[Brenda]

Oh, vla is a Dutch word. It is a sort of pudding, but thinner, but not as thin as yoghurt. It tastes like vanilla pudding, but then better

[ShepherdsDog]

we call it vanilla custard.

[Brenda]

ShepherdsDog ShepherdsDog:

we call it vanilla custard.

I dont think that is the same tho... We have custard in Holland too

We buy it like this:

and played with a little together with chocolate vla, you can make this:


The colour is the same, it just is something different... its related tho...

[ShepherdsDog]

$1:

Inspired by a recipe I found, you get:

•1 liter (slightly more than 1 quart) of whole milk
•50ml (1/4 cup) or up to 1/4 liter (1 cup) of heavy cream
•70 grams (1/3 cup) of sugar
•2 additional tablespoons of sugar
•2 eggs
•40 grams (slightly less than 1/3 cup) of cornstarch
•half a vanilla bean (or plain old vanilla flavoring)
•optional: yellow food coloring

Add a few tablespoons of milk to the cornstarch and stir until the cornstarch dissolves and the liquid is uniform. Heat up the remaining milk in a large pan with a cut open vanilla bean in it.

In the meantime, use a (hand)mixer to beat the 70g of sugar with the eggs until foamy—this takes a few minutes. Keep an eye on the milk. When the milk starts to boil, lower the heat and dump in the cornstarch fluid and stir until somewhat gelatinous—this should take a minute or two, but don't worry if it doesn't get gelatinous. Keep it on a very, very gentle boil.

Slowly pour in the foamy egg/sugar mix into the gently boiling milk; keep it like that while gently stirring and beating the mix until the vla is uniform and somewhat gelatinous.

To cool it, pour the vla into a bowl and lower the bowl into a larger bowl filled with cold water. Stir the vla every few minutes and replace the lukewarm water with cold water. Store in fridge.

Before serving, beat the desired amount of heavy cream with 2 tablespoons of sugar until stiff and stir into the vla—use less cream to keep the vla lighter. If you want to make it look more like the real thing, add 10-15 drops of yellow food coloring and stir.

Optionally sprinkle some hagelslag on it for the full effect.

Enjoy the taste of home.

I saw this recipe on line. Have you tried it and does it produce an edible 'pudding'?

[Brenda]

Oh man! I gotta try it!

There is "vla" for sale that you can keep for months in your fridge (we have that in Holland too) but that doesn't come close to the real thing... I bought it in the Dutch store in Chilliwack, but it is just not "that"

I'm going to try this tho and see if it comes close and let you know!

(hehe, love the "hagelslag" (sprinkels") Can't have vla without hagelslag! )

[Faye]

Import all the cheese you want, but I won't eat any of it. Some Parmezan for my salad being the only exception.

I can't imagine Canada being in a war with a Western-European country. But I will tell you this: if the majority of people of the Netherlands vote the Freedom Party of Geert Wilders I will never visit the Netherlands again. I still have four years to wait to take my test for Canadian Citizenship.

We all are used to government lying to us and changing decisions made. I just think that there might have been a better solution to this. Mind you, this is not the first cabinet that falls this decade...

[Brenda]

why do you have to wait 4 years? Aren't you PR?

[Faye]

Yes I am PR. I don't know why I wrote 4 years. I meant three years in total minus the half year I have been here. Plus the time needed to get the test planned.

I am actually quite surprised that there is a topic about this subject, but the NATO connection and Afghanistan has a lot to do with it, I suppose.

[Brenda]

This topic IS about Afghanistan, and the Dutch government breaking up because of it. But, everything always gets hijacked here

[PluggyRug]

Brenda Brenda:

This topic IS about Afghanistan, and the Dutch government breaking up because of it. But, everything always gets hijacked here

Yup...I's fookin discustard.

[EyeBrock]

Faye Faye:

Yes I am PR. I don't know why I wrote 4 years. I meant three years in total minus the half year I have been here. Plus the time needed to get the test planned.

I am actually quite surprised that there is a topic about this subject, but the NATO connection and Afghanistan has a lot to do with it, I suppose.

I can't see the test being much more difficult than it was when I took it. It's really easy and seems to be aimed at those with a very limited grasp of the English language.

When you get 2 weeks shy of three years, apply straight away.

[EyeBrock]

andyt andyt:

I don't care if the Dutch pull out of Astan - it's not like they were doing much there anyway. And lets give it a couple of years before we start celebrating the successes of the latest surge, see if the Astani's can run their own country without a Taliban resurgence. (I doubt it).

So, let's hope at least the Nederlanders are smart enough to elect a govt that keeps their jihadis in check.

From my mates in the British Army, the Dutch have done a good job out there and have been much more proactive than the other European nations.
I think you are being a little harsh.

In my dealings with the Dutch military they have been very professional and they have a good reputation with the Brits. The Dutch Marines regularly train with the Brit Royal Marines and are very well thought of by the RM.

[Robair]

andyt andyt:

Are you not an immigrant to Canada, living somewhere in the wilds of BC? You're not one of those that hang on to their country of origin and don't integrate, are you? Still scuffing around in wooden shoes, complaining that the cheese is no good? If Canada isn't your country now, what are you doing here?

What an ignorant post.

Do you know what PR status is? As it pertains to nationality and immigration?

[andyt]

EyeBrock EyeBrock:

I think you are being a little harsh.

My harshness was really meant more about the whole Astan effort. I don't think it will accomplish its goals. There was a good article by Doug Saunders in the G&M on the weekend that the solution to Astan lies in Kashmir. Ie that if the Pakistanis can get over their India paranoia, they would be much more willing to engage the Taliban in Pakistan. If they don't, unless we're prepared to stay in Astan for ever, the Taliban will just flood back as soon as we leave, and with Pstan's blessing and aid.

I wasn't being critical of the individual Dutch soldier. I'm sure most soldiers over there are doing as good a job as their commanders, and their leaders are letting them. I was surprised to google that Holland has almost as many soldiers over there as we do, from a smaller nation. Wonder why we never hear about them in the news?

[Brenda]

Because Canadians are pretty ignorant when it comes to the rest of the world. (HUGE generalization... There are exceptions)

Your post telling me I am "Canadian now, why would you care about the rest of the world" said it all, imo...