zondag 30 augustus 2015

The Wicked Lady Chef



I have been busy this Summer... and in less than 1 day I will be officially back at work.  Oh yes, it were surely two months that flew by.  You know what they say about when you are having fun. Looking back at my break and having and scanning over the pics that I took with my iPhone I can only state that I had a lovely time not being anyone their teacher for a while.  Oh wait, that is not true..I ended up tutoring a Y12 student for her history retake.  Surely something that involved teaching methods and trying to keep a teenager focused for longer than a Youtube-clip.  That this student passed that exam surely was one of the many times that my break did feel extra special. 

Yes, I have not been sharing a lot out here and my previous blog post was mostly about my brain trying to find some peace and quiet.  My body tells me that I have not managed to do so but then I have been ignoring a few things that I am better at during the school year and I am working at it to get back on track.  It surely would help if those specialist who I need some help from in order to get back in shape would get back to me.  Answering machines are an useful invention but I seem to have the impresssion that they are sometimes used to ignore some people. They better get back to me asap after the weekend or they might end up with finding some less friendly messages on there.

Looking at my self in the mirror also tels me that I have spend some time in the sun and my nails tell me and you that I still prefer a beautician getting her hands on those instad of my stress.  The reflection also tells me that I did finally find some time to get a hair cut and some highlights.  My skin feels softer and so I do assume that my vitamin D intake surely went up.   All well while hanging around in front of the mirror then? Uhm, well I think I might need a crash diet because I did gain some weight.  Oh yes, I have been enjoying food and drinks wile the sun did hang around.  Most of the time in very good company.  But there is perhaps one spot that did stand out this summer.  One spot, that I surely had not a instant crush on.  No, it even asked for some forcefull language of P and being less prejudice about a certain kind of cooking and the name certainly will not ring a bell that easily because it sounds very down to earth as well: TERO.

The first time that P took me there I was not even in the mood.  The thing was that he had been there for a 'fantastic' lunch and that he wanted to go back.  The 'They have got quinoa, hummus and grilled vegetables.'-tag line was not that what I was after after a long day waiting in vain for him to show up at the promised time.  At that point I was graving for a real steak with fries and mayonnaise.  Also A whose turn it was to pick out the restaurant had his mind set on a hamburger.  So that was two against one and we headed for the brasserie where we know the menu by heart. 

Turns out that on that day half of Belgium was dining out and P then decided to just ignore our wishes and drove to this one place where food sounded not as inviting to A&Stallie.  A even told us that he would rather stay in the car than having to have the food that his dad had been describing.  When we did get there the place even looked deserted and I even admit that I secretly I hoped that they were closed.  'Mum, I don't want to go in there. I want to go for burgers.', A kept repeating over and over.  I did feel sorry for him because honestly P his description of the food is not what an 11 year old is after on a Saturday evening.

Five minutes later the three of us were seated on the outside terrace and scanning their no nonsense menu.  Desperately I tried to keep my smile up when A found out that there was no Fanta or Coca Cola on the menu.   Not one fizzy drink in sight at all and so I expected  a summer storm to break loose at the opposite side of the table.  I started to worry even more because guess what?  TERO has got no childeren's menu and nothing that sounds similar to words like 'chicken nuggets' or 'fish burger'.  Even the word 'pasta' was not be found on the tight black&white list of dishes.  So I did panic that my son was going to run out of there and even  walking home on his own.   Even myself, was having  a hard time to find food that produced positive 'dining out-vibes'. P at the other hand was already in food heaven.   'Wait till you tasted the bread and the olive oil.', he told us and so I gave him at that moment the benefit of the doubt.

Well, when the bread arrived I did notice first of all that it did smell nice and the color of the olive oil also told me that this was nothing prefabricated.  The moment that I dipped my brown piece of slightly still oven warm into the golden liquid I did sense something in the air. Okay, I was very hungry and I do have a very weak spot for bread in general.  The thing with bread at restaurants is that it can already tell you a lot about the food that will follow.   Some chefs will fully agree with me.  The bread is where the culinary experience starts with.  Nowdays there are also those people who try to stay away from gluten and that is understandable but bread is the calling card of a restaurant that wishes to stand out.  Dietwise bread is surely not your best companion but I do advise you to have at least one bite of the bread they serve at TERO.

Now the other thing you need to know about  the menu is that for dinner is that you are not supposed to pick out the classic starter and main course.  Nope, here you pick a few dishes out of a list and share those with your table.  Sounds a bit like that formula that the Spanish call tapas, doesn't it?  Well, you are right. P was already in full swing picking out his dishes and I still was under the impression that the bread was the only thing that A would have.   Next I started to have a more depth reading of the menu and then my eyes came across some ingredients that can make me smile while the sun is out and temperatures call for 'al fresco' dinning.   The moment I saw the words 'ceviche' I knew I was going to live happily ever after.

So now keeping A alive and kicking.  Words like sun dried tomatoes and Buratta pulled him over to the more 'content' side of the table.  'Mum, they don't have coca cola?', was of course the only thing that kept him still on the edge.  'You can have instead water.', was P his response.  'I don't like that. Why did we have to come here in the first place?', my son replied.  Surely very light dinner conversation when at the point your waiter shows up.  This young guy still looked very crispy in his white t-shirt and was beaming all over with positivity.  Plus the boyish grim on his face also told me that he knows how to please the hungry ladies that are after a nice light dinner and a few compliments.  But I was more worried about A at this point and did not pay that much attention to him.  (I can tell you that this changed the next time we paid a visit!)

P shot his order at him and next up was me and surprisingly there were four dishes on that list that I just could not wait for to come out of the kitchen.   I then ordered for A three things that I was sure about that he knew what they tasted like.   At this time I did feel a bit more at ease and that by now the terrace was almost full of hungry guests.   Most of them were women and A was the only child.   'Guess that this is not a spot to bring children in the first place.  What were we thinking?!', my mind was shouting at me.  A had by now emptied the whole bread basket and forced us kindly to order more bread.   I couldn't blame him at this moment but I did hope for more positivity to come out of the kitchen soon!

By the time our dishes arrived my stomach had already communicated that it needed food.  And then... well then I fell in love with food... Nope, don't expect impressive molecular cooking and complex looking dishes.  That is not what TERO is after.  Everything that the menu had told me I met up with in my mouth.  A had gone silent by now what I not always consider a good thing.  He was inspecting his food up close and personal.  But after I saw him swallowing down his fist bite of the Italian cheese and producing a positive sound I relaxed.  P looked at me and said:'Good food, isn't it?'

Good????? That word did not even come close to what my taste buds were telling me.  I was at the beach somewhere in Southern America looking at the sun set while having a few bites of nicely and fresh cut up fish bathing in some lemon juice and the nice glass of perfectly chilled Cava did surely help out as well.   I was in a very happy spot and I refused to be disturbed by anyone or anything.

So when one of these lovely waiters checked if everything was okay he only saw smiles and we produced happy sounds.  Yes, including A and that did fill me up with even some pride. Okay, he must have been hungry but he had managed to finish most of his plates.   The atmosphere had now for sure changed at our table. We were only surrounded by empty plates when our still good humored waiter came to clear our table.  'So, you enjoyed?' I did not even give P time to answer:'Oh, yes and even the little gentleman over there did.'  A had his angelic face on and wondered if we could have dessert? 'Oh, that is good to hear.  After all, if we manage to let children eat this food we know we are on the right track.'   I could only agree with him.


The desserts that is always a league of their own.  Desserts are the cherry on the pie and some chefs know that they are their forte or their achilles heel. That star restaurants have a chef de patisserie never surprises me.  Now P, A &I love desserts and so we will hardly skip that part of dining out.   We love the words you come across on a dessert menu.  It can make us even more happy but we also are fully aware that it can be risky and that chances do exist that it might be dissapointing.  It can make you leave a restaurant less upbeat and your memories of the meal will be a bit less fond. It is a bit like a roller coaster ride of which you are wondering if it will end with a great looping or rather a downwards hill that will suddenly come to a total stand still.

The dessert list at TERO is not exhuberant and sounds again very down to earth.  The best news of all is that your friends who have to enjoy a gluttenfree life will be able to share the fun and chocolate lovers out there have to taste the chocolate dessert for sure.   So we enjoyed the last course of the evening as much as our first bite and also the coffee and tea they served along got 2 thumbs up.  And so yes, we paid our bill with a smile on our face and promised to be back soon... very soon.  

Simple food, a love for fair and natural ingredients, being proud of what we can produce close to home, kicking out the additives and trying to stay true to your principles that is what I did taste while I was dining at TERO for the first time.  What a delight, what a fresh summer breeze I felt that night. There is nothing complex about what leaves this kitchen and they are hiding nothing from you (proof the see through windows) and it seems their only hope is that you will rediscover the wealth in simplicity.  Well, in my case: mission accomplished.  While walking out I waved at the chef ,who seemed to be content as well in her kingdom, and I was thinking:'You put me under a spell! One I am planning to enjoy over and over again.  You surely deserve a hug you wicked lady chef!'

Next week TERO celebrates their first anniversary and I do hope from the bottom of my heart that the modest lady chef and crew who has more than once brightened up my Summer will keep up their cooking and good work for a long time to come. 

And because the proof of the pudding is in the eating...  what are you waiting for?
http://www.tero-restaurant.com/

PS: The perfect movie and music that goes along with this entry is  'The Hundred Foot Journey.'  Watching it after having dinner at TERO will make you even fall more in love with food and life, the simple life and the passion for cooking.
And as an extra two more: One the song by Berlinda Carlisle 'I won't say' because I have to say now out loud that P made me fall in love with something that I not so easly am won over for.  And the other one is the Muppets clip that A&I just love when it comes down to cooking.  Enjoy 





vrijdag 14 augustus 2015

Blog Comeback




Today I decided that I am just going to give it try because for the last few months I have been mostly silent while reading the news and analysing articles that I end up using for my IB classes.  Being a teacher is something that I do take very seriously and I am fully aware of how time consuming it can be too be always on top of things.  But hey, for my students I love going the distance.  Not that I am perfect... Oh no but there is already one reason why you have not found anything out here and that is something that is related to the behaviour that I have been witnessing in the media and beyond.

Stallie loves reading... I read constantly and I also love writing.  Words can trigger my creativity and I just love it to find out what moves people and what word combinations authors can come up to tell their story.  That the digital world came along with a revolution in the world of writing was to expect but I have noticed something that I just can't get my head around.  Okay, P calls me a Facebook addict and I share quite a lot on Twitter of my private life.  The days that I signed up for those two social networks I was fully aware of the pitfalls and so when Facebook comes up with new security features I will never forsake to look into those.   I just made some choices about my own profile and still I am fully aware that it is not a safe world out there in the digital world.

A few weeks ago someone who tried to become friends on Facebook told me face to face:'Hey S, if you don't wish to become friends with me then just be honest!'  Yeah, I am not that easily to find on Facebook and I did check most of the security boxes on there.  Plus no, friends of friends do not have the priveledge to just hit the friendrequest button.  Nope.  Now don't worry.  If we ever meet face to face and you will ask me very politely to become friends then chances are very likely that you are granted access. Your face I love to see first up close and personal and let us first share a piece of cake and nice cup of coffee or a gin&tonic before going digital.  That is what it takes for me to feel secure enough to share with you my adventures, some pics of my family or food that I had, some status updates that might be insane to you but have made me smile or cry or that I share a link to an article that I consider worthwhile to read.   My facebook page is surely a reflection of who I am and what my personal opinion is.  And this last one is linked to the issue I am facing for the moment....

The last few months more and more I ended up not sharing my personal opion about some issues.  Why?  Well, because I don't wish to unleash the same thing that is going on some of the forums that I end up while reading the digital newspaper.  That we now more openly can express our opinions is great.  That many of suddenly will speak up when they feel the urge I do dare to call progress.  Due to the digital revolutions there are seeds planted for real revolutions.   Ideas and creativity are easily exchanged.  Lessonplanning has become so different than when I was a student teacher when there was only the library and a photo copy machine to rely on.    And nope, I do not wish to go back to the time that I first had to locate  the books that my professor of Renaissance art got his images from before I could put together my own picture sylabus.   Looking back at that I do think this in some ways a waste of time... Seriously...That is honestly my opinion about this but this does not mean that I did think my professor was a not a nice guy.  Copy? 

Still, when I upload a picture, share a link or type a status update there is always my inner voice at work.    Now, I might have hurt some people while writing some things and some people might think that they know me very well when they analyse my Facebook page or Twitter account.  There is even scientific data available about what social network gives away about us.  People can use that data... I am fully aware of that.  Privacy in the 21st century is more and more abstract.   I am at risk out here and I can get hurt.  And I can hurt people... I have got the t-shirt!  Plus that I come across some people on forums that I just wonder what their IQ or rather what their EQ is.

Sorry,... You see that is now the whole dillemma that I am facing and that is when I do read articles, reviews, opinions it feels more and more as if I am obliged to pick a side ... That little 'thumbs up' icon on my Facebook page I do use and when I do I have a smile on my face or when I think an article is worth to share I have also read the article myself (because then I am fully prepared when friends or Twitterati will react) from A-Z and even have checked out the reviews and reactions.  Yeah, Stallie tries to be prepared.   And no, I don't start throwing with mud or using words that my grandparents, my parents, teachers and many people do not consider kosher.

Now let me tell you what goes on my brain when I read the news and forums.  The following events are the reason why Stallie has not been as active out here as she wishes because I just had second thaughts and did not wish to hurt anyone:

1.  Grexit:  

Believe me Stallie has a very outspoken meaning about and has spoken with tons of people about it (including Greecs some around the corner and some down under) and even on an airplane I had some interesting conversations about this.  Not that did it made it any eassier because when I did hear other people spitting out their opinion this is what went on in my mind:

'Oh, so when I do think that Greece should pay back the banks and the EU I am not considered a person who wishes that all Europeans can pursue hapiness.....So the Greecs just never ever questioned their government when it came down to spending money or when life time pensions to people even after they died... Strange?...You can't blame the Greec fisher who hardy makes any money due to this very low pension...Hmmm, it seems that I am a racist or not socialy engaged enough and do not have enough empathy when I say out loud that when you join a club that you are aware of what can happen when you do not live up to the conditions of your membership....Oh my dear, I am so naieve to believe in certain values... So I am not a social engaged European citizen..'

2.  IS and terror in general:

When I board a plane or get on the metro in Brussels and even when shopping at the Delhaize in my town (where terror has already paid a visit in the eighties, for those who remember 'De Bende van Nijvel') I am fully aware that I am entering the war zone.  It is a split second that I let the dark side running wild in my brain.

'Oh, so we are all to be blamed that we have not given people enough opportunities....  I am to blame that some people can not get a job due to his or her skin color or religion.....  It is because I have not spoken up hard enough that now young people join an organisation that promises them everything that they can't obtain here.... That girls are talked into going to Iran and Syria is very logic if they face an even unpredictable future here then... Interesting, so seems that I did cast the wrong vote then.....'

3.  The refugees on a sinking boat heading for the promised land (but also a sinking ship considered by many) the EU.

'Oh, why do they even come here when we have our own issues to deal with first.... Uhm, it is still better out here than having to live in a nation where you have a no future at all.  But hey, is it so wrong to wonder what their plan is.  Nothing comes for free anymore.... Can you give us your word that you are going to invest time, energy, money in the EU and make this a better place for all of us including me... Not sure that building a wall at your border will be the long term solution...I am expected to understand that you send back part of your welfare check or your pay check to less fortunate family at home but please can you also understand me that I wish for a social security system in shape in case I need it and this means that we need to invest at home in the first place.... Oh my dear,  I am going to upset people with expressing this out here but the long term planner thinks it is very essential to make all people aware that you are responsible for many and in the first place .....STOP IT Stallie right there....Who are you to judge that one person who tries to keep his grandparents, parents, siblings, cousins and nieces and nephews alive in Afghanistan by sending a few euros... Pff... Have I casted the wrong vote?'

4.  Sacrificing a sheep

'Oh, sheep do need to be fully conscious before the knife is planted into them because that is what holy word instructs you to do...hm so when I do think that this is all a bit too farfetched and do think we are wasting time on issues I am not taking you and your religion seriously... No, I don't agree what you always say or think about my relegion either..... The division between church and state in this nation seems to be a bit abstract as it seems... Hitler opposed against this way of dealing with animals so then means that I am like Hitler then... OMG it is all about votes.... COUNT ME OUT... I  need a gin&tonic tonight to digest most of the comments and reactions..... Oh look 'Shaun, the sheep, the movie' is out for rental on the paid movie channel. '

5. Trophy hunting

'Oh, no not Cecil... You must be serious that you consider taking a selfie with a dead lion is something cool.... I am not sure that people who kill living creatures for fun can be taken serious... If this is what you do with your fortune then I think that it is a bit sad out there in the world of milliounaires or the more fortunate ones... So now you end up being the haunted one... Oh, wait I don't understand you if you do think that endagered species don't need be preserved....Well I am naiev then..but the only lion that enters our house is a cuddling toy...'

6. Froome and the Tour de France:

'Oh, yeah well one look at how Froome makes his bike move and you can tell he stands out...Excuse me but Philippe Gilbert did not mention de d-word or am I mistaken?...Is it so wrong to say out loud that someone has a different style or is 'different' nowdays the word we are using for drugs..Oh nice Vanavermaet became a father... Vive le vélo has brighten up my summer nights in many ways so at least some positive news...Who wins next year? Froome again?'

7.  Trump for President

'Oh, so all it takes a lot of money and a very sharp tongue to become the next occupant of the White House... I am not sure that I can take someone serious who makes very offensive remarks about women, Mexicans and minorities in general.... So what is then your plan Donald to fix all the these problems.... Donald Duck...LOL...Still many people consider you the best option they have got?...Jimmy Kimmel his imitation of you made me LOL...You fired someone who says he resigned... Not sure if 'attack-invade-grab their oil' is going to make an impression on those fierce warriors who love Allah and gladly die for him and their principles.. I do think that you not fit in the same room with Putin... But then I am not an American and I do not have the right to vote there.'

8. Taxshift

'Oh, a taxshift that sounds like something politicians in Belgium have been talking about a lot but we never found out what this exactly is and what the implications are...So if I get this right we are going to pay just some extra taxes?... Hey wait, that about the cost for the electricity that must be a joke?...And those 100 euros some of us will get extra comes down to 30 euro after the taxes?... I think this taxshift is rather 'geschift!'... In the end it are always the same people who end up paying...Welcome in Belgium!  Did I vote for the political party who introduced this in first place?'

In case you wonder what I am trying to point out is that every time that I did come across something out there worth to write a blog entry about my brain suddenly got frozen because it never felt 'good enough'. Plus yes, I was a bit 'afraid' to express to my opinion. No, don't start me on political corect language now... DON'T YOU DARE... a few weeks ago even Barack Obama used de n-word and it amazed many of us but he did try to point out something very essential.  (no, I don't have the intentions to go into detail into this but he made sense or at least to me... You see... here we go again... stop it now Stallie!)

Stallie found out in the last few weeks that I won't be able not to 'hurt' some people their feelings or always share his or her opinion.  For someone who prefers to hang out in the grey zone and who tries to find the perfect balanace between her light and dark side this is very confronting.   Stallie does not like to pick sides or labelling people because of their skin color, religion, gender, etc.  I refuse to do so but I am fully aware that some of you who read the nonsense that I created won't share my opinion.   Does it matter?  Well, hard to say...Just as the thin line between fiction and reality there is not always a very clear difference between opinion and being justified.  I am very busy with figuring this out and trying to find a safe route amongst all the mines that are planted out there.  This summer I did spend in most of the time in no man's land.

But you know what?  Today I finally found someone who expressed partly what is going on in my brain and what I am facing constantly when I just give over to the rahter negative vibes that have taken my creative vibes hostage.  This Summer I have tried to come up with a recipe to write a blame free entry and I failed... Should I feel guilty about that?... At least I tried... The positive side of this I have taken the time to reflect and found out that I am not only facing this.  There is no escape of something you love as much I love writing...

PS: In case you understand Dutch you can read the following article/opinion.  And for once I did not read the reactions that people posted on there.  I bet that some people have found a loopholl in it and have come up with less nice language to describe the author of this article... Just a wild guess...
http://www.knack.be/nieuws/belgie/dat-de-islam-in-te-veel-discussies-als-ultieme-maatstaf-wordt-gebruikt-is-bijzonder-kwalijk/article-opinion-594055.html?utm_campaign=Echobox&utm_medium=social&utm_source=Facebook

PS2:  Turns out that what I have been writing about does actualy have a name.  In the latest issue of The Atlantic they go into the depth what is called 'microagression'.  Read and find out what is happening out there. No, I don't think this is heading into the right direction. If professors are already scared of their own students and we might have to rewrite half our dictionary then this is getting a bit out of hand.  http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2015/09/the-coddling-of-the-american-mind/399356/