Food, Fairs, and Festivals

Four months later... a comeback! With a big delay, the reasons of which I will explain further down, here I am again. Been curious what have I been doing all this time and did not manage to drop one single line? Well, as I have mentioned in my introductory post, I will not be always writing non-stop just for the sake of writing; I'd rather pull back for some time to collect new material and experiences worthy to write about. Should we wish to progress and produce in life, constant studying of one's own subject is essential, not only on a professional level but when it comes to a hobby, too. And this is what I did. I went for some exploration and dived into other people's kitchens, cuisines, cultures, and ideas.

Somewhere mid-May, as planned by my friend Jindra, who also believes in bringing people together, in various ways, I followed a workshop from Michiel de Vlieger, a Dutch chef, not really knowing what to expect, since there was no particular theme and I would not say I am fond of the Dutch cuisine as such. As with most unknown things, however, I was pleasantly surprised and the results of the evening were delicious from first course to dessert. Nothing fancy - and this was not the purpose - but most satisfying! As for me, finally the time had come I prepared something with rhubarb, this plant I have been curious about for too long. And since then, I have not under- or overcooked a single piece of meat, I just learned how is done from a pro - once and for all. That was the exact point when I realised why live attendance and presence will always be better than reading a recipe or watching a cooking show: true experience is only shared on action, often in the most simple way. As for the tip of the day, it never gets too old and too boring: only use the best products available, look for fresh, pure ingredients and seek for tasteful combinations of what you might have; you will be surprised how a good piece of meat or fresh fish or a nice vegetable can transform a whole meal. For example, on that evening we did manage to create a very tasty risotto while missing cheese, one of the most basic ingredients, and did not actually notice because of clever combinations and good use of the rest of the ingredients.

The second most important thing I learned that day is that knowledge only attracts knowledge, the more interest you show the more things will come up, in short seek and you will find - perhaps not what you were looking for but something better! In my case, I heard about a pure ingredients market organised by that same chef together with other interested participants and, of course, I paid a long visit. It was a small revelation: a lot of the fresh ingredients of top quality we had talked about during the workshop were there to get, while I also found other shops, producers and products I had never heard about or did not yet have the chance to spot and try. Nothing could beat my risotto of that evening, when I returned from the Nice&Pure Market (mooipuur was the name), where I used the most fresh vegetables, rare perfumed oil and hand picked mushrooms of varieties I had never tasted before (I did not know up to then that there is a sort of mushroom that gives more of an anise flavour than the usual earthy one). The pink coloured mustard I bought from there compliments meat incredibly well, lavender sausage sounded weird but tasted heavenly, while I cannot stop admiring the range of tastes, from sweet to fiery hot, various sorts of peppers can have.

Happy as I was already with my discoveries, one week after that I went to a Beer Festival - because drinks are not to be neglected when we are talking food. Again, I did not know what to expect, apart from a lot of drinking, while I was sure I would discover some brands I had never heard about coming from the always unstoppable beer industry. This is what happened indeed. But on top of it, for the first time I got to taste how harmoniously various sorts of beer combine with Indonesian cuisine. This really came as a surprise, because I understood within seconds how much difference a small variation in the ingredients of the beer can have, in combination with the endless variety of herbs and spices that the Indonesian cuisine uses, for example. This is of course not limited to the specific dishes or cuisine I tasted there, during a 45-minute workshop, but it did open my eyes regarding the ways one can use every little single tool available to accentuate or soften a taste and sensation.

Moreover, as I have already said above, not only have I learned something new but this tasting gave me the push to visit yet another festival the following day, this time fully dedicated to Indonesia, not only to the cuisine but to other products, places to visit, music, history, and all things cultural. The colours and smells from that day follow me until today and, since the previous day workshop was what intrigued me to visit this fair in the first place, I had to attend a food-related workshop: Nyonya Kitchen with Florence Tan, one of the most famous chefs in Malaysia - and I understood why! Once more, I went home with the taste of two more beautiful recipes to master. But, more striking than everything that evening, was the humility and smile with which the chef and her crew presented everything, overcoming any obstacles appearing because of the difference in cultures between the audience and them. I didn't stop smiling, then and now, while I am writing this. Love and care shows. Simple as that.

Next in this row of workshops, some days later, was one given by a Japanese chef and the theme was, of course, Sushi! I would have never missed it, since I was curious to see what kinds of techniques are hiding behind those little deceivingly simple-looking pieces of deliciousness. Well, yes, as I had suspected, I can now tell that the secrets of good sushi and the possible combinations are perhaps more than all those grains of rice together. I could only learn the basics during an one-evening workshop but even those first results amazed all us participants with the explosion of tastes we experienced with every bite. What made things even better and contributed to the success of the evening, was the professionalism and attitude of the chef and her assistant, who were obviously very well prepared beforehand and were so kind to also offer us memorabilia from that evening. Even if this has nothing to do with the final product, it does make a difference on how the total is perceived. I have said it again in the past and I sure am convinced about it: food is an experience as such, which should not be neglected. The best meal can become terrible because of the surroundings and even a medium food (I cannot claim that our newbies-made sushi was the best the world has seen) can move scales up when the attitude is correct - and yes, we all remember our dishes of that evening as incredibly delicious.

Mentally being in that side of the world already for days, following these experiences with Asian cuisines, I visited another fair, a week later, which was all about Malaysian food. I was not disappointed. Friendly people, happy faces, and tastes closer or further to my palate gave colour and smell to an already sunny day. What did I learn? Something I already knew: food brings people together, no matter the origins, as long as one is willing to see and hear what lies behind it - because the story never ends in the plate, it rather starts there, if you ask me. Talking with the people behind the stalls, I collected little pearls of their culture, even through a few sentences we exchanged. What else could I ask for? Oh yes, you can see the beautiful examples hereunder:

  

The next day was the turn of Taste of Amsterdam, a culinary festival held in the famous Amstelpark, where dozens of local restaurants and producers participated. Need I say more? I was like a kid in an amusement park but instead of cotton candy I was enjoying fine drinks, gourmet dishes, and rare products, the participants trying their best to impress. They actually did, since I returned home with a load of little treasures I was cherishing for many days to come! And most importantly, I obtained a better image of the local food community, as well as a point of reference for other similar culinary festivals I was planning to visit the following weeks, summer being always the season for this.

Indeed, within about a month from that festival, I visited another two, in neighbouring cities, hoping I would discover more unknown sides of the culinary scene of the area. Well, the Taste of Amsterdam had made me have great expectations up to which the other festivals didn't live. Truth be told, smaller cities offer smaller variety, therefore I tried to be fair, and I appreciated the setting and some really refined tastes and presentations (see, for example, the picture of mango and cucumber coulis served with caviar), but I was now in a position to judge if something is overpriced or if the owners and organisers did not take note of the wishes and needs of the audience they were trying to attract. And if you think that I wasted my hours doing this without really knowing what the results of each little expedition of mine would be, I assure you that the knowledge I accumulated, not only on food but, among other, people, places, cultures, entrepreneurship, attitudes, is much more precious and lasting. I was squeezing my brains to imagine what a "Strawberry Party" I was invited to could involve, thinking that a fruit-themed evening sort of limits the choices when it comes to food, but I would never manage to imagine recipes and tastes such as of strawberry and tomato soup, croquettes filled with rice and strawberry sauce, strawberry mojitos and so many more impressive red-pinkish dishes and drinks that were eventually presented. And this is how one discovers what is out there, beyond the limitations of one's own mind and ideas. All these fruity miracles served together with fruitful discussions, make this food culture worthy and rewarding in the end. I work a good more than 40 hours per week, I well exceed the typical 9 to 5, and I never stop running behind, from one obligation to the other. Yet, I do not consider one minute or one cent spent for such experiences as wasted. On the contrary, I believe that the value multiplies in time, if one assumes we can put a price at all to knowledge, well-being, personal development, joy and satisfaction.


I am curious to hear what other people do when it comes to enjoying and growing, work-wise, personally, or just for a hobby. And I really wish each and every one of us experiences fulfilling and tasteful moments. Feel free to share your ideas and experiences, so that eventually we all learn from one another! Myself, I promise I will be back sooner this time, perhaps with a recipe or two from all these beautiful events I attended. Stick around!