ZINE #621 Feb 2015
Small classes and personal attention. At the British School of Amsterdam we get to know each and every student. We provide an all-round education that develops the whole person and delivers academic success. From Early Years to Secondary School, we provide top-class British schooling for everyone from expats to locals seeking an international education. With pupils of more than 40 nationalities, the British School of Amsterdam offers a stimulating and inclusive learning environment for students aged 3 to 18. Non-native English speakers are welcome. Our curriculum leads to the respected British A-Level qualification accepted by universities worldwide. In addition to the formal academic subjects, we teach European languages including Spanish, French, German and Dutch, as well as English as a foreign language. Every day is an open day at the British School of Amsterdam. Why not come along and visit us? For more information, see www.britams.nl, or contact us at +31 (0) 20 67 97 840 or info@britams.nl.
“It’s a friendly, caring community”
TEACHING PEOPLE, NOT JUST TOPICS
Federico Age 14 Italian/Dutch
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The British Photographer in Amsterdam WEDDINGS
CHILDREN
PORTRAITS
EVENTS
WALKABOUTS
Please call
06 83 94 35 52 to book me for your next private party or corporate event. As a fellow BritSoc member you will automatically be entitled to a 10% discount. 
www.benjaminarthur.com
CONTENTS
Chairman’s Letter
Welcome to another year of BritSoc excellence!
Great Scot! A report from the front line of
haggis dancing by Alison Smith.
Burns Night
British Consulate-General Amsterdam
7 8-11
12-13
What they do and don’t do.
Rainbow Corner Books
Run by two extraordinary mothers who import
English children’s books.
A glimpse behind the scenes at the Rijksmuseum
The Anatomy of Art
Kerstboomverbranding Museumplein
Annual xmas tree fire event dating back to 1974
New live acoustic folk music event.
Books include New Ways to Kill Your Mother.
Monument Valley, and Paris—Las Vegas style.
Andy Symmonds selects his desert island discs.
Dave Thomas waxes llyrically.
Photographer Benjamin Arthur shows you how to
click with your subject.
Britsoc food correspondence Nick Nugent
reports from the four corners of the Amsterdam
Music in the lounge
Beth Johnson’s Monthly Book Review Home is where the art is Texel Island Discs Poet’s Corner
Photographic lesson of the month Nicks Nosh
14-15
16-25 26-27 28 30-31 34-35 36-37 38-39 40-41
42-45
kitchen.
Cooking Coach
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Karen Vivers shows us all how to dish up Parsee
Style Red Chicken Curry. Delish...
46-49
Colophon >
ZINE
New Editor in chief John Richardson I’m proud to take over from Alison Smith as the new editor in chief of this vital expat journal, brimming with beautifully elaborated insights, delicious articles, reports from the front line of culture, and shared expat experiences. It’s my strongest wish that you continue your vital support. I encourage you, no order you, to contribute... occasionally.
EDITORIAL
ISSUE #621
EDITOR IN CHIEF John Richardson | editor@britsoc.nl EDITORIAL BOARD Alison Smith | alison@scconline.nl Benjamin Arthur | benjaminarthur@gmail.com Andy Symmonds | asymmo@gmail.com Dave Thomas | dave@nstscience.nl
ADVERTISING
ADVERTISING SALES Andy Symmonds | asymmo@gmail.com A word from the ZINE editorial team about Charlie Hebdo
Like all civilized people, we were shocked and appalled by the murders of 17 innocent people last month in Paris by Islamist extremists. Quite apart from the sheer depravity of the actions of these terrorists, the attack on our freedom of speech hit home hard. As a magazine we can write what we want, when we want about whomever we want. We have no political, religious or indeed satirical brief here at ZINE but we do occasionally dip our toes into these waters - as last year during the run up to the Scottish independence vote. This assault reminds us that we can never to take the freedom to do this for granted. As an editorial team we stand foursquare behind the French people and all those who marched in their millions in Paris and elsewhere. We also extend our deepest sympathies to all the families, friends and loved ones of those who were killed.
PUBLISHING
PUBLISHED BY John Richardson | John.Richardson@me.com FLIP MAGAZINE PUBLISHING PLATFORM www.issuu.com
SUBSCRIPTIONS AND FEEDBACK John Richardson | editor@britsoc.nl www.britsoc.nl
Nous sommes Charlie.
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Internationally Focussed A school that provides opportunity and challenge both inside and outside the classroom. A school where talent and excellence is fostered and potential is fully realised - resulting in well-adjusted confident students ready to go out and make their mark on the world. www.britishschool.nl Page 6
Internationally British
chairman’s blog/ feb 2015
Dear Members, Welcome to another year of BritSoc excellence! I hope that 2015 proves to be a great year for us all. We certainly got off to a good start, with a classic Burn’s Night celebration last week. The haggis was once again honoured in style, the lads and lassies were teased and toasted and the chefs served us with a hearty meal with neeps and tatties and the best gravy ever! The dancing was wild as usual; it is really nice to see so many people having such a good time. Thanks to Margaret and Alison for the organising, also to their team of volunteers who made it all run so well, and also to The McVities who played their best yet. Now that our busy time is over, we can relax just a little as we start to prepare for this year’s events. Although not officially up and running yet, there is a strong rumour that we will be organising a Christmas Ball again this year! It was sorely missed by some, so it will be a welcome return to our agenda. We need help to set up this big event, so please let me know what you can do so that we can form the Ball Committee asap. Our activities are ongoing and BritSoc Golf is experiencing a revival, so get yourself out there (with handwarmers) soon. For the less warm-blooded, Tennis, Squash and Badminton could welcome more players, so please check our excellent website for details of these sports and other special offers. Best regards,
Ian Cherington Chairman chair@britsoc.nl
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“Never danced sae blindly”
“Will ye d
“More Tatties and Neeps???” It’s Burns Night when true Scots and Mock Jocks alike get together to celebrate not only the works of poet Robert Burns, but also pay tribute to the planet’s greatest self-expressionists, whose personalities and grooming habits are legendary.
Great Scot! It’s Burns Night!
“We look at some of the kings of self-expression from north of the Amstelveen border”
“Burn the Guy, burn the Guy”
Photographs by Benjamin Arthur Photography www.benjaminarthur.com/ Page 8
burn’s night photos 2015/
“How fair art thou, my bonnie glass”
dance wi me?”
“O’ mice an’ men”
“Britsocks and Haggis” “And here’s chairman Ian coming thro’ the rye”
“My love is like a red, red... bottle of single malt”
“Some hae meat and canna eat...” www.britsoc.nl/portfolio/burns-night-2015-photos/ Page 9
B
urns Night 2015
By ‘Alien’ Smith The Annual BritSoc Burns Night Ceilidh I really love this event! I usually take my sister along and every time we go we giggle so much we can hardly catch our breath. The BritSoc Burns Night Ceilidh has become such a popular date in the expat diary that it was a total sellout within days of tickets going on sale, so I had to be quick to ensure I got my tickets. The dance floor was full for every dance and the amount of Scottish dancers per m2 only added to the fun and chaos of each dance. Despite the expert guidance from Margaret Lambourne we flailed our way around the room going left instead of right and swinging the wrong partner entirely before forgetting if we were supposed to be the man or the woman and both trying to lead. The format each year remains relatively the same, but it never tires. Unlike the menu, which, to be honest is never the highlight and, in my opinion, could do with an upgrade, particularly the soup. The Scotch broth, or boiled water with a julienne of vegetables, wasn’t anyone’s cup of soup, although the Haggis with neeps and tatties went down well as far as I could tell. I opted for the veggie version this year which was very palatable and much nicer than the more greasy meat option. As for dessert, apple pie and cream is a sure winner and went down well, despite its soggy bottom. Luckily Mary Berry wasn’t there to judge.
Traditions were followed. We started with the Selkirk Grace then the haggis was piped in, enthusiastically addressed and duly attacked with a Sgian Dubh (pronounced Skian Do) or knife to the rest of us, and threatened with a large sword….if aliens would land at that moment…..but I digress. Then, (shock! horror!) tradition was suddenly broken. A bottle of Scotland’s finest was shown, nay paraded, around the room, but the cork stayed firmly in the bottle. Usually everyone gets a wee dram to toast the bard, but this year not a drop was proffered. Tsk and pah to that and let’s correct that one next year!
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Moving on, ex BritSoc Chairman Stephen Huyton gave the Immortal Memory, or the Immoral Code as he nearly called it as he got up to speak. Completely acoustic due to a microphone hiccup, he gave us some amusing facts and figures.
For example, did
you know that the USA has only recently declassified haggis as a “dangerous” product? And did you know that Robert Burns is the only person with a supper named after him? In the words of Michael Caine…not a lot of people know that. Stephen ended his speech with a joke he’d been sent from Bernhard Garside especially for the occasion. It went something like this.
An Englishman is being shown around a Scottish hospital. At the end of his visit, he is shown into a ward with a number of patients who show no obvious signs of injury. He goes to examine the first man he sees, and the man proclaims: Some hae meat, and canna eat, And some wad eat that want it, But we hae meat and we can eat, And sae the Lord be thankit.
The Englishman, somewhat taken aback, goes to the next patient, and immediately the patient launches into: Wee sleekit cow’rin tim’rous beastie, O what a panic’s in thy breastie! Thou need na start awa sae hasty, wi’ bickering brattle. I wad be laith to run and chase thee, wi’ murdering prattle!”
This continues with the next patient and the next. “Well,” the Englishman mutters to his Scottish colleague, “I see you saved the psychiatric ward for the last.” “Nay, nay,” the Scottish doctor corrected him, “this is the Serious Burns unit.” Next up a kilted John Graham gave the Toast to the Lassies and was relatively kind to the fairer sex, maybe in the hope that Carol Waters would be gentle in her Reply to the Laddies. Carol gave a very funny retort, demonstrating the fact that women can multi task by giving the example of how Burns’ wife went to his funeral and gave birth to his child on the same day! Kudos girlfriend! After all the excellent speeches the dancing began in earnest and this
is the real fun part of the evening. Scottish dancing is a real workout and once you are on the dance floor you are almost unable to leave as Margaret keeps up the momentum and keeps you moving. We were entertained as ever by the excellent McVitie’s who played and sang everything from traditional Scottish folk songs to The Proclaimer’s ‘500 miles’. Everyone made a real effort this year and there were many nods to the tartan tradition, not just kilts but waistcoats, sashes and Tam o ’Shanters. The end of the evening and Auld Lang Syne came far too soon and we headed home, weary of foot but warm from laughing and dancing. Many thanks to Alison Fisher and her amazing team of organisers and roll on next year!
See more images on http://www.britsoc.nl/photo_gallery/
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British Consulate:General
AMSTERDAM
The British ConsulateGeneral in Amsterdam is situated on Koningslaan, on the southern edge of the beautiful Vondel Park. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office bought the smart “Herenhuis” (Gentleman’s House) in 1983 when the area was not as fashionable and converted a once residence into an office.
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T
he work of the Consulate has changed beyond recognition since those distant days. For many years the Consulate was a busy hub issuing Visas for third country nationals visiting the UK and Full Validity British passports for the British community in Netherlands, estimated to be between 43 and 45,000. Visa and passport work was repatriated to the UK in 2008 and British Citizens now apply for passports by visiting the Her Majesty’s Passport Office website www. gov.uk/passports.
So what does the Consulate still do? In the words of British Consul John CameronWebb “The work of the Consulate is hugely different from the traditional type of work people think we do, or did. One of the main challenges has been to allow the completion of all the changes, whilst ensuring our continued support of the British Community. For instance, we have been supporting HMPO during the early stages of their new UK based department dedicated to issuing overseas passports for British Nationals and all of their unforeseen idiosyncrasies. Also, we make sure we are responsive to people asking for Emergency Travel Documents if their passports are in the UK for renewal.” But what else does the Consulate do these days? “Our main focus now is providing Consular assistance to British Nationals overseas, in particular the vulnerable who come to us for help” John continues: “ We have an increasing number of assistance cases where people suffer mental health issues. We also provide assistance to British nationals detained here, either on remand or on Arrest Warrants or sitting out their sentence in a penitentiary. We issue a large number of Emergency Travel Documents (ETDs) for people who have had their passports stolen or who have lost them; we issue around 100 documents a month” The crime prevention survey which the Consulate decided to run following such high numbers of lost/
By Benjamin Arthur
stolen passports shows that the majority of people lose their passports on the train to and from Schiphol, on the street or in restaurants and cafes. So the Consulate is now working with Schiphol and the municipality to produce more public messaging to warn visitors together with other prevention campaigns using social media to warn of other risks at public events such as festivals etc.
For those of us who have tried to register with our local municipality or get married, we know how many pieces of paper Dutch authorities ask for. The Consulate has worked with the Dutch to ease the inconvenience once placed on Brits going about their business here. Where once a host of declarations were required from the Consulate such as “Declarations of Marital Status” or “Certificates of Non-Impediment to Marry” the municipality will now take the declaration themselves, at no cost and a lot less inconvenience! The British Embassy in the Hague (here to further the interests of the British government and economy) and the now smaller team at the Consulate in Amsterdam are also responsible for assisting British Nationals in a crisis, which could be anything from flooding, road transport accidents involving large numbers of British nationals, to aviation accidents. Last summer’s tragic crash of the MH17 passenger plane in Ukraine had 10 British Nationals and the FCO and the Consulate continue to support many of the families and friends. Finally, the Consulate supports a wide cross-section of British societies, clubs and other institutions in Netherlands and helps fly the flag of Britain in Netherlands. So the old Herenhuis is still doing a good job after all these years, it no only houses the Consular Team but also the Europe North Consular Network team and tourist authority Visit Britain, the official Tourist organisation Visit Britain.
Pro-Consul Angela Wills says “We are a much smaller office than we were, but we are committed to providing a first class consular service. We Brits are not that good at blowing our own trumpets, but the Consular assistance work provided by FCO is one of the best in the world”
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Rainbow Corner
Books A book is an inspiring friend
P
eople, who love reading, know what a companion each book can be – sometimes funny, sometimes sad; perhaps inspiring or informative; every one different and every one a friend. Rainbow Corner Books carries a wide-range of the best English language children’s books to be found. As mobile booksellers, the owners know that the best way to instil a love of books in children is to take the shop to them, in schools, at bookfairs or at fundraisers, and to help them choose a book they will treasure. Sometimes, parents find a well-loved title and buy it as a gift for a younger reader. Occasionally, schools or librarians ask to focus on a topic being studied. Parents will also ask us to seek out titles for themselves. If available from a UK publisher or wholesaler, we can order and supply it. After many years of experiencing the eager enthusiasm of our young customers, we know that they want both information and entertainment. They enjoy sharing the thrill of a well-written story with the fervour of visionaries but each person will choose a different favourite. ‘The Adventures of Tom Gates’ by Liz Pichon appeal
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to those who find pleasure in witty repartee and visible characters, ‘Mr Stink’ and ‘Gangsta Granny’ by David Walliams are masterpieces of the ridiculous. ‘War Horse’ by Michael Morpurgo is both heart-warming and pleasurable to read, and ‘Dot Robot’ is like reading a fictional rendering of a fast-paced computer game. My own particular favourite is ‘Journey to the River Sea’ by Eva Ibbotson, a story of adventure and friendship blossoming in difficult circumstances, with information about living in a far-away place that I have not yet visited. Every year, new and exciting ways of portraying information are also published for young people, for example, cook books for teenagers, cooking as science, as health or art, even Stephen Hawking’s research has been presented to young readers intermingled with sci-fi adventures coauthored with his daughter Lucy Hawking. It is exciting to pick up a new book knowing that you might be reading a future classic.
By Sue Kirby and Louise Hunter There are many classic books for tiny children and one is ‘Guess How Much I Love You’ by Sam McBratney, a heart-warming story of love shared between a parent and child, available in different formats; as a board book or picture paperback. Other favourites include “Elmer” a whole series of tales about a multi-coloured elephant and the wonderful stories of “Harry and his Bucketful of Dinosaurs”. Nowadays, fabulous information books are made for even the smallest of hands to hold, enjoy and to share, from many well-known publishers. Part of the fun of the bookselling business is choosing books to order and then eagerly unpacking each box of new titles when they arrive.
and has been trading for over 10 years. It is registered at the KvK in Leiden. If you would like a visit to your school or event, or if you would like to purchase a book for yourself or your child, please send an email to:
0031rainbowcorner@gmail.com.
A price will be quoted and agreed which will include BTW and delivery to The Netherlands. .
Corner Books is a well-established Rainbow mobile bookseller based in the area
around Den Haag. They visit, by invitation, schools, playgroups, book fairs and individual fund-raisers. Organisers of events receive a commission - in books, for their libraries, classrooms or organisation. It is a Dutch business
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The Anatomy of ART
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by DaveThomas
Photography by Krijn Soeteman Page 17
a glimpse behind the scenes
Faded Doll
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at the Rijksmuseum
“ Former Safety Institute
Rijksmuseum from inside Ateliergebouw
T
ucked behind the Rijksmuseum is a more modest design of Cuijpers. A chocolatecoloured villa that once housed the Safety Institute. Since 2009, the Ateliergebouw has housed all of the restoration departments of the Rijksmuseum. But appearances can fool. Behind the facade is a slender hypermodern building designed by Cruz and Ortiz. Page 19
Imitating the masters
“
A painting uses materials to create an illusion. The materials start yellowing, discolour, become dirty, crack or rip. Repairing the painting’s illusion, with reverence for its history and the original materials, is an exciting challenge. In the lab
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Rijksmuseum/ From barber surgeon to medical specialist
Wide corridors, plenty of light, no mess and a quiet scientific endeavour. This could equally be a medical research laboratory! And the comparison is not that far fetched. Gone are the days of ad hoc restoration based on gut feeling and personal opinion. A modern art conservator is more akin to a skilled physician diagnosing and treating a patient than the hit and miss practices of medieval barber surgeons. A conservator’s training therefore bears many similarities with that of his medical counterpart: a long postgraduate training period (5 years) with a lots of hands on experience, and the need to specialise in a certain field (books, wood, furniture, glass, metal, textiles, photos, painting, etc.). Just like physicians conservators need a strong knowledge base (art history, restoration techniques and technology) but the focus is always on the art object (the patient) as no two objects are the same.
The Ateliergebouw is home to the Masters in Conservation and Restoration programme of the University of Amsterdam. Medical students practise on dummies before they are let loose on patients and likewise trainee conservators are not allowed to ‘touch up’ a Rembrandt straightaway. First they must to learn to imitate the masters. Not just make an exact copy of the original but also perfect its flaws. For example, recapture the bits of sand blown onto a canvas of a painting produced outdoors, imitate an artist’s careless thumb print in the drying paint or discover how the underlying substrate affects the painting (for example Van
Gogh’s Japanese paintings were produced on a substrate of grey chalk). Like physicians they also learn to carefully record and justify each step of the treatment process, as art conservation and restoration is increasingly becoming an evidence-based and data-driven discipline. Hippocratic oath For conservators the golden rule is that the work done must be reversible, respect the history of the object and not harm the object’s material identity or integrity. “A painting uses materials to create an illusion. The materials start yellowing, discolour, become dirty, crack or rip. Repairing the painting’s illusion, with reverence for its history and the original materials, is an exciting challenge.” Maartje Stols-Witlox, Lecturer in Paintings Conservation University of Amsterdam
Establishing a diagnosis First diagnose and then treat. Instruments you would find in a modern hospital are equally at home in conservation and restoration practice. Fluorescence techniques are used to identify pigments, scanning electron microscopy to examine blanching in paintings and X-rays to investigate underlying paint layers (which sometimes reveals a hidden painting like the recent discovery of a portrait of a bearded man under Picasso’s The Blue Room). The use of such techniques requires a close collaboration between physicists, chemists, art historians and conservators. Some of this expertise comes from researchers at the Netherlands Cultural Heritage Agency who work at the Ateliergebouw on identifying materials, understanding degradation processes and developing conservation and exhibition techniques. There is also close cooperation with Delft University of Technology and a wide range of foreign institutions. The diagnostic information provides a detailed history and biography of the object including any previous restoration it may have undergone. This enables the conservator to decide if restoration is needed and how this can best be done.
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Triage In accident and emergency departments, triage is the process of sorting injured people into groups based on their need for or likely benefit from immediate medical treatment. A similar approach is adopted for the restoration of the thousands of objects the Rijksmuseum contains. Structural damage such as a torn canvas takes priority over aesthetic defects such as the accumulation of dirt on paintings. Modern works of art often have a fleeting character: cellulose films turn to dust, photos fade easily and polystyrene foam crumbles. Restoring such objects is difficult without breaking the ‘Hippocratic oath’. At the Ateliergebouw they are currently restoring a work from Peter Struycken (designer of the long-used Queen Beatrix postage stamps) constructed from polystyrene foam, lights and a rotating computer punch card. The conservator talked with Struycken about replacing the defective bicycle lamps, which are of course no longer available. He was happy for these to be replaced with modern LED lamps. The restored piece retains
the objects integrity but the material identity, albeit with the artist’s blessing, has been compromised. Psychologist’s dilemma Psychologists must be very careful about posing leading or suggestive questions to avoid implanting ideas in the patient’s mind or subconsciously influencing the patient’s thought pattern. The conservator restoring Struycken’s work also has to tread this fine line. It is a particular problem in modern art where temporary installations and oneoff performances are commonplace. Strict protocols are therefore followed to minimise the risk of compromising the work of art or the artist’s creative process. For example, Peanut Butter Platform by the Dutch Artist Wim T. Schippers that was first installed in 1969 in the Mickery Gallery in Loenersloot. Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam purchased the concept in 2010 and installed it in 2011. Interestingly, Schippers allowed flexible specifications and so the piece installed in Rotterdam was rectangular instead of the previous square shape. Rejuvenation medicine? Must a work of art always be restored to its original state? Or can it be allowed to age gracefully? That applies to some of Van Gogh’s paintings investigated at the Ateliergebouw. Recent research has shown that the irises in Field with Irises near Arles (Van Gogh 1888) were originally purple and not the current blue. The discolouration is due to the pigment Van Gogh used. Furthermore, the red pigment in the painting is fading under the influence of light and will disappear completely within few decades unless the painting is exhibited under a different lighting regime. The painting will not be restored to its original grandeur but instead just cleaned. Digital reconstructions will be made so that the public can see the painting in its former glory. Researchers will be able to use the reconstructions to produce new illumination guidelines for exhibiting paintings.
Strucycken
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Rijksmuseum/
Faded Doll
Close Up Irises
Field with Irises near Arles
Strucycken
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Damaged Thinker
Comparing the Scans
Damaged Thinker
Precise Foam-lined Case
Taking In a Naked Van Gogh
Van Gogh�s Rear
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There They Lay
Rijksmuseum/ Reconstructive surgery Orthopaedic surgeons use 3D printers to reconstruct joints. At the Ateliergebouw they are used to reconstruct sculptures. On 17 January 2007 thieves stole a bronze cast of Rodin’s The Thinker from the garden of the SInger Museum in Laren. The object was recovered two days later but in a heavily damaged state. As it was a key showpiece at the museum the decision was taken to have it restored. Conservators at the Ateliergebouw made computer scans of the plaster casts used to cast the bronze statue. With this information they programmed a 3D printer to repair the damaged parts. However, they deliberately worked with less finesse than a skilled surgeon. The repairs had to contain flaws to ensure the integrity of the original: a visitor cannot see the damage when viewing the statue at a distance but an expert on closer inspection can. 3D scanning and printing have opened up a wealth of new possibilities in the art world. For example, 3D scans can also be used to detect sculpture forgeries by comparing scans of the original with those from the pretender. The technology can also be used to produce precisely fitting foam-lined cases for highly fragile objects. Thanks to this approach Picasso’s Petite chouette (Little owl) at the Kröller Müller Museum can now ‘fly’ far more safely on the rare occasions it is leant for exhibitions elsewhere. Prevention better than cure Some art objects develop an incurable condition. A growing problem in museums around the world is glass disease. The symptoms are crizzling (fine cracks in the glass) or the development of crusty deposits on the glass surface, which gives a ‘frosted’ effect. The disease is caused by the glass reacting with the air under conditions of high relative humidity. The disease is quite common: about 10 to 15 percent of glass objects in museums suffer from it. However only glass with a ‘faulty chemistry’ develops the disease. Researchers at the Ateliergebouw are investigating how glass with such a shortcoming can be identified
and placed in a controlled environment before the symptoms develop. Future advances The Ateliergebouw is seeking to become a world leader in art conservation and restoration with scientists, ICT experts and conservators working together to maintain our cultural heritage. Gaining the necessary funding will, however, be an uphill struggle in the current political climate that favours research of direct benefit to the Dutch economy. Yet just one percent of the money spent on cancer research in the Netherlands would go a long way towards realising the proposed Amsterdam Conservation Center. u
Three insights The black in old masters Students at the Ateliergebouw are restoring a series of old masters from the Amsterdam Museum. One of the challenges they face is finding the right shade of black to use for a painting. There are 16 different hues to choose from! An Anglo-French divide In France conservators tend to remove the varnish and restore the painting to its original aesthetic state, whereas at the National Gallery in London they are more likely to adopt a conservative treatment policy and do only what is strictly necessary. On the operating table We walked into another room. There they lay naked on a grey table. Stripped of their frames. Close up you could see the ridges and crevices of the paint layers and the accumulated dirt that will be removed during the restoration process. Ella Hendriks (senior conservator) picked one up and showed us its rear. She explained how in the 1930s the head of the Gemeentemuseum in The Hague had restored these two paintings by ironing an extra canvas onto the back of them. Ironing a Van Gogh! Apparently he charged about 20 euros for each one. Fortunately the damage, although irreversible, is limited to a stiffening of the canvas and a slight discolouration of the pigments.
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Kerstboomverbranding Museumplein
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event report/ by Andy Symmonds
W
hen we attended the Kerstboomverbranding on the Museumplein this year I knew that it was an annual event but no idea that it stretched back to 1974. With this history it can definitely be called a tradition. Every year the residents of Amsterdam South can bring their tired Xmas trees to Museumplein to be thrown onto a huge pile of trees that are then set alight. There is naturally a focus on health and safety, with a fire engine in attendance (presumably from the local station that is approximately 400m away) so it’s safe fun for the entire family. Once the fire gets going the result is quite spectacular. The dry trees almost explode like enormous fireworks as they are thrown onto the burning pile,
with sparks flying upwards This is not ideal if they land on some clothing, as a member of our party discovered, but it is good to watch. Locals are welcome to bring their trees with them, and there appear to be teams scouring the neighbourhood for trees that are already in the street. In addition there was a band playing cheerful music, and the option to buy food and drinks from conveniently located suppliers. This makes an excellent way to remove the now unwanted trees that otherwise seem to occupy the streets of Amsterdam like very large and sharp versions of tumbleweed. The event is usually the first Sunday of the New Year, and information is easily available via the internet. Â
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WANTED If you’d like to perform, send your details to: lampinamsterdam@gmail.com
ADeuaddoriealnivce e Your REWARD:
great live accustic music New Amsterdam Acoustic “Music in the Lounge” Club An evening of songs, music and stories. Music lovers can get together to either enjoy listening to songs or tune in the comfortable atmosphere. Any budding musicians can get a chance to perform a few tunes/songs too Saturday 14th February 2015 Groenburgwal 42 ,1011 HW Amsterdam
entrance fee €5.00
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If you would like to perform, please send your details to: lampinamsterdam@gmail.com
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Beth’s Book Review | FEB 2015 By Beth Johnson
Reading is a solitary pursuit – and also a wonderful chance to connect ourselves to those around us. During my quick January trip to family in Colorado as well as extended family in New Mexico (our younger daughter asked us to accompany her on her roots journey to her birthmother – talk about connecting!), I ran across three books that reiterated to me the importance of the written word.
C
olm Toibin’s New Ways to Kill Your Mother: Writers and their Families is a compilation of linked essays on the role of various family members in novels ranging from Jane Austen, Henry James, Beckett, Roddy Doyle, John Cheever to James Baldwin and Barack Obama. I am a great fan of Toibin as one of the best of the Irish authors and I thoroughly enjoyed The Master (winner of numerous literary awards) and his brilliant Brooklyn. But he is also an accomplished professor and literary critic who reminded me that not only Slow Food but also Slow Reading are essential to the examined life. Reading offers us the opportunity to take time for reflection, to distance ourselves from the daily rat race, to return to our university days where ideas were tossed around in idealistic, cynical, critical, engaged and silly ways enfin, to test our brains, sharpen our wits and process our lives. Expecting the book to be a bit of a slog, I came away stimulated and recharged! See particularly the piece on James Baldwin on writing and jazz, both of which Baldwin characterizes as “perception at the pitch of passion.” Can’t wait to pick up Toibin’s new book, Norah Webster, which is waiting for me at the bookshop.
T
wo other books urged me to read more … and more…. Andy Miller - British author, book editor and former bookseller - embarked recently on A Year of Reading Dangerously, and found that the fifty great books (and two not so great ones) saved his life. Beginning with The Master and Margarita, he compiled a List of Betterment, which ranges from Anna Karenina, through The Epic of Gilgamesh, Don Quixote, the Communist Manifesto, Brett Easton Ellis’ American Psycho to The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James and Douglas Adams’ Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. He explores what happens when we as readers force ourselves to continue reading despite the sense that a given book will be boring or beyond our capabilities. What does persistence do to us as readers? The process is more than mere hard work. The reward often lies in the particular way we get drawn into a book, the often serendipitous associations we begin to make, the tangents our thoughts lead us into. Businessmen often tell me that they want to start reading again, after immersing themselves in management books and thrillers for years with the idea they can’t handle more. What is more exciting than helping these readers become intrigued by the rich and glorious books that are part of our heritage!
T
he Storied Life of A. J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zeven is another book-oriented novel, the amusing, slightly sentimental and thoroughly satisfying story of a bookseller on a tiny island off the New England coast. Fikry, who has lost his wife and his purpose in life, discovers an abandoned toddler in his bookshop and gradually learns to connect with his local community in a charming tale of love and second chances. But the best parts of the book are the brief introductions to each chapter, written by the main character, A. J. Fikry, who
Beth Johnson is the owner of Boekhandel Van Rossum (Beethovenstraat 32 in Amsterdam) which sells a wide range of Dutch and English books. Page 30
recommends particular novels or short stories to his young daughter. Not a single reviewer examines the content of the rather obscure recommendations, but they are hilarious and made this reader eager to search out these titbits of literature. And just to test your persistence with quirky and somewhat obscure international novels, I submit to you The Gardener From Ochakov, by Andrey Kurkov (1961 - ), otherwise known as the Ukrainian Murakami. Kurkov is the author of Death and the Penguin, which appeared in English in 2001 to great acclaim. Translated by Amanda Love Darragh in a rather straight-forward way, The Gardener is a satire about nostalgia for the Soviet period. The Guardian’s review summarizes it: “In this light-hearted time-travel adventure, Igor – young, unemployed, living with his mum – helps a mysterious gardener decipher an old tattoo. The resulting treasure hunt unearths a Soviet policeman’s uniform, which transports the wearer to 1957 and the salty town of Ochakov on the Black Sea. Igor begins commuting by night, careless of possible paradoxes, to sample the wine, flirt with a flame-haired fish-seller and bring back flounders for breakfast.”
A
nd now the thrillers – the first a classic by Josephine Tey from 1948, the second an introduction to a Western mystery author from Colorado!
Some of you will be familiar with the author Josephine Tey, who also wrote in the 1940s and 50s under another pseudonym, Gordon Daviot. Having heard about her for years, I was delighted to run across a second-hand copy of Miss Pym Disposes during my Colorado travels this month. Apparently not one of her typical mysteries with the detective Alan Grant, this novel is more of a social and psychological moral study of a young women’s Physical Education school in a small British village. While some readers complain that the murder is only committed three quarters of the way into the book, the book offers a slowbuilding, carefully constructed picture of a closed environment in post-World War II England. Tey writes superbly and with great twists and has been a model for later mystery authors. Well worth a read if you don’t need seat-of-your-pants thrillers. Should you require breathless excitement from the other side of the pond, I will order the Allison Coil mysteries of Coloradan journalist, Mark Stevens for you. The third in the series, Trapline, kept me reading deep into the night, delighted by the mountain scenery I had just travelled. Hunting guide Allison Coil discovers a chewed-up corpse high in the Flat Tops Wilderness. Ostensibly a mauling by a mountain lion, Allison’s instincts say otherwise. At the same time, a popular candidate for the U.S. Senate is shot during a campaign stop in Glenwood Springs where newspaper reporter Duncan Bloom picks up the trail. As the Dutch would say, this is probably a far from your bed show, but well worth your time if you want something not being hyped in Europe!! The expansion of Boekhandel van Rossum is proceeding apace, even in my absence. Do visit us before we add the shop next door to our current space. It is all very exciting! Happy reading – and let me hear your reactions! winkel@boekhandelvanrossum.nl
www.boekhandelvanrossum.nl Page 31
British Language Training Centre
bltc
English & Dutch Courses Teaching English (TEFL) www.bltc.nl Tel. 020 622 3634
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ISA campus, main entrance
C
M
Y
CM
MY
CY
CMY
K
Setting the stage. At ISA, we believe that great facilities can set the stage for great learning. ISA is housed in a space specially designed for international education. And inspiration. Our facilities include a four-floor library/media center, a 400-seat theatre, science labs and specialist studios for music, art, and drama. More than 400 computers are joined in a school-wide, online network. Students work with laptops and iPads in the classroom. Two state-of-the-art gyms, discovery oriented playgrounds and adjacent playing fields are large, well equipped and secure. ISA’s campus is not a luxury. It’s where ideas are born.
Exciting and developing young minds Sportlaan 45 - 1185 TB Amstelveen - The Netherlands - Tel. +31 20 347 1111 - www.isa.nl
Taste Life!
Kingsalmarkt, the world-famous foodstore! We are known for our wide range of products from countries all over the world. ‘Taste life’ is what we call that. Visit us for your favourite American cornflakes, brownies and soups, British jams and honey, Mexican tortillas, Spanish tapas and ham, Italian coffee and pasta and French cheese. Of course you can pick up the rest of your groceries too.
Rembrandtweg 621, 1181 GV Amstelveen-noord, tel. 020 643 37 51 www.kingsalmarkt.nl info@kingsalmarkt.nl Easily reached by car (free parking) and public transport (5 or 51 tram to Kronenburg) Opening hours: Monday to Friday: 9 am – 6 pm Saturday: 9 am – 5 pm
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B
oth of these paintings hang on the brick corridor walls of my old warehouse apartment in Amsterdam.
The artist is me, myself and I. After a particularly busy and stressful period, business wise, I decided to take my wife and son on a relaxing holiday to Las Vegas. I’m not a gambling man, so we took a 3000-mile road trip to places like Monument Valley and the Grand Canyon. We camped in Monument Valley, which was a massive tick off a very
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long bucket list. I sat staring out of the tent most of the night in awe of the billions of stars. At around 5am, three things happened. Lightning flashed off in the distance, a new moon appeared and a shooting star disappeared behind the huge, but barely visible Merrick’s Butte. It was there, but you felt it more than you could see it. I couldn’t capture the significance of this with a camera, so I downloaded a sketching app and started drawing away on my iPad. I haven’t drawn
HOME IS WHERE THE ART IS By John Richardson
Home is where the Art is
Once we moved in and settled, we considered a style of decoration that suited us both. Not an easy task when it comes to wall colours, let alone what to hang on the walls when painted. On a Sunday morning wander around this great city, we happened upon the art fair on the Spui, just off Kalverstraat and opposite Café Luxembourg. A typically sleepy start; by 10 a.m around half the stalls were open. So we got a coffee. One of the last to arrive….as we sauntered up, Paulo had just managed to get himself a coffee and didn’t seem too bothered about selling. Maybe that was the attraction. But I remember seeing the random, spectacular, technical works being unpacked. We talked and he explained his technique. We were ready to buy. But not so fast! This is an artist. He wanted to see our house (more coffee) and match his art to our interior. I had one question…seriously? Actually I had two….how much? He came round, and promised a design that would suit us. And it does.
The works are layered oil paints; colour on colour; almost random. Yet there is a plan. After layering the paint dries. Then Paulo scalds, burns, boils the material and scrapes at the layers until the underlying structure is revealed. He has little idea of the end result, but can influence the style and impression. It has a huge impact on the ambience in our living space. in years, but there was something in the way the Navajo from our hectic, high-tech lifestyle. When I Check thehad artist: Paulo to Ferreira– last stall on thehad left (nearestreturned Esprit) attothe Spui art fair. Indianout guide spoken me thethe day before that Las Vegas, I drew a number of relaxed me. Totally. I remember listening in wonder to his sketches of this crazy adult Disney world. The relaxed demeanour and earthily powerful yet low voice. Full one you see here is called Paris Las Vegas. You of significance. It made me relax to the point where I can climb up this version of the Eiffel tower Iansimple Cherington now found myself staring out from the tent at this startling and see the lights of Las Vegas glitter all the vista. The distant lightning, new moon and shooting star way to Navajo country in Arizona. seem to represent a transitional moment in my life. And I wanted to capture it on paper. I’m very pleased with the If you have a piece of art in your home with a story attached, result. Every time I pass this sketch in the corridor I think please feel free to sent it in to our editorial team. of that moment. It transports me a million light years away editor@britsoc.nl
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Texel Island Discs
As music is a major element of my life (listening only apart from the occasional vocal solo in the shower and an unsuccessful attempt to master the saxaphone), being invited to choose my discs posed an entertaining challenge. Picking ten songs has never been so difficult.
Before being exiled for eternity on the deserted island of Texel, Andy Symmonds chose the following discs to take with him:
1.
Bauhaus. Bela Lugosi’s Dead. The band that were the inspiration for the Goth movement (modern music with a lot of black, not the more traditional architectural style) but were so much more. I was
lucky enough to see them five times before they split and they were quite something on stage. Many imitators have followed, but none get close. This track has always been a favourite.
2.
Black Lab. This Night.Black Lab is my most listened to band at the moment. They are independent
(no label) yet producing some excellent music. This Night was the first Black Lab song that I heard
and remains as one of the best songs ever written (IMHO). Thus Night was playing at the start of an Episode of the House series and I sat transfixed as the music played. I have subsequently managed to acquire their entire back catalogue and remain keen to finally see them live somewhere in Amsterdam.
3.
Clash: Should I Stay or Should I Go Now? One of the best bands of the punk era, I managed to see the Clash three times before they imploded. Rarely have I seen such energy on stage. Looking back, many of their songs are very well written, contrary to what my parents were telling me at the time. I chose this track from many old favourites as the lyrics have been accurate over time and I have some good memories of listening to this in the student union.
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4.
Faithless: Insomnia. My most listened to band of the naughties would have to have
7.
is good, old fashioned rock. I saw comment
with me, and Insomnia managed to beat
saying that their track Rocks treads between
away the other tracks vying for inclusion.
tribute and parody of the Rolling Stones, but
Faithless had endless energy in their music
their landmark album Screamadelica is an all
and through their live performances; the last
time classic. Movin’ On Up is one of several
time that I saw them at the Paradiso we had
great songs on the album.
inside the venue by the end of the encores.
8.
Unforgettable!
Groove Armada: I See You Baby. So many tracks to choose from made this a difficult
9.
What a jolt to the system!
track.
I particularly like the fact that if it is played in a bar during the weekend everyone sings along, pretty much word for word.
was the first punk song that I ever heard,
(when I should, arguably, have been asleep).
much of their music so I finally settled on this
include a Dutch track. I really like the song but
Ramones: Sheena is a Punk Rocker. This
between 22:00 and 24:00 during the week
of the energy that Groove Armada have in
is not here through any sense of obligation to
started the wave for Radiohead and still
listening to the John Peel show on Radio 1
know chill out classic, but doesn’t catch some
Guus Meewis: Het Is Een Nacht. This song
Radiohead: Creep. This is the song that remains as one of the best songs ever written.
decision. At The River is probably their best
6.
difficult band to define, but a lot of their music
at least one track coming away to the island
our own microclimate with a small cloud
5.
Primal Scream: Moving On Up. This is a
10.
U2: Bad. I was a fan of U2 from their early days, and I still look back on the trilogy of
A Sort of Homecoming, Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby as the peak of their output as far as my music taste is concerned. Picking one of their tracks as a favourite was my biggest challenge.
Would like to suggest your own Texel Island Discs? Please contact editor@britsoc.nl Page 37
corner
poets
Schokland my zest became my downfall as vibrant greens turned treacherous blue my contact slowly receded and isolation loomed reformation brought strife painful north-south sectarian divide while clandestine infiltration foiled my efforts to turn the tide beleaguered defences failing water sneered at my church’s door my loved ones long departed dead souls left wailing each winter storm as dark clouds massed over Europe liberation reached my battered shores I felt a secure embrace protected by imposing walls
Š Dave Thomas 2015
Black
Dave Thomas & John Richardson Page 38
poetry
us b from
s s a ld on meal cD , M appy fs ge h f rid rs, , cli a B ipe ets rey rse n w oil h g tte ee n, t os Ba dscr der h-sw o n wi e M swis t T a e r' s v Do
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Albe r t B r i dge, cu neon s -‐ b a t h ed, flo toms f a g b r e ak, Fre or cold B n a k e w ell tart ch delay s , d r e a ry hou r
Ch e ora lsea fue nge Bridg l M2 l stop itres e, nin 0 Ash , junc gre e, th ford, tion en ree flo red -‐hu we nd rs red ,
du do k, du do k, du do k
Va u MI xhall Br 6 idg "ca , kid s e llin l a ug , ferr ga dis h y pi r l ite l" Du d, d nq uer elu ge agi que tat es
nth lank i r aby ish f l , e m idg , Fle ipt r B th cking descr e mb es ti nona L vic r, ser icato in d
(C) Dave Thomas 2015
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BritPhotShot of the Month:
February 2015, Rotterdam
Britsoc Photo Lesson #8 When your subject is just enough
Technical details: Nikon D700. AF-S Nikkor 17-35mm, f/3.2, ISO 1250 @ 1/20s
“With a subject like this you may think it’s impossible to take a bad shot. You’d be wrong.” Page 40
O
n a job for a corporate client in Rotterdam just before Christmas we visited the now famous Markthal. With a subject like this
you may think it impossible to get a bad shot. You’d be wrong. It was my first time visiting so it took me a while to realise that there are some stalls which have eating areas which you access via the establishment in question’s private stairway. Only when you are sitting in one of those areas can you take a really nice photo of the Markthal roof. And then the subject is just enough. Get the angle right and let the wonders of digital enhancement – this is brightened up and the vibrancy increased a bit (but ONLY a bit!) – do the rest to create an arresting image. If you are holding an event of any kind in 2015 in the Netherlands or the UK, please do get in touch quoting “britsoc10” to claim your exclusive British Society 10% discount on my usual fees.
Benjamin Arthur The British Photographer in Amsterdam.
+31 683 943 552 benjaminarthur@gmail.com
www.benjaminarthur.com Page 41
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NICK’S NOSH
Britsoc food correspondent Nick Nugent reports from the four corners of the Amsterdam kitchen Review of the Year: Page 43
Review of the Year
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tradition I started last year was to give a food round up of the year, and some things which I expect to happen in 2015. So here we go! It’s been an interesting year, with a real explosion of new restaurants in the city. I remember looking at a popular review site at the start of the year that listed around 1,900 restaurants. Now, we have over 2,450 on the same site. That makes 1.5 new restaurants per day! It’s hard for a food Journalist to keep up.
T
here have been some casualties. Probably the most notable was restaurant Christophe in the Jordaan, which used to command a Michelin star during its heyday. It’s now a steak restaurant called “Black and Blue.” Some other losses should not be mourned, and one such place is restaurant I slated about 1 year ago called De Ondeugd. Except for the stupid name, it was shocking. It’s now reopened in the guise of a dim sum cocktail bar called Oolong. I have to say that Oolong’s cocktails are very handsome indeed, but I have not eaten there yet.
S
o what have been the themes of 2014? For those of you that eat out regularly, one springs to mind. 2014 for me was the year of the pop-up. I think every week I saw an invite to this pop-up or that pop-up. This may explain some of the explosions in new places, but it does not go the whole way. Back in the summer I visited Foyer, which was my only popup of the year. There have been many others to choose from, some of which are still going strong. One that I believe is still open, and I have been wanting to try, is the Crazy Kreeft. Which as the name suggests, is a Lobster bar.
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A
Web: crazykreeft.nl Tel: 020 670 41 61 Email: hello@crazykreeft.nl Ferdinand Bolstraat 17-19 1072 LA Amsterdam
nother interesting pop-up concept that made a national press in the UK was Eenmaal (www.eenmaal.com). If your Dutch is good enough, you’ll have worked out that the concept was dining for one. They have opened again recently in Antwerp. If you’re a solo diner, then watch out for this pop-up.
T
he restaurant ‘OPEN’ has now closed. Housed in an old railway bridge that was always ‘open’, customers sit mid air over the entrance to the Westerdok. The new owners have renamed it ‘Le Coq’. With elegant, cocky irony they write: “Come in, we’re not open!”. Their new menu features international tapas dishes, with a bit of a luxury feel to them. I never got to eat at ‘OPEN, but friends recommend it highly. We shall see how this one does.
T
Le Coq (previously restaurant OPEN) Westerdoksplein 20-Brug Tel: 020 344 6428 Web: www.lecoqamsterdam.nl Email: info@lecoqamsterdam.nl
apas remains a big theme of the year, with many restaurants opting for a grazing menu approach. One actual Spanish Tapas bar I visited frequently last year, and I also mentioned in a review, was Madrid. If you’re interested in some traditional Spanish Tapas then they are pretty good and the owner is always very enthusiastic to see you. Madrid Bellamystraat 11-H Tel:020 489 9375 Web: www.restaurantemadrid.nl
Another theme I think has to be Burgers. There’s been many new posh burger joints opened or expand, which claim to be the best burger in town. There’s also several chains such as the Burger Bar (www.burger-bar.nl). With four locations already, they seem to be making a success out of this concept. I think my favourite will remain the Butcher (www.the-butcher.com/). They have two locations already, with a new one having opened in De FoodHallen. In the last few months, I’ve noticed several Pho and Ramen places pop-up. A recent addition that I know of on the Haarlemmerstraat is Pho house (www.phohouse.nl) They offer many variations of this traditional Vietnamese staple, and I had the filet beef version. It was okay, but for €12.50 I expected more flavour from the stock. In the end, I was a bit bored by it.
The food festivals I attended in 2014 were a bit few and far between, so I don’t have a lot to compare with. Certainly, the one that overwhelmed me for sheer size and choice was Rollende Keukens (www.rollendekeukens.nl/), which took over most of Westergas Fabriek last spring. If you are interested to add this one to your calendar, this year’s dates 13-17 May 2015. You can also read my review of the 2014 edition in my ZINE article at http://bit.ly/1EPwP8N Finally my best food experience of the year has to go to one of our own, Chris Naylor at Vermeer Restaurant who treated us like royalty at the chef’s table. We had many courses of Michelin starred loveliness served up by his chefs. If you want to re-read about that experience please take a look at http://bit.ly/1CHcMZu A final Michelin star treat, British author Mark Cunningham has written ‘Perfect Harmony’, a beautiful book containing recipes and wine pairing suggestions from the La Rive, the Amstel Hotel’s signature restaurant. More details are available at http://bit.ly/1KCr5hi. Read a few pages here: http://bit.ly/1D9qrHp I wish you a great 2015 and good eating. If you have any suggestion for where and what to review please send them to: nicksnosh@hotmail.com.
nicksnosh@hotmail.com Page 45
Parsee Style Red Chicken
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food glorious/
n Curry Karen Vivers
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K
aren Vivers, originally from Scotland, has lived here in Amsterdam since 1997, and has set up the Cooking Coach to help inspire people to get back into the kitchen. The basis of the cooking lessons are easy, tasty, healthy recipes. Each course starts with a free introduction session, to make sure that you only cook what you like to eat. As well as cooking lessons, Karen offers Culinary Tours in Amsterdam, is a passionate Food Blogger and works freelance as a Culinary Consultant, specialising in small and medium businesses, helping them get started, grow and deal with commercial challenges.
Parsee Style Red Chicken Curry During the winter months my cooking takes a decided turn to the hearty. Stews, casseroles, baked pasta dishes are very much the order of the day, no surprise there. The other annual craving I have is spice, in the form of a good curry to be precise. When I first came to live in Amsterdam, oh about a hundred years ago now, I just couldn’t find a good Indian restaurant, an essential, I’m sure you’ll agree. After coming to terms with the fact that perhaps they just didn’t exist in this town, I decided it was time to learn how to make ‘a proper curry’ myself. I have to say, I found it quite daunting. I started checking out cook books where the consensus seemed to be that working with spice was hugely complicated and should be left to very experienced, highly trained chefs. Even although I was neither, I decided not to be put off, I mean, it’s only spices right? I was right to keep going. I discovered, as with so many other things in cooking (and life), it’s what you make it. A curry can be as simple or as complicated as you like, and, if you stick to a few basics, you can adapt it as you want. It was a long time ago, that first curry, since then, I try and add a couple to my collection each year. This parsee style is my latest, and, I have to say, it’s been really popular in cooking lessons, so I thought I’d share it with you. If you’ve been contemplating trying to cook a curry, this is your chance. Preparation: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 25 to 35 hours
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Ingredients for 4 servings
21kg / 2.2lb boneless chicken thighs cut into bite sized pieces. You can also use chicken breast, but I feel that thighs give better flavour. A nice compromise is to do half and half. 3 or 4 bay leaves 2 x tbsp sunflower oil Some honey to taste (optional) A handful of toasted flaked almonds to dress (optional).
Spices to be ground 2 x tsp coriander seeds 1 x tsp cumin seeds 5cm / 2 in. stick of cinnamon. These spices should be ground in a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle. If you don’t have this, you can use powdered versions of the spices. 3 x tsp coriander, 1 tsp cumin, 2 x tsp cinnamon. Add this to the food processor with the rest of the ingredients below.
Ingredients to be blended 4 x to 6 garlic cloves 2 x red onions, quartered A thumb sized piece of ginger, peeled 2 x fresh red chillies, stalk removed and halved 1 x tsp of kashmiri chili powder 1 x heaped tsp of paprika powder 1 x tsp turmeric 1/4 tsp of salt 5 x medium tomatoes, halved Add these ingredients to a food processor with the dry spices that you have ground and blend until smooth.
Method 1. Grind the coriander seeds, cumin seeds and cinnamon. 2. Add the ground spices to the processor and blend with the ingredients as listed above. 3. Heat the oil in a non stick pan, when hot add the bay leaves and let them sizzle for a few seconds. 4. Add the paste to your pan and cook, stirring for a couple of minutes. 5. Add the chicken pieces and stir through. Set to cook at a gentle simmer, covering with a close fitting lid. 6. Cook for about 20 to 25 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Check for salt, remove the bay leaves and add a tbsp of honey or two if you wish.
Tips and Variations •
As with all curries, the level of spice is a very personal thing. With this, I mean of course chili heat. If you are not sure how hot it will be, use the two fresh chillies and add the kashmiri chili later on. Check first that the chicken is cooked,
taste your sauce, if you want more heat, add the kashmiri. •
Sometimes it can be difficult to get kashmiri chili powder. You can substitute it with normal chili powder and a little more paprika powder. Kashmiri chili powder gives a really good colour as well as heat.
•
I like to serve this curry with some plainly boiled white rice. I love to toast almonds and sprinkle them over the curry for a little texture. And, of course it’s always a good idea to serve some yogurt with any curry.
•
If you would like the curry to be thicker. Remove the lid and turn up the heat allowing the sauce to reduce. Remember though, this will intensify the flavour and the heat. Likewise, you can add some water to have a thinner sauce.
A Capsule Spice Collection
This is my spice starters kit for those of you who have a feeling that your life may benefit from a little spice, but, are not sure where to begin.
For the Mediterranean and Middle Eastern Cook Cinnamon Powder Cardamom Pods and Powder Cumin Powder and Cumin Seeds Turmeric Fennel Seeds Chili Powder (and/or dried chili’s) Paprika Powder
food glorious/ Paprika Powder Vanilla Pods (or Vanilla Extract – never essence) Ground Ginger Ground Nutmeg Ground Cloves Garam Masala Coriander Powder Black or Brown mustard seeds (never yellow)
Karen’s COOKING BOOK “Love Food, Live Healthy” now available on Amazon. http://amzn.to/1rcOpYa
Learn How to Cook the Healthy, Tasty Meals you WANT to Eat!
For the Baker Cinnamon Powder Vanilla Pods (or Vanilla Extract – never essence) Ground Ginger Ground Nutmeg Ground Cloves
For the Indian Curry Maker Garam Masala Turmeric Cumin Powder and Seeds Cardamom Pods and Powder Coriander Powder Black or Brown mustard seeds (never yellow) Chili Powder (or dried chili’s)
The Complete Capsule Collection You’ll notice that there is some cross over in each collection, so, if you want to have the complete capsule collection, here it comes:
Cinnamon Powder Cardamom Pods and Powder Cumin Seeds and Powder Turmeric Powder Fennel Seeds Chili Powder (or dried chili’s)
The Cooking Coach Love Food, Live Healthy www.thecookingcoach.eu Mobile : 06 1424 0009 Email: karen@thecookingcoach.eu Page 49
AMSTERDAM www.amsterdam.angloinfo.com
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