Passover Stressing You Out?

From Exodus 12:14 and 15: “This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the LORD; throughout your generations, as statute forever, you shall keep it as a feast. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven out of your houses, for if anyone eats what is leavened, from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel.”

Well now that my brother lives in Israel, I rather not be cut off from the homeland, so I won’t be consuming any of the “5 forbidden grains”: wheat, barley, spelt, oats, rye—chometz, if you will. But what is this about an abandonment of rice, lentils, chickpeas, and now corn and thus corn starch and corn syrup? And don’t think that you can just drink away the pain of giving up your favorite corn-syrup treat, like chocolate Easter eggs in my case—ironic, I know—because all beer and most liquor are off limits as they were allowed to ferment, a luxury that the Ancient Egyptian fugitives did not have.

I think that limiting yourself to eating only foods that are not wheat, spelt, oats, barley, rye, legumes, corn, or rice is another way of agreeing to a seven-day starvation.

Exploring this further, I read that in the Middle Ages, rice, lentils, chickpeas, and fava beans were ground into flour, which put them in a state that could be confused with the true grains. That's unfortunate, but, as far as I know, the original trendsetters did not seem to have this problem. It seems unnecessary to make amendments to my Passover shopping list when the purpose of this holiday is for it to be a "memorial day," and not just something the French created with their mustard seed addition. Thank you France.

When deciding your own dietary restrictions this holiday season, I think it’s important to consider what Passover means to you. To me, it is a remembrance and honoring of the original miracle. So, bring on the hummus! 

nooch

If it wasn’t the funky tables with curved bamboo centerpieces then it was the fun menu with neon green writing that reeled me into Nooch in Amsterdam.

Although Nooch fails to provide the most authentic of Thai food, the trendy atmosphere and great sharing dishes made for a good dining experience.

Not knowing what to expect after ordering the “Chinese Pearl” appetizer, I was thrilled when four stuffed pastries arrived at the table. The “deep fried pancake” was like a miniature piecrust. The shell was very crispy, creating some difficulty upon eating, but this was a mere hiccup once I was introduced to the seasoned mushroom filling.

Sautéed soft, the mushrooms were met with shredded carrots, lettuce, green onions, oil and spices. The mixture created an explosion of flavor, especially when paired with the red sauce that tasted like Sriracha. The heat from the sauce added that perfect kick to bring the dish to the next level.

The Pad Thai was bizarre. The attractive presentation was a nice touch—a bright 

green leaf lined the white plate—and if the dish had been named different, then maybe I would have been more pleased. The fact that neither the noodles nor the preparation met my expectations of traditional Pad Thai left me slightly disappointed. The noodles were wide and the flavor was bland. I think some sliced cherry tomatoes found their way onto my plate as well, which was a little odd. Whole peanuts, instead of crushed, topped off the dish, fragmenting the ingredients rather than bringing them together.

Regardless of the underwhelming noodle dish, the friendly staff and delicious starter were enough to tempt me to return to Nooch. There are too many enticing dishes I have not yet experienced for me to write off this restaurant just yet.

nooch

Reestraat 11 1016 DM Amsterdam

+31(0)20 622 21 05

goodfortune@nooch.nl

www.nooch.nl

Open daily: 11.00-23.00

Pancakes! Not your Mamma’s Flapjack

Amsterdam is like the pregnant woman’s fantasy, for you can find a restaurant that caters to almost any bizarre craving combination that you can conjure up. When I heard that the Dutch love pancakes, I had no understanding of the severity of this patronage until I visited Pancakes! in the Nine Streets.

Every part of this quaint, two-story pancake café—from the blanketed bench outside the front door to the intricately designed tabletops—is packed with personality. If you’re not delighted yet, then take a look at the wonderfully overwhelming menu. With over 30 options, you will not be disappointed.

The charm is in the details. An order of hot chocolate arrives with whipped cream sitting atop a glass partition as to prevent it from dissolving until you want it to.

The true spectacles were, of course, the pancakes. The “Pancakes! Dutch De Luxe” 

pancakes are very thin, resembling an open-faced crepe, with an elaborate assortment of toppings. A slice of delicately browned goat cheese can sit on a bed of spinach, garlic oil, salad pits and pine nuts for €9.80.

I have never been a ham fan (bacon’s a different story), but when you crisp the edges and serve it with camembert cheese embedded in thin pancake dough that is then drizzled with raspberry sauce, then that’s something I can support.

With this unique ensemble of ingredients, I felt obligated to visit Pancakes! a second time. 

The apple pancakes are delicately crafted as the cooks handpick thin apple slices and place them beautifully in the pan. The open kitchen displayed the artistic talent and multitasking skills necessary to pull off this beautiful feat.

Poffertjes turned out to be pan-seared—note the glistening oil—miniature fluffy pancakes. For only €5.50, I was served an army of these little cakes, drizzled in a decadent dark chocolate sauce, and served with a large scoop of vanilla ice cream. Indulgence has just reached a new level.

Whether you have a week or just a weekend in Amsterdam, I absolutely suggest that you visit Pancakes!, where going once just isn’t enough.

PANCAKES! Amsterdam


Berenstraat 38
1016GH Amsterdam

+31 (0)20 528 97 97