Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Couscous Salad

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Poor P. hates couscous. It was served daily in the Resto U(niversitaire) of Nice, where he spent a year, pretending to be studying.
A non-descript blob of grains, he said.

However, last night's salad made it all alright again.

Cook grains (couscous, bulghur or rice) according to instructions.
Boil a good handfull of broad beans for some minutes, rinse under the cold tap and double peel, when cooled off a little, by squeezing the bright green beans out of their grey jackets.
Finely chop (half) a red onion, and 2 or three tomatoes.
Throw all ingredients together with a handfull of soaked raisins and ditto toasted pine nuts. Plus some chopped parsley or cilantro.
Pour over a vinaigrette and mix.
Serve on a bed of rocket leaves.

It contains all the nutrients, necessary for a healthy (vegan!) meal.
And it is delicious!
P. Scraped the bowl!

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Our Daughter-in-law

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“Do you like your daughter-in-law?” some of our friends will ask.
The question itself gives away their own doubt about the matter. It offers an opening to gossip: she never allows us to . . . ; she always . . . .
We like our daughter-in-law. (And our possibly future son-in-law, for that matter.)
Why?
Because she is the woman of our son’s choice.
Because we try to discover what attracted him to her.
Because she must be wonderful, if he finds her wonderful.
Because we see the intense love they feel for each other.

If she would never allow us certain things, I’m sure she will have good reasons for it, and we will respect them.
And if she always does a particular thing that is strange to us, we will try to understand and accept that.

But the funny thing is, that there seem to be no restrictions in how our daughter-in-law gets on with us. And none in how we get on with her.

Well, of course not! We love her to bits!

Friday, June 19, 2009

De Krant Kopt

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Werkloosheid stijgt trager dan verwacht, kopt de NRC.

Oei, wat een teleurstelling!
En dat terwijl het CPB dinsdag nog voorspeld had dat we in 2010 dubbel zoveel werkelozen zouden hebben.
Wat kunnen we daaraan doen?
"Om dat te bereiken [die verdubbeling], zou de werkeloosheid de komende tijd met 25.000 personen per maand moeten stijgen," spiegelt de krant ons voor.

Gelukkig, er is nog hoop op slechtere tijden.

Monday, June 15, 2009

The Blank Page

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In the morning

I open my notebook.

It stretches and blinks,

and finally settles on the blank page.


Create
, it says,
it commands.

It will even help me by suggesting

to write a title before I enter a post.


I stare at the white hole within the dark border.

Nothing happens.

There is nothing to create.

My mind is as empty as the page.

No, not even so.


My mind is as full

as the page is empty.

Full of to do lists,

appointments,

anecdotes told by the children,

an intended dog walk.


There is no room,

no space for anything new.

There is no

time to murder and create.


All I can do is Ctrl T

— turn the page —

and move on.

Tuesday, June 02, 2009

Asperagus Soup

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Use the peels of white asparagus and the woody ends to boil an asparagus bouillon. Add a stock cube (vegetarian?) for taste and saltiness, and herbs, if you like. (Bay leaf, thyme, parsley)
Strain when the soup is ready. (When the veggies have become softened.)
Add a boiled potato, if you want to thicken, and mini mash.
Test for seasoning.
Serve with chopped parsley, chopped hard-boiled egg, and/or strips of smoked salmon.

Not fattening at all, and delicious!