Eurasian dinner party

On Saturday I was invited for a party. When I arrived the table was already filled with goodies,

a small hand was tucking into Asian rice snacks,

and from the window we could check out one of the pretty squares in Brussels.


Meanwhile rice was being prepared

as well as potatoes.

A bowl was filled with Asian fruit

and the chicken got a finishing touch.


My plate looked like this:

I admit I had several helpings.

And then it was time for dessert: pears stewed in port wine

were covered in chocolate sauce

a strange Asian fruit was added (the name I remember is dju dju, which is actually a swear word in Flemish)

and this was served with ice cream, cookies and a mint leaf.

Hail to the cooks R and F for this feast!

Dinner in the Brussels sun

When the sun is finally out in Brussels, everybody is out on the terraces. Yesterday we had dinner at an old family favourite, la Marie Joseph.

This choron-sauce was anxiously eyed when it arrived, because the fear immediately arose that there wouldn't be enough of it to accompany two tuna steaks.

After dinner we went for an ice cream at Zizi. It used to be another of my favourite spots in Brussels but I have to admit that we were a bit disappointed by the quality of the ice cream last night. I hope this was a one off.

Early birds

Last week I assisted a music happening at Gravensteen in Gent. The theme was oriental and although the weather wasn't very cooperative, it was great to experience the building in special lights and decorations, while listening to different types of music.

And yesterday I was crazy enough to get up at 6 am on my first day of holiday, in order to join a group of birdwatchers for a walk at the Wolfsputten in Dilbeek.

Didn't realise it could still be that cold in the morning!

But the walk was very rewarding

especially with all the daslook (Allium ursinum) flowering everywhere, filling our nostrils with the smell of garlic.

Afterwards labelga treated us to a feast for breakfast.


This organic raisin and nut bread was simply delicious

and the salmon avocado toast didn't taste bad either.

The only flaw was this piece of porcellan flowers

purchased on eBay - and can you believe it? Nobody else bid on it - the only reason for this, as explained by the purchaser, was a little chip in one of the flowers.

Anyway, thanks a lot for getting this together!

Birthday brunch by the canal

A few weeks ago I was invited for a surprise birthday brunch at kaai Grand Café in Boom.
I forgot to take a picture of the great view on the canal, but I didn't forget the food, which tasted as good as it looked.

By the train station

Today I had lunch at Brasserie de la Gare, a typical Brussels restaurant, at a rather unexpected spot, near the train station of Sint-Agatha-Berchem.


After light starters


we went for very typical dishes: veal's liver

and asperges à la flamande, my favourite in this season!