Mmm! Stinky tofu!

Some times I think my knowledge of food is so vast, there is nothing new I can learn. But then that is just hubris, and something will come along to prick my balloon and bring me crashing back to earth, but with new foody knowledge. Here is something I just stumbled upon - Taiwanese Stinky Tofu, and a California restaurant that specializes in it.

Qype review - The French Meadow in Minneapolis

Review of The French Meadow from 24 November 2011

The French Meadow is one of the best places in Minneapolis for delicious French-style artisanal breads, coffee, breakfast, salads and French-fusion bistro style cookery for lunch or dinner. It has a casual atmosphere, lots of vegetarian choices, and a sidewalk cafe that is especially popular for breakfast in the summer. Not cheap, but reasonable prices, especially considering the quality. Parking can be a problem. I don’t think they take reservations. They do takeaway. Family-friendly, licensed for wine and beer.

The Great British Bake-off : Recipes

We have been watching series two of the Great British Bake-off on BBC2. As usual, lovely recipes, for the most part. Here is a link with "all" of them (only 34 out of over 100. This will be because they are flogging a "companion cookbook", of course.)

Food in The Nation

The Nation has a major food focus group of articles this week, with contributors such as Frances Moore Lappe, Vandana Shiva and Michael Pollan.

Salad leaves, from my former supplier

We used to get a monthly organic box until DH decreed that we could not afford it. I now have raised beds in the back garden, thanks to the aforementioned DH's intensive labour, and this year we once again have home-grown produce. (Last year we had one raised bed, and I was quite tardy getting anything in, but we still had some stuff. But also a couple of spectacular failures, including three brassicas which produced one tiny head and attracted a swarm of cabbage moths that ate everything.) Having been made redundant two months ago, I have a little more time (but not much, I still have to find my next job!) to devote to the garden. I know from past experience what produces the most for the least effort - rocket, salad leaves, chard, courgettes, radishes, not necessarily in that order. This year's new experiments, only marginally more successful than the previous ones, include sunflowers (mainly as a companion plant, and a gift to the birds), comfrey (maybe more on that later), chamomile (again to attract bees and repel pests as well as getting a couple cups of tea out of the bargain) and tomatoes and peppers (no fruit yet, but then they haven't died either.) Anyway, the link above is very informative on salad leaves.

Review: Cilantro

I am visiting Paignton and after getting lost on the north end of town, I just had to stop at a nice place for lunch and a little pampering. I chose an Indian place called Cilantro, and it turned out to be a good choice. First decent food I have had since I left home. See my review on Qype.

So very very wrong

In general, I love epicurious.com. I am a long-time, loyal user and it led me in turn to the wonderful product Tastebook. And in general, I think Americans are smarter about other cultures' food than Brits are (with a few exceptions.) I have had a few rants about the inedible piles of crisp cookies and unmacerated strawberries that are passed off as "strawberry shortcake" and the weird misconception Brits have about tuna and sweetcorn being quintessentially American, when I have never seen it in the States anywhere. British Italian food is less authentic even than American Mexican food. Britain is awash with Thai food, some of it pretty bad, but Vietnamese is almost impossible to find. And so on.
Thus, when I saw in my email feed from epicurious.com that they had a Bakewell tart recipe, I had high hopes. Which were crushed, not once but twice. First big fail - this recipe was presented as the dessert for a St. Patrick Day Irish-themed dinner. Bakewell Tart is not Irish, not even close! The village of Bakewell, where the tart supposedly hails from, is in the Peak District in Derbyshire (pronunciation guide for Americans: "darby-shur") and a more English village you could not hope to find. But most disappointing of all, when I looked at the recipe, it wasn't Bakewell Tart, again not even close. Here is a proper recipe for Bakewell Tart, and you will notice that the pastry is shortcrust, not puff (and by the way, how did they get it to look like a pie with puff pastry? Something is really wrong here.) And the filling. What is this - it's like a custard with no vanilla or other flavour and flour added. It sounds really vile.
Please, whether you are Irish or American, or a little bit of both, DO NOT follow epicurious.com's recipe for Bakewell Tart. The real thing is too nice.

Ayurvedic medicine's few simple rules

Although I think this blog is by a Western woman, it does honour the Ayurvedic system, which I believe has a lot to teach Western medicine. I am going to try some of these, the Nyasa oil in the nose, the bedtime and getting up time, the CCF tea, etc.

Qype: Keflavík International Airport in Reykjavík

Reykjavik - Transportation - Public Transport - Airports


I spent some hours in this airport two or three times on trips from the UK to Minneapolis, a popular destination for IcelandAir. This is quite a nice airport to have to hang out in. It has free wifi thoughout (I posted my first away-from-home blog there), it has several nice food stops and it has fairly comfortable surroundings. It seems to sit out in the middle of an icebound prairie (I was there in spring and in autumn, not the dead of winter or high summer) and is built all of polished but unpainted wood, with large windows but maybe not quite as much glass as a lot of airports (presumably to cut down on the heating). All of which gives it a slightly sci-fi, out of the world quality.

Check out my review of Keflavík International Airport - I am deborama - on Qype

Qype: Philadelphia International Airport in Philadelphia

Philadelphia - Transportation - Public Transport - Airports


I had the bad luck /bad planning to spend 8 hours on a layover in Philadelphia airport. I have to say, although it wasn't pleasant, Phila is probably one of the best airports in the world to have to hang out in. It has two or three XpresSpas where you can get anything from a manicure to a full-body massage. It has old-fashioned white painted wooden rocking chairs dotted throughout the terminal where you can just sit and rest (if you can find one free - they're very popular) and it has a very good selection of fast food, restaurants and bars. So all in all, not bad.

Check out my review of Philadelphia International Airport - I am deborama - on Qype

Qype: Gaulart Maliclet Fast and French in Charleston

Charleston - Eating & Drinking - Restaurants - Bistros


Fast and French, predictably, is mockingly called Slow and French by some of the jaded locals, but they keep going there, so it must be pretty good. I liked it, and I am very picky about food, especially if it deigns to call itself French and isn't actually cooked and served in France. We had salads (one of our party had a curried chick pea soup) and we shared two appetizer plates, "goat toast" (baguette slices with both garlic butter and goat cheese) and a Cheese and Pate plate du jour which included salami, a rich brown country-style pate and light, creamy chicken liver pate, brie and two other white cheeses and Roquefort cheese, a melon slice and some tiny whole dill pickles (cornichons?). I thought the pate and cheese plate was the most authentic item and the highlight of the meal.
Two of our party of four had the bouilliabaise, which was good but perhaps modernised and lighter than the traditional rich stew. Also instead of the rouille, it had a creme fraiche based sauce and big chunks of vegetable. Two of our party are allergic to shrimp and prawns (myself and my son's fiancee) so we had something else. She had a Seafood Normandy, made without the shrimp, and I had the grilled scallops, which were queen scallops, nicely cooked, served with lemon butter, couscous and steamed veg. We all had wine; the other three had merlot and I had a rose, which at first sip I thought was too thin, but then I picked up on its biscuit-y crispness and decided I quite liked it.
We shared a fabulously rich chocolate mousse cake for afters. I sampled the decaff coffee, which claims to be the best in the city; it was pretty good.
The unique feature of Fast and French is the communal seating at high stone-surfaced tables. The atmosphere is very down-to-earth, like a bistro. They serve breakfast and lunch as well as dinner.

Check out my review of Gaulart Maliclet Fast and French - I am deborama - on Qype

Qype: Waffle House in Atlanta

Atlanta


Waffle House is a chain fast food restaurant found throughout the south. They are all open 24 hours, 7 days a week and specialise in breakfast, although they also have grilled cheese and other sandwiches and hamburgers. Surprisingly, their coffee is not that bad. Classic waffle house breakfasts include the old standard eggs as you like them, with grits, bacon and biscuits, or steak and eggs, with either grits or hashbrowns and of course, waffles, plain or pecan or strawberry.

Check out my review of Waffle House - I am deborama - on Qype

Good food blog

I found Gluten Free Goddess when I was looking for ways to use Quinoa Flakes, which turned out to be a totally different product than what I was expecting. Normally I am not impressed by attempts to combine special health considerations (or downright food fetishism, in some cases) with gastronomy but in this case I think it succeeds. So why didn't I put it on my blogroll (see to the right.) Because I haven't accessed it in so long I have forgot everything, not just the password but even the email account it's linked to. Link rot happens, even to oneself.
Oh and by the way, most of the blogs in my blogroll are linkrot, they have passed on, ceased to exist, they are ex-blogs. A few have been thoughtfully archived, some just go into spamworld.
Oh, and by the way, here's another good food blog What I'm Eating Now.

Midlands gourmets

No longer an oxymoron. There is even a website Eat the Midlands and a fan site on facebook.

Coming soon - a restaurant review. I went to Ashfield's in Earl Shilton for my birthday.

Qype: Kennedy School in Portland

Portland


The big star of this place is the location. An old school building has been converted into a pub / cinema / event venue / tiny hotel, in a popular residential Portland neighourhood. There is a sunny courtyard dining and drinking area where the old playground was, and the school pool has been converted into a soaking pool for guests. The old assemby hall is the mini-cinema, screening classic films. The various pub/bars dotted around the building are the Detention Room, the Honors Bar, etc. This is part of a microbrewery empire, McMenamin's, so the beers, ales and ciders are tasty and diverse. There are also West Coast wines and cocktails, and what we would call in the UK "pub-grub" of a high standard, sometimes bordering on gastropub grub. It's child-friendly yet mellow, and has an amazing happy-hour menu. Live music is also said to be of a high quality.

Check out my review of Kennedy School - I am deborama - on Qype

Market Harborough - Eating & Drinking - Cafes & Coffee Shops - Coffee Shops

I had a lovely lunch here in Market Harborough. The cafe is on two levels and also has outdoor seating. They serve sandwiches, salads, coffee, tea and cold drinks, but are mainly known for excellent puddings and cakes. I can attest that their feta and roast vegetable wrap with mixed salad leaves and tortilla chips on the side is first rate, that the service is prompt and friendly and that their prices are very reasonable. I had a great time there, and I am very hard to please.
Check out my review of Aldwinkles - I am deborama - on Qype

Riverford to DH - Hello!

I ordered an organic box this week from Riverford Sacrewell, and the newsletter that came with it was addressed directly to my DH! They only didn't mention his name for fear of embarrassing him in front of his friends. (I could have told them, though, that he doesn't "do friends", so it wouldn't have mattered.)
In the newsletter, founder Guy Watson addressed the issue of "the filthy lucre" and mentioned that compared to the three supermarkets who offer an organic box, theirs is cheaper for all: 15% (Tesco), 30% (Sainsburys) and 35% (Waitrose). My independent research confirms this.
The box contents this week were lovely. (To be fair and balanced, they aren't always. We have had issues, but they always respond to them in a good way, often with free food next time.) This week I got cherry tomatoes, spring onions, pointy cabbage, rhubarb, courgettes, long beans and mixed peppers. And they threw in a free head of curly lettuce, just because they had a lot. All that for under £12; it's got to be a good deal. I ordered extras - dry garlic, pea soup and winter salad mix with loads of good, bitter, mustardy things.

Serendipity - the chicken roundabout

I have just become and "insider" on Qype, having earned 250 points from participation, mainly writing reviews. I was about to do a review of a restaurant I went to in London called Frontline, and happened upon the Frontline Club's blog, where in the restaurant section, I found this marvelous post about a "chicken roundabout" near London.

Qype: Lotus ayurvedic spa in Wetherby

Wetherby

This place is not your usual spa; it's like a little pocket of India on a trading estate in Yorkshire. There is one Ayurvedic physician and a small team of therapists, but they offer a very comprehensive menu of avurvedic treatments at reasonable cost. There are also yoga and meditation classes, taught by the doctor. If you go for a day spa, you get a delicious vegetarian lunch thrown in. The ayurvedic massage is unlike any other massage you will have had, and involves a lot of warm scented oil being poured on to you (you can shower afterwards.) It's a good way to try out ayurvedic treatment without having to fly to India or spend a fortune. And they are very good people.
Check out my review of Lotus ayurvedic spa - I am deborama - on Qype

Qype: Sandinista in Leeds

Leeds - Eating & Drinking - Restaurants - Tapas - Eating & Drinking - Restaurants - Latin American - Eating & Drinking - Pubs & Bars - Bars - Cocktail Bars

I only visited briefly and had one cocktail. I had heard about this place and wanted to see it. I wasn't going to stay but a man, presumably the owner, practically dragged me to the bar, so I said what they hey. I described the cocktail I wanted, a sort of Blue Martini, and they made me something that was very tasty but not as alcoholic as I was hoping (yeah, I'm a cheap drunk, it's true.) The atmosphere is about the friendliest and most welcoming of any watering hole in the UK. I will be back for sure my next visit to Leeds.
Check out my review of Sandinista - I am deborama - on Qype

Qype: Roots & Fruits in Leeds

Leeds - Eating & Drinking - Restaurants - Vegetarian

I disagree about the price; for the UK, and for the quality of the food, I thought the prices reasonable. That said, it's tiny, chic-shabby and located inside a shopping arcade, so maybe you could expect cheaper prices. But the flavour and freshness and choice are excellent. I had a simple dinner of bean burrito type things and a fruity, Caribbean style smoothie. No dessert, although I would have liked to. Also very friendly, good service.
Check out my review of Roots & Fruits - I am deborama - on Qype

Qype: Sous Le Nez En Ville in Leeds

Leeds - Eating & Drinking - Restaurants - French

I had the prix fixe meal for about £23 which was three courses and a half of the house wine. I had fish cakes for starter - nothing to rave about but competent. Belly pork with a cassoulet and veg - the pork was luscious, the cassoulet was fine but not real cassoulet and a tiny portion, the veg was fresh but unremarkable. The wine was, uh, well, I drank it all so it couldn't have been too bad. The dessert was a chocolate mousse tart with coffee ice cream - very scrumptious. The service - I was, as I often am, an older lady dining alone. If I get good service, it's unusual. I thought all the wait staff and maitre d' were snooty, up themselves and a bit rushy. So not that impressed. It's OK, and fairly good value for money. But not the best.
Check out my review of Sous Le Nez En Ville - I am deborama - on Qype

Qype review: Wood Hall Hotel in Wetherby

Wetherby - Hotels & Holidays - Hotels


Wood Hall is a typical country manor house, extended to add more rooms and a spa. It has stunning views over the Yorkshire countryside. The rooms are grand and faultlessly decorated. The bathrooms, always the touchstone of quality in a hotel, are perfect. The food has some ideas above its station, just a bit. That being said, I can rave about the roast beef sandwich with celeriac remoulade! The staff are very professional but warm and friendly, a rare combination and very welcome. The spa is clean and well-appointed, with surprisingly reasonable prices for the health and beauty treatments. If you are planning to spend in the mid-100 of £s per night and want to get your money's worth, this hotel/spa is a good choice.
Check out my review of Wood Hall Hotel - I am deborama - on Qype

Qype: Praha Bar & Restaurant in Hinckley

Hinckley - Eating & Drinking - Restaurants - European

Before I found "this cafe", Praha was my favourite place for coffee in Hinckley. (They serve Illi, which is the best if you're purely going by taste.) Their food is also of a very high standard for a cafe. With an upstairs annexe and a patio in back for fine weather, it has a good capacity. The ambience is young and hip, and they also serve beer, wine and cocktails and have live music of an evening. And yet, it is very family-friendly, without any of that condescending twee-ness of "family restaurants". For almost any event, it's the best all-round cafe/restaurant/bar in the area.
Check out my review of Praha Bar & Restaurant - I am deborama - on Qype

Qype: Bangla Lounge in Hinckley

Hinckley - Eating & Drinking - Fastfood & Takeaway - Indian

My hubby and I went here to celebrate 10 years together. I liked it and he didn't. The service is very attentive. There is parking. One of the nice touches (I thought) was the large TV screen showing a loop of Bollywood music videos. The decor is bright, clean and modern. The food is top-end but basic Indian, not Michelin starred or anything, but a bit more fresh and elegantly presented than your corner curry shop. I think it would mainly appeal to the sophisticated 30-something who wants an elegant night out and doesn't mind if the price is a little high.
Check out my review of Bangla Lounge - I am deborama - on Qype

Qype review: this cafe in Hinckley

Hinckley - Shopping - Food & Drink - Coffee & Tea Shops

I can hardly say enough good about this place; it has transformed Hinckley in my opinion. Their ingredient choices are exactly like mine. Their tea selection is awesome, but then their coffee is great too. It is small yet feels comfy and intimate, and the bright clean decor is very relaxing. It's just wonderful.
Check out my review of this cafe - I am deborama - on Qype

My trip - Kayal restaurant in Nottingham

For lunch on the first full day of my trip I selected Kayal, an award-winning small restaurant in the Nottingham Lace Market area, which specialises in Kerala-style food. It is part of a small restaurant group which includes two Leicester restaurants, and a previous restaurant called Halli in Leicester where I had eaten once, so I sort of knew what to expect. Halli is the vegetarian version of the restaurant, but I ordered a vegetarian thali at Kayal. I had not had a thali before, as it is not a common offering in western curry houses, which is what makes Halli / Kayal so special. I still have no idea what I ate in the six little metal bowls around the plate, but they were all delish and seemingly very healthy. The thing that ties the whole dish together is a monstrous but very thin flatbread called a dosa. This place is great if you appreciate really fresh, wholesome food and you like curry but want to try something a little different. Also, did I mention that the prices are really reasonable?

My trip - the Quebec's Hotel in Leeds

I went on a little UK-short-break holiday of my own devising last week. I stayed two days in Nottingham, two days in Leeds and one day in Wetherby. I am going to review all the hotels, restaurants and spas that I visited (not that many) starting with the best. Overall the best experience was Quebec's Hotel in Leeds. This is part of a small boutique hotel group called The Eton Collection, and they operate two hotels in Leeds, the other one being The Calls. Quebec's is on Quebec Street, within view of the train station. The building dates from 1906 when it was built to house the Leeds and County Liberal Club. There is no restaurant, but there is a conservatory where breakfast is served, and there is 24-hour room service food available (not cheap, and I didn't try it.) The one slight disappointment was the breakfast - nothing to write home about, but then I didn't go for the posh one. Maybe it's better. Some nice free touches are a large glass bottle of local mineral water at turn-down time and a free Independent newspaper. The beds are very cushy, the rooms are utterly elegant, the bathrooms are topnotch. (I don't know about you, but I mainly judge hotels by the bathrooms.)

The small farmer's burden

Here's yet another situation where a well-meaning agricultural initiative (this one in the US, but it happens in the UK and EU as well) is 1) made necessary by the status quo of huge agribusiness, 2) designed with huge agribusiness in mind, since it is the status quo and 3) ruinously expensive and difficult for small farmers. Tragic.

Duelling restaurant reviews - and an anniversary

This past Monday marked exactly ten years since I left my home in Minneapolis and tried out life as a half of a couple, an experiment that led to a simple civil wedding ceremony five months later and to my (more or less) permanent residence in the UK. DH and I celebrated the occasion with a rare night out. We had a dilemma in that we wanted a nice meal, didn't want to pay too much (credit crunch, you know) and it had to be in Hinckley due to other commitments. So we settled on a place opened within the past year or so called Bangla Lounge.
A few weeks ago, I had joined a business and entertainment networking site called TouchLocal, and I decided to review the restaurant. I sent the link to DH and he so disagreed with my charitable (Minnesota Nice) review that he joined the site too and did his own review and fired it back to me. We do love each other, honest. (Both reviews and the full marital spat can be read at the link above.)