1) I ngredients for 4 cocktail

16 cl of Grapefruit cream 20 cl of « Eau de Villée » Juice of 2 yellow lemons 36 cl of white beer called Bière Blanche de Namur Ice Cubes 8 leaves of mint

2) Material

4 glasses 1 dispenser 4 straws 1 mixing spoon

3) Preparation

1. Put 2 leaves of mint in each glass2. Fill in a third of the glass with ice cube.3. Put in each glass 4cl of grapefruit cream, 3cl of yellow lemon juice, 9 cl of beer and 5

cl of “Eau de Villée”4. Mix with the spoon.5. Serve with a straw.

4) Cost for the recipe

Cost for four persons: 15 euros

5) Beer origin

The first remains of a cereal fermentation beverage go back to 12 000 years before JC in Jéricho. At that time, the beer was made from the mixture of cereals and water heated by the sun.During the Antiquity, beer had got a real succes thanks to its medical and nutritious aspects In the 6th century, the abbeys allowed the fabrication and the consumption of beer.. The monks were the first using hop and in 1435 the word « beer » was pronounced and formalized for the very first time.In 1950, the beer is filled in industrial bottles, Then, in  1963 the crate of beer is created. Finally, in the year 2005 the draught beer is available at home.

BEER BASED COCKTAIL

1) Ingredients for 4 persons

30 g belgian grey prawns 30 g mixture butter and flour (« Roux ») 120 cl fish stock A lemon Parsley 12cl cream Salt, pepper 40 cl egg whites 20 g flour 40 g breadcrumbs

2) Material  

A cooking tray Wax paper A pot A whisk A spatula A flat leche Plastic gloves A scale

3) Preparation

1. Make a fish stock with the fish, the water and the white wine 2. Add salt and pepper and thicken with cream.3. Add the cream4. Remove from the heat source and add « the roux »5. Sieve 6. Incorporate the prawns with a spatula7. Lay the wax paper on the cooking tray8. Pour the mixture on the baking tray9. Put in the fridge for half day10. Roll in the flour, the egg whites and the breadcrumbs11. Fry deeply at 170c - 180c12. Decorate with parsley and lemon slices

4) Cost for the recipe

PRAWN CROQUETTES

Cost for four persons: 3,50 euros

5) The history of the «   prawn croquettes   »

The prawn croquette’s origin can be traced back to WW1, in the years 1915-1916. It come from Yser region. Our soldiers would have eaten prawns mixed with a kind of pastry in order to improve their conservation.

«   AVISANCES   »

1) I ngredients for 4 persons

500g flour 1 packet of yeast 200cl milk 1 egg 50g boter 7g salt 4 pork or veal sausages

2) Material

bowl A wooden spoon A rolling pin 1 pan 1 kitchen bru

3) Preparation

1. Put the flour in a bowl and make a well inside with the salt on the bowl rim. 2. Water the yeast with warm milk.3. Add the eggs, the milk and the butter in the middle of the well.4. Make a mixture of all the ingredients with the fingers. Let the dough rise for 1 hour in

a tempered room.5. Brown the sausages6. When the dough has doubles in volume, remix the dough and divide it into 4 small

parts of dough. Let them stand for at least a quarter. 7. Press the dough.8. Put a sausage on each of the 4 parts and roll it in the dough. Close it and solder the

dough.9. Beat the egg and using a pastry brush and spread over each avisance.10. Bake in the oven at 180 degrees during 20 minutes.

4) Cost for the recipe

Cost for four persons: 11 euros.

5) The history of «   avisance   »

Its origin goes back a long time, to when the « Namurois » used to go on pilgrimage to « Notre-Dame de Halle ». Everybody would bring food for the trip, especially crêpes wrapped around leftover meat. The pilgrims used to say in French that they “avisaient”, that is to say that they took their precautions for the trip. The crêpes became known over time as “avisances” and got made with bread dough. Nowadays, puff pastry is used instead.

Namur

«   CHICONS AU GRATIN   »

1) I ngredients for 4 persons

8 chicories 4 slice of shoulder ham 40 g butter 40 g flour 75 cl milk 100 g grated gruyere cheese Salt Sugar Pepper  Nutmeg

2) Material

A cooking pan A « gratin » dish A saucepan A spatula A flat leche

3) Preparation

1. Cut the base of the chicories, Remove the damaged leaves. Remove the bitter part, 2. Braise the chicories. Cover and cook gently adding some water when necessary. Add

salt, pepper and sugar3. Check the cooking, drain and leave to cool. 4. Prepare a white sauce, melt the butter in a cooking pan on a brisk fire. Pour in the

flour, mix and add the milk on a mild fire till the mixture thickens and stay on the spoon. Add the grated cheese, salt, pepper and nutmeg.

5. Press the chicories in order to remove the remaining water. Wrap each chicory in a ham slice and lay the wraps in a gratin cooking dish. Pour the sauce on the chicory roll, Sprinkle with grated cheese.

6. Brown in the oven during 10 minutes at 200°C

4) Cost for the recipe

Cost for four persons : 4 euros

5) The history of «   chicon au gratin   »

The chicory was born at the same time as Belgium, specifically at the Belgian revolution in

September 1830. At that time, the chicory was extensively cultivated. When the revolution broke out, a Schaerbeek farmer decided to put his stock of chicories in a secure place, in his cellar.

To protect the root plants, he covered them with a layer of earth. The days went by… and things calmed down outside. When our farmer went down to his cellar again, he discovered that the roots had produced a strange white foliage. He called them witloof. This is the unofficial origin of the “chicon”

Officially, the head gardener of the National Botanical Gardens, Mr Frans Bresiers, learning that the chicory could produce white leaves, carried out a sries of tests.

He understood quite rapidly that the chicory was white because it grew in darkness. The lack of light prevents photosynthesis. So, without chlorophyle, the leave are not green as in other vegetables, they are white.

Frans Bresiers’s work concisted in transforming those white shoots, which appeared accidentally, into a recognized vegetable. Bigger, with well-clustered leaves and a little less bitter in taste. This new vegetable appeared on Brussels markets for the first time in 1867.

Frans Bresiers named this new vegetable “chicon” after the latin scientific name of the chicory : cichorium. “Endive” is a typically Fench appellation.

1) I ngredients for 4 persons

1 chicken 2 branches of celery 100 g celeriac 2 leeks

WATERZOOI «   À LA GANTOISE   »

5 carrots 3 onions 2 spice bouquets thyme, laurel, ½ sprig os parsley) 5 cl cream salt, pepper 50 g butter 50 g flour 8 potatoes. 1 clove

2) Material

A big braising pan A sieve A braising pan A slotted spoon

3) Preparation

1. Dress and blanch the chicken or poach it starting with cold water and skim it regularly.2. Add a hotpot bouquet ( celery and leek bound, onion cloved and entire carrot) and a

bouquet garni and boil during 1 hour.3. Decant and reduce the chicken stock in order to spice it. 4. During this time make the julienne vegetables and parboil it.5. Prepare a roux (butter and flour), cook quickly.6. Bound the chicken stock with the roux in order to have a velvety finish.7. Add the cream in order to obtain a « supreme » sauce.8. Cut the poultry in four parts, take away the bones,the skin and the cartilage.9. Adjust the seasoning and the consistency. Sieve on the pieces of the chicken.10. On the other hand, prepare the boiled potatoes.11. Serve 1 thigh and 2 escalopes of chicken per person.12. Cover with the sauce, add the julienne of vegetables, spread chopped parsley and serve

with the boiled potatoes.

4) Cost for the recipe

Cost for four persons: 10 euros.

5) The history of waterzooi

This word comes from the Flemish language. It means “water” for “water” and “zooi” for cooked.

In the Middle Ages, in East Flanders, we built ports and canals in Gand and Bruges. The fishs were selected ingredients, cooked with local vegetables (celery, carrot, leek and potatoes). They were cooked together with water or bouillon. Then, we put cream to the boil liquid. The Waterzooi was born.

Over the years, factories popped out along the canals. The fish slowly disappeared with time. Since the decrease of the fish, people used chicken instead. The chicken waterzooi was born in Gand and took the name of “Wanterzooi à la Gantoise”

1) I ngredients for 4 persons

100 g flour 10 g yeast 150 ml milk 35 g butter 1 egg 2 g baking powder 1 soup spoon S2 sugar Salt pinch 100g dark chocolate A dash of cream

2) Material

Mixing bowl A sieve

Gand

BRUSSELS WAFFLES AND BELGIAN CHOCOLATE SAUCE

A food processor Waffle-iron Pans (bain-marie)

3) Preparation

1. Dissolve yeast in warm milk and a pinch of sugar..2. Melt the butter.3. Separate the egg whites and yolks. 4. Beat the egg yolks with the sugar.5. Add the milk.6. Add the melted butter, the sifted flour, the baking powder, the salt and mix.7. Beat the egg whites. 8. Incorporate the egg whites to the preparation. 9. Cover and let stand for 1 hour. 10. The pastry should be slightly stiffer than pancake pastry. 11. Cook the waffels in a hot iron. 12. For the chocolate sauce, melt the chocolate with some cream in a bain-marie13. Serve the warm waffles on a plate. Sprinkle with icing sugar and cover with the

chocolate sauce.

4) Cost for the recipe

Cost for four persons : 2.50 euros

5) The history of the waffle and belgian chocolate

- The waffleIts origins would date back to the 14th century in Brussels. At that time, the Belgian villagers used to celebrate the end of harvest. The nature and size of the waffle was depending on the wealth of the village and the variety of local products available. In the past, waffle used to be eaten twice a year: on New Year’s Day and on shrove Tuesday. It differs from the Liege waffle in lightness and shape.

- The chocolateThe first traces of chocolate in Belgium were found in Ghent in 1635, at the Baudeloo abbey where it was offered by monks. At the time cocoa essentially considered as a luxury drink for royals and aristocrats

1) I ngredients for 4 persons (40 truffles)

Pour les truffes :

250 g dark chocolate 150 g butter 200 g crystallised sugar 70 g milk

Pour la décoration :

Cocoa powder Flaked almonds

2) Material

A mixing bowl. A Spatula

BELGIAN CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES

Cutlery. A scale. A stainless steel tray. A whisk.

3) Preparation

1. Add the sugar to the milk and bring to a boil.2. Remove from heat and incorporate the butter to the milk.3. Melt the chocolate and incorporate it to the warm syrup. Whisk the preparation.4. Pour the mixture in a shallow dish (a 3 cm layer).5. Place in the fridge for 2 hours.6. In your hands, make small balls with that preparation.7. Coat them with cocoa powder or other possible coating material8. Shake the truffles to remove the excess of cocoa powder and place in the fridge.

4) Cost for the recipe

Cost for 4 persons : 11 € 5) The history of the Belgian

chocolate :

The 17th century

The first traces/testimonies of chocolate trade in Belgium date back to 1635, when the abbot of the Baudeloo abbey bought chocolate in Ghent. The manufacting process of chocolate was, at the time, a secondary activity of chemists who were selling it as a toning product.

The 19th century

In 1840, the Belgian chocolate make Berwearts, sold the first chocolate tablets, pills, and figurines in pressed chocolate. It is at around that time that several chocolate makers, that later became renowned companies, started their activities : Neuhaus (1857), Côte d’Or (1883), Jacques and Callebaut (1911)

Ghent

1) I ngredients for 65 biscuits

For speculoos :

125 g butter 115 g brown sugar (“cassonade ») 1 eeg 15 g speculoos spices 250 g flour 3 g de backstolz ou backing powder 20 g milk Some salt

For speculoos spices :

100 g cinnamon 25 g nutmeg 20 g clove 5 g de cardamom 15 g ginger

2) Material

A hemispherical bowl A spatula, A scale A conical stainer stocked with muslin A food quality film A knife A baking tray Baking paper

SPECULOOS

3) Preparation

1. Sieve together the flour and the baking powder.2. Pomade the butter.3. Incorporate the sugar.4. Mix together the eggs and the spices.5. Incorporate the flour and the baking powder.Stop the mixture as soon as possible.6. Add the milk.7. Dry the preparation on a table with some flour.8. Cut out into small parts.9. Make rolls with the paste cut out pieces.10. Wrap in cling film.11. Set aside and keep in cold storage 12. Cut the rolls in slices and lay them on a baking tray.13. Bake in the oven at 180°C during 10 min.

4) Cost for the recipe

Cost for four persons: 3 €

5) The History of the «   speculoos   »

The ethymological origin of this biscuit is subject to controversy.

Some argue that “speculoos” comes from the latin word “spieces” meaning spices or “speculum” meaning mirror.The speculoos would be a picture, the “reflection” of a person.For others, the word “speculator” meaning “bishop” explains the Saint Nicolas shape of the biscuit.Hasselt, located in Belgian Limburg, is the city particularly known for its speculoos.