Red Hot Dutch and Mustard Seeds Goudas

Buy delicious red pepper flaked K.H. DeJong Red Hot Dutch Cheese at the Marina Market. This is a cheese that is not for the faint at heart. The first bite will slowly explode into a cacophony of flavour. A special treat for the adventurous cheese explorer.
We challenge you to take a bite, wait until the Red Hot Chilli peppers have reached the peak of its spiciness and then take a good swig of your favourite type of beer. DogFish Head Brew is a good one.

Mustard seed Gouda is a really dreamy cheese. It is a very creamy cheese and the popping mustard seeds are surprisingly pleasant. This makes a fantastic toasted cheese bread. It is also great as an appetizer with a bit of pickle on top speared with a toothpick.

Buy K.H. De Jong Mustard seed Gouda at the Marina Market.

Hair of the Dog Fred

Fantastic Beer. Fruity start, hoppy finish, superb mouthfeel, and a wicked heed. Glass is empty and the head is still clinging to the rim. Me likey! Bottle @ 58F.

Hutspot for dinner tonight-

This is one of the best comfort dishes and it has long been a family favorite. The parsnips we have in the store right now look like food porn so of course I had to grab 3 big ones, a jumbo carrot and about 5 new potatoes.

This dish is basically a boiled veggie mash up. First you peel the parsnips and carrots and slice them so they are about 1/2 to 1/3 inch thick. I boil these together with enough water to cover plus 2 inches. The new potatoes I halve and boil in a different pot. When the potatoes are done I plunge into cold water and pop the skins off. Sometimes I leave them on it depends on my mood.

I put all of the drained veggie into one pot with a knob of butter and mash coarsely. Salt to taste. Sometimes I add Sweet potatoes or yams and or a bit of maple syrup. Another variation is to use only the potato and carrot and add kale or chard. To this variation you can add sausage or other meet if you want.

According to legend, the recipe came from the cooked bits of potato left behind by hastily departing Spanish soldiers during their siege of Leiden in 1574 during the Eighty Year's War, when the liberators breached the dikes of the lower lying polders surrounding the city. This flooded all the fields around the city with around a foot of water. As there were few, if any, high points (and September in the Netherlands is not exactly a warm month), the Spanish soldiers camping in the fields were essentially flushed out.

The anniversary of this event, known as Leidens Ontzet, is still celebrated every October 3 in Leiden and by Dutch expatriates the world over. Traditionally, the celebration includes consumption of a lot of "Hutspot met klapstuk/stooflap" (Hotchpotch with chuck roast/beef shoulder chops).

Hutspot with stooflap
The first European record of the potato is as late as 1537, by the Spanish conquistador Castellanos, and it spread quite slowly throughout Europe from thereon. So the original legend probably should refer to what the Dutch call a 'sweet potato' or pastinaak which is a parsnip; this vegetable played a similar role in Dutch cuisine prior to the use of the potato as a staple food.
During the Nazi occupation the dish came to represent freedom from oppression since its ingredients could be grown beneath the soil and thus somewhat hidden from sight, and the carrots gave the dish an orange colour, which represents the Dutch Royal Family.

The parsnip (Pastinaca sativa) is a root vegetable related to the carrot. Parsnips resemble carrots, but are paler than most of them and have a stronger flavor. Like carrots, parsnips are native to Eurasia and have been eaten there since ancient times. Zohary and Hopf note that the archeological evidence for the cultivation of the parsnip is “still rather limited,” and that Greek and Roman literary sources are a major source about its early use, but warn "there are some difficulties in distinguishing between parsnip and carrot (which, in Roman times, were white or purple) in classical writings since both vegetables seem to have been sometimes called pastinaca yet each vegetable appears to be well under cultivation in Roman times."[2] As pastinache comuni the "common" pastinaca figures in the long list of comestibles enjoyed by the Milanese given by Bonvesin de la Riva in his "Marvels of Milan" (1288). Thanks wiki for the added info!

Child slaves rescued from West African Cocoa Plantation

From Gourmet.com

Blood and Chocolate
09.16.09
After 10 years of promises, protocols, and initiatives, the children of West Africa remain at the mercy of the cocoa industry

KLENE STEEKPENNINGEN LICORICE 250G

This is one of the newer Klene Black Licorice from Holland. The are moderately salty and have the earthy dense licorice taste that most Klene drop have.

Buy KLENE STEEKPENNINGEN Dutch licorice at the Marina Market.

Here is a link to a commercial for steekpenningen drop showing Mr. Klene collecting the finest ingredients for his drop. Watch as he goes around -stealing the salt and the licorice root.

This is a really fun look at the new line of salty black money licorice- steekpenningen translates from Dutch as 'bribes'.

I can only guess that at some point Mr. Klene will need this droppie!

Marina Market carries Sweet and Salty real Black Licorice drop Lakrid, salmaik lakritz, salmiakki liquorice, from Holland, Germany, Finland, New Zealand, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, England, Australia, Indonesia, Italy, Canada, Ireland and the United States.

I feel I make a really good Crabcake. I'm not into all of the fillers-I just want crab. period. Cafe Nilson gives a new twist-scallops as binder

This recipe was from the cooking class I attended a couple of weeks ago at our local cookware store. I didn’t get a chance to make it at home until today when we had guests visiting us from Lake Tahoe. We had lunch at our balcony and I served this as our main course. The pureed bay scallops acts as binding agent so you didn’t need eggs nor breadcrumbs. You can really taste the crab and shrimp! I served it with a roasted pepper coulis that has just enough spicing to complement the crab cakes. Everybody loved it!

CRAB CAKES
Ingredients:
1 tbs vegetable oil
1 rib celery, diced small
1 small onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
salt and cayenne pepper to taste
1 lb lump crab meat (I used claw)
1/2 pound raw shrimp, chopped coarsely
1 cup bay scallops, pureed
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 cup cornmeal or panko breadcrumbs
vegetable oil for sauteeingDirections:
In a saute pan over medium heat, saute celery, onion and red pepper until tender. Add garlic, salt and cayenne pepper for 1 more minute. Remove from pan to cool.
In a bowl, combine crabmeat, shrimp, bay scallops, sauteed vegetables and mayonnaise.
Form into 16 patties and dredge in cornmeal or panko breadcrumbs to coat.
In a frying pan, heat oil over medium heat and sautee crab cakes for about 2 – 3 minutes each side until golden brown. Serve with roasted pepper coulis and garnish with lemon wedges.

ROASTED PEPPER COULIS
Ingredients:
4 red bell peppers, roasted with skin removed and thickly sliced
2 tbs unsalted butter, softened
1 large shallot, diced small
2 tsp lemon juice
water to thin the mixture
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
In a pan, melt butter and sautee shallots over medium heat until tender. Place peppers, shallots, lemon juice and water in a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Just before serving, warm the coulis and adjust seasoning.
Notes: You can substitute salmon for the crabmeat and shrimp. If you do, do not add mayonnaise or the mixture will be too wet. Another alternative is to just use shrimp or with scallops. Please vist the original blog I reposted this from it is a favorite! http://www.foodbuzz.com/foodies/profile/cafenilson

Malaysian Woman age 107 worries husband 22 will leave for younger woman

Wok Kundor apparently has it going on. How so? Well, the 107 year old Malaysian woman has been married 22 times. It seems that men cannot resist her charms. In fact her current husband is just 37 years old. Wok is worried though. She thinks that her husband may leave her for a younger woman, and just in case, she has her eyes on a 50 year old with a nice ass. No, she didn't say that, but she is probably thinking it.The cause for her concern with her current husband is that he is away in the capital Kuala Lumpur because he is in rehab. Yep. I know, I know, she doesn't seem like the kind of woman who would get involved with a drug addict.A reporter from one of the Malaysian newspapers interviewed Ms. Kundor recently and had this to say. "She is worried he might not come back after his program and find himself a younger wife.""I realize that I am an aged woman. I don't have the body nor am I a young woman who can attract anyone." You know what? You are 107 years old and managed to snag a 37 year old husband. I would say she is doing pretty well for herself.The newspaper managed to track down her husband in his rehab program and he said he is still very much in love with his wife of four years and that he cannot dream of a life with someone else. Wok wants to hear that for herself though and says she plans to confront her husband and ask him his intentions. She just needs to find a ride first.I love this woman. This is making the most of your life.(Thanks Christine)
Posted by ent lawyer at 10:56 AM 19 comments


where are the other 21 husbands????

New Shipment of Norwegian items from Nidar will soon be here!

IFA, Skipper, Knott, NERO Bars are in the US and released! I will hopefully have them next week! yea! The kreme banan will be here before the Holidays. As will the Freia 200g bars.

I went to a Quinceañera last night

I went to a Quinceañera last night that was really wonderful.

I have had friends tell me about their own quinceanera but I had never been to one.

It was quite the sight to see and hear the Sons of Norway hall full of running, carefree and joyful children laughing and dancing to loud Mexican music. I felt like I got a big injection of family love. It was very uplifting and inspiring- and that was just the atmosphere!

The food was wonderful cactus salad, spiced rice, pot (whole) beans, baby tortillas and the highlight 500 lbs of Mexican Pulled Pork (Carnitas). Yes that is correct 500 (five zero zero pounds) of pork. Hellooo Tony Bourdain can you hear me?? There was no question that the food would be awesome since the family operates the best Mexican Restaurant in town. True to form is was wonderful.

Unfortunately I couldn't stay for the whole party- I had to get home to cook dinner upon hearing this my friend L. packed me up with food and a hug. This party made me feel the heartbeat of a big family again and made me once again cherish the memories of my parents and the pow wows and family gatherings we had when I was growing up.

It started with each of the 'court' in this case male cousins coming out indivually and bowing to
the cheering audience on all sides and taking his place in the floor (x7).

The Ceremony itself included the Last Doll, which is a huge doll which this gorgeous ballgown clad girl held up to all parts of the audience representing leaving childhood behind and being known now as a young lady.

After the doll there was the Changing of the Shoes. Her parents ceremoniously changed her flat shoes to high heels.

Then she began to dace with one for her tux clad 'court' after a few minutes her father and mother cut in and a pattern emerged. Cutting into that dance was then the god parents and cutting into the godparents dance were other family members and so on. When they couple was at the end of the hall another of the boys on the "court' became her partner and the cutting in dance proceeded again until all of the boys dance with her and the parents etc. Then everyone dances.

WIKI History
The Quinceañera ritual has been traced to 500 B.C. from the Aztec culture where a girl at the age of 15 was considered apt for motherhood. They celebrated this coming-of-age with a ceremony, dance, and some words of wisdom from the mother. When the Spanish conquered America, they supposedly adopted this tradition, replacing the Aztec Temple with the Catholic Church.

The Quince años ceremony came from French culture during the 1800s. In Mexico, this century is called Porfiriato, which is comparable to the Victorian era in Anglo-speaking countries. The Mexican president Porfirio Diaz brought this celebration to Mexican culture due to his admiration of French culture; this includes the Vals (European music) and the term Chambelan.

The meaning of the ceremony has changed over the centuries, but the celebration is becoming more popular in the United States than it is in Latin America. Quince años celebrated in the United States reflect the family's economic and social status, and the ceremony has become a means of preserving their culture as Latinos become more Americanized. Quince años are, today, a unique feature of Latino culture in the U.S.

Cactus salad
INGREDIENTS:
1 lb of Cactus
1 Cup of Queso Fresco (chopped )
2 Tomatoes (chopped)
1 Onion (cut them into slices)
1/2 Cup cilantro (Chopped)
2 Avocados (chopped)
2 Limes
1/2 Cup olive oil
1/4 Cup Balsamic Vinegar

PREPARATION:
Boil into water the cactus for about 10 minutes. Drain it in cold water. In a bowl, mix the cactus with the cheese,
tomatoes, cilantro, avocados, and onions. Add 1/2 cup of olive oil, balsamic vinegar and squeeze 2 limes.
Makes 6 servings.

We are nominated for Best of Western Washington!

Please vote for us in the Gourmet Grocery category! We are the smallest store and are up against big chains like PCC etc- yikes! Every vote counts :)

http://best.king5.com/marina-market-specialty-foods/biz/173636


Thank you!

Heritage Blackcurrant and licorice toffee candies and Black Licorice laces ropes or string whatever you call them they are fun!

Marina Market carries Sweet and Salty real Black Licorice drop Lakrid, salmaik lakritz, salmiakki liquorice, from Holland, Germany, Finland, New Zealand, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, England, Australia, Indonesia, Italy, Canada, Ireland and the United States.













Buy this Blackcurrant and Licorice Toffee Sweet from the UK. The first word I think of when I eat this is- delicious! The shell of the candy is a tart sweet blackcurrant hard candy. Inside that is a black licorice flavored toffee.

When you first put it in your mouth the blackcurrant flavor is amazing but soon the overwhelming urge to bite down to get to the toffee center wins out. Just like the old owl eating a tootsie pop commercial.

Click here to buy strings of sweet licorice laces.

Another favorite is the old fashioned licorice laces. I have noticed that people call these long strands of licorice by different names depending out what part of the country (or world!) they are from. Some to the different terms I have heard are licorice string, licorice rope, long licorice. What do you call it?
These licorice laces are soft and sweet strands of rope licorice that are great for eating. Many people use them for decorating baking and craft projects.

Yes, Licorice Altoids are in the house

Liquorice Altoids are increasingly hard to find but we have them. Hopefully Callard and Bowser will never decide to discontinue making licorice Altoids. I know so many people who still can't believe they decided to stop making the licorice toffees. I am one of them.

Buy Licorice (Liquorice) Altoids here

Licorice Altoids are strong, spicy and sweet in one bite. If you try licorice altoids and love them you are ready to step into the land of salty black licorice!

TV Pastilles are similar to Licorice Altoids on the white side, the browner side has salty salmiak added to the licorice.

Licorice facts:

Diosciodes a famous herbalist and surgeon who traveled with Nero’s armies in the 1st century AD, found that Licorice could be used to treat wounds and skin disease

Glycyrrhizin contains a similar chemical structure to that of human steroid hormones
Today, naturopaths prescribe licorice for external ulcerous conditions such as burns, eczema and urticaria (which is swelling induced by poisonous plants or allergic reactions) and for internal ulcerous conditions such as bronchitis, sore throat and upper respiratory and gastro-intestinal tract infections