I started this week in Bussum together with Liesbeth. That’s where Josselin lives and we were allowed to join for dinner. Just for the fun of it and also to New York prepare a little bit. Josselin had already been in the kitchen the day before to make the pesto from Uit Paulines Keuken and when we arrived, the strands of zucchini were already ready to be cooked. The chicken was being fried and the cherry tomatoes were in the oven for a bit. A delicious zucchini pasta was served on the table. Pasta made from zucchini, that is. A light and healthy meal, also very good for when you prefer not to eat carbohydrates in the evening.

Tip 1: this is a super healthy pasta that is very easy and quick to make with “whatever you have left in the fridge”. You put a little olive oil in the pan, sauté an onion, add a bit of garlic, and then the zucchini strands (you don’t need to cook them first) and you have a super pasta dish. Just roast some pine nuts and grate some Parmesan cheese over it and you’re done. Or you fry the vegetables you have left in a pan together with the zucchini (always sauté an onion first). There you go, right on your plate with some crumbled soft goat cheese on top.

Tip 2: Josselin had shaved thin slices of zucchini with a cheese slicer, but you can also buy a little device in better cooking stores or here that allows you to make strands. It works like a kind of pencil sharpener. Very handy, not expensive, and also fun for other vegetables. Strands of cucumber in your salad look festive too.

A regular at home

I should actually have shares in salad bar Venkel. I go there so often. Recently, the new menu has started and I always find that very nice, but it also means I take a quarter longer to make my choice. But they’ve done it again. My favorite is now the salad ‘Appelhoentje’ with grilled chicken breast, lentils, kale, roasted pumpkin and parsnip, radish, cashews, and homemade applesauce. There, a mouthful, but incredibly delicious, that’s not something you can recreate at home.

More tips

On Tuesday, I had lunch at COTTONCAKE, a café and shop in one. The most beautiful jewelry and nice knitwear, but especially a very good kitchen. I had a spelt sandwich with soft goat cheese, roasted pumpkin, and rosemary. Holy moly, wow. They also have ginger tea or chai latte and thus a menu that I love.

This week I also ate at Art Hotel 5&33. That’s really a super nice restaurant to eat at with a dateor a boyfriend. Everything you order comes in small portions on the table and the idea is that you share everything. The kitchen is Italian, so that means creamy burrata, a platter with ham, grilled squid, and spaghetti with freshly shaved truffle. Yep. I said yes. Before or after the meal, you can also have a cocktail at the bar and it really feels like you’re a bit abroad. When I’m too lazy to cook.

I am absolutely not a fan of ready-made food or anything from packages, but for Marqt, I might make an exception. The freshly made soups are delicious there. Be careful, because you can go completely crazy (at least I do) from the delicious and special items in that store and before you know it, your basket is full and you might be quite

shocked at the checkout. Blood, sweat, and tears.

It was all incredibly tough again, the training at the RNTC (Robby Nelson Training Club), but hey, summer is coming, right? In May, I will run

the 10 kilometers with Nike through Amsterdam. There are a lot of people training with Robby who are running the same race, so he’s getting us all ready to be very fast. By the way, I absolutely feel no pressure. Ahem. My favorite is the elastic band around my waist that allows me to sprint in the same spot without actually moving forward, so to speak. You do have to be careful not to get knocked back really hard, because the elastic is obviously under tension.

Next week, I will be reporting live from New York. God, I can’t wait for a round in Central Park. In the snow!.

I started this week in Bussum together with Liesbeth. That’s where Josselin lives and we were allowed to join for dinner. Just for the fun of it and also to prepare a bit for New…