Food Friday: Instant Read

So, evidently there is something about Amsterdam that's inhospitable to instant read meat thermometers.  Mine died the moment I moved here.  Peter insists it just needs a new battery, but there's something about the way it doesn't change temperature reading that makes me think it's more than that.

I tried to find one at Blokker, which is my source for nearly everything, kind of like the Dutch answer to Bed, Bath and Beyond.  No luck.  So when I finally went out to Gelderlandplein, our local mall, I was pleased to see they have a cooking store.  I am so desperate for a new instant read I dragged a very reluctant M into the cooking store with me.  I clearly asked the guy for an instant read, and he showed me thermometers with giant faces, circa 1970.  You know, the type that would dry the s*%t out of your roast?  One of those. I clarified INSTANT READ.  They didn't sell any.  (despite this fact, the store looked great.  I didn't get a very thorough look because M was a little distracting, but I did see a little rotating stand for decorating cupcakes which looked kind of interesting, and I'm looking forward to going back on my own).

I suspect it may be that the Dutch don't make roasts .  Either they don't make roasts at all, or they favor more of a pot roast.  I'm also having a similarly difficult time finding a roasting pan or roasting rack.  Having the proper cooking tools is so important. I don't know how I thought I'd make cooking my "project" this year without them.  Peter returns from New York tomorrow, hopefully with a few of my non-electric cooking tools!