The Dutch like their potatoes. No.. that cant be right, let me rephrase. The Dutch love their potatoes, be it boiled, steamed mashed or baked (which is actually pan fried, they seem to call it something its not). Regardless in which cooked form this vegetable takes, the Dutch can't seem to get enough of it.
In preparing dinner the other evening, I spontaneously decided to spice things up (excuse the irony Im uing) and grill potato wedges, something I was certain the family had never cooked before. Back home in South Africa my mom would make the most delicious assortment of grilled vegetables wedges consisting of butternut, potatoes, sweet potato and onions seasoned with all kinds of flavours and spices. I thought I would spare my host family the shock of something that extreme and opted to use just the potato. I lightly doused them in olive oil and a weak sprinkling of rosemary (the Dutch way) before throwing the pan into the oven.
Whilst the wedges were happily grilling away, my host father returned home and asked what I was cooking for dinner, curiously pressing his nose against the glass of the oven. I beamed at my response of grilled potato wedges, when he turned and looked at me with the most confused and blank expression, merely responding 'why'? I couldn't quite comprehend why he questioned this, as if he was perfectly happy with eating bland, boiled and boring potato the same way day after day, week after week.
After serving the wedges to the boys and finally sitting down to the meal I had slaved over, I sneakily glanced over at the 3 boys and noticed they were devouring (more so than usual) these triangular shaped pieces of potato as if it were a piece of heaven. I relished in the brief moment of acknowledging my job here was done...
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