Dinner with

Marieke Migchelbrink

Marieke is my neighbor. At least, at the Amayzine/editorial office. As the head editor of FavorFlav (our neighbors then) she is the best cook in the whole building. Not that I've ever tasted anything (come on Marieke, when will you finally make something?), but when you see how she talks about food and how much she does it, you know: she is good. Or could it be because she goes out to eat at least three times a week? uit eten gaat? High time for a Dinner with.

Where in the world is your favorite restaurant?

‘I'm not going to choose, you know. A selection: Kaagman & Kortekaas in Amsterdam, De Librije in Zwolle, Chili Fagara in Hong Kong, Locavore in Bali, Din Tai Fung all over Asia for the soup dumplings and Katz’s Deli in New York for the ultimate sandwich.’

And who would you really like to have dinner with? It can be anyone.

‘Ha, Anthony Bourdain, my absolute hero in the culinary world. His books and shows are amazing. When you see him eat, you see what intense enjoyment is. When I travel, I always check his travel shows. His uncensored statements and drinking pace also appeal to me. Yes, it's going to be a very long night.’

Which restaurants are still on your list to visit?

‘I could name everything from Chef’s Table, but everyone wants that of course. I'm going for Hometown Bar-B-Que in Brooklyn and always everything from David Chang.’

Where do you prefer to sit in a restaurant?

‘In a place where I can observe well, so with my back to the wall. I always know how to snag the best spot.’

What do you always hope is on a menu?

‘If there’s something with foie on the menu, you can bet I’ll order it.’

And is there something you really dislike? If so, tell me.

‘I really believe that everything can be delicious, as long as it's well prepared. Brains, hearts, kidneys; people often dismiss that right away. But just try it once, then you’ll know how beautiful something like that can be.’

Do you find your way on the wine list?

‘I know what I like, but I’m really a lover, not an expert. German wines are my favorite at the moment. I usually leave it to the host or hostess to choose something within my budget. Always just say how much you want to spend, then the bill is never painful.’

Starter or dessert?

‘Appetizer. I'm not a sweet tooth at all and often the final dish is sweet on sweet on sweet. Fortunately, that is changing a bit and more vegetables are being used in desserts.’

And, let’s say, you’re cooking for a date for the first time. What’s on the table?

‘Haha, when is a man going to cook for me on the first date? They never dare. I don’t make anything frumpy. Risotto with roasted mushrooms, pancetta, lots of fresh herbs, and breadcrumbs. Short ribs are also a success or something with pork belly. I really don’t care if it gets messy.’

Can we expect more fun things on Favorflav.com?

‘A whole lot! We just gave away a dinner at The Jane via Facebook and I can tell you that we are going to raffle more of those kinds of prizes. In terms of articles, we will just continue with very delicious content AND we are going to work more with video.’