What are we eating today? ‘I think it is the most frequently asked question of the day: what are we eating today? This shows that it is a very important question, and that we all look forward to the most important meal. As the person preparing today’s meal - whether you are a professional chef, an apprentice or a hobby cook - you ask yourself the same question. This book was written in part to answer this question, because I am often confronted with this problem, and many professional chefs along with me. As a chef, you should be proud to dare to show on the plate in which country you are cooking, in what season and of course which products you use to do so. Make sure you cook with respect for the product! If you are cooking with premium products, cook simply in order to respect the ingredients. The New Dutch Cuisine is to my mind a cuisine based on modern knowledge of ingredients and on an insight into the way a (professional) chef deals with them. A healthy and contemporary cuisine that is animal and environmentally friendly and sustainable; a cuisine that builds upon our country’s centuries-old culture.