mmm bacon

Don't tell my rabbi, but I love bacon... Even vegetarians love bacon, even if they deny it!

A sign as to how much India has changed

The Hindustan Times reports that:

'Our attitude to truffles is changing. Now, they are all around us – in upmarket grocery shops, at weddings, parties, restaurants. But they’ll always be a luxury. One measure of how quickly India is changing – in food and wine terms, at least – is our attitude to truffles. When I first

wrote about truffles, most readers of Rude Food knew very little about them. They associated the term ‘truffle’ with those round chocolates and were not sure how it was pronounced. Was it ‘troofle’ or ‘truffle’? (It is, of course, the latter.)

Now, just five or six years later, truffles are all around us. Upmarket grocery shops in our metropolitan cities sell bottled truffles and truffle sauces. Chefs reach for their bottles of truffle oil at the slightest provocation. Truffles are served at top weddings and parties. And restaurants import white truffles every autumn when the season begins in Italy.
I’ve always been something of a truffle devotee. So, five years ago, I would go to Italian restaurants carrying my own truffles (and usually, a truffle slicer) so that I could grate them over eggs, pasta or risotto.

Strictly speaking, the chefs would have been within their rights to refuse to let me eat my own truffles. But, in reality, most were so thrilled to see fresh white truffles, that nobody ever refused. (If I had asked to be able to use my own Kraft cheese, on the other hand, I’m sure they would have thrown me out.)

But these days, you don’t need to take your own truffles. Let’s take the example of Travertino, the swish Italian restaurant at the Delhi Oberoi.

Many years ago, when I first took a white truffle to the restaurant, the Italian chef was so delighted that he tried to devise a special truffle menu while the Indian chefs all lined up to smell and feel the truffle because they’d only read about fresh white truffles but had never actually seen them.

Two weeks ago, the same Travertino was serving an elaborate truffle feast, supervised by a Michelin-starred chef from Italy, and the hotel’s own Soumya Goswami. The Oberoi chefs were shaving fresh white truffles on to thin, crispy pizzas at Threesixty, the all-day dining restaurant located next door to Travertino. Nobody thought of truffles as being such a big deal any longer.

In fact, I think I’ve probably eaten more truffles in Delhi this season than I’ve ever eaten in my life. The Princess’s two parties for her husband’s birthday turned into truffle fests as guests ate alarming quantities of the finest Piedmont truffles with pizza bianca, risotto, tagliolini or simply grated over fried eggs.

The Princess was being extraordinarily generous. But even those of us who did not benefit from her largesse had many opportunities to eat truffles elsewhere.

At Sevilla, the Mediterranean restaurant at Delhi’s Claridges (now back on the gastronomic map), I had a truffle dinner with the hotel’s general manager, Oliver Martin: baked eggs with white truffle, pasta with truffle and then finally, truffles freshly grated on Japanese wagyu. Nor was this a special treat for me: the truffles were on the Sevilla menu.'

 Delhi is changing and the rest of India is too. 20 years ago Claridges had a Dhabba restaurant, a very good one, now it has an upmarket Italian one as well. More shockingly, what is a restaurant in Hindu Delhi doing serving wagyu beef, that is something that I never thought I'd see on a Delhi menu. I know cows are not, as many people mistakenly think, sacred to Hindus but no Hindus that I know would ever eat beef, it is taboo.  I on the other hand love a nice, juicy, rare steak.

Posh Nosh - Episode 8

Comfort Food

José Luis has died and Simon is missing him, a lot! Why does the new tennis coach look a) so much like José Luisand b) so much like David Tennant.

Posh Nosh - Episode 7

Sauces

The episode where Richard E. Grant aka the Hon. Simon Marchmont is a little 'sauced' himself.


Sorry about the sound glitch near the start and the adverts near the end.

Posh Nosh - Episode 6

Leftovers

"Brando the butter" - foodie reference?!

The wine is "Pure and well-balanced, like a nun on a tightrope"
'Vinegars from Je Vinnegrette Rien'

Posh Nosh - Episode 5

Bread AND Butter Pudding

"Next week... we'll be taunting an aubergine"

Posh Nosh - Episode 4

Beautiful Food
Lemon positioning is key...

Posh Nosh - Episode 3

Paella

"When the fishermen are still wet"
"By all means buy stock cubes if you have no self-esteem"

Posh Nosh - Episode 2

Birthday Parties

"You can feel their nuts as they fall..."
"Like suckng nectar through a hangman's noose"

Oh JOY - Posh Nosh

I have just found all of the Posh Nosh episodes on YouTube. Richard E. Grant and Arabella Weir are a sheer joy to watch and listen to in this series of eight episodes. Joanna Lumley's voiceover is also frightfully good. One a night seems about right....

Episode 1 - Architects Chips

Sunday morning catchup

1) The Blaze spots that scientists have discovered a planet with a Death Star revolving around it...

2) The Mail wonders at the labour party's definition of equality.


3) Richard Littlejohn wonders how history would have differed had the IRA not bombed The Grand hotel in Brighton. Would Norman Tebbitt have succeeded Margaret Thatcher as Prime Minister rather than John Major. I wonder what that would have done to the UK's dalliance with the EU.


4) Watts Up With That isn't falling for thE LINe that Arctic ice is reducing and has the figures to prove it.


5) Max Farquar is not impressed with Anthony Richardson's 'apology' for that video - I remember blogging about the incident at the time.


6) The Anger of a Quiet Man is not happy that he cannot say what a representative of an ethcic minority can say:

'It comes to something when we have to rely upon a representative of an ethnic minority group to say in the MSM what all the rest of us are thinking and occasionally saying to our friends about certain ethnic minority groups. Such is the hold of political correctness and not saying the "bleeding obvious" on our political representatives that for your average (white) politician to say what Baroness Flather did say would be tantamount to political suicide complete with ritual disembowelment from certain sections of certain sections of the media lead no doubt by politicians of the left.'

The subject?

'BRITAIN’S first female Asian peer has stirred up a storm by claiming that some immigrant families have large numbers of children simply to milk the benefits system.'

7) Christopher Booker is still pointing out the absurbity of wind farms in the UK. Christopher Booker talks more sense about thissubject than almost anyone else I read, and certainly more than Chris Huhne.


8) The Globe & Mail have some ideas for alternativeafternoon teas in London. Here's my favourite from their list:

'Men’s Afternoon Tea
TWIST: Men are invited to a tea of their own, complete with more “manly” fare – mini-cheeseburgers and steak sandwiches instead of egg mayonnaise with watercress – and an optional glass of single-malt whisky. Diversions such as backgammon are also offered.
BIGGEST PLUS: Steak and whisky – what’s not to like?
ADDED BONUS: One table may order from multiple tea menus, choosing from the Men’s Tea, the Fashion Ladies Tea or the Gluten-Free Tea.
REASON TO RETURN: At $9.50 (£6) a dram, the selection of whiskies offered is not only broad, but also economically priced.
NOT SO GREAT: Finding the hotel on foot based on the woefully inadequate map available at the website is a frustrating task.
DETAILS: 1 to 5:30 p.m. at The Mandeville Hotel, 8-14 Mandeville Place; West End; mandeville.co.uk. From $42 (£26.50, £32.50 with a glass of whisky or champagne).'

9) Israel National News report that 'Clinton Adviser Greenberg is Behind Israeli Protests'. An interesting article that you won't hear of on the anti-Israel BBC.


10) Watts Up With That also have some facts and figures to show that reporting of Antarctic ice levels are often misleading and alarmist.

Do you like rare meat? Do you like rare burgers? Are you finding it harder to locate places that still sell a rare burger? Do you live in America?

If you answered yes to the above questions then Rare Burger may be the site you are looking for.

Wow

Tonight's final of MasterChef - wow! I would happily eat at any of the three finalist's restaurants but I would be most excited to eat at Tim's. What an incredible menu, beautifully presented and how he made all of that in three hours I will never know. Tim Anderson, remember that name.

Why do 'vegetarians' like bacon?

NPR explains all:

'Recently, an old friend who's been a vegetarian for more than 15 years shocked us with a story: Last weekend, she ate bacon. Several strips. Straight out of the frying pan where her boyfriend was cooking it.

This wasn't the first time she'd encountered it sizzling there, in all its glistening glory. But for some reason, this time it overpowered her. She was guilty yet gleeful when she told us that she'd allowed bacon back into her life.

But she's not alone. We've heard this story before from many people. It seems that bacon has a way of awakening carnivorous desires within even some of the preachiest of vegetarians. And we set out to find out why.'

The UK's Michelin Starred Restaurants

The 2011 Michelin Guide is out and here is the list:


THREE STARS

England:

Fat Duck, Bray, Windsor & Maidenhead

Waterside Inn, Bray, Windsor & Maidenhead


London:

Gordon Ramsay, Kensington & Chelsea

Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester, Mayfair


TWO STARS

England:

Midsummer House, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire

Gidleigh Park, Chagford, Devon

Le Champignon Sauvage, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire

Whatley Manor, Malmesbury, Wiltshire

Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons, Great Milton, Oxfordshire

Restaurant Nathan Outlaw, Rock, Cornwall


London:

Pied à Terre, Bloomsbury

The Ledbury, Kensington

Marcus Wareing at The Berkeley, Belgravia

Hélène Darroze at The Connaught, Mayfair

Le Gavroche, Mayfair

Hibiscus, Mayfair

Square, Mayfair

L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon, Covent Garden


Scotland:

Andrew Fairlie at Gleneagles, Auchterarder, Perth & Kinross


Eire:

Patrick Guilbaud, Dublin



ONE STAR

England:

The Samling, Ambleside, Cumbria

Michael Wignall at The Latymer, Bagshot, Surrey

Fischer’s at Baslow Hall, Baslow, Derbyshire

The Park (at Lucknam Park Hotel), Bath & North East Somerset

The Terrace (at Montagu Arms Hotel), Beaulieu, Hampshire

The Pipe and Glass Inn, Beverley, East Riding of Yorkshire

West House, Biddenden, Kent

Fraiche, Birkenhead, Merseyside

Purnell’s, Birmingham, West Midlands

Simpsons, Birmingham, West Midlands

Turners, Birmingham, West Midlands

Northcote, Blackburn, Lancashire

Morston Hall, Blakeney, Norfolk

Curlew, Bodiam, East Sussex

Burlington (at Devonshire Arms), Bolton Abbey, North Yorks

Lords of the Manor, Bourton-on-the-Water, Gloucestershire

Royal Oak, Bray, Berks

Casamia, Bristol

Manor House, Castle Combe, Wiltshire

Simon Radley at The Chester Grosvenor, Cheshire

Pony & Trap, Chew Magna, Somerset

Apicius, Cranbrook, Kent

Ockenden Manor, Cuckfield, West Sussex

Sienna, Dorchester, Dorset

36 on the Quay, Emsworth, Hampshire

Read’s, Faversham, Kent

L’Enclume, Cartmel, Cumbria

The Neptune, Hunstanton, Norfolk

Box Tree, Ilkley, West Yorkshire

Atlantic, Jersey

Bohemia (at The Club Hotel), Jersey

The Stagg Inn, Kington, Herefordshire

La Bécasse, Ludlow, Shropshire

Mr Underhill’s at Dinham Weir, Ludlow, Shropshire

Harrow at Little Bedwyn, Marlborough, Wiltshire

Adam Simmonds at Danesfield House, Marlow, Bucks

The Hand and Flowers, Marlow, Bucks

The Nut Tree, Murcott, Oxfordshire

Restaurant Sat Bains, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire

Hambleton Hall, Oakham, Rutland

Yorke Arms, Pateley Bridge, North Yorkshire

JSW, Petersfield, Hampshire

L’Ortolan, Shinfield, Berks

Drakes, Ripley, Surrey

Mallory Court, Royal Leamington Spa, Warwickshire

Old Vicarage, Sheffield, South Yorkshire

The Masons Arms, South Molton, Devon

The Olive Branch and Beech House, Stamford, Lincs

Room in the Elephant, Torquay, Devon

Sharrow Bay Country House, Ullswater, Cumbria

Auberge du Lac, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire

The Sportsman, Whitstable, Kent

Hambrough, Isle of Wight

5 North St, Winchcombe, Gloucestershire

The Black Rat, Winchester, Hampshire

Holbeck Ghyll, Windermere, Cumbria

Paris House, Woburn, Bedfordshire


London:

Chapter One, Bromley, Kent

Hakkasan, Bloomsbury

Club Gascon, City of London

Rhodes Twenty Four, City of London

Harwood Arms, Fulham

River Café, Fulham

La Trompette, Chiswick

St John, Clerkenwell

Rasoi, Kensington & Chelsea

Tom Aikens, Kensington & Chelsea

Kitchen W8, Kensington & Chelsea

The Glasshouse, Richmond-upon-Thames

Bingham Restaurant (at Bingham Hotel), Richmond-upon-Thames

Petersham Nurseries Café, Richmond-upon-Thames

Viajante, Tower Hamlets, Bethnal Green

Galvin La Chapelle, Tower Hamlets, Spitalfields

Chez Bruce, Wandsworth

Amaya, City of Westminster, Belgravia

Apsleys (at Lanesborough Hotel), Belgravia

Pétrus, Belgravia

Zafferano, Belgravia

Benares, Mayfair

Galvin at Windows (at Hilton Hotel), Mayfair

Greenhouse, Mayfair

Kai, Mayfair

Maze, Mayfair

Murano, Mayfair

Nobu (at The Metropolitan Hotel), Mayfair

Nobu Berkeley St, Mayfair

Semplice, Mayfair

Sketch (The Lecture Room & Library), Mayfair

Tamarind, Mayfair

Umu, Mayfair

Wild Honey, Mayfair

L’Autre Pied, Marylebone

Locanda Locatelli, Marylebone

Rhodes W1 (Restaurant), Marylebone

Texture, Marylebone

Seven Park Place (at St James's Hotel and Club) St James’s

Arbutus, Soho

Gauthier-Soho, Soho

Yauatcha, Soho

Quilon, Victoria


Scotland:

Braidwoods, Dalry North, Ayrshire

Number One (at Balmoral Hotel), Edinburgh

21212, Edinburgh

Kitchin, Edinburgh

Martin Wishart, Edinburgh

Plumed Horse, Edinburgh

Sangster’s, Elie, Fife

Inverlochy Castle, Fort William, Highland

Champany Inn, Linlithgow, West Lothian

Albannach, Lochinver, Highland

Boath House, Nairn, Highland

Peat Inn, Fife

Knockinaam Lodge, Portpatrick, Dumfries & Galloway

Kinloch Lodge Isle of Skye/Sleat, Highland


Wales:

The Walnut Tree, Abergavenny/Llanddewi Skirrid, Monmouthshire

Tyddyn Llan, Llandrillo, Denbighshire

Ynyshir Hall, Machynlleth, Powys

Crown at Whitebrook, Monmouth/Whitebrook, Monmouthshire


EIRE:

House (at Cliff House Hotel), Ardmore, Waterford

Chapter One, Dublin

L’Ecrivain, Dublin

Thornton’s (at The Fitzwilliam Hotel), Dublin

Bon Appétit, Malahide, Dublin


My personal record - No Three Starred, two Two Starred and thirteen One Starred. I really must try harder this year!

Seen elsewhere on the web

1. The Daily Express wants Britain Out of the EU.

2. The Mail reports that 'Islam now considered 'a threat' to national identity by almost half of French and Germans, according to new poll'

3. Why do so many animals masturbate?

4. The Telegraph reports claims that 'Eating heavily pigmented fruits such as carrots and plums could make you more attractive'

5. The Mail reports what many of us have suspected for years 'Prison? It’s just like a holiday camp: Animal rights terrorists gloat on website about ‘fantastically easy, blissful’ life behind bars'

Do you want to save money at Starbucks?

'Short Drink: if you’re craving just a mini pick-me-up, order a “short” version of any drink on the menu; it comes in a kid-size cup and costs less.'

So claims Divine Caroline, I have no idea if she is right as I only go to Starbucks if I need wifi access...

The Divine Caroline also details odd drinks you can order at Starbucks such as the 'Crunch Berry Frappuccino', the 'London Fog' and 'Poor Man’s Latte' which works thus:

'order an Iced Americano with no water and half ice, then pour in your own half-and-half at the condiments station; the result is a Breve Latte for a fraction of the cost.'

The Divine Caroline also has five other fast foods restaurants' secret options, none of which I go to, but I did like the sound of this one at McDonalds

'Land, Sea, and Air Burger: one beef patty, one McChicken patty, and one Filet-O-Fish, all sandwiched between a single bun'

Fast Food Nation?

Odd website of the week

Bompas & Parr - Jellymongers, not a fetish site but one for the foodies.

'Bompas & Parr designs spectacular food experiences often working on an architectural scale with cutting edge technology. Projects explore how the taste of food is altered through synaesthesia, performance and setting. Bompas & Parr also designs and manufacturers bespoke jelly moulds and kitchenalia; makes fine English jellies; provides full catering services; and provides food and design consultancy.

Bompas & Parr has worked with architects including Lord Foster and Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners designing jellies for a 2000 person Jelly Banquet at UCL, provided expertise for Heston Blumenthals recent series Feast and worked with the ICA to transform Peter Greenaways The Cook The Thief His Wife and Her Lover for a scratch n sniff event introduced by the director.

Recent projects include a vast glowing jelly installation for San Francisco MOMA; Alcoholic Architecture, a walk in cloud of breathable G&T and the Architectural Punchbowl where we flooded a Robert Adam building with 4 tonnes of Courvoisier Punch.'

Fancy an apple? But green or red?

How about both?

It's a chimera Golden Delicious grown in Kent and you can read more here.

Why must Muslim children only eat Halal food?

Many schools are looking at Halal options for their menus of serving all students with Halal meat but I discovered something today. Whereas Jews are meant only to eat Kosher food, it seems that the laws of Halal are somewhat less prescriptive:

"Food must be slaughtered by slitting the veins of the neck without severing the spinal cord. and the Name of God must be mentioned. Animals slaughtered for food by "People of the Book" (Jews and Christians) is also lawful (provided it's not otherwise prohibited such as pork or alcohol added)."

Is this true?