Rogier Steers Me Right

For a thin guy, my friend Rogier is pretty phenomenal with food advice.

Turned me on to pannekoeken.  You've got to try them to understand them.  Yeah, they are pancakes, but... yes, you've got to try them.

Turned me on to Lucien & Eric's, a fritture in Belgium near Maastricht.  Was worth the ride, they do make darn good fries!

When Rogier said "while in s'Hertogenbosh you have to get a Bossche Bol" believe me my ears were open! And my hosts pointed me to a baker named Jan de Groot (translation... Big Jan, or maybe Fat Jan... a good thing in a baker) as the ideal source.  He sells 20,000 of them a week so he must be doing something right.

I expected from the description that they would be the size of a tennis ball.  I was wrong.  They are the size of a softball.  A thin crust of pastry, stuffed with whipped cream, and all coated in chocolate.  You eat them with your hands -- knife and fork could be used, but it's frowned upon.  No way to eat them other than messily, but the tip I was given:  flip them upside down and start from the bottom, so the chocolate forms a cup for the insides.  It works, sort of, but count on ending up both messy and happy.

Thumbs up!