European memories - Part III

Continuing the memory lane stroll, Amsterdam was one of the final destinations of the tour but not even half way on my European adventure. Amsterdam was essentially the last place where I would be looked after, so I felt it my obligation to let loose like a local and have fun with abandon.

Stroopwafels from convenience store in Amsterdam, The Netherlands

One of my first tasks was to seek out stroopwafels, as highly recommended by a friend. These Dutch biscuits are simply to die for: think cinnamon-spiced caramel smothered between two thin, chewy waffle biscuits. Sweet as all hell but crazy addicitive. I think I ended up with three packs: one for consumption, one I left with a mate in London and one I sent home. I was rather distraught at coming home to be told they'd all been eaten.

Fondue set-up at restaurant in Amsterdam

We also chanced upon a charming little restaurant in the infamous Red Light District, amid coffee shops and sex shops. We went for dinner one night and returned for a fondue lunch the next day. It was probably the single richest meal I've ever had, despite intentions to tone it down with raw vegetables, bread and even a few Grolsch.

Cheese fondue

I remember this fondue selection was 'Napolitana' inspired and so incorporated sun-dried tomato, basil and fetta cheese to the gooey melted cheese fondue - which included gruyere and some other cheese. I think we spent a good few hours with this pot, a couple baskets of bread rolls and a few re-orders of vegetables. Even then I think we barely made a dent in it and we stumbled out richly full and probably not needing dinner.

Cheese, The Netherlands

By this stage we were probably a bit weary of cheese, but this was a sight. Row upon row, shelf upon shelf of hard cheeses aging. We unreluctantly tasted a few but didn't feel the need to purchase a wheel to add to our suitcases.

Dinner in one night in Nice, France

A hop, skip, bus to Paris, Eurostar to and from London, overnight train to San Sebastian and then Barcelona a few days later, I'd made my way - in one piece - to the French Riviera. This particular evening I was keen to escape the tourist life for a little and found relief in an upscale supermarket. I may have spent an indecent amount of time perusing aisles for fun but did come away with half a barbequed chicken, a wedge of brie, a packet of 'roquette', a baguette (of course) and a mini bottle of French sparkling. All of which made for a delightful dinner and lunch baguette the next day too, travelling back to Italy for the next and final four week instalment.

Butter me up

I find it difficult to come up with a favourite food, or even favourite cuisine, because there's so much that I like. I couldn't possibly choose and play favourites but I do have a formidable list of favourite things, most of which are enduring through time and places. For example, chicken nuggets are a long-time guilty pleasure; rocket an incurable obsession; lemon cheesecake (especially from The Cheesecake Shop) an insatiably tempting treat.

Almond shortbread biscuits, often seen in Greek bakeries, is another of these favourite things so I was pretty excited to come across a simple recipe at this blog. The path to happiness is only 15 minutes' cooking time away.

Almond butter biscuit dough

I ignore incredulous looks at the amount of butter I'm using - they are butter biscuits afterall and there will be sharing. It's a really simple recipe so before long it's dough shaping time. I wasn't aiming for perfect uniformity, obviously.

Dough shaped into crescents or horseshoes

Buttery close-up

Into the oven they go while I clean up and get the icing sugar ready, and then a short 15-20 minutes later I have a tray of browned and ready biscuits.

Baked tray

Baked close-up

I taste a piping hot biscuit and burning aside, the biscuits are extremely buttery in taste and feel, crunchily full of almond slivers but veering a little to overly salty. Perhaps the measure of salt with normal salted butter was a little too much. Anyway, I hope that a liberal shower of icing sugar can do the trick. It also acts as a concealer, hiding any imperfections beneath some not so sheer coverage of white powder.

Almond butter biscuits

They look the part and go down nicely with a cup of tea, so long as one doesn't choke on the downpour of icing sugar. But then that's one of my favourite parts of eating these biscuits.

Knuckles and chuckles

I love a good laugh. And considering I laugh at most anything, I don't generally have to go out of my way in search of a giggle or a chuckle. But when presented with opportunity, one has to be laughing mad, or plain scared, to decline.

In The Rocks for the evening, dinner is had at the Lowenbrau Keller - a place where many a drink has been consumed by yours truly, but never a meal, until tonight. It's hard to pass up this 2-for-1 deal from the kind people down at The Rocks, but especially so when I'm heading next door just a bit later.

The mini beer hall is fairly busy for a Monday evening with tourists and locals alike being served by traditional costume-clad girls and guys. Sharing one end of a long table, we're presented with epic-sized laminated menus detailing a drool-worthy range of Bavarian eats. I'd somehow forgotten to have lunch - which is just as well as I had my eye on the pork knuckle.

Schweinshaxn - oven roasted pork knuckle with sauerkraut, Lowenbrau Bier and mashed potato from Lowenbrau Keller,
Argyle Street, The Rocks

I can't help but laugh out aloud when it does arrive because this Midas-touched knuckle is absolutely beastly in size. It dominates the plate and the table really, as all of a sudden I feel eyes shooting in my direction. Substantially larger than my last German sample, I'm more hungry than I am trepidatious so I pick up the appropriately dangerous-looking knife, laugh unremorsefully, then drive the knife through a particularly crunchy, meaty section.

Coincidentally the oompah band has started up its loud antics and any auditory evidence of my attacking a helpless portion of pig is hidden. There are witnesses to knife wielding, multiple stabbing madness later on in the meal, but that is some really crunchy skin. The entire knuckle is wrapped in this salty, crunchy guilty pleasure and not a bit of this impossibly perfect crackling goes to waste.

The meat, on the other hand, is even more bounteous but ranges from dry and hard on the outer bits, to moist and tender on the inside. I manage to skip over a lot of the fatty bits inside, even then only managing a bit more than half of the meat. It's definitely one for the hearty eaters, or two, but great comfort food for the cooler weather as well.

The mashed potato is moreishly smooth and creamy; simply delectable with the gravy whereas the sauerkraut is the perfect partner to the salty crackling skin.

Kassler - chargrilled smoked pork loin with sauerkraut,
Lowenbrau Bier and mashed potato

After some significant menu deducing, my companion opted for the lighter kassler - which also comes in a, not quite as funny, huge serving with mash and sauerkraut. It's a superbly thick slice of smoked pink meat that's strongly reminiscent of ham but juicier and perhaps not quite as savoury. It's enjoyed along with the entertainment of me across the table patiently fighting (or is it boxing?) it out with the knuckle.

When I eventually give up it's a dozen or so cobblestoned steps next door to The Argyle for the Time Out Sydney Comedy Awards in what promised to be a funny kind of booze-fest. Celebrating the best of the recent Sydney Comedy Festival, it was also a fun night picking out the comedians in the packed venue.

With beer and absinthe brands sponsoring and (responsibly) plentifully distributed upon arrival, I spotted Julian Morrow from The Chaser (who was MC-ing the ceremony), Julia Morris, Lawrence Leung, DeAnne Smith, Al Pitcher and the literally unmissable, Reggie Watts.

Reggie Watts performing at the Time Out Sydney Comedy Awards,
The Argyle, Argyle Street, The Rocks

The bouncy Afro-ed Reggie Watts doesn't take out an award but he's the winner of the night's performances with a fun, funny and strangely awe-inspiring act that the crowd loves.

Not too long after the ceremony people disperse; perhaps for the fact of a Monday night event, or perhaps the not-so-funny drying up of the free bar. Either way the clearing out makes for better comedian hunting, which makes a chuckling, giggling, laughing and funny addition to my photo albums.