Bilder & de Clercq's new recipes week 29
As you may know by now, we are the chefs behind Amsterdam hotspot, Bilder & de Clercq. Every week we develop 3 new recipes for the stores and we'll be keeping you updated with the week's newest recipes. This weeks new recipes are:
Baba au Limoncello
Ingredients
100g butter, softened to room temperature
25g fresh yeast or 10g dried yeast
250g flour, sifted
25g sugar
generous pinch of salt
4 eggs
grated zest of 1 lemon
50g melted butter, for greasing
SYRUP
1 liter water
500g sugar
1 cup limoncello
Method
Mix the yeast with 2 tablespoons warm water. Put the flour in a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Add the sugar and salt, 2 eggs and the yeast mixture. Mix with a wooden spoon until the dough is elastic, then add the other egg. Work this in and then add the final egg and work it in. Finally add the softened butter and the lemon zest.
Brush 16 dariole moulds with the melted butter. Divide the dough into 16 small pieces and put a piece into each mould. Leave in a warm place until the dough has risen to fill the moulds. Preheat the oven to 200°C and then bake them for 15-20 minutes. Turn the babas out immediately onto a rack and allow to cool completely.
Prepare the syrup by boiling together the water and sugar. Add the limoncello. Dip each baba into the boiling syrup and leave submerged until no more air bubbles are released. Drain and place on a cake rack resting over a dish. As the limoncello syrup collects in this dish, repeatedly spoon it over the babas to keep them very moist.
We, the Amsterdam Flavours chefs, hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do. If you have any questions on how to prepare it or just want to send us your feedback, you can reach us here Contact Amsterdam Flavours
Uashmama bags
UASHMAMA washable paper looks and feels like leather but washes with ease. The bags are soft yet resilient, where the manufacturing process is similar to leather, the paper is stretched and tanned making it durable to withstand washing and daily use.
Le Sorelle 'The Sisters' is a small family run company based in Montecatini just outside the walls of Lucca. Once a popular tourist destination, Montecatini has struggled in the last decade being bypassed for more promoted areas. The village now thrives again with the growth of UASHMAMA, who employ a large group of local men and women to sew from home the paper bag you buy today.
The paper bags and other products are all sewn in a cottage in Tuscany, so they are proud to call themselves a cottage industry. The more sophisticated designs and products are produced in Florence by manufacturers who also produce for the fashion elite.
The project UASHMAMA combines functionality, tradition and innovation. Paper, leather and fabric are all part of this project.
UASHMAMA washable paper is made using a virgin fibre through cultivation and not deforestation. Paper that washes like fabric holding it’s form so it can be used over and over again promoting sustainability perfect for catering and homewares.
UASHMAMA bags are available at Moes & Griet.
Hotel Okura Amsterdam
Hotel Okura Amsterdam
Experience true hospitality
Hotel Okura Amsterdam is one of the finest five-star luxury hotels that you will find in The Netherlands and exclusive member of ‘The Leading Hotels of the World’. It is conveniently located in proximity of Schiphol International Airport as well as major tourist attractions. With 300 comfortable rooms, including the largest (485m2) and most luxurious suite of the Benelux Countries, the hotel offers unrivalled high-class accommodation facilities.
Ciel Bleu Restaurant
Ciel Bleu Restaurant on the 23rd floor of Hotel Okura Amsterdam is a unique destination in many ways. The spectacular view of Amsterdam is the perfect opportunity to see the city from another perspective. Forget today’s buzz and let the chef surprise you with his creations combined with extraordinary wines. Desires of international guests are the basis of Chef Onno Kokmeijer’s inspiration. He is constantly looking for the best ingredients and innovative methods of preparation. Sommelier Noël Vanwittenbergh persuades you with his knowledge of wine and surprises you with the most special and exclusive wines. The ultimate Ciel Bleu experience involves exceeding your expectations, not just with regard to food, but also with regard to service. The restaurant team cooperate flawlessly and everybody exudes a sense of fun at work. They will make sure you are comfortable and relaxed. The service is anything but formal and the interaction with guests is light-hearted and lively. The team aims to surprise you with personality, involvement and expertise.
Serre Restaurant – Inspired by Ciel Bleu
At the ground floor of Hotel Okura Amsterdam you will find an international restaurant offering a menu inspired by that of Ciel Bleu, Okura’s two-star restaurant. At Serre Restaurant, classic culinary creations are transformed into somewhat simpler dishes without loosing their essence. All day long, the most delicious food is served, from a broad selection of lunch options and specialties from all corners of the world, to gastronomic snacks and extensive dinners. In summer, you can also enjoy Serre’s delicacies on the spacious terrace on the Amstel Canal. Michelin awarded the restaurant a Bib Gourmand for its outstanding quality for moderate prices.
Yamazato Restaurant
On the ground floor of Hotel Okura Amsterdam you will find Okura’s traditional Japanese Yamazato Restaurant, a famous place for enjoying the authentic haute cuisine of Japan, kaiseki ryōri. Yamazato is renowned for its menu, which boasts more than fifty specialities, and its traditional Japanese ambiance. The 15th and 16th-century Sukiya style decor, the exquisite Japanese hospitality and the view of the Japanese garden complement the culinary arts of Executive Chef Masanori Tomikawa to perfection. Yamazato received a Michelin star in 2002 and was the first traditional Japanese restaurant to be awarded one Michelin star in Europe.
Teppanyaki Restaurant Sazanka
Experience the ancient traditions and contemporary tastes of Japanese cuisine in Teppanyaki Restaurant Sazanka. Chef Masashi Nonaka and his team will prepare the most delicious fish, meat and vegetarian dishes on a hot iron griddle at your table: à la minute cooking with Japanese precision. The contemporary Japanese interior, inspired by the elements of stone, wood, water and fire, is an oasis of tranquillity. The teppanyaki griddles are large enough for seven to ten guests and are ideal for both business and celebratory dinners.
Le Camelia
Breakfast is the most important meal. Le Camelia provides the best breakfast experience in line with Okura’s culinary reputation. The buffet selection offers an extensive variety of cereals, seeds, fruits and vegetables and many organic and healthy suggestions. The seasonal buffet is prepared with a mix of European and Asian ingredients. Le Camelia can also be rented as a private restaurant, ideal for festive celebrations and events.
Taste of Okura
Would you like to learn how to cook like a Michelin starred chef? You’ll find the perfect kitchen to do this in Hotel Okura Amsterdam. At the culinary center ‘Taste of Okura’, Okura’s chefs show how to prepare their dishes. As a result of the culinary diversity within Hotel Okura Amsterdam, there’s a variety of workshop you can choose from. In addition to a kitchen, the culinary center also has a wine room where wine and sake tastings are organized. Okura’s sommeliers help you developing a discerning taste in wine, show you how to distinguish between different grape sorts and the varieties of flavor from continent to continent and tell you all about the origin and the rituals that are associated with drinking sake. The workshops of Taste of Okura can be enjoyed individually, as a group or for business occasions.
Lobby Bar
Lobby Bar is a charming bar with a delightfully informal ambiance that makes it the perfect place to meet friends and business guests for a cup of coffee, or a drink and a snack. There are no fewer than 60 delectable cocktails to choose from. The Art Deco design style from the 1920's played an important role in the design of this bar. Typical characteristics of this style, like clean geometric lines, can be found in the carpet and armchairs.
Twenty Third Bar
Twenty Third owes its name to its location, which offers an unparalleled view over virtually all of Amsterdam. In this stylish bar on the 23rd floor of Hotel Okura Amsterdam a wide range of cocktails is served. The drinks list offers an extensive selection of wines as well as 17 different champagnes, six of which are also available per glass. All drinks were selected especially for Twenty Third by sommelier Noël Vanwittenbergh and bar manager Marc Wüst. In addition to this great variety of drinks the bar offers, various delicacies which are prepared in the adjoining Ciel Bleu Restaurant which has been awarded two Michelin stars.
For more information, visit hotelokuraamsterdam, or call +31 20 6787491.
The College Hotel
Experience the art of food
Gastronomy enthusiasts will feel right at home in the restaurant of The College Hotel. Chef Nick Schouten and his team present a cuisine with an international touch, but which originates in the Dutch kitchen.
Chef Nick Schouten makes subtle use of new techniques, but only complementary. His love for the trade, eye for presentation and use of fair and fresh products ensure a high level of cuisine. The elongated open kitchen makes lunch and dinner at The College Hotel all the more enjoyable. You can see the kitchen crew work at all times.
The College Restaurant is also perfect for a delicious lunch. Are you having a business meeting? You and your business partners will definitely be pleasantly surprised by The College Power Lunch. This 3-course lunch gives you a small taste of our delicious dishes from the dinner menu. And for the ladies we have Lady Lunch consisting of a selection of appetizers, a tasty main course and a sweet dessert tasting. All while enjoying a glass of quality wine per person. Upon departure you will receive a ladylike giveaway gift.
For more information, visit thecollegehotel, or call +31 20 5711511.
Crop Lettuce
A summer salad tastes best when fresh lettuce used. And crop lettuce is always fresh! Unlike other vegetables, crop lettuce cannot be frozen, dried or preserved. It is best to buy the lettuce as a full head and not to cut it too small; by tearing and cutting the leaves, nutrients are lost. Crop lettuce is available throughout the year in the Netherlands; in the summer from the open fields and the rest of the year from the greenhouse. This lettuce is traditionally grown and harvested by hand.
High in fiber, vitamins, iron and water and low in calories, crop lettuce is a healthy choice. There are different types of crop lettuce. Butter lettuce is perhaps the most well known; a variety that owes its name to it's delicious, mild flavour. Other types of crop lettuce include oak leaf lettuce, Lollo Biondo and Lollo Rosso (red variety).
Crop lettuce is a good basis for a quick and easy lunch or meal; just pick the leaves of the crop, possibly adding a dressing and some other ingredients and you're done, If the leaves becoming a bit limp don't throw them away. Put the leaves briefly in a bowl of water with ice cubes to refresh them and bring them back to life. The lettuce can also be used in warm dishes, for example through potato puree or to make lettuce soup.
Chard
Chard is a leafy green vegetable often used in Mediterranean cooking. In some, the leaf stalks are large and are often prepared separately from the leaf blade. The leaf blade can be green or reddish in colour; the leaf stalks also vary in colour, usually white, yellow, or red. Chard has been bred to have highly nutritious leaves and is considered to be one of the most healthful vegetables available, making it a popular addition to healthy diets (like other green leafy vegetables). Chard has been around for centuries, but because of its similarity to beets and some other vegetables such as cardoon, the common names used by cooks over the centuries can be quite confusing.
The word "Swiss" was used to distinguish chard from French spinach varieties by 19th century seed catalogue publishers. Chard is very popular among Mediterranean cooks. The first varieties have been traced back to Sicily.
Fresh young chard can be used raw in salads. Mature chard leaves and stalks are typically cooked or sauteed; their bitterness fades with cooking, leaving a refined flavour which is more delicate than that of cooked spinach.
Ravioli with ricotta, mint and peas
Ingredients
16 pea, mint and ricotta ravioli
125 g ricotta
1 lemon
200 g fresh or frozen peas
1 container pea cress or 50 g rocket
grated Parmesan, to finish
Method
Bring a pot of salted water to the boil.
Place the ricotta in a bowl. Grate the zest from half the lemon over the ricotta. Mix together along with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Place the ravioli and peas in the pot of boiling water and cook gently for about 2-3 minutes. Drain off the ravioli and peas and return to the pot.
Mix the ravioli and peas gently together with 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt and pepper. Divide between 2 plates. Spoon the lemon-ricotta on top. Finish with the pea cress or rocket, a drizzle of olive oil and a grating of Parmesan.
We, the Amsterdam Flavours chefs, hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do. If you have any questions on how to prepare it or just want to send us your feedback, you can reach us here Contact Amsterdam Flavours
Bilder & de Clercq's new recipes week 28
As you may know by now, we are the chefs behind Amsterdam hotspot, Bilder & de Clercq. Every week we develop 3 new recipes for the stores and we'll be keeping you updated with the week's newest recipes. This weeks new recipes are:
Brandrood Cheese
Brandrood cattle are an old Dutch breed. The cattle is farmed on the Kernhem estate in Ede.
All milk produced by these magnificent animals is turned into cheese. It produces a hard cheese weighing 11 - 18kg and aged for at least 6 months under special conditions.
Brandrood are real, pure cows, characteristics that are also found in the cheese they produce. It is an original cheese with a natural rind and a pronounced soft nutty flavour with a lasting after taste.
This cheese available from Lindenhoff.
For more information please visit Brandrood kaas.