This year was a year of eating more healthy meaning no cheap/junk food. This meant that when eating out I would eat at cafe’s or lunchrooms where they serve fresh food, like sandwiches, salads and soup. Sure it does cost a lot more then eating at cheap places or fast food joints but for eating healthy anything goes.
This also meant me going to the grocery store almost everyday to get fresh bread. Just when I started this healthy thing the supermarket started selling oven fresh wholemeal bread. So for breakfast and lunch I mostly make myself a sandwich. Tuna sandwich, salami and cheese sandwich, BLT sandwich, grilled cheese sandwich, steak sandwich, tuna melt, etc. If I’m not having sandwich it’s fresh soup from the supermarket, mostly broccoli with cheese or tomato soup.
This week I read about how the Spanish make their sandwich and decided to try it out. They warm sliced fresh bread in the grill or toaster, then they rub it in with garlic and they squeeze tomato juice over the bread. They then add Manchego cheese and thin slices of ham like Jamon Iberico or Jamon Serrano.
Now Jamon Iberico is the best ham available and also the most expensive, Jamon Serrano is next best one and more affordable. But I was never a ham eater, I don’t like it. But with these two hams I’m willing to try, so I already have a small amount of Jamon Serrano to try as soon as I get some Manchego cheese. As for the Jamon Iberico I will have to go to the butcher shop.
When shopping for everything I need they had truffle salami, I couldn’t pass it up and bought a few slices. Turns out these are some very good tasting salamis, light on the meat taste and rich with truffle taste. I made the sandwich like described above and completed it with truffle salami and old cheese(Gouda). It tasted delightful.
This year I have cooked and ate at home way more then previous year, prove is that my kitchen pans have worn out faster then normal, more money spend at the grocery. Eating fresh does cost more then buying things already pre made. But I enjoyed it all, I made a lot of dishes I never made before, got better at dishes I make regularly and just enjoyed while cooking yummie food.
And the last night of the year gives a small challenge as I have to contribute with food for our New Year’s Eve gathering. There will be family, friends and people I don’t know and it will be in Amsterdam. So I have to come up with something generally liked by people and easy to take with me in the train and finish there to serve. I’m leaning towards warm tomato basilicum sauce with melted goat cheese in it served with fresh bread. We’ll see what it will be and if it’s a success.
