BUT YOU'RE IN KANSAS

Facebook reminds me that five years ago I may have been obsessed with something that today does not interest me nearly so much. And do I want to share it? Quote: "Capital salad (“首都沙拉”, "салат столичный") differs from Olivier salad (“奧利維耶沙拉”, "салат Оливье") in that it has no carrot (胡蘿蔔). It is usually served at Russian New Year.

Ingredients: 熟馬鈴薯丁(cooked cubed potatoes)、胡蘿蔔丁(diced carrots)，醃黃瓜丁(diced gherkins)、豌豆(peas, which are disgusting!)、洋蔥(chopped onions)、水煮蛋(hard-boiled eggs)、雞肉丁或火腿丁(diced chicken or ham)、蘋果丁(chopped apple)、蛋黃醬(mayonnaise)、鹽(salt)、胡椒粉(pepper)、黃芥末拌勻(yellow mustard)。End quote.

The latter is Huzaren Salade in the Netherlands, and available pre-made at the Albert Heijn or a decent deli near you. If you live in Kansas you are out of luck.

I would omit the peas.


In the entire five years intervening, I have not had Olivier salad, either in English or in Dutch. So I might as well be living in Kansas. This morning I woke up from a vivid dream in which the choices were a grilled bratwurst with sauerkraut, sharp grainy mustard, and a heretical squiggle of ketchup for colour, OR a frikandel on a long roll with chopped onions, Zaansche mustard, and barbecue sauce. I have no idea why I was dreaming about food, because I am not hungry.

What's peculiar is that I've never in my entire life had a frikandel dolled up in that way, which is not uncommon nowadays. In my day, your choice was with or without fries, with or without hot mustard, no bread product, okay boomer? The modern Dutch have gone soft.

For some reason which I cannot explain I feel like a Yorkshireman.



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