Sinterklaas or Santa?

As I write this post I'm thankful that I am able to stream Christmas music from Pandora and for my Charlie Brown Christmas tree that I purchased at the supermarket today. They have both helped me get into the Christmas spirit and allowed me to enjoy some American holiday traditions that I feel I am missing out on.  Although this time of year is normally centered on Christmas, the Dutch have a completely different holiday that they celebrate. A very popular tradition in the Dutch culture is the celebration of Sinterklaas and Zwarte Piet  rather than our Santa Claus and Elves. During the last 3 weeks I have constantly wondered who exactly is Sinterklaas and why are there so many similarities between him and the highly commercialized Santa Claus?  Furthermore, I have been exposed to several new and different types of holidays treats that make this season festive and couldn't wait to share it with you.  

  

Zwarte Piets during the Sint Parade

Before I share what I have learned about this tradition, I have to say that there is a little battle in the bakery between me and the Chef.  He believes that all great ideas and things come from Holland and that America stole them.  I often disagree with him and remind him that [in my opinion] some of the greatest things were born in America.  For example, an American invented the first car, experienced the first flight, and of course developed the iPhone! However, after doing some research about Sinterklaas I have learned that our jolly good St. Nick is derived from the Dutch Sinterklaas.  So I have to admit, America did steal this idea and turned it into a whole different tradition.   

Me with a handful of kruidnotens

Whether you celebrate Sinterklaas or Santa Claus both people are inspired by Saint Nicolas, the Bishop of Myra, Turkey during the 4th Century. He was known for his compassion for the poor, children and sailors.  The Bishop died on December 6 sometime between 342-345 A.D.
  
Consequently, Sinterklaas is celebrated on the 5th and 6th of December (depending on which country you reside).  For the Dutch, the festivities begin mid November when Sinterklaas arrives to Holland from Spain via a boat.  He travels with his white horse named Amerigo, and helper Zwarte Piet. Tradition has several interpretations about Piet. In English his name translates to mean Black Peter.   Historically his name does relate to his race which in modern times has caused much debate.  Interestingly, the current explanation for his name and why Piets' faces are black are because of all the soot from the chimneys they climb into.  

Sint at the Dam Square

After arriving to Holland, Sint & Piet spend the weeks leading up to December 5th traveling through the country delivering gifts to all the good children.  Each night kids place hay and a carrot (for Amerigo) in their shoes at night with hopes of finding chocolate letters or cookies left from Sint.  Then on the evening of December 5th, the children are showered with gifts that are left by Sint & Piet.  While Americans only celebrate one day of gift giving, the Dutch also celebrate Christmas.  In order to not confuse the children, Santa Claus is known as "Kertsman" or the Christmas Man. One main difference is that he's not from the North Pole, but rather Finland.    Presents are not as prevalent on the 25th, but it is common for children to receive them on both days.  


After learning the story of Sint & Piet, I was excited that I ironically visited Amsterdam with a friend on the very day that Sint arrived to Amsterdam.   Just as the story was told, Sint arrived to the Amsterdam harbor and then rode on his white horse through the city along with a parade of Zwarte Piets handing out "Kruidnotens" (mini ginger cookies).   The day was quite the event with Zwarte Piets climbing from buildings and children with painted black faces waving in excitement as the parade traveled through the streets.   

Zwarte Piet with a burlap bag of kruidenotens

Zwarte Piets scaling the buildings in Amsterdam

Letterbanket

Small chocolate letters

After partaking in the festivities, I got more into the holiday spirit and it helped me appreciate all the baked products the bakery was making.  In addition to kruidnotens,  the Dutch enjoy several other holiday treats that are only found during this time of year.   Instead of Christmas adorned cookies, divinities, and American pies I have been exposed to a whole world of different and delicious sweets.

At the bakery, our chocolatier was busy making chocolate letters for all the children to receive in their shoes the morning after Sinterklaas visits their homes.  Each chocolate letter was prepared in the shop and had been hand decorated by all the patissiers (to include me!).  


Along with chocolate letters, the Banket Letters are very popular.  The banket is made up of a tube of almond paste wrapped with puff pastry.  During parties, some hosts purchase several bankets to spell out words.  Typically the banket is cut into slices, but I'm sure if this tradition were in America each person would also receive their own letterbanket!

Speculaas cookies

Lastly, the speculaas cookies are one of my new favorite items of 2011!  This shortbread cookie is only served during this season and filled with an array of spices that give it its unique flavor.  From my research, the spices include ginger, white pepper, coriander, nutmeg, and cinnamon.  The cookie us usually stamped with an image that pertains to Sinterklaas, but I've also seen some cookies with windmills or simply covered in slivered almonds.  Thankfully the grocery stores in town sell speculaas spice.  I have definitely made space in my suitcase to bring back several jars so that next year I will be able to leave a plate of these cookies for Santa!

Even though I am missing out on the traditions I love dearly, I am truly gaining a greater understanding of the Dutch culture.  Whether America stole the idea or not, or if you celebrate Santa, Sint or both, the holiday season is a time when families come together, share sweet treats, and celebrate one of the best presents of all...each other!  

I hope that each of you takes some time to do some baking with your loved ones this holiday season.  Wishing you all a Happy Sinterklaas day & Merry Christmas!

  

One of the many days we made & decorated large chocolate letters

Large chocolate letters prepared for the Sinterklaas holiday

Zwarte Piet cakes

Europeans and Marzipan

I will confess I am a lover of sweets.  I love the smell, the sight of a beautifully made dessert, and of course I adore the taste.  Up to this point in my externship I had admired and enjoyed a fair amount of sweet treats that probably should make my body go into a diabetic coma.  As the days get closer and closer to the Dutch holiday "Sinterklaas" the shop has been diligently working on marzipan confections.  The patissiers have spent multiple days coloring, shaping and assembling marzipan to look like the Disney characters from Brother Bear, herring, burgers, pizza, cold cuts, and English drops.  All the items look incredible, but oddly enough they all taste the same.  They taste like a block of marzipan.  For those of you who are unfamiliar with marzipan, its main components are a combination of almond paste with powdered sugar.  Some recipes call for the inclusion of egg white or corn syrup.  Either way, it's taste is a sweet almond flavor.  Although I do like marzipan, I don't enjoy eating it all by itself and simply can't understand this phenomenon.  

Marzipan Cactus Pear

The Chef and I have a  running joke between us on days when we work with marzipan.  He always says we're going to make an item [pizza, burgers, fruit...etc] and I respond "...let me guess; it tastes like almonds."  I'm sure you're not LOLing, but I find it humorous and perplexing that Europeans love to eat marzipan that looks like one thing, but resembles nothing of the original taste.  I simply don't get it.  While I was visiting Kurtis in Sicily, we decided to try marzipan that looked like a cactus fruit.  My brain said, it looks like a fruit so it should taste like it.  If you're wondering, no it tasted only of plain marzipan and for once in our lives we couldn't bear to finish it.  

As for my marzipan duties, I was tasked to work on pizza and burgers.  These are items that have basic shapes and I was definitely glad to have been assigned the job.  My coworkers spent several days working on the Moose from Disney's movie Brother Bear.   Both ladies are incredibly talented when it comes to sculpting and shaping marzipan.  I would pass by their stations and just be in awe at how they appeared to effortlessly bring this little character to life.  I'm amazed by the detail they put into it and the fact that every single piece is measured to ensure that all 30+ moose were exactly the same look and weight.  

Marzipan moose created by two of my coworkers.  

As for me, I spent a couple days building all the components for the Tummers' Burger.  Working with the marzipan reminded me of being a kid and playing with Play-Doh.  I found it surreal that this was now my job!  I suddenly felt like a kid again and could not believe that grown adults get paid to do this kind of work. 

I came to Europe to learn things I probably would not see in America.  This certainly is one of those "things."  I'm glad to have learned some tricks, but do not see this trend ever exploding in Amercia.  This is one of those treats that I think will forever remain distinctly a European favorite.  

Introducing the Almond Burger!  Looks real, doesn't it?  

Supreme Marzipan Pizza!  I worked on the peppers,
crust, & tomatoes 

Hawaiian Pizzas.  I worked on the tomatoes,
pineapples & crust!

Just in case you were wanting to know more...here are a few fun foodie facts about Marzipan:

• Did you know that marzipan was created by chemists and used for medicinal purposes up until the 18th century (www.niederegger.de)
• The Marzipan museum in Lubeck houses the largest marzipan sculptures in the world.  There are 12 life-size sculptures of famous historical figures found in the museum (www.niederegger.de).
• There are two types of almonds:  bitter and sweet.  Marzipan uses sweet almonds.
• European law requires that Marzipan has a certain ratio of almonds to sugar.  In the US there is no specific ratio, but typically contains more sugar to almond paste. (http://www.marzipanlove.com/history-of-marzipan)

Here are a few more images from different pastry shops I visited in  Europe that had marzipan pieces.  

Baskets of marzipan fruit in pasticerria in Taormina Sicily.  Sicilians call them "Frutta di Martorama"

Marzipan books!  I'm surprised there wasn't one titled:
Marzipan for Dummies

Marzipan shaped as
Smurfs, herring, clowns, & burgers at Heerlijk & Heerlijk in Zaanse Schans 

Goldilocks & the Three Bears...The Pastry Version

Most of us who grew up in the U.S. are quite familiar with the tale of "Goldilocks and the Three Bears."  I can't remember what age I was when I first heard the story, but I'm sure my parents shared the tale with me as a way to teach me not to wander away.   You're probably wondering what does this have to do with my externship in Holland.  To say that I think about it nearly every day would seem peculiar, but being surrounded by Dutch conversations all day long gives me a lot of time to swim around in my own thoughts.  

So what do I think of while everyone is speaking a language that I find impossible to understand?  

I often find myself reflecting on the negative feedback the chefs have given me about my work. I know there are several aspects where I  have excelled but I always dwell on the two things I always seem to struggle with:  piping & consistency. For example, each morning I pipe swiss creme onto almond-like cakes.  In school, making small portions made it seem fairly easy to stay consistent.  However, after piping a hundred or so little portions my inconsistency is quite evident.  So this is the foundation for my version of the story.  It's Goldilocks & the Three Bears...Pastry Style:

Zwartlokje en de Drie Beren

Once upon a time Zwartlokje was a pastry student who wandered each morning into the beautiful village of Heemestede.  Just before the sun rises, she biked 4.5 miles past the sand dunes and around the round-about and often dodged deer on her way to the local bakery.   

Upon arriving, what she failed to realize was that she was not in any ordinary bakery.  The atmosphere was light hearted, and the team of patissiers were exceptionally talented, but the drie beren were not just any Chefs.   Their eye for attention to detail was exquisite and the speed at which they all worked seemed super human.   They were patient, but persistent that everything was to be perfect. 

Each morning she pulled out items to prepare.  All of them possessed difficult names to pronounce such as zwitserse room, gezoete slagroom, groene spuitzak, aardbei, and boschvruten slofs.     Now the groene spuitzak was the bain of her existence.  She had used it before, but never in a capacity like this.  Knowing that consistent piping was not her forte she set out to do the best she could.  Every morning she lined up the rondjes and the slofs so that they can be piped with zwitserse room.   She did this every morning for nearly two hours straight.

During the first weeks at the bakery, she was approached by one of the beren.  "This one has too much." So she would pipe less and then the next beren would approach and say  "This one has too little."  The game seemed endless.  She wondered if she'd ever hear one of the beren say,  "This one is just right."   When given the chance to pipe rosettes, she thought, "I've done this before and even had a compliment or two from my previous teachers. I got this..."  Yet, the moment her rosettes hit the sweet treat the drie beren were back again saying, "This one is too flat,"  or "That one is too tall" and "This one is just not right".  

With tears welling up on the inside, she wondered, "What am I doing here?  How is it that I've gotten through school and I'm just now learning that my rosettes are terrible?"  Zwartlokje worried that if everything had to be perfect every time how would she ever get to that point.  How would she ever meet the drie beren's expectations.  She feared that some of the undecipherable conversations were about her...

Zwartlokje remained determined to make her rondjes and slofs to look just like the drie beren.  After work, she stayed late to practice her rosettes in hopes hers would be "just right."  That coveted phrase was spoken rarely during the first month.  However, when it was uttered, she soaked it in and remained persistent.  

Every night on her way home she cycled in the wind and rain, through the village, around the round-about, and passed the sand dunes.  Lost deep within her thoughts she knew that with only 7 months of school she was far behind everyone else in the bakery.  They had been in this line of work since they were 15 or 16 years old.  That meant she was at least 5-10 years behind them; however, that still didn't comfort her.  She wanted to be just like them...right now. 

Each night after talking to her loved ones and reflecting on her day, she ate her dinner, sat in her cushy chair and read, and then crawled in her comfy bed.  She smiled knowing that her little place was "just right" for her.  When she closed her eyes at night she continued to dream of the day that she would be just like the drie beren. ZZZzzzzzz

In the real fairy tale, Goldilocks ran way from the three bears.  However; in this tale, Zwartlokje returned to the village each day more and more determined than the previous day. So the lesson learned is that today things may not be just right, but with practice, patience, and by believing that it's possible one day things will be "just right."  

Dutch words:  prounouciation is in parenthesis (at least thats how I think it should sound)

Zwartlokje (svart-i-lowk-ye) = I made this up, but Zwarte means black.  I might act like I've got gold locks, but I wanted my main character to have black hair like me. :0)
drie (dree)= three
beren (ber-reh) = bears
zwitserse room (swi-ser rhooom) = swiss creme (sweet whipped cream & pastry cream combined)
gezoete slagroom (hgeh-zsweet slah-rhoom) = sweetened whipped cream
groene spuitzak (hgeh-rone spowt-zahk) = green pastry bag
aardbei (arrrr-bye) = strawberry
rondje (rownd- jun) = small round almond cookie-like cake
boschvruten slofs  (bosch-vruteh slofs) = fresh berry on an oval shaped almond cookie-like cake

What is a Tompouce Roze?

Once I was settled into my new apartment, I thought it would be a good idea to bike to Tummers to make sure I did not get lost going to work on my first day.  After 40 minutes and several wrong turns I finally arrived to the bakery.  I was certainly famished from my bike ride and knew that I had burned enough calories to enjoy a dessert guilt free!  

The display case was filled with so many different types of beautiful and tempting desserts.  There were several made of chocolate, some fruity, and many of them with names I could not pronounce.  Like a moth to a light, my eye caught the pink dessert: "Tompouce Roze" .  I did not exactly know what that was, but felt that it resembled a Napoleon.  From the color and the name I thought maybe it was rose flavored.  To my dismay, I was wrong and after my first bite I remembered that "roze" is dutch for "pink".  

I was curious as to why the Dutch called this dessert by it's name.  When I asked, no one in the bakery really could explain the history so I decided to do a little research. There wasn't much information on the internet and most of my resources came from Wikipedia, which I don't find to be the most reputable source of information.  What I have gathered is that the Dutch claim that an Amsterdam baker invented the dessert and named it after Tom Thumb.  What I do know for sure is that the Tompouce Roze is one of the popular selling desserts and because of it's popularity there are few variations.   

The dessert is composed of two mille-fueille (puff pastry) layers, zwitserse cream (swiss/pastry cream), whipped cream, and a fondant topping.  I think the dessert is actually difficult to eat and one of those desserts that would be daring to eat when you're on a first date or trying to impress dinner guests.  The dutch have a saying, "Hoe eet je een tompoes?" which means "How do you eat a tompouce?".   

Notice the difference of the pastry fork tine.

I have discovered that in the Netherlands they serve pastry forks with desserts.  The difference is the left tine is actually shaped differently to help cut through the dessert.  Unfortunately, most places carry forks for right-handed people so these forks aren't for us lefties!  I thought they were cute and might have to hunt some down.   Some people choose to use these forks, others simply separate the top layer and eat the top & bottom halves individually.  Whatever method is chosen, one thing remains the same for all who eat the Tompouce Roze...it's always served with thee (tea) or koffie (coffee).  

Of all the desserts I don't know why I chose this one.  However after learning more about the Tompouce Roze, it turned out to be a very popular and traditional dessert.   As such, it was the most fitting selection for my very first dessert in Holland. Ironically enough, the first task I was given in the bakery was to help assemble the Tompouce Roze.  I couldn't help but smile knowing that the day prior I had sat and enjoyed this very dessert and now I was getting to make it for someone else to enjoy!   

Hoi uit Nederlands! (Hi from the Netherlands!)

Dear Flour Bloom readers,


I'm safely in Holland and officially settled into my place.   I knew I would have many Aha moments and Ahhhhh... moments throughout my journey.   Here are just a few that have made my first week quite exciting and memorable:

     Aha moment #1:  Dealing with cash.  I went to the supermarket the other day and made sure that I had enough cash with me for my purchase.  Somehow a 2 Euro coin fell into the deep abyss within my purse causing me to not have enough cash for a purchase.  I asked if the store took credit cards.  Nope, of course they'd only take their store card.   Unlike in America you can't tell the cashier to just take something off your transaction.  Believe, I tried and she gave me a strange look. Instead she insisted that I go to the ATM across from her register.  I did and the lady behind me was not pleased with the situation.  I didn't understand the words she said, but I don't need to know Dutch to pick up that she was definitely annoyed by me. 

   Aha moment #2:  Remembering where I put my keys...  Sounds simple right?  Even though I thought that I had placed my keys in my purse; I didn't.  I learned of my mistake after a 16 mile bike ride and with a couple bags of groceries.  When I went to pull my keys out of my purse I realized they were not there.  After dumping out all the contents into my lap I felt not a wave of panic, but I'd like to describe it as a tsunami of panic throughout my body.  Thankfully another guest had found my keys, placed them in a lockbox, and happened to be walking outside just minutes after I made my desperate call to the B&B innkeeper.   

   Aha moment #3: Detoxing from the iPhone BEFORE traveling abroad.  It has been a long time since I had to locate an address without using a navigation system or my iPhone.  I had forgotten what it was like to be lost and not really be able to ask for directions.  Not only did I get lost on my leisurely bike ride to Haarlem, but I got lost again trying to find the bakery.   To make matters more stressful, having another bike rider approach me asking for directions (in Dutch) while I'm also lost didn't make me feel any better.  I'm realizing I really need to invest in a map and possibly a compass.  Yet, knowing myself very well, I'm not so sure having either of those would really help me that much.  

     I'm usually an optimistic person.  So on one hand I've had several aha moments that I can't help but laugh at and on the other hand I've had a fair share of what I like to call ahhhhh... moments.  I define these as moments where I've felt a deep feeling of peace in spite of being in a completely unfamiliar place.

  I've never lived in a town with church bells, but I HEART the sound of church bells.  The one in the center of town rings on the hour and every half.  There is something old world and romantic about hearing them throughout the day.   Unlike in the US where cities are built along a grid, many of the towns and cities in Europe are built around around a church.  Ever since I read Ken Follett's Pillars of the Earth, I have had a fascination with old churches and my love for them continues.  

     My first morning in town I woke up right at sunrise and could hear the faint sound of the ocean. I truly believe, nothing...Nothing compares to living next to the beach.  I decided to toss on my running shoes and jog to the shore.  In less than 5 minutes, I couldn't believe I was looking at the North Sea and that England was on the other side.  Listening to the sea gulls caw along with the sounds of the waves hitting the shore was peaceful and a very familiar sound.  The fresh ocean air reminded of how much I missed living in Charleston.    

   On my first day in town, my friend Marit took me to the bakery.  I took one step into Tummers and completely melted. There's no doubt, bakeries simply melt me.  Everything behind the counter was perfect, beautiful, and looked delicious!   With just one look I was in love and the feeling I experienced undoubtedly confirmed I was in the right place.  

     In spite of my somewhat rocky aha moments (which I know won't be my last during this trip), the realization that a goal has become my reality is the best ahhhh moment I've had.  I know that today's achieved goal is bringing me one step closer to fulfilling my dreams.  In this first week, I have truly affirmed that I'm definitely traveling down the sweet road that last year I had hoped to be on.  

Steve Jobs said during the Stanford Commencement speech, "Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.  They already know what you truly want to become..."  So that's what I'm doing the next few months.  I hope that you continue to follow me along this journey because I know it's going to get sweeter.


Love & Hugs,
Evangeline

Packing for Holland

With just four more days of school remaining, I have started to make a list of items that I will undoubtedly need during my externship.  So far, this is what I've got:  uniforms, European plug adapter, guide book, Macbook and of course my camera (if I can ever figure out where I put that thing).  Trying to pack for three months is proving to be a daunting task.   As I was packing I came across the following question in the book, Ever Wonder: ask questions & live by the answers: 

 "What do you pack to pursue a dream and what do you leave behind?" 

I found the question quite appropriate for this moment in my life.  With only being able to travel with two pieces of luggage I knew that I had to be mindful of what I packed. As I pondered how I would answer the question,  I realized that I  honestly had no intentions of packing "fear" into my suitcase.  The fear of failure, the fear of mistakes, the fear of the unknown...none of those fears are coming along on this trip.   Besides, there is no room in my suitcase for them.  

Instead, I have decided to bring along a lot of optimism, perseverance, confidence, just a tad bit of risk, and most certainly the vision of living my dream.  

So I'm curious to know, what do you pack to pursue a dream?   

Piece of Cake? Not quite...

I approached this final class with both excitement and apprehension.  My apprehension primarily stemmed from my inexperience with cake decorating.  While a few of my classmates have taken the Wilton Cake Decorating course that's offered by Michaels, my experience is limited to the cakes that I've made in school.   As a result, I feared having to decorate a cake next to them would not only be intimidating but down right embarrassing.  


With each class, I seem to learn more and more about myself.  What I know for sure after spending the last five weeks is that 1.)  I need a large dosage of patience when working on the various components of a celebration cake and 2.) I am way too tough on myself.   I have found myself on several occasions feeling frustrated that my intentions don't match my skill level.  While some of my classmates seem to effortlessly sculpt 3D figurines out of marzipan or pipe borders like a pro, I felt awkward, amateurish and simply frustrated that decorating a cake could be so challenging.  However, as I reflect on how far I have come, I'm glad that I experienced those feelings because they served as a reminder that I still have a lot to learn and need a lot of practice.  Neither of which are bad things to have.    


Although I'm learning a few new things, I am mostly being graded on techniques that I learned in previous classes.  The chef is grading each cake based on the consistency of my piping, levelness of cake, and if all the decorative requirements are met.  On average, we spend about 2-4 days for each of our cakes. In spite of feeling like a fish out of water, I have managed to produce several cakes that make me proud to share.

One of my favorite cakes turned out to be the children's birthday cake.   I was extremely excited to incorporate a technique I learned from an Austrian Pastry Chef [who allowed me to trail him for a week].    To give the island a little more pop of color, I dusted it with a little powder sugar and used a chef's torch to brûlée the sugar.  

Surprisingly, my second favorite cake turned out to be the sculpted pumpkin.  To create this cake I baked the pound cake on a full sheet pan and used 8" cake rings to cut  the layers. Each layer is filled with about 1/8" of Italian Butter cream. For the covering, Chef had us make modeling chocolate instead of using fondant.  For those unfamiliar with modeling chocolate, the texture is very similar to a tootsie roll.  It's very pliable and the best part it's a lot more palpable than fondant.  


The main reason that I adore this cake so much is that I carved, decorated, and cut each of the leaves all by hand.  The only guide or template that I used was a photograph.  I was pretty  content as I  decorated this cake and extremely pleased that my pumpkin looked great in the class "pumpkin patch photo."  However, the best feeling was when I took the cake to a party later that evening and people didn't think it was a cake.  Some people thought that there was a REAL pumpkin on the table and a couple thought it was a decorative ceramic pumpkin!  I have to admit, hearing all the conversation centered around the cake made me grin ear-to-ear.  Not just because people were complimenting me, but because the cake seemed to make people excited & happy.  That moment I reaffirmed that I LOVED seeing people get excited over food.  Not only did I love making that cake; I loved that other people appreciated my passion and hard work that was put into it.  

Be sure to  {click here}  to see more the pictures.  By the way, if you haven't added us to your Facebook Pages, dont forget to click "Like".  In just a couple weeks I'll begin my journey in The Netherlands.  I'd love to connect with Flour Bloom fans and share my European experience!