I remember discovering this dish in a magazine when I was a young teenager. Cold meat? A liquefied sauce made from tuna and eggs? It was unlike anything else I knew at the time and I was instantly hooked. Who knew that food could be so different and delicious (I grew up a long time ago in a small Greek town, far, far away, so some allowances should be made to my teenage mind).
This is the time of the year for comfort food; warm and satisfying, something to curl up on the sofa with. Few desserts are more comforting that rice pudding, with its creamy, giving texture and fragrant, lightly toasted rice. That it is so easy to make is, of course, a welcome bonus.
Fish is one of the best ingredients to cook with. Its flavour is subtle and requires little effort or preparation to bring out. Ceviche, a dish of raw/marinated fish and seafood from the Americas, is a perfect example of this approach. Fresh fish, marinated in citrus juice and other seasonings, served simple and unadorned. Because it can be prepared in advance and its flavours are vibrant and fresh, it makes the perfect appetiser for a dinner party.
Not that I want to jinx this, but it seems that summer (or at least, spring) has finally made an appearance in Groningen. What better way to enjoy the sunshine (and the last few weeks before the exams), than to take to your balconies and terraces and enjoy a refreshing cocktail or two. Last year, we worked with gin and whisky and this time, we’ll be focussing on cocktails based on rum and tequila.
In this third part of my US-style barbecue, after focussing on side dishes in the first two articles, we finally get to cook the centre of our feast: smoky, tender pulled pork with a Kansas-city style barbecue sauce.