FavorFlav’s Sharon van Lokhorst’s favorites
Editors-in-chief come in all shapes and sizes. Ours likes eating Schuddebuikjes and emptying little bowls of soy sauce at the Japanese restaurant. With a glass of champagne, of course.
Always in the fridge
“Champagne. And don’t think you’re dealing with a snob, because from here it goes downhill.”
Favorite drink
“Coffee by the side of the road in Italy. Every time, that wonderful feeling when you stop for fuel and find a heavenly espresso machine and barista waiting for you. Pure love!”
Favorite family recipe
“I was sixteen and on a Christmas holiday in southern Spain with my family (better known as ‘The holiday from hell’). It rained nonstop, and the only times we went to the pool were to fill a bucket with water because the apartment toilet wouldn’t flush. The nearest disco had apparently been closed for two years, and because I was sixteen: a disaster. Long story short: everything about this holiday was awful, with one bright spot: the salad my mother managed to make with leftovers (because the supermarkets were on strike—did I mention that?). A carrot, a tin of tuna and a bag of plain chips. I recreated it often during my student days. An instant hit.”
Favorite ingredient
“Za’atar, the magical spice blend from the Middle East. It turns a boring bowl of hummus into a winner, makes flatbread a celebration and makes roasted vegetables into very delicious roasted vegetables. A few years ago, I brought back a huge bag from Lebanon. Just smelling it would transport me straight back to Beirut. Wonderful! Here’s a tip while I’m at it: wherever you are, always bring back local herbs and spices (or spice blends).”
Favorite hangover meal
“After turning thirty, I try to avoid hangovers like the plague. I’m getting better at it. In the event of the occasional failure: a bottle of Coke and patiently waiting until life feels worthwhile again.”
Guilty pleasure
“Drinking the little bowl of soy sauce empty once all the sushi is gone. Then I’m tormented by thirst for the rest of the evening. Terrible. And every time I fall for it again.”
Favorite (budget) kitchen tool
“My grandmother uses it to clean her dentures, but Steradent is also ideal for cleaning wine glasses and decanters.”
I always buy ready-made
“Roti sheets.”
If I could eat food from only one cuisine for the rest of my life
“That’s like asking which of your children you like best. Impossible to answer. Oh, I have to choose? Nikkei cuisine. Simply put: Japanese-Peruvian cuisine. And it’s fantastic! Nikkei combines the elegance and lightness of Japanese cuisine with the sour, spicy and rich flavors of South American cuisine. What a combination! Fresh, crisp, exciting, original, amazing.”
Strangest dish I’ve ever eaten
“Piranha in Thailand. It was damn delicious.”
Never again
“The French horror sausage Andouillette. Because of the smell. Because of the texture. Because of the ingredients. Andouillette smells like a blocked sewer, and that’s what it tastes like too. Let’s leave it at that.”
When I don’t feel like cooking
“I eat an entire packet of Schuddebuikjes from Bolletje. Or a bag full of sweet licorice from Klepper & Klepper. Tragic. I know.”
The best cooking tip I’ve ever received
“Let’s order Thai.”
My last meal
“Fries (or are they called chips?) with a homemade sauce of sambal badjak, mayo and ketchup. Peace out.”
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