My chat with Boris got me thinking about my own visit to Belgium. 

I spent a week in Ghent with my lifelong friend and travel buddy, Lisa. We had been overseas for not even two weeks, unaware of the new adventures and life changes that, over the years, would come from our jaunt around Europe. We took a train from Amsterdam; watched the countryside, drew little pictures  of our adventures, ate some hastily purchased bitterballen. 

Then, we were in Belgium. We were set to meet our Couchsurfing host at the train station, so we chatted with a sausage vendor, who sang us an aria from his favourite opera. 

Our host was a wry young woman with blonde dreadlocks and bright, colourful clothing. We spent many happy evenings with her.  On our first night, we accompanied her to a local taverne, where her friends held an underground "pay what you can" dinner party. We dropped some euros into a jar next to an enormous pot of stew, and sat at a big, crowded table.  We clinked glasses of beer, and tucked into deep bowls of lentil soup as wisps of smoke and the snippets of Flemish floated around us. 
We chatted with many people that night, and though we'd just eaten, we of course we began asking about food. Lisa and I had spent a good portion of our train journey discussing how excited we were to try frieten, which are Belgian style chips, served hot in a paper cone. When we asked our new friends about where to get the best ones, they all agreed on one thing; no matter where we go, we must get speciaalsaus. It was, of course, the first thing we did when we were on our own in the city the next day.

So, what is speciaalsaus? It's a combination of mayonnaise, ketchup, and curry, with a bit of chopped onion. It's easy to make and absolutely delicious on chips. I'm sure this would also be good with sausages, burgers, or pretty much anything fried.
In my interview with Boris, he says he prefers his fries late at night, with "just salt", but  the mention of Belgian frieten evoked such fond memories. The other day, it was really slow in the restaurant where I cook, so I made myself some fries and decided to try and make some sauce.
One taste, and I was transported right back to Ghent, sitting in a little shop with my best friend, giggling over our travels, wondering what was ahead, and dipping hot frites into speciaalsaus.

Belgian Speciaalsaus

2 tbsp mayonnaise

1 1/2 tbsp ketchup

1 tsp curry powder

1/4 of an onion, diced

Combine ingredients.  Enjoy.

I know this isn't much of a recipe, but hopefully it will be of good use to you. 

Lisa. Ghent. Adventure awaits.

What do you eat in winter?

"Chunky soup."

Justin, Texas, USA

This soup is so simple yet so packed with flavour and texture. It is smokey, spicy, savoury, crunchy, soft and soothing. Here, I serve it with toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds), tortilla chips, and chopped cabbage. Normally, I also top my bowl of soup with avocado and lime juice, which I absolutely recommend.  

I think this dish really lends itself to experimentation;  you could try using another legume of instead of chickpeas, or even add a bit of chicken or chorizo if you're feeling a bit more carnivorous. The possibilities really are endless with soup....

Smokey tomato soup with chickpeas and rice

1 onion, chopped

2 small dried chipotle peppers

2 carrots, cut into rounds

10 cups of vegetable or chicken broth

1 cup crushed tomatoes

1 bay leaf

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 cup rice

1 cup cooked chickpeas

2 tsp finely chopped cilantro

Avocado, tortilla chips, chopped cabbage, lime juice and toasted pepitas, to serve.

1.   In a large pot, heat a bit of oil and add onions, chipotles and carrots. Sautee until the vegetables are fragrant and a little soft.

2.   Add broth, tomatoes and spices.  Season with salt and pepper. Bring mixture to boil.

3.   Add rice, reduce heat to a steady simmer, and cook until rice is soft; about 20 minutes.

4.   Add chickpeas and stir through chopped cilantro. Re-season with salt and pepper.

5.   Serve hot with toppings! 

What do you eat in summer?

"Greek salad and fresh pasta. Nothing creamy or heavy."

Molly, British Columbia, Canada

Spaghetti with zucchini, tomatoes and herbs 

8 oz spaghetti

1 tablespoon salted butter

1 zucchini, sliced

1/3 cup basil, chopped

1/4 cup rocket

1 medium heirloom tomato, diced (about 1 cup)

1 teaspoon olive oil

Parmesan cheese, to serve

1.   Boil a pot of water for spaghetti. Add plenty of salt and cook spaghetti until al dente.

2.   In a medium pan, melt butter. Add zucchini and cook until tender and fragrant.

3.    Drain pasta and stir through. Add vegetables, olive oil, a pinch of salt, and plenty of cheese.