Cook & Talk September 2013: Team Slovenia

’Boranja’

(Beef & Green Bean Stew)

300g Beef (stew meat) – use entire piece

500g Green beans

1 Bell pepper

1 Onion

1 Carton tomato passata

Salt

Pepper

Flour for thickening

Oil for pan

1. Chop the onions into small pieces.
2. Cut the meat into small chunks.
3. Wash peppers and cut into small pieces.
4. Fry the onion in oil in large pot, add peppers and cook, covered for few minutes.
5. Add meat and saute until golden.
6. Add green beans, tomato passata, salt, pepper and other spices.
7. Mix flour and warm water in a glass and use it to thicken the stew.
8. Cook for another few minutes until beans are soft and stew has started to thicken

Polenta

(cooked cornmeal)

Polenta (cornmeal)

Water

Salt

Creme Fraiche

Cheese

Cook polenta in a ratio of 1 cup polenta to 3 cups of water.

Boil the water, add some salt.

Slowly pour in corn meal and mix it constantly.

Cook for another 2 minutes.

At the end add creme fraiche and cheese.

’Prekmurska gibanica’

(Apple layer cake)

2 cups Flour + extra for dusting

1 teaspoons Baking powder

1 cup Sugar (divided)

1 teaspoons Vanilla Sugar

Oil – for pan

100g Walnuts or Poppy Seeds

4 Large apples, grated or chopped finely

50 grams Kvark (or creme fraiche)

2.5dL Milk

2.5dL Cream

3 Eggs

1 liter Ice Cream or creme fraiche to top

1. In big bowl mix flour and baking powder together with sugar and vanilla sugar.
2. Separate the mixture into three equal parts.
3. Put a few drops of oil in a baking tray, sprinkle the bottom of tray with first flour mixture.
4. Add 1/2 of the apples to the top, add 1/2  of kvark (or creme fraiche) Sprinkle with poppy seeds or walnuts.
5. Add the second part of flour mixture and continue with apples, kvark/creme fraiche, poppy seeds or walnuts.
6. At the end, sprinkle with the last flour mixture.
7. In another bowl mix together milk, sugar, cream and eggs.
8. Pour the egg mixture over cake; wait few minutes so it is all well absorbed.
9. Put mixture in a hot oven (180°) for about 45 minutes.
10. You can serve it hot or cold (add vanilla ice cream or creme fraiche) and enjoy!

Cook & Talk September 2013: Team Iran

Adas Polo

(Lentils Rice)

2 Cups Rice

1 Cup Lentils

1/2 lb (226g) Ground Beef

1/2 Cup Raisins

1 Tsp Zafran (Saffron)

Salt, Black Pepper Powder, Ground Cinnamon

1 Small Onion

7 tbsp Vegetable Oil

1 Medium Potato

3 oz (85g) Dried Barberries (Zereshk)

PREPARATIONS:

Soak the rice with 1 Tsp salt for 1 hour in a pot.

Add 1 Tsp Zafran (saffron) to 1/4 cup boiling water.

Dice the onion

Slice the potato

5- 6 cups boiling water

DIRECTIONS:

1. Put the Lentils in a small pot, add salt and pour in boiling water until it covers the lentils (Approx. 2 cups of boiling water).
2. Cover the pot with the lid (leave the lid cracked open so the steam can scape) and simmer for 30 minutes at low heat.
3. Pour the soaked rice (including the water) into a pot and simmer the rice until it becomes tender.
4. Drain the rice in a colander.
5. In a small pot, dip fry the diced onions in vegetable oil until translucent.
6. Add the ground beef to the pot.
7. Add salt, black pepper powder and ground cinnamon, stir well and fry along until the beef is evenly brown.
8. Pour in the lentils in the rice pot and mix well so the lentils and rice are well blended. (Optional: you can keep 1/3 of the lentils back to mix with the beef mixture).
9. In a large pot, pour 2 Tbsp vegetable oil, lay the sliced potatoes across the pot and add the lentils and rice mixture to the pot. Add 2 tbsp oil (Mix 2 Tbsp Oil with 4 Tbsp boiling water) to the pot.
10. Cover the pot with a large napkin and put the lid on top.
11. Cook for 20 to 25 minutes.
12. Add 5 to 6 tbsp of the lentils rice to the beef mixture, then pour in the soaked saffron
13. Mix thoroughly, cover the pot with the lid and cook for 15 minutes.
14. Fry the dried barberries in 1 tbsp vegetable oil.
15. Add the beef/raisins mixture to the lentil rice pot, stir thoroughly until well mixed.
16. Add the fried barberries right before serving.

Salad

4 Cucumbers

12 Tomatoes

4 heads Iceberg Lettuce

400g Mushrooms

1 package Carrots, shredded

Lemon Juice – to taste

Thousand Island dressing – to taste

Olive Oil – to taste

Salt – to taste

Pepper – to taste

Chop all ingredients and toss together.

Cook & Talk September 2013: Team Colombia

Arroz con Pollo

serves 12       

500g (4 cups) jazmin Rice

4 chicken breasts

500g (3 cups) of frozen carrots and peas

250g (1½ cups) of frozen green beans

2 white onions

3 tomatoes, chopped

1 red pepper

celery leaves for flavour

1 chicken cube (bouillon)

200g butter or margarine

Garlic cloves

Salt and pepper

One plant of coriander – for garnish

1 bottle of oil

3 bottle of capers –for garnish

1 bottle ketchup (1 liter will be enough for 30 plates)

1 bottle of Worcestershire sauce

Sazon Goya (a type of seasoning)

Saffron

Directions

1.      Cook rice with salt and chicken bouillon; then let it cool.

2.      Place chicken breasts, 5 cups water, salt, one onion, 2 garlic cloves, and 1 celery leaf in a big pot. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce the heat to medium low. Cook for 20 to 25 minutes. Turn the heat off and let the chicken rest in the pot for about 15 minutes covered. Let it cool, shred and set aside.

3.      Cook the diced carrots, green beans and peas as per package directions.

4.      In a medium pot, heat the butter.  Add the onions chopped red peppers, garlic and tomatoes. Cook until the onions are translucent, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the chicken, ketchup and Worcestershire sauce.

5.      After everything is mixed, add the cooked vegetables.

6.      In a big pot start combining the rice, with the chicken mix; a little at a time. Add some stock if mixture is too dry.

7.      Top with cilantro and capers.

Salpicon

¼ Watermelon

2 Bananas

1 cup Pineapple

2 apples

Vartiety of fruits

1.5 Lemons

1 liter strawberry juice (saftvand)

1 liter Vanilla ice cream

3/4 bottle Whipped cream

Cut all the fruit into very small pieces. Add some strawberry juice (saftevand) and a little bit of lemon to cover the fruit.

Serve in glasses add a small portion of vanilla ice cream and whipped cream to top.

Cook & Talk September 2013 - Slovenia, Iran, & Colombia

On Saturday, September 7th, 2013 Holstebro International held its 3rd Cook & Talk at Sønderlandsskolen.

The doors opened at 17:00, and after a brief introduction by Hans, our guests proceeded downstairs to the school's kitchen, where Laina was briefing our 3 volunteer cooks.

We had another incredible turnout for this event, with 50 guests, including children!

This time around, we tried something different; 4 cooking stations, instead of the usual 3. We added a 'Kids' Cooking Station', where the kids made their own pizzas. It was such a big hit that we will continue to have this 4th station at all of our Cook & Talk events. 

A special thanks to Yuka for volunteering to help out at the Kids' Station, and to Sheryl for stepping in to lend a helping hand.

Over at the Slovenian station Lea and her group worked quickly to prepare quick, simple dishes, that were utterly delicious.

Next, at the Iranian station, Ashkan and his team worked tirelessly to prepare his dishes, but unfortunately ran out of time with the roasted potatoes. Because his dessert took a long time to set, he prepared it the morning of the event, and had to quickly run home while everyone was eating to retrieve it.

The Colombian station led by Nancy and her friend Doris made a palate pleasing rice dish, that is similar to Spanish rice, and followed up with a refreshingly fruity dessert, which was perfect for the warm weather we were having.

After dishes were presented, we headed back upstairs to the dining area, where the eating began and the mingling continued. This was the first Cook & Talk where alcohol was served, and everyone enjoyed the 'hyggelige' atmosphere.

After a long, but wonderful evening, it was time to clean up, pack up, and head home. 

We are anxiously awaiting the next Cook & Talk, on November 9th, and hope to see you there! Also, there have been rumors that we will have Japanese, Russian, and Danish cuisine, but nothing is confirmed yet. 

P.S. Our Marketing and Media board member, Sheryl, took these pictures, and created that short video for us. We hope you enjoyed them!

How To: Exchanging Your Foreign Driver's License (by Demelza Endenburg)

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The first thing to consider when applying for a Danish driver’s licence is your country of origin or, more importantly, the country where you got the driver’s licence from, that you would like to exchange.

As you probably know, Denmark is part of the EU, which means that citizens from other EU countries are generally treated with a bit more leniency than citizens from non-EU countries. Therefore, if your driver’s licence comes from an EU country, the rules are different. Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein are countries with the same status as EU countries.

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Driver’s licence from an EU-country, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein

First of all: You’re allowed to drive a car with a licence from any of these countries if you’re living in Denmark. In other words, you’re not obligated to exchange it for a Danish one if you want to drive here.

If you want to exchange it anyway, you can simply go to city hall and ask to get it exchanged. Be aware though, that it might be possible that you need to have your driver’s licence translated. It’s best to ask about this at city hall first, before having it translated. It can save you some translation costs. There’s no need to have it translated if your driver’s licence is in English. In case they tell you that you need to have it translated, you’ll need to have it done by an official translated who has been authorized to do so by the police.

You’ll need to bring a passport photo, your sundhedskort, passport or ID card and your proof of registration (‘Bevis for registrering’: that’s the two letters you got from ‘Statsforvaltningen’, when you first registered after moving to Denmark). You don’t need to bring a proof of registration if you are a citizen from a Nordic country.

As a EU citizen, you might be asked to sign a piece of paper that will allow the municipality to get some of the money that it cost them to exchange your driver’s licence back from the embassy.

Driver’s licence from Australian Capital Territory, Brazil, Japan, Taiwan, South-Korea, Russia, Switzerland or Ukraine

Most important to note: You need to exchange a driver’s licence from any of these countries within 90 days after moving to Denmark.

Just like the EU driver’s licences, you’ll have to go to city hall with a valid passport photo, sundhedskort, passport and your residency permit. Unless your driver’s licence is in English, you’ll probably have to get it translated by an official translator, who has been authorized to do so by the police.

Unlike EU-citizens, you will also have to get a medical certificate (‘lægeattest’) provided by your doctor. You do not, however, need to take a driving test.

Driver’s licence from a country not mentioned above

Most important to note: You need to exchange a driver’s licence from any of these countries within 90 days after moving to Denmark.

You will have to take a driving test and get a medical certificate (‘lægeattest’) from your doctor. Unless your driver’s licence is in English, you will most likely need to get it translated by an official translator, who has been authorized to do so by the police.

You’ll have to go to city hall with a valid passport photo, sundhedskort, passport and your residency permit.

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Other things to consider

You’re allowed to drive a car with a non-EU driver’s licence during the first 90 days of your residency if the licence is in the Latin alphabet or if it’s accompanied by a valid translation into English, French or Danish.

When is a passport photo valid to be used on a Danish driver’s licence? The requirements can be found at the police website. We advise you to have the passport photo made here in Denmark at a photo specialist shop, because the requirements can be quite different from those in your home country. That can be quite pricey, but at least you can be certain that it’s done correctly. Photo Care Holstebro makes good quality passport photos in Holstebro.

You will be given a temporary Danish driver’s licence that can be used in Norway and Sweden as well, which will normally be valid for a period of three weeks. It doesn’t look very impressive, it’s just a small white piece of paper with all your information written on it, but it’s an official document nonetheless. Your new, real Danish driver’s licence will be sent to your home address within three weeks.

You obviously need to pay for a driver’s licence, currently (July 2013), it costs 280 DKK. To be certain about the price, check with Holstebro Kommune 

What to do if…

I currently don’t have a valid passport?

In this case, you will need to bring an original birth certificate, name certificate or baptism certificate, with an official translation if required. It’s best to ask at city hall if you’re not certain what to do in this case.

People tell me that I need to go to the police station to get my driver’s licence exchanged?

Don’t worry, they’re simply wrong. Until the 31^st of December 2006, Danes indeed had to go to the police station to get a new driver’s licence, but that has been changed. Since the 1^st of January 2007 everyone in Denmark must go to city hall to get a driver’s licence.

They tell me that I can’t keep my foreign driver’s licence?

This is normal. By law, you’re not allowed to have two driver’s licences simultaneously. City hall will take your foreign driver’s licence and send it to the police (‘Rigspolitiet’); they will lock it in a safe. In case you will need this foreign licence again in the future, you can request it back, but they will then take your Danish licence and lock that one away instead.

I didn’t receive my new Danish driver’s licence within three weeks?

In this case, you should immediately contact city hall. They will tell you what will be done about it.

Where to find more information

Be certain to always check the sites mentioned below, before going to city hall or making the decision to have something translated. Our information is not only based on personal experiences, but mostly on information provided on these sites, and as you probably known, rules, prices etc. change all the time. 

http://www.holstebro.dk/Fra-udenlandsk-til-dansk-1223.aspx

https://www.politi.dk/da/borgerservice/korekort/udenlandsk_koerekort/

When in doubt, always contact city hall. 

How To: Using The Post Office In Denmark (by Demelza Endenburg)

You might think the title of this article a bit odd, and normally we would certainly agree with you. But how many traditional post offices buildings have you seen in Denmark lately? Our point exactly!

It has been common for some years in parts of Europe, to close the traditional post office building and move a smaller office into, for instance, a supermarket or stationer’s shop. And Post Danmark, responsible for your mail, packages, stamps etc. here in Denmark, felt inspired by this. They have recently announced that all traditional post offices will be closed down in the future. Even the big and fancy one in the middle of Copenhagen! In Denmark, these post offices are now called ‘postbutikker’.

Post office in Holstebro

As you might have noticed, they already changed from a post office to a ‘postbutik’ in Holstebro years ago. Nowadays, you have to go to the supermarket called Kvickly on Brogårdsvej 6, to pick up your packages. At least, most of the time, sometimes you’re required to pick your package up at something called ‘Døgnposten’ or ‘Pakkeboksen’, but we’ll get to that later.

The good thing about the post offices moving into shops is the fact that they now, sometimes, have more flexible opening hours. This is however (not yet) the case in Holstebro. Currently, the post office is not open on Sundays, but that might change in the future. For more information about the opening hours: http://www.kvickly.dk/Butikker+og+aabningstider/5500

Picking up a package at a ‘postbutik’

What to do, if you come home and there’s a piece of paper in your mail box that says that you have to pick up a package or letter at the post office or ‘postbutik’?  First of all, you obviously need to bring that piece of paper with you. Secondly, you need to prove that you’re the person the package has been addressed to. In other words, you’ll need some form of ID. In most cases your sundhedskort will suffice. In some cases, though, you will have to bring an ID with a picture on it; both a driver’s licence and a passport are allowed. It will say which form of ID you need to bring, on the piece of paper.

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Authorizing someone else to pick up your package

This is also possible. You can authorize a specific person to do that for you. All you need to do is fill-in the back of the piece of paper that you got in your mail box. You need to state the name of the person picking it up and then sign it with your signature. The person you have authorized must then bring a valid ID of him or herself to the post office to pick up the package.

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Picking up a package in ‘Døgnposten’ or ‘Pakkeboksen’

It’s starting to become more and more common, when ordering something on a webshop, that you then have to pick up your package in something called ‘Døgnposten’ or ‘Pakkeboksen’. In most cases you will have agreed to this beforehand, and made a user account at Post Danmark’s website, but that’s not always the case. If you do not wish to pick up your package here, but would prefer the normal ‘postbutik’, then you can call customer service at 70 11 22 12.

This system is not difficult to use, however, and the big advantage is that you can pick up your package 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You will be informed through e-mail or sms that a package is waiting for you, which means that there won’t be a traditional piece of paper in your mail box when you come home. This e-mail or sms will also contain a code, which you will have to use to open up the particular locker that contains your package. Remember to bring your sundhedskort as well; you will need to insert it into the machine as a form of identification.

Visit Post Danmark’s Self Service to find out where the particular ‘Døgnpost’ or ‘pakkepost’ is located. If you’re living in Holstebro, you will most likely have to pick it up at number 666, which is to the left of the train station in Holstebro.

More information

For more information regarding, for instance what it costs to send a letter abroad, you can check out Post Danmark’s website in English.

Friday Under 50

Unless you're British, Japanese or Scandinavian, you'll most likely find Denmark as a very expensive country.  In a comparison of price levels of various countries conducted by Eurostat, Denmark's consumer goods are among the most expensive in Europe, just below Norway and Switzerland. High prices stretch far across Denmark, from the big city of Copenhagen to the rural areas of the country. And of course, our little town is no exception. 

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A pint of beer in one of our local bars costs around 50 kroner. The same pint sells for about half the price in Germany, less than a quarter in Brazil and an eighth in the Philippines. No matter how tempting, I strongly advise newcomers to refrain from converting currencies in your heads.  Besides avoiding priced-induced  vertigo, getting accustomed to the living expenses is a real step in settling comfortably in your new home country.

  

 
While high prices are the norm in Denmark, Holstebro offers something for every budget. Just when you think it's impossible to have fun in town when you're short on cash, here are some superb suggestions on how to enjoy the city on a 50 kroner budget.

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1. Gather five girlfriends and enjoy personalized make-up session, beauty tips and a goody bag to boot!
Where: The Body Shop, Norreport Center - 50kr per person

2.  Challenge your friends to a few games of pool
Where: Pool Cafeen Cue - 50kr per hour

3. Go for a swim in the lap pool
Where: Holstebro Badeland - svømmehal - 43kr

4. Grab a cup of coffee and a slice of pie
Where: Center Bageren, Norreport - 35kr

5. Munch happily on a box of Chinese take away
Where: China House, Den Røde Plads 15 - 40kr

6. Take a trip to one of the many local thrift shops, and snag fab finds
Where: Kirkens Genbrug, Sønderlandsgade 15

7. Find a great book to read 
Where: Basement of Holstebro Aktivitetcentret, books from 5kr - 25 kr

8. Buy a decent bottle of wine and pick a picnic spot at Holstebro Lystanlæg
Where: Rema 1000, wines from 29 kr


We even mapped all the locations for you! So, the next time you're sulking around the house waiting until your paycheck comes, remember these 8 ideas and you're sure to have a great time on a tight budget!