Foodsterbox

I received my first Foodsterbox today in the mail and boy was I happy. I can't remember how I found out about this, in some blog I think, but I immediately liked the idea when I first read about it.

Sign in on their site and after you chose your type of subscription(1x,3x or 6x months)  you'll get your box each following month.

Now I particulary like the idea of getting something in the mail that you like/love but without knowing what it is. It's never the common goods you'll find in your local supermarket but more authentic sought out foodies stuff.

My box had the following:

* A box with 3 different chocolates on a stick to make hot chocolate
* A jar of dried Goji berries
* A jar of kiwi-apricot-pineapple preserve, made in Belgium
* A jar of grilled seeds,nuts,flowers and onions to garnish salads,soups, etc.
* A tube containing 2 vanilla pods - allready took a sniff and the fragrance was pretty intense!!
* A bag containing the ingredients to make a savoury chocolate and pineapple rice pudding. Just needs milk.

Nice idea and can't wait for next month's box!!

www.foodsterbox.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Foodsterbox?fref=ts


Kev

Bia Mara - Fish 'n chips with a twist

Bia Mara is a recent fish 'n chips store in the heart of Brussels offering fish 'n chips with a 'twist'. You won't find the common known thick battered fish and greasy, once fried chips here but a tasty interpretation of this classic.
Fresh cut, well seasoned fish filets fried golden in a panko crust. Served with plump crispy fries and a sauce of your choice. You can choose between haddock, salmon, mackerel, prawns or the catch of the day and if fish is not your thing then go for the chicken or the veggies. Pick a sauce; tartare, garlic-truffle(highly recommended!!!),lemon cajun,.... and have your chips/fries dusted with a seasoned salt (sounds odd doesn't it?) of your liking.

I had the panko crust fried red gurnard filet with tartare and garlic-truffle sauce and the chips with seaweed salt and it was delicious.

The fish had a good crunch but was still moist on the inside and that garlic-truffle sauce was simply divine! The chips were really plump but nicely cooked, crispy out/fluffy in. A slice of lemon to get a tangy kick to the fish and that's it!! Yummylicious!

Interior design is simple, mostly grey with some accents. Tables in clear wood. Urban and hipster proof! The service is friendly and welcoming.

Shortly after my first visit I returned with my wife to find the store closed and was spoken to by the owner(I think) who said that they were closed due to problems with the delivery of fresh fish. Now that is something that makes my belief/trust in this place grow. Instead of searching for a fast solution and getting some fish elsewhere and having the risk of serving lower quality they decide to keep the place closed and keep standards high, even with the loss of income. That's a decision that calls for support and I will certainly return on a next occasion!

And as they say it.....Eat more fish!!!!!!!!!

http://www.biamara.com/brusselswho.html
http://www.facebook.com/BiaMaraBrussels

Kev

@Keepontoasting - food truck

A typical American/New-york style of eating has finally come to our capital. For people on the run, hungry but with limited time this is ideal and still offers a great 'gourmet' meal instead of a greasy snack at your local friterie. Not that there is anything wrong with that but it was time for some variation.

Young chef Jean-Baptiste Nyssen -with credentials from some established restaurants, he even worked under Yves Mattagne- is the driving (pun intended) force behind this new eatery. He offers a gourmet version of the classic Croque-monsieur in 4 different preparations;

• Croq-Belge : Passendale cheese, Ganda ham, braised endives and a touch of nutmegg on white bio bread
• Croq-Italian: Mozarella, Italian ham, grille eggplants, basil pesto on oregano bread
• Croq-French: Emmental cheese, chicken breast, spinach on honey and rosemary infused bread
• Croq-Indien: Fresh Tandoori cheese, sweet&sour carrots, raisins, nuts, cilantro on curry&cardamon spiced bread

All the croques are fried on the plancha with use of weights to press them down and thus baking them golden and crunchy. You'll spot no ordinary croque-monsieur fryer in this truck

I had the Croq-Belge and I found it very tasty with the savoury endives and the melted Passendale cheese. I had only one remark and that is that I would opt for another more savoury Belgian cheese than this somewhat bland tasting Passendale. Perhaps a Chimay??

The croques cost 5€ each and for an extra 2€ you'll get a nice,small dessert as well. Today the dessert was a rice pudding with speculoos/biscoff flavour.

Great idea by this ambitous chef and I will surely return @keepontoasting .

http://www.facebook.com/keepontoasting
http://www.keepontoasting.be/

Kev