What is Librije?
Librije is a restaurant (http://www.librije.com/?language=en), not just any restaurant, it would be the only 3-star Michelin restaurant in the Netherlands (the other one is planning to close done, not because of lack of customers, but the chef wishes to retire). What is even more interesting was the restaurant got its first star in the first year it opened, and caused a 5-month waiting period to have a table ... !!! Now, wait for half a year for lunch ... yes, it took as that long to wait for one a couple of years back.
Not only do they have the 3-star restaurant, they also have the other restaurant, Zusje van Librije (http://www.librije.com/40/librijes-zusje/), which got its 2nd star last year (the restaurant is part of a hotel, which was once a women's prison).
These restaurants, hotel and cooking school are owned by the couple Jonnie & Therese (aka as Trees in her childhood ... yes, but in Dutch trees are bomen), who are locals of the region of Zwolle ... and lives just a block or two from our place (rubbing elbows? nope, just us trying to rub theirs ... hehehe) !!!
Been to both, and was really impressed with it ... the Zusje when it was still a 1-starred, but still as good and impressive as the older sister.
Enough of the hype about the restaurant and their school, I am not getting paid for it, but actually paying the month's salary to take this course (http://www.librijesatelier.nl/dutchatelier/librije-s-workshops/04-09-2013-passie-voor-koken-deel-2 ... too bad it is only available in Dutch).
The course was (or is) last year's birthday gift from the "guinea pig". He thought that I would love it (which I DO ... no not saying it as a wedding, I DO). However, I finally realised, that though the gift was for me ... it seemed that this gift for me would eventually (in the long-run) will be more a gift to himself .... mmmm <tight-lipped and one corner higher than the other corner> .... HAHAHA!!!
Who cares, I would be learning the scientific way of cooking, from one of the best restaurant I. This country. Learning the rules, without going through the trial and error of what matches (well, I would still go through it ... I have not been very well-known to be a stickler to rules ... rather, I would follow the essence of the rule). Then understanding what wines would be best to be match with dishes ... no more rules of white for fish & other sea creatures and red for meats etc ... will have more of the wines of the wines of the sommelier, Therese (yes, the wife is the sommelier ... I thought she just got the position she is the wife, but I tell you, she can pick good wines ... she has wines from the Netherlands ... this country which barely has any sun, she was able to find a vineyard that produces the right grapes to make her wines ... LOVE IT).
What do you think would happen ... would I be inspired to create more lavish dishes ... or would I end up wanting to have take-away as it would be easier? Will I be the artist as these chefs are these days ... or will I become a mere copier of famous artworks ? Questions to be answered, when we go through .... !!!
Some notes about the city of Zwolle
Zwolle from Google maps ... the inner city (which I fell in love with, as the man who lives in it) is shaped like a star, surrounded by water and still maintains portions of the old walls of the inner city. Take a walk in it (even virtually), as the city is one of the best kept secret from tourist, who only knows Amsterdam or Rotterdam. Zwolle is maintains its old charm, being a city that is more like an over-grown village, where everyone knows each other and everyone recognises or related to someone you know ... it is the past in the present Netherlands!
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