A Q&A with Mara Grimm
If anyone knows how to launch a book, it’s culinary journalist Mara Grimm. So that’s exactly what she did with a breakfast party on Amstelveld, and FavorFlav’s Marieke was one of the lucky guests invited to join. Let’s just say she rolled back to the editorial office.
Her book ONTBIJT has just been published, and in it you can read all about the history of the most important meal of the day. Plus — and this is by no means unimportant — it features the most amazing recipes, from Chinese rice soup congee to blinis with caviar.
Which food trend should we put an end to immediately?
Pop-up restaurants. Of course it’s great to make good use of a temporarily vacant space, but lately there has been an overkill of pop-ups opening with just one goal: media attention. That comes at the expense of attention for restaurants with a story. More importantly: a good restaurant has a soul, and you really can’t create that in two weeks.
Most memorable food experience?
At the moment, the breakfast party I organised this week on Amstelveld in Amsterdam to celebrate the publication of my book ONTBIJT. We set a huge table for 40 people in the middle of the square, and the sun was shining too. Man, it was so much fun.
And also: the first time I ate at Sergio Herman’s now-closed Oud Sluis and tasted a preparation of langoustines with verbena — so delicious that it brought tears to my eyes. Last but not least: dinner at Ferran Adrià’s ElBulli to celebrate my wedding. I’ve been divorced for a long time now, but that evening certainly wasn’t the reason.
Favourite drink?
Champagne. The only drink that makes women more beautiful when they get drunk on it.
Indispensable kitchen gadget?
My Bamix, the best hand blender there is. They never advertise, so outside the hospitality industry they’re not very well known, and that really ought to change. So come on: buy a Bamix.
What will you never eat again?
Chia pudding. The texture, the taste, the idea… it is and remains birdseed.
Which country is your favourite when it comes to food?
Spain. I grew up with a Spanish stepfather, so the Spanish cuisine was instilled in me from an early age.
You eat the little birds in one bite, bones and all
What should everyone try at least once?
Sea urchins. I can never get enough of that briny, liver-like flavour. The best ones I’ve ever eaten were on a fishing boat in Catalonia. They had literally just come out of the sea; we opened them on board and scooped them out with pieces of baguette. That’s still my favourite way to eat them: pure.</r
What is the best supermarket product?
Maldon sea salt and D&L mayonnaise with lemon. I can’t live a day without those two.
What’s still on your food wish list?
Ortolan. You eat the little birds in one bite, bones and all. Traditionally, this is done with a napkin over your head, so the fat and meat juices don’t splatter everywhere. It sounds rather barbaric, but I actually quite like that. Eating ortolan has been prohibited since 1999, by the way, but in Les Landes (France) it is still considered a delicacy and apparently you can still get it there. So I absolutely have to go there one day.
Which cookbook should everyone have on their shelf?
The Vegetable Book by Jane Grigson. And, of course, the series of books my friends Merijn Tol and Nadia Zerouali make about Arab cuisine — better than Ottolenghi.
What do you like to make at home when you want to eat quickly and well?
A huge pot of pasta puttanesca.
Which dish do you have no self-control around?
Chef Syrco Bakker’s nasi goreng from restaurant Pure C in Cadzand. He made it for my book ONTBIJT, and it has been on the menu at Pure C ever since. The first time I tasted it, I ate an entire pot meant for four people by myself. In under ten minutes, too.
You can order Mara’s book ONTBIJT here, among other places.
Text:
Marieke Migchelbrink
Image:
