For lunch we picked up a Sharkey’s Fiesta Burrito (Steak) for $13.89 per serve.
Dinner
A recipe we’d liked before – Greek Drunken Pork Stew -definitely feels like a cultural mashup when served with Rice and Beans!
The pork was $8.99 or $4.50 per serve
Red wine adds 50c or 25c per serve
Tomato juice add 33c per serve
Add 60c for the other ingredients
Brown rice adds 33c per serve
Pinto beans are 50c per serve.
After a four hour cook, the pork is incredibly tender and the sauce has reduced to an intensely flavorsome liquid, balanced with Rice and Beans for $6.51 per serve.
It seems like an IBC tradition that one or other of us picks up a bug on the flight back. This time it was Foodie Greg’s turn to feel under the weather, so it was logical we’d have Côte d’Azur Cure-All Soup, for lunch with a crusty panini.
The recipe makes six serves.
Six pastured brown eggs are $3.06 or 51c per serve
A whole head of garlic went into the soup: 50c or 8c per serve
Organic chicken bone broth was $3.99 or 75c per serve
Parmesan cost $5.49 and we used it all, or 92c per serve.
Add 40c for herbs, oil and seasonings
The panini roll is 63c.
As a medicine this is delicious. As a soup it’s got a heady garlic aroma, cheesy saltiness from the Parmesan and a creamy texture from the eggs. It almost makes being sick worthwhile, for $3.29 per serve.
Dinner
Thursday night steak night with a NY Strip Steak from our Keller Crafted meat box. Grilled outside by first rending the fat (and getting a good smoke going) and then grilling to rare and served with a bed of Spinach topped with Blue Cheese, Rosemary Almonds and Pomegranate Seeds.
At 10 oz the NY Strip is $8.22 per serve
Rosemary Almonds are $5.99 for the packet and we used about half, or $1.50 per serve
Organic Spinach was $1.99 and we used about ¼ or 25c per serve
Pomegranate Seeds were $4.49 and we used half, or $1.12 per serve
Crumbled Blue Cheese was $3.49 and we used ¼ or 44c per serve.
A great steak perfectly cooked and served with an interesting and tasty salad is hard to beat, for $11.53 per serve.
Today we decided to collect a Bahn Mi from Pho Saigon 1, because we don’t need an excuse! $9.27 per serve with tax and tip.
Dinner
Tonight was our month User Group meeting and we had a hot dog during the meeting time, courtesy of a friend, and contributed $10 to pizza costs afterward.
Today was a travel day as the Foodies returned from Amsterdam, making it a very, very long day, so I included Breakfast although we ate it at close to midday at Amsterdam Bakery within the secure zone of Schiphol Airport where we shared a Sausage Roll and each had a sandwich: Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato and Egg Salad on Brown for Foodie Philip and a Ham, Lettuce and Tomato for Foodie Greg.
The Sausage Roll was okay, but the sandwiches were very tasty and filling for an average of €8.65 or US$9.69.
Lunch
Lunch was a choice of Chicken in BBQ Sauce or a Cheesy Pasta dish on the flight back. Neither meal was particularly memorable where the salad was the highlight, but included in the flight.
Second Lunch was served in the 12 hour flight, at about lunch time Los Angeles. It was an uninspiring “pizza” that Foodie Philip declined (as he’d tasted “pizza” on a return flight before!).
Dinner
Back home for dinner the Foodies had their shopping trip foiled when he car wouldn’t start due to a weak battery! We fell back on Canned Chili on Toast with a little topping of Sour Cream. Quite a come down from the excellent food we’ve been having, but it was better than not eating.
As it turns out, it was okay for about $1.35 per serve.
Today was “clean out the refrigerator” day as it was our last day in Amsterdam. We finished the last bits of several things for about $3.00 per serve.
Dinner
We had booked at Restaurant De Kas about five weeks ahead of this trip, and tonight – a Monday – was the only night during our stay that there was an available table! We enjoyed a really great lunch there last year, and were keen to go back for an evening meal.
De Kas features a five (or six) course Tasting Menu, but before we started, we had some amazing crackers and three Amuse Bouche!
Although there was some very good bread, the mustard tapioca crackers and an amazing creamy smooth celery dip were the star. A surprisingly fresh spring roll with creamy dip.Pickled grapes were new to the Foodies, but were a pleasant surprise.Baby turnips with a slightly curry flavored sauce.
Even before the main meal started, we were blown away with the depth of flavor.
De Kas grows all their own vegetables, and the dishes are vegetable focused, with only one course served with a protein: duck.
Roasted and fresh beets on a bed of black garlic puree with a Dashi Beurre Blanc sauce. For the Foodies probably the best dish of the night.Pumpkin with a Piccalilli SaucePeach over a fresh Basil Cream sauce and green beans. A tiny amount of perfectly cooked Duck, Crispy Chicken Skin and apricot an intense reduction
There was also a very nice yogurt with salted caramel sauce topped with an excellent crumble for desert that wasn’t photographed, but was enjoyed!
While an expensive meal at €57.00, US$63.84, per serve, but not if you consider the quality and dedication that went into every bite. The Foodies spent as much again on the wine pairing (and a Gin and Tonic) for a truly great meal in an amazing setting.
We ate in our temporary apartment and noshed on Cheeses, Patė, Filet American, Salami, etc on Village Bread, for about US$2.55 per serve.
Dinner
Our travel mate suggested the Cafe on the corner, De Blaffende Vis, which is basically a pub! The food was pretty much what you’d expect: competent, but not at all memorable.
The Foodies had a decidedly odd Chicken Curry, where Foodie Greg’s serve had mostly Mushroom! Then there was the odd juxtaposition of broccoli and nuts. We would not go back. Competent for €12.00 or US$13.44 each.
At lunchtime we were in Hoorn, Netherlands after a short train trip. We found an interesting looking restaurant, D’Oude Waegh (oudewaegh.nl) where Foodie Philip had some excellent Filet American (again).
Foodie Greg had an excellent Chicken, Egg & Bacon Club Sandwich.
Because Horne is not a foreign tourist town, lunch was €16.00, or US$8.96 each.
Dinner
For dinner we returned to De Curtis around the corner, where Foodie Philip repeated the nut Crusted Lamb Loin Chops, while Foodie Greg enjoyed the Veal Saltimbocca.
Both were excellent for €52.00, or US$29.12 per serve.
The Foodies were on their way to their first bicycle riding experience after many, many years, so we decided to grab a bite to eat on the way. We chose a “breakfast all day” place and had Bacon and Scrambled Eggs.
While the bacon was good, the eggs were way overdone. A barely okay meal for €9.04, or US$10.13, per serve.
Dinner
The Foodies returned to Eatcafe Koevoet where we shared a Beef Carpaccio with Shaved Parmesan for an appetizer.
We the proceeded to have the Mixed Ravioli (below) and the Sea Bass. A delicate Tomato and Black Olive Sauce (header). Both were excellent and we finished the meal with their Lemon Sorbet with Vodka and Prosecco.
The food cost €45.00 for the food, or US$25.20 per serve.
The Foodies had walked to NEMO expecting to eat at the restaurant at the top, but sadly it was closed for renovations and only the bar was open with limited choices, so we had a Salami Roll, which was okay.
Unsatisfied we walked down to Rembrantplein and had a Filet American at van Dobben, which has been a tradition since Foodie Philip’s first trip to Amsterdam.
Together the two sandwiches were €8.25 or US$9.24 each.
Dinner
For dinner we added some extra Satay and Noodles from the Indonesian take-out and combined that with our leftovers and had another generous meal for €13.67, or US$15.31, per serve.
