Lekker is How We Roll (Food part 1 of 3)

You may have picked up from other posts that "lekker" means tasty in Dutch.
This post showcases my favorite foods. First, a disclaimer: If you do not have native Dutch taste buds, avoid salty licorice and raw herring.

Two Favorites:
Indonesian Delicacies and Satay Dipping Sauce

Indonesia was once a Dutch colony. Today, Indonesian tastes can be found well-incorporated into Dutch culture. For example, one of the more popular sauces for French fries is satay sauce (peanut sauce.) This seems funny because Dutch food typically has a conservative pallet. Recently, I was treated to a full-fledged Indonesian feast by my Rotary host counselor. Dinner began with a plate of simple white rice. The long table was weighted with at least twelve hot dishes. We passed the serving dishes around, spooning toppings around our rice. Some sample foods included grilled meat. Sautéed tofu. A piping hot pot of peanut sauce. Delightful pickled relish. Boiled eggs in peanut sauce and a fruit salad with a soy-sauce-esque dressing. The pairings of tart (relish) with mild (rice) and sweet (satay sauce) was grand.

Poffertjes

I have one word for the poffertje: Scrumptious.
Last week at the Amsterdam market, I watched the poffertjes man brush the hollows of a pan with oil, then drizzle in batter from a cone. When the poffertjes had browned, he swiftly flipped them onto the other side with a mini fork. I waited three minutes. The ten pancakes were paired with a slice of butter and given a firm shake of powdered sugar before I bit into them. Poffertjes bring the soul back into soul food. I wanted to stuff them in my mouth, but nibbled daintily (like the Dutch) with a little disposable pastry fork I was given. As my friend Zoe exclaimed, "They are little pillows of heaven."

It is not the recipe that makes the poffertjes. It is the pan. These small (about two inches across) delights are made in a cast iron pan with indentations. This makes them fluffy. I will be on the hunt for such a pan come Koninginnedag, Queen's Day, at the end of April. During this holiday, any person is allowed to ply their wares on the street. I am hoping an old lady wants to sell a pan. Nikki Giovanni, one of my favorite American poets, has an essay where she says a good cast iron pan is invaluable because it absorbs the flavors and stories of generations. I want such a pan.