Do you remember the column Fanny & Alma every Saturday in Het Parool? That was quite a while ago and I was still pretty small I must admit, but that was always the first (and then also the only, ahem) thing I read from the newspaper. I already liked her so much back then. And now, after a lot of writing and television work, she has signed for her third novel this week. That needs to be celebrated at the table in the favorite restaurant of Alma.

“In Paris. Absolutely. A La Biche Au Bois. A small bistro where a family cooks and serves. They refused to speak English, I stumbled over my French, but by the end of the evening I could flawlessly order a pear tart. I still remember exactly how that tart tasted. So soft and fresh. I want to go there now.”

“With Aziz Ansari. I think it will either be mega awkward or intensely funny. I am so hooked on his new series Master of None. It’s subtle, sensitive, funny, and just so incredibly good. No idea if he is like that in real life, but I want to know.”

“A bit hidden, not too close to other people. I always want to act like I am only with the people I am dining with at that moment. A bit strange actually to ignore a room full of other people.”

“Tiramisu. I have a weakness for this dessert. If it’s done well, I could drown in the different layers of deliciousness.”

“No, actually not. I absolutely love wine, and even more if someone else picks out the best one for me.”

“Ooh, tricky. I prefer savory, but at the end of a dinner I never want it to be over. If there’s no dessert, it feels so abrupt. It should slowly wind down. With a good dessert, it’s like you are being tucked in before you can sleep. Just one more pat on the head and then it’s done. So yes, I choose that last one.”

“With a new novel. I signed my contract with De Bezige Bij yesterday. It will be released in January 2017, that still takes a while, and yet I am already fully at work. I already know the title, I knew it as one of the first things: ‘Forget the girls’.”