About Me


Born and raised in the Netherlands in a Dutch-Indonesian home, I traveled to many places before finally settling down in Idaho. Food is a huge part of my life: I eat and grow it, read and write about it and work with it every day.

I graduated with a degree in Hospitality and Tourism Management in Barcelona, Spain, where I lived for a decade. Upon returning to Holland, I also obtained a diploma in Café and Restaurant Management from the SVH. At one point in my life, I realized that there were three things that made me happiest: teaching, writing, and all things food. I was able to leave my job in a technical field and return to school, this time to get a culinary education. (What I really wanted to learn was how to bake bread and make some of those wonderful Dutch loaves that I missed so much!).

While I was at it, I figured I better become a Master Gardener and a Master Food Preserver too. Nobody was going to stop me now! I also obtained my Prochef I certification at the Culinary Institute of America in NY. I returned to school, but this time to be a culinary arts instructor, which I thoroughly enjoyed! I taught both baking and culinary arts, as well as front of the house, for almost six years, until the program closed. Nowadays, I am still teaching but in a different field. 

My freelance writing and food photography are published regularly in Dutch, the magazine, Idaho Women's Journal, and other publications. The website has been featured in KLM's in-flight magazine, in Jamie Magazine, and in Margriet among others, and served as a resource for other print media publications such as Mimi Sheraton's "1,000 Foods To Eat Before You Die", and Emily Wight's "Dutch Feast".

In the summertime, I run a successful booth at our local farmers market featuring Dutch baked goods, and several of my recipes have received blue ribbons and Best of Show awards at our regional fair. I love showcasing our food traditions! 

Drop me a line, I'd love to hear from you at nicole at the dutch table dot com. 

Tot ziens!

Nicole Holten