gourmet tips holidays
Season Food & Trends Winter Lists

Anne de Buck

founder & editor in chief
31 December 2024
31 Januari 2025

8 Gourmet Tips Everyone Wants to Know for the Holidays

Anyone who's been following Your Little Black Book for a while knows I'm crazy about gourmet cooking. Or should we say CRAZY! Call it convenience, call it nostalgia. The fact is, as soon as the clocks go back an hour, we regularly host gourmet dinners for friends. A tradition from the past that I've revived. Not only because it's cozy, but also because, for a change, my boyfriend and I can both sit at the table when we have guests, instead of him mostly in the kitchen. So you know who's the chef in our house! Since our 'gourmetteria' is open again for a new season of baking and grilling, and of course, because the holidays are just around the corner, I thought it would be fun to share my tips as a gourmet expert with you in this blog. The best part? You can make gourmet cooking as simple or as gourmet as you like! This year, I've treated myself to a new gourmet setIt's not in these photos yet, but it's been tested and it's really nice to use.

gourmet tips holidays

 | TIP: Do you feel like giving something special as a gift when having a gourmet meal? View the tastiest ones here champagne cocktails, special G&Ts or go for a this year mocktail without alcohol.

Follow @yourlbb on Instagram

Come with me to get breakfast in Taipei 🥢

Straight from the airport to this little place to taste soup dumplings and so much more! That's what I call a soft landing 😉 <3

In Taipei, you go to a Soy Milk Shop for breakfast. Warm soy milk to eat in a bowl, and steam baskets with the tastiest dumplings and baozi. You can really wake me up for this kind of breakfast. These local breakfast spots come in all shapes and sizes, from Michelin-recommended spots to hole-in-the-wall stalls.

Most soy milk shops open early (and sometimes even 24 hours a day), and these are the dishes you want to try:
🥄 Warm soy milk
🥢 Soup dumplings (you can often choose between pork and veggies)
🥢 Pork baozi
🥢 Youtiao (油條 - a kind of fried donut stick)
🥢 Youtiao (油條) w/ pork floss & rice
🥢 Turnip cake
🥢 Chives pancake
🥢 Scallion pancake

TIP: Sharing is a good idea to taste as much as possible, because the portions are (often) large.

You'll want to remember these soy milk shops for your future trip to Taipei:
📍Fuhang Soy Milk
📍Soy Milk Shop
📍Yong He Soya Milk King (Da'an)
📍Sihai Soy Milk

I am currently touring Taiwan, and you can also find all the tips in my Stories Highlight.

Have you ever been to Taiwan? I'm curious if you thought it was *that* amazing!

✖️✖️✖️
🖊️ @anne_de_buck

#taipeifood #taipeitravel #TaiwanWavesOfWonder #ExperienceTaiwan @taiwantoerisme #presstrip

{ In this Taiwan Travel Guide video, I share my favorite breakfast spots in Taipei for an authentic Taiwanese breakfast }

75 23
Open post by yourlbb with ID 18114837760796928
Come with me to get breakfast in Taipei 🥢 Straight from the airport to this little spot to taste soup dumplings and so much more! That's what I call a soft landing 😉

Just back from Catalonia and I thought: I'll share some tips right away.

During our road trip, we stayed two nights in the Ebro Delta. An incredibly fun stop for families and foodies, where there is plenty to do.

• A boat trip to the Musclarium is a must! Here you eat oysters and mussels straight from the farm, in the middle of the sea.

· Admire the flamingos and black ibises that can be found here all year round.

· Rice is grown in the Ebro Delta all year round. For paella, but Kensho also makes sake and miso from it! You can visit them during a tasting.

Cycling along the rice fields, canoeing on the Ebro River, and visiting various beaches. It was still a bit too cold right now, but there is plenty to do.

• The towns are very low-key and not that exciting, but you can find fantastic local food there. From the Michelin-awarded Les Moles* to local eateries like Vermuteria Bonmarisc and Lo Tinglado. We ate a lot of fish, but also anemone fritters (a first!).

Now back to work, and I’m going to create an extensive travel guide of this road trip through Catalonia, but you’ll want to save these tips for a future adventure.

✖️✖️✖️
🖊️ @anne_de_buck

{ In this post, I share tips for the Ebro Delta in Spain (Delta de l'Ebre). More tips for Catalonia can be found at www.yourlittleblackbook.me }

26 2
Open post by yourlbb with ID 18097073803922476
Just back from Catalonia and I thought: I'll share some tips right away. During our road trip, we stayed two nights in the Ebro Delta. An incredibly fun stop for families and foodies alike, where there is plenty to do. · A boat trip to the Musclarium is a must! Here you eat oysters and mussels straight from the farm, in the middle of the sea. · Admire the flamingos and black ibises that can be found here all year round. · Rice is grown in the Ebro Delta all year round. For paella, but Kensho also makes sake and miso from it! You can visit them during a tasting. · Cycling along the rice fields, canoeing on the Ebro River, and visiting various beaches. It was still a bit too cold now, but there is plenty to do. · The towns are very low-key and not that exciting, but you can find fantastic local food there. From the Michelin-awarded Les Moles* to local eateries like Vermuteria Bonmarisc and Lo Tinglado. We ate a lot of fish, but also anemone fritters (a first!). Now back to work, and I’m going to create an extensive travel guide of this road trip through Catalonia, but you’ll want to save these tips for a future adventure. ✖️✖️✖️ 🖊️ @anne_de_buck { In this post, I share tips for the Ebro Delta in Spain (Delta de l'Ebre). More tips for Catalonia can be found at www.yourlittleblackbook.me }

PUUR YONNIE, an ode to Jonnie Boer.

Today I had the honor of being at @delibrijezwolle for the book launch of @jonnie_en_therese.
I spent the whole evening reading and flipping through the pages.

WHAT A BOOK.
What stories.
WHAT AN ODE.

Love, Nature, Pioneer, Fatherhood, Music, Jonnie's Foundation, Friendship, Suppliers, Local products, Relaxation, Entrepreneurship, Humor & The pure human being.

Everything passes by, beautifully written by @joel.broekaert.

With contributions from, among others, @nelsontanate, @rekkebus, @ronblaauwtje, @jorisbijdendijk, @sidney_schutte & @hvw043.

Thanks for the lovely afternoon @jonnie_en_therese 💚

PURE JONNIE,
From 14 April
at your local bookstore
(and online)

🖊️ @anne_de_buck

63 3
Open post by yourlbb with ID 18015575372841444
PUUR JONNIE, an ode to Jonnie Boer. Today I had the honor of being at @delibrijezwolle for the book launch of @jonnie_en_therese. I spent the entire evening reading and browsing. WHAT A BOOK. What stories. WHAT AN ODE. Love, Nature, Pioneer, Fatherhood, Music, Jonnie's Foundation, Friendship, Suppliers, Local products, Relaxation, Entrepreneurship, Humor & The pure human being. Everything is covered, beautifully written by @joel.broekaert. With contributions from, among others, @nelsontanate, @rekkebus, @ronblaauwtje, @jorisbijdendijk, @sidney_schutte & @hvw043. Thanks for the wonderful afternoon @jonnie_en_therese 💚 PUUR JONNIE, Available from April 14 at your local bookstore (and online) 🖊️ @anne_de_buck

This is your ticket to Japan without taking a plane 🥢

@tewatashi.ams in De Pijp serves an authentic Edo-Mae Sushi Experience and is super consistent in their quality.
It's the place we keep going back to when we have something to celebrate <3.

In this video I'm sharing the 2 hour experience in 60 seconds.

Still dreaming about the buttery ika nigiri. 🤤

✖️✖️✖️
🖊️ @anne_de_buck

{ one of the best authentic Japanese restaurants in Amsterdam serving premium sushi omakase in De Pijp }

192 8
Open post by yourlbb with ID 18085552346348965
This is your ticket to Japan without taking a plane 🥢 @tewatashi.ams in De Pijp serves an authentic Edo-Mae Sushi Experience and is super consistent in their quality. It's the place we keep going back to when we have something to celebrate <3. In this video I'm sharing the 2 hour experience in 60 seconds. Still dreaming about the buttery ika nigiri. 🤤 ✖️✖️✖️ 🖊️ @anne_de_buck { one of the best authentic Japanese restaurants in Amsterdam serving premium sushi omakase in De Pijp }

Home Wine Tasting

view all 10 tips here

8 tips for a successful gourmet evening

❶ I can hear you thinking... Gourmet dining: very cozy, but I don't want to sit in that gourmet smell for days. My golden tip is to clean the gourmet set immediately after cooking and before finishing the meal, and put the loose parts straight in the dishwasher. Also, open a window and burn a scented candle, for example. While finishing the meal, I put a pan of water with a little vinegar on the stove, which immediately reduces the gourmet smell. A trick from my grandmother's time that, by the way, helps with all the odors!

❷ The second tip is of course a good gourmet set and other handy kitchen utensils, like mini spatulas and fondue forks. Because we have a long table, we have a rectangular gourmet set. We always use the pans for side dishes, and we grill the meat and fish on the plate. Are you having a gourmet meal with vegetarians or is someone vegan? Then discuss whether, in that case, you should use the pans for the meat and grill the vegetables on the plate. That way, everyone will be happy during the holidays! TIP: Do you, like me, want to use real gourmet plates? You can find them for next to nothing at most thrift stores, or look for vintage gourmet plates on Etsy.

❸ The great thing about gourmet dining is that you can prepare so much in advance, so you don't have to spend a lot of time in the kitchen on the day itself. I often set the table in the late afternoon, for example, so it looks cozy right away. I also prepare the various meat, fish, and vegetarian platters in advance so I can put them straight out of the fridge and onto the table when the guests arrive and we're ready to eat.

❹ Ten years ago, our gourmet platters were mostly filled with meat, but now I find I enjoy and enjoy doing more with vegetables and other tasty side dishes. For salads, I often opt for convenience and buy a ready-made salad with, for example, beets. I also really enjoy making steaks with vegetables like turnip or sweet potato. Another favorite is Pimiento de Padrón. It's truly perfect for the gourmet setWant to try something different from a regular mushroom? Try shiitake!

gourmet tips holidays

Read more?

❺ For a successful gourmet evening, I always make sure to have several delicious side dishes. Slices of (raclette) cheese are a must-have for me. Delicious with a baguette under the grill! I also always put a bowl of chopped garlic, onion, salt, and pepper on the table. One of the side dishes that's always a hit is the mushrooms I fill with herb cheese. I also always make several vegetarian vegetable pizzas that are ready to go in the pan. Here are my two variations that are delicious in a pan under the grill:
⋙ (Meat) tomato slices, with slices of mini mozzarella balls and pesto.
⋙ Slices of zucchini, with goat cheese.

❻ I have to admit, at our house, most of the dishes are either vegetarian or meat when we're having a gourmet meal. I get the meat from the butcher and have them cut it into small pieces. Then I pick up some fish from the fishmonger, like prawns and scallops. But salmon is also delicious on a gourmet meal and marinates well. Want to give the fish a special touch? Marinate it beforehand in a little soy sauce for an Asian flavor.

❼ Of course, the evening isn't complete without a variety of delicious sauces. I often buy them ready-made, but then put them in a nice little bowl. Always delicious: garlic sauce, satay sauce, cocktail sauce, and aioli. I also often make my own sauces with those old-school Duyvis sachets, choosing low-fat quark instead of water and mayo.

For the carnivores among us, gourmet dining is ideal. You can really go all out with meat if you want. Are you TEAM carve-it-yourself or TEAM gourmet? The advantage of carving your own meat or having it carved is that you can choose more unusual cuts. How about Wagyu burgers, for example? You can also make a gourmet dinner extra special by giving it a theme. For example, Korean (with a nod to Korean BBQ) or French with only French preparations of meat and escargots in your pan!

gourmet tips holidays

 TIP: Prevent the plate from burning by cleaning it with a paper towel and re-greasing it after every few rounds of gourmet cooking.

more Christmas tips

Follow @yourlbb on Instagram

Come with me to get breakfast in Taipei 🥢

Straight from the airport to this little place to taste soup dumplings and so much more! That's what I call a soft landing 😉 <3

In Taipei, you go to a Soy Milk Shop for breakfast. Warm soy milk to eat in a bowl, and steam baskets with the tastiest dumplings and baozi. You can really wake me up for this kind of breakfast. These local breakfast spots come in all shapes and sizes, from Michelin-recommended spots to hole-in-the-wall stalls.

Most soy milk shops open early (and sometimes even 24 hours a day), and these are the dishes you want to try:
🥄 Warm soy milk
🥢 Soup dumplings (you can often choose between pork and veggies)
🥢 Pork baozi
🥢 Youtiao (油條 - a kind of fried donut stick)
🥢 Youtiao (油條) w/ pork floss & rice
🥢 Turnip cake
🥢 Chives pancake
🥢 Scallion pancake

TIP: Sharing is a good idea to taste as much as possible, because the portions are (often) large.

You'll want to remember these soy milk shops for your future trip to Taipei:
📍Fuhang Soy Milk
📍Soy Milk Shop
📍Yong He Soya Milk King (Da'an)
📍Sihai Soy Milk

I am currently touring Taiwan, and you can also find all the tips in my Stories Highlight.

Have you ever been to Taiwan? I'm curious if you thought it was *that* amazing!

✖️✖️✖️
🖊️ @anne_de_buck

#taipeifood #taipeitravel #TaiwanWavesOfWonder #ExperienceTaiwan @taiwantoerisme #presstrip

{ In this Taiwan Travel Guide video, I share my favorite breakfast spots in Taipei for an authentic Taiwanese breakfast }

75 23
Open post by yourlbb with ID 18114837760796928
Come with me to get breakfast in Taipei 🥢 Straight from the airport to this little spot to taste soup dumplings and so much more! That's what I call a soft landing 😉

Just back from Catalonia and I thought: I'll share some tips right away.

During our road trip, we stayed two nights in the Ebro Delta. An incredibly fun stop for families and foodies, where there is plenty to do.

• A boat trip to the Musclarium is a must! Here you eat oysters and mussels straight from the farm, in the middle of the sea.

· Admire the flamingos and black ibises that can be found here all year round.

· Rice is grown in the Ebro Delta all year round. For paella, but Kensho also makes sake and miso from it! You can visit them during a tasting.

Cycling along the rice fields, canoeing on the Ebro River, and visiting various beaches. It was still a bit too cold right now, but there is plenty to do.

• The towns are very low-key and not that exciting, but you can find fantastic local food there. From the Michelin-awarded Les Moles* to local eateries like Vermuteria Bonmarisc and Lo Tinglado. We ate a lot of fish, but also anemone fritters (a first!).

Now back to work, and I’m going to create an extensive travel guide of this road trip through Catalonia, but you’ll want to save these tips for a future adventure.

✖️✖️✖️
🖊️ @anne_de_buck

{ In this post, I share tips for the Ebro Delta in Spain (Delta de l'Ebre). More tips for Catalonia can be found at www.yourlittleblackbook.me }

26 2
Open post by yourlbb with ID 18097073803922476
Just back from Catalonia and I thought: I'll share some tips right away. During our road trip, we stayed two nights in the Ebro Delta. An incredibly fun stop for families and foodies alike, where there is plenty to do. · A boat trip to the Musclarium is a must! Here you eat oysters and mussels straight from the farm, in the middle of the sea. · Admire the flamingos and black ibises that can be found here all year round. · Rice is grown in the Ebro Delta all year round. For paella, but Kensho also makes sake and miso from it! You can visit them during a tasting. · Cycling along the rice fields, canoeing on the Ebro River, and visiting various beaches. It was still a bit too cold now, but there is plenty to do. · The towns are very low-key and not that exciting, but you can find fantastic local food there. From the Michelin-awarded Les Moles* to local eateries like Vermuteria Bonmarisc and Lo Tinglado. We ate a lot of fish, but also anemone fritters (a first!). Now back to work, and I’m going to create an extensive travel guide of this road trip through Catalonia, but you’ll want to save these tips for a future adventure. ✖️✖️✖️ 🖊️ @anne_de_buck { In this post, I share tips for the Ebro Delta in Spain (Delta de l'Ebre). More tips for Catalonia can be found at www.yourlittleblackbook.me }

PUUR YONNIE, an ode to Jonnie Boer.

Today I had the honor of being at @delibrijezwolle for the book launch of @jonnie_en_therese.
I spent the whole evening reading and flipping through the pages.

WHAT A BOOK.
What stories.
WHAT AN ODE.

Love, Nature, Pioneer, Fatherhood, Music, Jonnie's Foundation, Friendship, Suppliers, Local products, Relaxation, Entrepreneurship, Humor & The pure human being.

Everything passes by, beautifully written by @joel.broekaert.

With contributions from, among others, @nelsontanate, @rekkebus, @ronblaauwtje, @jorisbijdendijk, @sidney_schutte & @hvw043.

Thanks for the lovely afternoon @jonnie_en_therese 💚

PURE JONNIE,
From 14 April
at your local bookstore
(and online)

🖊️ @anne_de_buck

63 3
Open post by yourlbb with ID 18015575372841444
PUUR JONNIE, an ode to Jonnie Boer. Today I had the honor of being at @delibrijezwolle for the book launch of @jonnie_en_therese. I spent the entire evening reading and browsing. WHAT A BOOK. What stories. WHAT AN ODE. Love, Nature, Pioneer, Fatherhood, Music, Jonnie's Foundation, Friendship, Suppliers, Local products, Relaxation, Entrepreneurship, Humor & The pure human being. Everything is covered, beautifully written by @joel.broekaert. With contributions from, among others, @nelsontanate, @rekkebus, @ronblaauwtje, @jorisbijdendijk, @sidney_schutte & @hvw043. Thanks for the wonderful afternoon @jonnie_en_therese 💚 PUUR JONNIE, Available from April 14 at your local bookstore (and online) 🖊️ @anne_de_buck

This is your ticket to Japan without taking a plane 🥢

@tewatashi.ams in De Pijp serves an authentic Edo-Mae Sushi Experience and is super consistent in their quality.
It's the place we keep going back to when we have something to celebrate <3.

In this video I'm sharing the 2 hour experience in 60 seconds.

Still dreaming about the buttery ika nigiri. 🤤

✖️✖️✖️
🖊️ @anne_de_buck

{ one of the best authentic Japanese restaurants in Amsterdam serving premium sushi omakase in De Pijp }

192 8
Open post by yourlbb with ID 18085552346348965
This is your ticket to Japan without taking a plane 🥢 @tewatashi.ams in De Pijp serves an authentic Edo-Mae Sushi Experience and is super consistent in their quality. It's the place we keep going back to when we have something to celebrate <3. In this video I'm sharing the 2 hour experience in 60 seconds. Still dreaming about the buttery ika nigiri. 🤤 ✖️✖️✖️ 🖊️ @anne_de_buck { one of the best authentic Japanese restaurants in Amsterdam serving premium sushi omakase in De Pijp }

Weekend away in the Netherlands?

Your Little Black Book is packed with hundreds of staycation tips for a holiday in your own country. Find the perfect accommodation and plan that well-deserved weekend getaway!

► Yourlbb approved hotels >>

► The holiday home overview with the best tips for the Netherlands >>

Train City Trips

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With love,

Anne

| PS: Do you know Your Little Black Book's Green PolicyHere you'll find my personal tips on how to travel and live greener, and I'll explain why and how I offset the CO2 emissions from all the trips #teamyourlbb makes.

Train City Trips

view all 5 tips here

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Train City Trips

view all 5 tips here

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view all 36 tips here

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Internship vacancy: Social Media Intern wanted at Your Little Black Book

Museum Agenda Netherlands: 27 Exhibitions to Visit in May 2026

Museum agenda & exhibitions in Amsterdam: May 2026 update with 18 exhibition tips

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@yourlbb

Follow Anne on Instagram (Stories) for the latest articles and daily updates.

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