dailylife

Daily Life

By admin , 24 August 2010

A report by our correspondent Dawn Elliott.

A recent visit to Adams Fairacre Farms in Kingston, New York was a bit of a Dutch food vacation. This grocery store in upstate New York carries a large number of unusual international items including quite a few Dutch products. Originally a roadside farm stand in the early 20th century, Adams has grown to a three-store chain with other locations in Poughkeepsie and Newburgh.

Chocolate letters and koffie hopjes

Dennis and Dorris in the candy department explained that their ordering is driven by customer requests. The store's Dutch customers created a demand for items such as koffie hopjes and drop. In the past the store has even carried chocolate letters for Sinterklaas.

Products include stroopwafels, kruidenkoek and hagelslag. Items not on the shelves can often be special ordered; typically they would be ordered in the smallest case available. Dorris said she would be happy to help anyone interested.

Paul in the cheese department is clearly passionate about Dutch cheese, but said that with what he is able to order "the selection really is not there." Young Gouda is almost the only type of Dutch cheese their distributor carries. You won’t find specialy cheeses such as brandnetel kaas here, but overall you won’t be disappointed with the choices of local and international cheeses.

Dutch since the 17th century

When asked why the store carried so many Dutch products, manager Mike Paesano smiled: "This has been a Dutch area since the 17th century," a fact often pointed out by Kingstonians. Formerly Wiltwijck, the town of Kingston still has remnants of its Dutch past apparent today in its old houses, local family names, and museums.

Adams Fairacre Farms
Stores in Poughkeepsie, Kingston and Newburgh, New York.
(845) 454-4330
www.adamsfarms.com

Drop! Venco - Salmiak Rondos, Dropmix Zout, and Dropmix Zoet. Klene - Salmiakriksen, Bodemvondsten, and Gelukzoekers. Katje - Kokindjes.

Droste cacao.

Conimex sambal oelek and other products such as ketjap manis, sweet chili sauce and nasi goreng.

The store carries several Dutch cheeses, including the almost obligatory Gouda cheese (smoked and not), "Dutch Leyden" and Parrano cheeses. Kaasschaven are for sale as well.

Jules Destrooper cookies - Almond Thins and Butter Crisps, Belgian cookies. The store also carries Droste Pastilles in four different flavors and Belgian Chocolate Biscuits (made in Belgium).

Other Dutch products include:

  • Stroopwafels (Made with 100% butter)
  • Kruidenkoek
  • Roggebrood
  • Quince paste, sweet meats for Groninger koek and marzipan
  • De Ruijter Chocolade Hagel Slag (Melk en Puur)
  • Smoked mackerel
  • Many different types of worst
Topic
By Guus , 20 August 2010

Today Sasha is wrapping up a successful internship. She gave a closing presentation on Wednesday that was very well received. A good feeling. I'll go for lunch at her work today.

Tomorrow we'll travel back to Durham! We'll miss the cats.

The release that I'm working on for work is coming to an end and we're starting to do planning for the fall release.

Topic
By Guus , 17 August 2010

The house we're staying in has an apartment in the basement, and the two dogs of the owners are living there now. Someone comes in twice a day to feed them and walk them.

Every now and then I go downstairs to play with them. They look intimidating but they're very sweet.

When I went downstairs after lunch I heard a cat meowing, and after I put the dogs back in their apartment I looked for the cat. It turned out that the lazy cat was stuck in the cleaning closet. It must have hidden there yesterday when the cleaning ladies were here.

The cat was stressed out after a night in the closet and very happy that I let him out. Sure enough, the first thing he did was run upstairs to his food.

Topic
By Guus , 16 August 2010

So I thought the other cat was sleeping all the time, but in fact it is only lazy after breakfast.

In the morning it's very active. When we come downstairs it will run towards us and with loud 'miauws' announce that it's hungry.

We went for a nice long walk yesterday; the same 6 mile course that I ran on Saturday. No running today.

Topic
By Guus , 14 August 2010

I arrived back in Georgetown late last night. The owners of the house where we're staying are coming back soon and they dropped off their two cats recently, so we have some nice company.

Most cats that I know pretend not to like people, at least in the beginning, but not Scruffy. It follows us everywhere we walk, and likes to play. It's twelve years old but very active. The other cat is pretty much sleeping all the time.

I'm staying here a week; Sasha's internship is coming to and end and we'll return together next Saturday.

Topic
By Guus , 8 August 2010

Jonathan, Irena and the kids visited us in Georgetown yesterday and we had a great afternoon in the city.

It was very warm so we stayed mainly in the shadow, and walking along the waterside.

Some pictures.

Topic
By Guus , 4 August 2010

It's nice to live in a city for a while. We were out of coffee so I just walked to CVS to pick up some.

Many houses in Georgetown are from the colonial era. This gives the city an European feel, especially in the smaller backstreets.

Topic
By Guus , 2 August 2010

I'm working from D.C. this week, from the house where Sasha is staying for her internship. It's on P Street in Georgetown, and falls under the "Zone 2" parking restrictions. Without a permit you can park on the street only for two hours.

So, every two hours I have move our car. This is funny, because there are so many empty parking spots during the day.

Petra has kindly offered that we can park at their house, a few metro stops away. If the moving becomes bothersome I'll park there for a few days.

Topic
By Guus , 31 July 2010

We're in the African Department of the I.M.F. this afternoon. Sasha has to wrap some things up and I'm doing some work on my websites.

I arrived in Washington D.C. Thursday night. Friday I worked remotely; it's great to be able to telecommute every now and then. At work we're wrapping up a major release, so I'm "bug scrubbing" our tracking system and discussing bug fixes every day.

Topic
By Guus , 24 July 2010

Ettie and Gerben have a son, and his name is Jasper!

He was born yesterday at 10.30 pm, he's 4030 gram and 52 centimeters. Mother and child are doing well.

Gerben and Ettie called us late last night from the hospital, and I heard my nephew's first cries.

We're very happy -- congratulations!

Jasper.

Jasper and his parents.

Jasper with opa & oma Bosman.

Topic