Maïzena koekjes

Maïzena koekjes (also referred to as "gomma koekjes") are sweet light cookies made from corn flour. Some people also add custard to their mix but I prefer them without.

In the shop's you'll often find the cookies piped or pressed in pretty flower shapes. The home-style ones my mom used to make were just little patted down balls with fork-added texture. Nowadays I often use a cookie cutter to make them in whatever shape fits my mood. An old lady once told me that way back in the days they were made in little ball-like shapes as well.

Unfortunately my stand mixer was out playing at my sis' so I had to use an old school hand mixer :(
But my cookies turned out perfect! Was actually very surprised on how easy to use the cookie press was.
I had tried it out before, but apparently hadn't used it correctly cause it didn't really work for me back then. Today it was easy breezy. I'm so impressed with the effort-result-ratio that I think I might be using it a lot more in the future!

Surinamese literature

I'm pretty sure you weren't expecting it, but Suriname has some skillful artists who have written several beautiful books. Cynthia Mcleod is probably Suriname's most celebrated author of historical novels on Suriname. She has written quite a few and they're all equally captivating and beautifully written. What makes these books especially precious is that they're based on actual historical facts. Mrs Mcleod has dedicated herself to years of research before putting pen to paper. So let yourself be swept away by her works of art on slavery, the history of Suriname, ethnical diversity and the complexity of Surinamese society. I love the detailed way she goes about telling her stories. You can almost smell the sweet sent of Surinamese air, feel the wind as it sweeps over the fields and taste the b-b-met-r that her characters dig in to. My personal favorite is "Welkom el Dorado", a stunning story about the Couderc family that portraits how the stretch of time can change personal views, society and even the way one views oneself.


Two titles are also available in English  "The cost of sugar" and "The free negress Elisabeth". You can buy them here, here, here and hopefully also in your local bookstore :)
If you happen to be in Suriname (you never know...) do take a tour along the beautiful plantations and maybe you'll be lucky enough to have your trip narrated by mrs. Mcleod herself!

Another must read is "De koningin van Paramaribo" (The queen of Paramaribo) by Clark Accord. Don't let the title fool you, Suriname is a republic and has never actually had a queen. The lady in question miss Maxi Linder was Suriname's most notorious prostitute. In fact her reputation preceded her all the way to The Netherlands. It was the many sailors and soldiers who frequented her services whom lovingly gave her the name "the black queen of the west". Clark Accord has been able to write a captivating chronicle on her life's story; her startling rise and unfortunately also her painful demise. Mr. Accord has also written two other books "Tussen Apoera en Oreala" and "Bingo" but personally I think his first novel is his best work.

You can buy his work here and here. Unfortunately they're not available in English, his first novel however is translated in Spanish and German. 

Now of you go and get reading!

Djiendja bierie

Djiendja bierie is the Surinamese version of ginger beer. Sweet and spicy at the same time, it is THE best thirst quenching drink ever. Perfect for those hot summer days (which is every day in Suriname). It's considered to be a treat, so it's a typical party drink. Often you'll find a punch bowl or even a bucket of djiendja bierie from which you can scoop up your own drink.

I remember watching my grandmother while she grated the ginger and mixed it with water and cloves. Later on she would add almond extract, sugar and citric acid to taste. I used to be fascinated by the way she would bring a spoon to her mouth and then add a bit of this and that. Like a witch stirring her brew.
It wasn't until much later that I discovered how simple this recipe is. Which makes me wonder, why don't I make this more often?

Niws here's the recipe to my granny's version of djiendja bierie.

Eksie koekoe

Eksie koekoe is one of those cakes that is always present at Surinamese parties. I remember when I was a little girl, my mom used to bake one for my birthday every year. Sometimes I was allowed to lend her a "helping hand." Which I'm sure was just to please me, I can't imagine I was actually helpful. I would stand there wide eyed, impatiently waiting for her to finish. Then finally I could scrape out all that yummie cake batter from the mixing bowl. I'll even admit to licking it clean, cat style, when she wasn't looking. Hahaha, good times :)

Niws, "eksie koekoe" literally means "egg cake" and is a very light airy cake. My favorite part is the top. Instead of crusting it has this really soft top layer that just melts away in your mouth. Hmmmmmmm.
The recipe is actually really basic, just eggs, sugar, flour, butter and some vanilla. But sometimes simple things can turn out to be very tricky.

The tricky part here is the butter. The butter needs to be liquefied, but not to hot and not to cold. Some may even say at room temperature. In Suriname this usually isn't a problem, since it's nice and warm there anyway. However in the Netherlands I find it hard to keep your butter in just the right state, especially in winter. Do it wrong and you will have "fadong koekoe" aka a hard custard like line across your cake. Bad cake! So over the years I've developed a cheat that has never ever failed me. Instead of using butter I use sunflower oil. Oil, really?!? Yes, really!!! Trust me, it works. But to retain some buttery flavor, I do butter my cake tin with actual butter.

Tahu longtong

 Tahu longtong is a dish brought to Suriname by the contracted laborers from Java Indonesia. It's simple, fresh and delicious! I'ts main components are... fried tofu and longtong. Hahaha. Bet you saw that one coming! For those of you who don't know it, longtong is sticky rice cake. Traditionally it's cooked in banana leaves, but nowadays you can buy small packages in a plastic wrapper to cook it in. For this dish the longtong is cooled and served together with fried tofu and  bean sprouts and topped with a spicy kecap sauce and fried onions. You can add some shredded chicken, fried omelet strips or or a hard boiled egg for some variety or just enjoy it as it is.

Back in the days my gran used to have major cravings for tahu longtong. She'd tell us about the time when her dad was stationed in Indonesia and how they lived when she was a little girl. She'd talk about the statuesque colonial Dutch houses and how much she loved to get tahu longtong. You could almost see the fragrant banana leave with tofu and longtong glimmer in her eyes. Ooh sweet reminiscence.
Now every time I eat tahu longtong I think of my gran and the little girl she once used to be.

New Hello Kitty Iphone Cover

I'm totally loving my new Hello Kitty Iphone cover! 

There is nothing Surinamese about it (I'm pretty sure it's made in China) and it certainly isn't edible,

but I just had to share it with you ;)

Surinamese roots

So this month my blog will be all about my Surinamese favorites. But before I share my recipes with you I'd like to tell you a little more about my beautiful homeland :)

Suriname is located in the northern part of South America. It's direct neighbors are Guyana, French Guyana and Brazil. Although the Atlantic Ocean embraces it's southern borders, you will not find any white sandy beaches here. Instead we have brackish water near our shore and sweet dark waters inland. Not to worry, the water isn't dirty it's just turned dark due to the many leaves that rest at the bottom of our rivers and creeks.

Happy New Year!

Happy new year everyone! Hope you all let 2012 go with a bang :)

I realize I'm a bit late with my new years greet, but I've been so swamped by work these day's. Am mostly working nights so have gone in to vampire mode again... Still somehow I seem less productive than on "normal" days. It's like the days are shorter or something.

Niws, I've been contemplating on what I've been doing here on my blog etc. And I suddenly realized that I haven't shared any Surinamese recipes with you. Which is strange since I'm originally from Suriname and there are so many yummie things to share. That's why I'm dedicating January to some of my Surinamese favorites!

So be sure to come back soon to score some good recipes :)