Greetings, dear readers, from the other side of the pond. Three days into my one-month stay in Holland, I’ve had a fair bit of culture shock. I’m not able to understand much of what I hear, I can’t ride a bike because every Dutch person is at least 6 feet tall, and traveling on the back of a bicycle so close to moving traffic can be somewhat unnerving. Undoubtedly, however, one of the most exciting (and shocking) things about my trip has been the attention paid to Election Day here in the Low Countries.
As I type, I sit within reach of: a television where the Dutch Public Broadcasting station is covering the election all night long; a newspaper whose headline proclaims that winning Pennsylvania will be key for Obama or McCain; and a fair number of Dutch people, who know all about us, and sympathize with the woes of the last eight years. I constantly find myself comparing America and Holland, and asking myself hypothetical questions that mostly make me feel somewhat ashamed of myself. Questions like “Have I ever thought about election season in another country?” and “Do I read enough of the news?”
Granted, this election is a pretty big deal, not only for us, but for the world as a whole. As we saw back in September when our economy started to crash, the US can have a pretty big influence on this planet of ours. It’s no wonder, then, that our election should draw a fair bit of attention. However, this place at the head of the world’s table shouldn’t excuse us from taking notice of all the others sitting down with us.
Speaking of the kitchen table, my dear illustrator Mr. Groenink and I will be keeping our bellies full with food and drink as we watch the election results roll in all night (and morning) long. In a true spirit of multiculturalism, we’ll be imbibing some Dutch beer, French wine, chips with salsa and guacamole, and some delicious chicken wings. Dutch food writer Sylvia Witteman, who lives in Washington DC, suggested making chicken wings for election parties because they please everyone: they’ve got both left and right wings.
Our recipe for kippenvleugels (chicken wings) is listed below. If you were in Holland, you’d want to look for biologisch (organically grown) chicken, which has a special green label on the package. This month, you lucky readers get a bonus for staying tuned to my blog: learning some Dutch words you can impress your friends with. Thanks for reading, and come back next time to find out more about my adventures in the Netherlands!
Freedom (not French!) Wings
1 dozen chicken wings (kippenvleugel)
¼ cup honey (hoining)
2 tsp ginger (gember)
2 tsp paprika (paprika)
½ clove garlic (knoflook)
2 tsp sambal**
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp sesame oil (sesam olie)
** Sambal is an Indonesian hot sauce that’s very common in Holland, since Indonesia is a former Dutch colony. If you don’t have it, you can omit it, or substitute a hot sauce of your choice.
Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl. Let sit for at least an hour in the refrigerator, more if you’d like. Cook in a large metal baking dish at 400 degrees for half an hour. Serve right wings with moose burgers and a six pack, or lefties with arugula and a latte.