Orangeinall Posts
October 7, 2018 / / Eat+Drink

Costco Brewer’s Advent Calendar 2018: The Beers Are Here

Note: This post was updated on 10/31/2018.

The temperatures are dropping, the leaves are falling, and pumpkin is once again the main ingredient in, well, everything. Whatever associations you may have with fall, for me it meant checking out my local Costco. Lo and behold: The Brewer’s Advent Calendar 2018 has arrived. Sporting the same familiar look as last year’s edition, it was easy to spot. After a quick glance at the contents of the calendar, I decided to buy it once more. For around $65 you too can be the proud owner of one of year end’s best traditions.

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October 1, 2018 / / Dutch

15,000 Pounds of Crooked Produce Rescued in Amsterdam

For an international perspective on my Imperfect Produce reviews, I would like to take you to my native country, the Netherlands, this time.

15,000 pounds of zucchini in a container on Dam Square, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Photo courtesy of Kromkommer/Judith Tielemans

Last week, my LinkedIn feed showed scenes of a container filled with over 15,000 pounds of zucchini. While that may already impress you, these vegetables were all “food rejects” waiting for a home. On a sunny day in Amsterdam, this imperfect produce took center stage in Dam Square.

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April 9, 2018 / / Music Mondays

Israel and Bouncing on the Pogo Stick That’s Life

Travel Tracks: Israel

Two months ago I picked France’s Eurovision Song Contest entry for Travel Tracks. Today’s song “TOY” by Netta Barzilai will represent Israel in the same competition. After hearing both tracks, you would think they were from different planets, although both focus on current affairs.

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March 26, 2018 / / Music Mondays

Canada and The Inspiring Ozarks

Travel Tracks: Canada

“Body” is a no-holds-barred pre-summer anthem from Loud Luxury, a DJ duo from Canada. This track also has a Dutch touch to it, as Armin van Buuren released it through his record label Armada Music.

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March 12, 2018 / / Music Mondays

Croatia and Millennial Metal

Travel Tracks: Croatia

Antonela Doko is a rising star in Croatia. Despite her young age she’s already won last year’s award for “Best New Artist of the Year” in her home country. Listen for yourself, but the new Amy Winehouse might come from Croatia.

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March 11, 2018 / / Eat+Drink

Imperfect Produce Review: The Good, The Bad and The Not So Ugly

Note: This post was updated on 3/4/2019.

Many food subscription services have sprouted the last few years. Think of HelloFresh, Blue Apron and Plated. These all have a similar set-up. You pick your favorite recipes and the ingredients will be delivered to you. While I have been tempted to try one of these when a discount offer comes around, I have never bitten the culinary bullet.

One day Imperfect Produce showed up as a recommendation in my wife’s social media feed. The company from San Francisco sources “ugly” produce from local farmers when possible, or from growers in areas where food waste is imminent. In their own words, they “follow the waste” when necessary and appropriate. Since supermarkets all have their own high standards of what produce should look like, a lot of otherwise good food gets rejected. Produce that has too many marks or is too small won’t make it into the store.

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March 5, 2018 / / Music Mondays

England: Mind the Gap Between London Past and Present

Travel Tracks: England

Unlike what you may think, today’s Travel Tracks has nothing to do with cute puppies. Rather, the song is about dating. Ramone Rochester, a.k.a. Ramz, describes a young bloke’s typical weekend in the East London town of Barking. Probably due to its relatability, the song quickly became a youth anthem.

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February 26, 2018 / / Music Mondays

Belgium, Zoutelande and Back to Reality

Travel Tracks: Belgium

The single version of “Zoutelande” is a collaboration between Dutch band BLØF and Flemish singer Geike Arnaert. This is the first time for Arnaert to sing in Dutch. Her previous work for both Hooverphonic and her solo career has always been in the English language.

Zoutelande is a small town in the Dutch province of Zeeland, but the original version of the song is about Frankfurt Oder in Germany. BLØF’s bass player rewrote the lyrics, while keeping the essence of the song. It’s about trying to entertain yourself in somewhat of a dreary place, without having much money or things to do.

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February 19, 2018 / / Music Mondays

Australia and You Don’t Hear That Every Day

February 12, 2018 / / Music Mondays

France and As You May Have Heard on TV

Travel Tracks: France

Madame Monsieur will represent France with “Mercy” at the Eurovision Song Contest 2018, which will be held in Lisbon, Portugal, this May. The song points our attention to the European refugee crisis, but focuses on hope instead of hopelessness. “Mercy” refers to the baby girl that was born on a migrant rescue ship while at sea in the Mediterranean.

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