31 December 2008

Oliebollen a Dutch Sylvester speciality



Like i said before they taste much better than their name suggests.
Oliebollen aka oil balls are dumplings made from a yeast-based dough.
They are traditionally eaten the 31 December and are part of the potluck buffet or eaten after the dinner as a all-nigh snack. The morning-after on the first day of the New year they are great hang-over remedy with lots of warm caffeinated beverages.
In Holland you can buy them at stands during the holiday period and some are open all year. You can buy them in all kind of varieties: just plain, with raisins, with pineapple, with apple, with ginger etc.
You can also buy them in supermarkets but then they are not so good because not so fresh..
Self made they are best specially if you can't buy them in your country.
Count around 5 per person this recipe is for around 25 Oliebollen:

you need
200 gr raisins >soak them in some hot water
1 sour backing apple > cut in small pieces and mixed with some lemon juice to avoid they brown. I added a spoon of ginger on syrup cut in really small pieces this time it gives a more interesting flavor to it.

400 ml warm milk
1 spoon of sugar
1 package dried yeast
> mix together and put aside for about 10 minutes

in a large bowl
500 gr of white flour (don't forget to add a good pinch of salt!)
make a well and break an egg in the well

whisk in the milk mixture (if needed add some more warm milk the mixture should be sticky not too dry not too liquid) add the drained raisins and apple pieces.

Cover and leave at a warm place to rise. (Make sure you have a large enough recipient because it can rise high and then you have a big mess to clean up)

Stir after about 1 hour and leave again at a warm place.
Heat the oil to 175°-180° C
With an ice cream scooper or 2 spoons make a golf ball size portion and let it slide into the hot oil. After frying they have more then doubled the size. Make as much the frying pan can hold they should be able to swim around comfortably.
Fry them until golden brown outside and smooth, soft, cooked yet juicy from the inside.
Get them out of the oil when done and let them rest on some absorbent kitchen paper.
Serve sprinkled with icing sugar.

If cooked at the right temperature they should not be greasy. Besides if you want you have all year to get rid of the extra pounds you've put on these holidays.
Now it's not the time to worry about that!

Have a great and peaceful new year!!




30 December 2008

What's cooking at Margret and Helen's Blog

The blog of Margret and Helen was already delicious, filled with well written, thoughtful and hilarious words. And for the latest holiday post they share recipes (Helen's stuffing). And so do many many readers leaving their favourite recipe in the comment section.
So if you don't know what to cook, go check it out. Also go see the blog and add it to your RSS reader if you're done eating, because laughter is the best digestive!

Have fun

PS i'm preparing mentaly to make the Dutch 31 December speciality "oliebollen" aka oil balls. They taste much better than it sounds (-:

03 December 2008

Food Time-Line

Today on Twitter i found this most interesting link: a food time line. Now we can check out when our ancestors started eating what and why.
Who would have thought that Popcorn made its first appearance in 3600 BC . What the heck where they looking at while eating popcorn? Cinemas didn't exist, not even open air!
Make some popcorn while browsing this site and clicking on the links it's very entertaining and educational. Next time at the dinner table with friends you are sure to impress them with your knowledge!