Dinner with

sylvia blazer

This is Sylvia, freelance journalist and a few weeks ago we were together in Spain, sipping sherry (and read here why that is incredibly delicious)... here I can talk to her for hours about restaurants, food, cooking, drinks, wine or whatever, and she loves to write about that too. So, you understand, that's a match. A good reason to ask her for my Dinner with column.

Where in the world is your favorite restaurant?

That's in Dranouter, Belgium. It's really hidden in the middle of nowhere, which makes you seriously doubt Google Maps just before reaching the destination - driving along a bumpy country road - but then it suddenly appears before you: In de Wulf. Fan-tas-tic. The food, the wines, the service, the atmosphere. And I am critical, you know. Unfortunately, it will disappear this year. So, go there!

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

Difficult, several interesting names come to mind. If I have to choose, then my grandfather. Unfortunately, I never got to meet him, but I feel like he is always with me.

Where do you prefer to sit in a restaurant?

Either nicely tucked away in a corner, or at the bar so I can really soak in the atmosphere of the staff.

What do you always hope is on a menu?

Creative dishes with vegetables in the lead role. And a more than ample selection of beautiful wines. I find the wine list just as important as the menu.

And is there something you really dislike? Tell me.

If horse meat is on the menu, I know I'm in the wrong place.

Do you find your way on the wine list?

Yes, reasonably. Although, I must admit that my knowledge of the French wine list is better than that of all other countries. I am working on obtaining my wine diploma. I have already got SWEN 2 in the pocket.

Starter or dessert?

Ooh, difficult! And I am an extremely bad chooser, so I will just go for both. Sorry! I love appetizers, but I certainly won't skip dessert either. I am the person to whom you slide your dessert when you really can't eat anymore.

And, let's say you are cooking for a date for the first time. What will be on the table?

Then I make tagliatelle with onion, garlic, red pepper, shrimp, fennel, cream, Worcestershire sauce, tomatoes, and parsley. That's a recipe I can now dream of, always works well and is also a test for the date. Because: a man must be able to handle a bit of spice, and if the date in question knows his way around the kitchen, he will notice the use of Worcestershire sauce. A man must be able to cook, otherwise, I lose interest. By the way, I got this recipe from a chef friend, who always makes it for his dates. He calls it his victim recipe. And no, I'm not joking.

What fun project are you currently working on?

I am happily freelancing and that is going just fine. Right now, I am looking to see if I can find a few assignments abroad. More specifically: San Francisco. A friend of mine has recently moved there. I want to visit her and see if I can combine it with work. Freelancing has its advantages, but certainly also its drawbacks. So I need to make use of those advantages for myself.