Liesbeth? Maybe you could explain this...

[Betty Felon]

http://producten.hema.nl/

The Dutch are crazy.

[John]

That's just like being in the Netherlands.

[Flyn]

I just had an IKEA flashback.

[dianna]

That was amazing.

[sour29]

That might be the funnest website I've ever been to.

[zach]

Oh man. That was entirely unexpected.

[junker347]

i want a ghettoblaster.

[Squid]

Holy shit, it's like a Rube Goldberg machine that <i>sells you things</i>.

You'd think we woulda come up with that first...

[Liesbeth]

wow, didn't see this yet!
maybe Betty can explain how she got to see this first?

the whole thing is in fact to announce that they start selling stuff on the internet, which I find interesting, because HEMA is one of the best shops here: they are good at very basic stuff for a reasonable price with cool design.

They are also one of the best pies & pastries bakers in the country, and now you can order that online as well (although you do have to pick it up in one of the shops). Watch the thing again and check out the tompouce: those are sooo delicious.

[John]

Watch out! The Dutch like to put herrings in their pastries!

[zach]

Watch out! The Dutch like to put herrings in their pastries!

Is this post a red herring?

[Moni]

That's just like being in the Netherlands.

What part of the Netherlands are we talking about? Because I've never seen Liesbeth toasting her socks, although I do understand the craving for having your feet encapsulated in something warm and crispy. Especially when you go cross-country skiing.

[longtimecoming]

hehehhe! no one can beat the dutch. john, be prepared ive got a way to go to yr home, i hope im welcome i remember in 06 u said if i was ever in the building i could stop on by. so after almost a year of an evil sister being flakey, people telling me no, i found a way. bus and mapquest and my trusty feet. i think ill bring u apple muffins or homemade biscuts. in funny shapes. expect me this tues or wed....mid afternoon, late afternoon. we could giggle at my mp3 player and hipster pants...

[Betty Felon]

wow, didn't see this yet!
maybe Betty can explain how she got to see this first?

the whole thing is in fact to announce that they start selling stuff on the internet, which I find interesting, because HEMA is one of the best shops here: they are good at very basic stuff for a reasonable price with cool design.

They are also one of the best pies & pastries bakers in the country, and now you can order that online as well (although you do have to pick it up in one of the shops). Watch the thing again and check out the tompouce: those are sooo delicious.

HEMA, IKEA, ZARA....europe you are impressing me with your modern style and bargain prices! (especially Zara)

I was sold on the tompounce the minute the tape fell in it and I saw it was a pink cake filled with custard....what more could you want? I'm not opposed to savory pastries either, so go ahead and put herrings in there if you want. I support you!

[Liesbeth]

I have never seen herring in pastry, but perhaps John has been to places where I never go... like the back alleys of Spakenburg?
Anyway, when I rave about pies and pastries, you can count on it that it's sweet, not savoury. But there is no good English translation for the Dutch word gebak.

I've never seen Liesbeth toasting her socks, although I do understand the craving for having your feet encapsulated in something warm and crispy. Especially when you go cross-country skiing.

not that we do much cross-country skiing here... lack of snow, and lack of country too!

[Moni]

[quote="Liesbeth"][/quote]
Eh I was talking about meself :) But you'd have lots and lots of flat country to go cross-country skiing. But yes, without snow it just isn't as cool.

[Liesbeth]

I once did some grass skiing, with skis with little wheels underneath. In fact, that is the only skiing I ever did...

[edit: no, this was no pun on our drugs policy]

[dianna]

On the subject of Dutch pastries, that apple pie in Utrecht left a pretty big impression on me, I have to admit. I had some the next day in Rotterdam, too.

[Betty Felon]

OK, well, a cursory internet search reveals that herring pastry does in fact exist, but the ones I found where in Latvia:




I would have looked harder, but I got distracted by applegebak, oliebollen, and poffertjes. And now I'm hungry.

[dianna]

My all-time favorite sweet pastry might be kürtős kalács from the little carts in Moskvater in Budapest:



They're like edible slinkies.