Dining Etiquette

As a hospitality graduate, dining etiquette was given as a subject at school. As a Food & Beverage lover, I've considered it a very important 'procedure'. However I say procedure, but it's actually a part of the dining experience.

When you go to a fast food joint, you won't expect any table set up. When you go to a casual dining place, you expect that they have a decent table set up ( at least, all the utensils and glasses). If you might ever visit a fine dining restaurant, you will experience the proper way a table should be set up.

You might think: "dining is dining, what does it matter with which fork I eat or how I place my utensils at the end?" The answer is 'it makes the biggest difference about your manners and the respect to dining and your host/hostess".

As many might hesitate this idea, but even the Chinese dining has its table etiquette. For instance, when eating with chopstick, don't rub the chopsticks together. Rubbing chopsticks together is mostly done for the wooden take-out chopsticks, so by doing so you give the host/hostess the feeling you're given cheap chopsticks to use.

Of course, going out with friends is different than dining with your boss or being on business dinners.
With friends, it's a more casual setting, but when it's business- related, your dining etiquettes really does matter. It reflects your personality.

So...what is the proper dining etiquette?

Some are very logical, like being on time, don't overdo it if you get to order and don't overdo it with  alcohol. But what to do if you've never taught what the proper dining etiquette is?

Here is a cheat sheet if you might need to attend such an invite:

1. RSVP stands for "répondez s’il vous plait". It stands for 'Please respond', so not only if you can't attend.

2. Place your napkin on your lap as soon as you get seated. The napkin is not to be used as a bib.

    If you need to leave your place during the meal, put your napkin on the left of your plates or on a chair.

3. Don't order food that you can't eat properly with knife and fork or spoon.

4. Wait for everyone to have their food before eating

5. Transport food to your mouth…not your mouth to the food.

6. When passing food platters, pass them around the table not across.

7. Never put silverware on the table surface after it has been used, lay it on the butter plate.
8. How you put your utensils, are signs for the waiter:




9. Never request seconds. Accept them graciously if they are offered.
10. If you don't have the cheat sheet and really forgot everything about how and what, just observe the others around you, especially the hostess. If they themselves don't know the business etiquette, it's no biggie, but if they do: just copy + paste.

For those of you, who would like to know more than the cheat sheet about dining etiquette, I'd like to refer you to this site: http://www.gentlemansgazette.com/table-etiquette-guide-informal-dining-manners/

informal set-up

formal set up

Nature: food to the soul!

However it would seem that Suriname is mostly popular for its multicultural food varieties, but there is another thing that makes Suriname so popular: The Untouched Rainforest.

Many tourists have seen the most beautiful places in the interior in contrary to most of the locals.  It might come as a shock, but most locals are not able to pay for a trip to our popular interior since the prices are so high compared to their pay. During school's big break, everybody is longing for some way to cool down, so all nearby recreation resorts are packed with big groups of people. Where as many hoped for some way to relax, many just can't since most of the resorts are letting in as many people as possible. Probably they don't want to disappoint some visitors or just to gain some extra's.


http://surinamedashboard.com/surinamerecreatieoorden.php

Nevertheless, this has been the main reason why I haven't been to a recreation resort for the longest time.


http://wilderness-explorers.com/suriname/lodges/

Everyone has a different expectation of a night in the 'jungle'. Some see it as a place to party and have fun, where as sleeping is not part of it. The main ingredients for a successful trip for them is: lots of food, music, and lots of alcohol. Then there are some who are there to relax and quiet down from the stress and hassle of the city. For the first group, it would not matter that the place will be packed. The more the merrier. But for the second group, they might get even grumpier than they arrived.

http://www.surinamecamping.com/

I used to be in the first group, but probably I really got to admit I'm not getting any younger. I notice that I prefer the nice and quiet of the interior. The smell of trees, the sounds of hidden animals/bugs and if you're lucky, the many stars above you shining brighter than ever.

Last weekend I have finally been to a place where I could enjoy these moments of tranquility. It is this place called Palulu Camping. In contrary to the other recreation resorts, this one demands a reservation and keeps a limit to the amount of visitors at once. And however the names states a camping, but it has all the needed simple luxuries like a flushable toilet, a well-equipped kitchen and even tents for rent. If you happen to go there, the only thing you need to bring is ingredients to cook, your personal stuff and yourself of course.

http://www.surinamecamping.com/

However I could not see the many stars due to a cloudy sky, but I could hear the raindrops falling and had enjoyed a well-rested weekend.

What are the must have's when you go to a recreation resort? Does the nature brings out the wild side or does it give you peace of mind?

Interested in the place? Check their website: http://surinamecamping.com/index.html
The owners Donovan and Iris will surely try to make your stay a memorable one.

I made it to the Friends & Family Cook-out!!

Yay!! The team worked their schnitzels off to have the Sunday off! So thanx a bunch to the team and everyone, who rooted for me!

As I said in my last blog, I was invited to be a judge at the Family & Friends Cook-out at Suit, made possible by Soeng Ngie & Co and Suit NV. I got there around 5:30 pm and there was a crowd, but not that busy yet. There were at least 3 bouncy castles on one side for the kids, drinking stations, and at the other side Soeng Ngie had a widespread set-up. In between were the participants and other stand holders. So, there was quite some to see.

I thought, as the past experiences, I would also be part of the technical judge team. But no...this time I was part of the tasting committee. This is so cool!

At 6pm, all participants have to hand over their participating dish. There were 7 participants, so quite some to taste!


Just like before, I'll be giving my opinion about the dishes and at the end the top 3.

#1. Samenkomst
the meaning of this dish is 'get-together'.
The participant hollow the cassave and filled it with 3 different fillings. One was salt fish, the other shrimp, but about the last one I was not sure what it was.

Pro's:
- I give them an A for effort!! Hollowing out cassave is not easy to do and it's quite some work.
- they used the Her Heri concept and creatively create a different dish out of it

Cons:
- the cassave was still tough. It could've used some more cooking time, but I believe they were afraid it would fall apart. My advice in this would be to hollow it out and deep fry it. It would give the cassave a nice crispy yet soft texture and still keep the form.
 
#2 . Creamy wonton
The creator substituted the commonly known meat filling for a cream cheese-veggie filling.

Pro's:
- The crisp of the wonton wrapper and the creamy filling made a great combination.
- The flavor was really good.

Cons:
- The sauce was not a good match. They used the sweet chili sauce, which overpowered the flavor of the wonton. It would be a better choice to use the Turkish sauce participant #3 used in his dish.
- The presentation was so-so. The food would have popped more if they'd used a different background. What would've made it looked really nice, would've been a white-blue porcelain plate.

#3. Popcorn chicken

The chicken was coated in a tempura batter and deep fried.

Pro's:
- The Turkish sauce was awesome!! It came with two sauces, but the Turkish sauce surely left an impression. I hear the other judges say that it's sold in Soeng Ngie, so I should check that out.

Cons:
- I missed creativity in this one
- The plate used was brown. Since the popcorn chicken is yellow-brown-ish it did not really pop.

#4. Crunchy Monster

BBQ chicken 'patty' on a home-made sesame bun and baked potato strings. At least I had my burger.

Pro's:
- The presentation is appealing.
- The bun was fluffy and light. And since it's home-made they got extra points from me for that

Cons:
- The chicken was a bit burned, so it tasted a bit bitter.
- They were a bit heavy with the five spice. That flavor was a bit too much.

#5.Seafood pasta
Fish on a bed of creamy tagliatelle pasta. My apologies for the missing picture.

Pro's:
- I don't have any pros for this dish actually. It's not bad, but not that good either.

Cons:
- The flavor was blend
- It was not creative for me

#6. Orange Pineapple Fish

Rice with sweet and sour tempura-battered fish

Pro's:
- The presentation of this dish was the best. The white bowl with the green and yellow of the broccoli and fruits and the green dummy chopstick. And especially the dummy chopsticks were a great add-on. Anybody can use it!!

Cons:
- the broccoli was either overcooked or undercooked. Those that were cooked with the sauce were overcooked and the garnish was undercooked
- the fish was surrounded by a thick layer of tempura batter. It was a bit too much

#7. Hete Bamie

Translated from dutch this should be a Hot Javanese noodle.
Before I go to pros and cons, I'd like to mention my expectations. For one, I expected hot in temperature and hot in spiciness. And next to that, I was thinking they either went traditional with this one or totally different from it.

Pro's:
- there are no pro's for this one, but I'll give it that they substituted the chicken for chicken kidneys.

Cons:
- the presentation was bad!!! In the picture it was in a foam box, but we were told it was not even given that fancy when it was handed over.
- the kidney was tough and lacked taste
- the noodle was blend
- no pepper in the noodle and also none on the side


The top 3 dishes were finally:
1. creamy wonton -> Bits II Bytes

    They received $1000,- prize money,their dish will be sold in Sha-gi's for a year and they get to cook their  dish on the tv show: Soeng Ngie's Keukengeheimen
2. popcorn chicken -> Pink Events
3. Crunchy Monster -> Lounge One



Overall it was a great event! By the time the winners got announced, the place was packed!! Micle Fung gave a great fried rice demonstration. He really knows how to give out a show!

The nice thing about the organization is that all participants got their participating fee back.

The nicer thing is that the judges got red pockets from the organization!! I really like doing this and don't expect anything back, but it was really an awesome surprise. It really showed us the great appreciation from the organization!

Suit or Zuid?

Every weekend there doesn't seem to have anything going on and it has to be this weekend that every food competition need to be held. And it's this same weekend that I need to be in at work every single day of it and not sure what time I'll get off. Don't you hate it when it happens?

Well, good thing it's held at Sunday, so just maybe.....*fingers crossed*....that I can still go to one of these two competitions. You haven't heard/read about it yet??? This weekend, there will be the 2nd burger battle at Bar Zuid and the Family&Friends Cook-out at Suit NV. And both happenings start at 4pm. Can I split my belly and go to both?


The 2nd burger battle will have other teams than the last time. One of the new teams is Jamrock, so I'm thinking some Jerk Burger maybe??? I'm actually really curious what kind of creations they will be making. Like the last battle, the winner will go through to the final competition at the end of this year.

At the same time, the cook-out has a very competitive edge. The winner will not only receive $1000,- in money prize, but the dish will be sold at Sha-gi for a whole year and the winning team will also get to cook this dish in the tv show: Soeng Ngie's Keukengeheimen.

Both battle has its thing. At Zuid, we have professionals (restaurants only) present their burger creation, but at Suit, you have the amateur, who might have thought about a great idea and it could be made of anything. It can vary from a burrito to an exquisite foie gras ( I don't think anyone would really go that extreme!).

Since I don't know how to choose, it got chosen for me. I was asked to judge in the Family & Friends Cook-out; the only thing I need to hope for is getting off at work early!! Root for me?



 For more on both competitions, I'd recommend to also read:
http://thevictualsblog.ccmnv.sr/2014/02/suit-nv-soeng-ngie-present-first-family.html
http://thevictualsblog.ccmnv.sr/2014/02/iron-burger-battle-bar-zuid.html

With Twinkle Eyes and Poppy Love

Valentine's day is near!!!! Some say it's a commercial stunt, some can't wait for this day to see what their loved ones got them or how they will be surprised. It's like Christmas for lovers! There is the festivity (not with garlands and Christmas lights, but with red hearts and pink roses everywhere), the smiling faces accompanied with the blushy cheeks when one receives a rose.

For this event, I joined forces with a friend of mine and we are bringing you Valentine Cheesecake. She owns 'Koekjes van Thuis" and I started my own " Poppy Love". But why I used 'Twinkle Eyes' to indicate her is because she always end her letters, posts and any writing with" Met twinkle ogen en een brede smile" meaning with twinkle eyes and a big smile. For more information, I'd like to refer to her blog http://eenlijstjevan5.blogspot.com/.

Poppy Love came as a homophone(words with the same sound) reference to Puppy Love. Remember the first time you fell in love? I hope my cakes taste so good that every time you eat it, you have the walking-on-air feeling. And next to that, the Poppy flower stands for beauty, magic, consolation, fertility and eternal life.

made by Philip Beck

So we're calling our cooperation 'With Twinkle Eyes and Poppy Love'. I was not even aware that the combination was so suitable for Valentine's day!!

My friend has been in the cookies and cake business for a while, but done at a small scale. I on the other hand am in a similar situation. We both have our jobs and the pastry business has been more a ' on the side' thing.  And this is something we both want to change.

In Suriname, it's very rare that people in the same business can work together, because they see each other as their competition. This initiative is partly to show that cooperation is possible and based on the following concept:

- we both have our own clientele and we both make different pastries, so why not group together and reach a bigger market
- everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. We're trying to complement each other to present the client with a better service and a better product.
- since we both have our jobs and it's not always possible to accept big orders, working together will create a smaller workload and a more often 'YES' as answer to any requests.

So, this Valentine's project is our first run.
We will be selling Valentine Cheesecake: A heart-shaped NY Cheesecake on a cookie-cake crust.

we stand for 'what you see is what you get', so this is made with a simple mobile camera to give a realistic projection.

The price is SRD 50,-.

If you want to order or receive more information, please call:
Amy 08735365
Aisah 08770680

You have until Tuesday February 11, 2014 to place an order

SCA Fundraising Dinner: Marriott

Monday night I was invited to the 3rd fundraising dinner of SCA by Jill-joy Landburg, acting secretary of Suriname Chefs Association and editor-in-chief of Victuals. I felt like being invited as a judge for an iron chef challenge or something. Soooo exciting!!

The purpose of these fundraising dinners is to raise funds for the Surinamese group to participate at Taste of the Caribbean. Last year, they brought home many awards and medals. This year, they need to represent Surinamese pride again!!

The main reason is of course to raise funds, but the other reason for these dinners is also to give these chefs the opportunity to stay on top of their game. All these fundraising dinners use the same concept of the Taste of the Caribbean challenge: all participants receive a mystery basket.

At arrival, it lacked a certain exposure that the fundraising is going on in the hotel. I saw no poster or anything mentioning it, probably a suggestion for the organizers. If anyone might have missed the advertisements, but whenever they visit the location and there are still vouchers left, they might be interested to join.

I received a menu and a survey to give points to the menu items I'm about to taste. The service was a bit chaotic. It gives a vibe as if the waiting staff was not probably prepared for this event since only part of the restaurant was used for the fundraising dinner, but the rest was still open for a la carte dinner.

However I received a menu, but I used a short description for the menu items in my blog.

I received my welcome cocktail and was not told that I needed to mix the two layers. So my first sip was from the bottom layer, which was soooo sweet and the guests at my neighboring table were nodding their head and agreeing that it was too sweet. So I took a sip of the upper layer and it tasted bitter and sour, so I came to the conclusion to mix those two layers up. And so both my neighbor guests and I  could still enjoy the drink.

I could sense some orange and blue curacao notes in the cocktail. And bingo, I was right!! The cocktail was made with orange juice, blue curacao and vodka, all nicely garnished with a slice of apple.






The appetizer: A surf & turf of chicken liver pate and smoked fish fritter.

The appetizer was nicely arranged on the plate. I like the colors used in this dish, nice contrast. It looked like a garden art piece or so. The fishballs were croquette-like and the chicken liver pate was very earthy and smooth with a sweet-ish finish. The best part of this dish was the yellow ginger sauce. And if it comes from me, you better believe it, cause I don't like ginger!! In the whole experience there was this orange looking cube, which left both my neighbors and me guessing what it is. It looked like carrot, but tasted sweet and has a softer texture, so I was thinking that it could've been papaya or something. At the end, it appeared that it was indeed carrot, but cooked in a markoesa juice sauce.

However the name states surf and turf of chicken liver, I wouldn't have guessed if I did not have the menu that that was the main item of the appetizer, I would've thought it was the fish ball.

Main dish: Parbo beer battered butterfish filet, Yams croquette and a spinach foam.

I love the yams croquette! (made of taro). It was well-flavored, soft and the crunchiness of the crumb-shell gave it a nice texture. The fish was crisp and I could taste some Indian spice in it. On the fish was the spinach foam, but probably because of the waiting time or so, the foam was already liquid. It didn't add any value to the dish for me.

Dessert: Brownie topped with wild berry cream, fried mint leaves and markoesa sorbet

The brownie is a very solid cake as brownies should be, very chocolate-y, but for me, the wild berry cream is a bit on the sour side. However the sorbet was not mentioned on the description, but it was the highlight of this dish. The flavor was surprising and I even thought it was a sorbet made of pomme cythere, but the chef told me it was a sorbet made of markoesa and pisang ambong. Another plus of this dish was surely the fried mint. However it looked like withered mint leaves, but the fried mint leaves gave a nice crisp to the sorbet.

If I have to guess the mystery basket, I would think of the following items: markoesa, fish and chicken liver.

The experience was enlightening! It is an opportunity to let your palate go wild and try to taste the ingredients that were used on the dish. For more information about the upcoming fundraising dinners, please visit Victuals or Suriname Chefs Association on Facebook.

My first time eating poon choi

First of all, Happy Lunar Year! It's year of the wooden horse, so may everybody have an energetic and bright year!

Before you're gonna make fun of the word, 'poon', in Chinese it means 'bowl', so laugh it off and we're gonna continue with the dish 'Poon Choi'. It can also be translated as Big Bowl Feast.

This is a traditional dish mostly eaten at weddings and with new year. But I believe that the inventor probably lack serving plates and saw a wooden/metal basin nearby and thought, "you know what I'll just put everything in here and I'll call it 'Big Bowl Feast'.  This dish can include ingredients like pork, beef, lamb, chicken, duck, abalone, ginseng, shark fin, prawns, crabs, mushrooms, fish ball and so on and so on,....... However it might seem like a mix of too many things, it give a certain harmony feeling. It's like when you're eating crabs with a whole group of friends (at least in Suriname). Everybody just dig in the dish and start eating.

The Poon Choi I had with Lunar Year's celebration consisted of the following 'dishes':

- roasted duck
- steamed chicken
- beef stew
- fish ball
- beef ball
- sweet and sour shrimp
- mushrooms
- and underneath we found all kinds of Chinese veggies and stuff. It's like a treasure bowl and you just don't know what you might get.

The experience was fun since it was the first time and quite different from what I'm used to. It feels like a Chinese fondue with regular à la carte mixed together. And my advise: order a smaller bowl than the amount of people you have, since at the end we had a lot left over. It was nice to experience it once, but I prefer my à la carte experience.