Fragrant pears poached in red wine make for a healthy dessert and is perfect for people who are not too fond of sugary-sweet desserts (although you can sweeten it up with honey and serve it with cinnamon ice-cream... heaven!) Or if you're looking for something new to add to your dinner repertoire, instead of the usual peas and carrots, why not try my poached pears as a side dish, with a good steak or venison.

Red cabbage and apples (rode kool met appeltjes) is a beloved traditional winter side dish here in the Netherlands - the kind of food your grandmother would have made, had she been Dutch. I like to serve it with a good steak, fries and gravy, but it also goes very well with stews and venison.

Winter can be pretty unforgiving here in Holland. It's not uncommon for me to get soaked to the bone while I’m out running errands on my bike. So, knowing that I will be rewarded with a hearty meal of a soup makes it a bit more bearable. The easiest way to become acquainted with Dutch food is making and enjoying my brown bean soup. It will wrap you up like a warm blanket on a cold day.

Winter is all about soups and stews for me. After all, who feels like a salad when it's icy outside? I particularly adore Babi Ketjap, a meaty yet mild Indonesian stew. It's a regular in my home.

Like so many other slow-cooked stews, Babi Ketjap will not be winning any beauty prizes, but this Indonesian dish more than makes up for that in flavor.

Please don't let the cooking time scare you. It's about 20 minutes' work and then you can relax and let the pot do all the work for you. Meanwhile, you can get on with whatever needs doing around the house.