has been influenced by the religious, political and social changes. I love the rich dishes with lots of yogurt and silky sauces of the north and west and the Mogul cuisine, but I also adore the hot, sharp flavors and spiciness of the south. I like Balti dishes and the blend of different ingredients. The abundance of spices makes me feel great after eating Indian food. This is food that transports you and makes you dream!
I recently read this article about “vegetarian India” which seems to cause quite a debate: if we were to trust it, it seems that about 71% of the population loves their meat. From my European-biased spot, I confess I like both veggie and meat dishes and I don’t really grasp all the deep cultural and social aspects of the debate. I cook and enjoy most variety of Indian dishes, this time we decided to go for a fiery chickpea and aubergine vegetarian stew, from Southern India. It was so flavorful, it combined different textures and tastes, that we couldn’t help for a second serving. We kept the leftovers and had them at dinner the next day as a side next to a simple pork stake on the grill. Sacrilege!, some might say, I simply thought it was pure perfection. Read More

Losing weight: debunking all the lies we tell ourselves

Two weeks ago I shared with you my story and my somewhat oscillating relationship with my weight. I thought I’d feel vulnerable and silly, but I felt empowered by all the feedback I received. Guys, we all have this questions at the backs of our minds, regardless whether we’re a XS, a M or a XL size. We all want to feel good and look good and be happy with ourselves. It is ironic that we’re our biggest enemies in the process of attaining all this, decent number of kilos included.
No more blah blah, let’s debunk together all the lies we tell ourselves. First of all, I would advise you to read this article on nutrition and get an overview on my food philosophy. If you do want to lose weight, you need to approach the change lightly, with an open mind and with an open heart. Not as a challenge, not as a chore, not as a thing you need to conquer. This will set you for failure. You need to think long term, you need to consider your overall energy and mood first and then the number of kilos. But, I’m not gonna be one of these zen-mindful-spiritual people and give you a bunch of bullshit about inner beauty, it is about losing your extra kilos, of course. But please, please!, think of this as a side-effect, not as the end-game alone. One by one, here we go: Read More