Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall in the Guardian has a really nice squid recipe.
Few things are more delicious on a summer’s day than squid hot from the barbecue.
You know why they call it Pizza Hut…
You know why they call it Pizza Hut… because they sell pizza.
Just don’t order the pasta!
For the first time in ages (actually maybe the first time ever) on a family visit to Pizza Hut I made the mistake of ordering a pasta dish.
Before we get to the pasta course, it might be worthwhile trying to explain what I was doing in Pizza Hut. Well though my first choice of place to eat pizza is in the Veneto region of Italy, it’s not that convenient! In the UK I will go out of my way to choose Pizza Express, I have enjoyed the pizza there. I have also enjoyed pizza at Bella Italia and I have had nice pasta dishes there too. However locally there is very little choice and sometimes for a bit of fun (and well lowered expectations) we as a family visit Pizza Hut. Knowing what is available and what to expect, means that I am sometimes disappointed, but at the end of the day more often then not I get what I expect and that’s that!
In recent memory, most times I have been to Pizza Hut I have eaten pizza, I had one of their new Tuscani pizzas, which to be honest was one of the better pizzas I have had at there. I had the Pollo Portobello which had chicken, mushrooms and a light pesto and cream base sauce.
So what about the pasta?
Well I didn’t fancy pizza so went for a pasta dish, ordered the Arrabiata dish. Which comprised according to the menu ‘large pasta spirals in a deliciously spicy chilli, garlic and tomato sauce with prawns & crayfish tails’.
So what did I get?
Well I did get that, however it wasn’t quite what I expected.
Firstly though the pasta itself was cooked, it was cold. The sauce was warm, but not hot throughout. Scattered through the dish were the prawns and crayfish. If looked and tasted like they took some spicy tomato sauce, heated it up in the microwave and poured over cold cooked pasta and threw in a handful of prawns and crayfish tails.
I did complain it was cold, they took it back to the kitchen and (I guess) must have sent it through their pizza conveyor belt oven. When it came back it was hot, however the prawns were now double cooked, so were shrunk and tough.
Overall a disappointing pasta dish and I won’t make the mistake of eating pasta at pizza hut again, I will stick to pizza!
For lunch I will have a latte…
My usual coffee is an espresso, or an americano. In the past I may have had a mocha or a frappucino, but these days I generally go for the coffee and if it is an americano I may add some skimmed milk.
It would appear though that the iced coffees with all that cream are quite calorific. The BBC reports:
Some iced coffees being sold on the high street contain as many calories as a hot dinner, a cancer charity warns.
It is the combination of sugar, full-fat milk and cream which appear to push some of the cool coffees into the upper echelons of the calorie scale.
Starbucks’ Dark Berry Mocha Frappuchino for example contains 561 calories.
Ouch!
That’s one unhealthy coffee!
Really, weird KitKat flavours
In July last year I mentioned how much I disliked the KitKat Crunchy.
I came across this set of pictures of KitKats on Flickr.
I don’t know about you, but lemon and chilli pepper flavoured KitKat is plain wrong.
Caribbean Food Made Easy
I am not one to buy cookery books on impulse, but this book caught my eye in my local book shop and I decided to buy it. Like the ideas inside the book and nice pictures too.
In the BBC2 programme, “Caribbean Food Made Easy”, Levi Roots travels around the UK and the Caribbean and reveals how delicious Caribbean food can be prepared at home with easy-to-prepare, mouth-watering recipes using fresh, healthy and readily-available ingredients. The show, made by BBC Scotland, will consist of four 30-minute prime-time shows from 8-8.30 pm, including 3-4 dishes per programme. The accompanying cookbook includes 100 delicious Caribbean recipes, including all of those that appear on the TV programme.
Stuffed Chicken Wrapped in Pancetta
I took some chicken breasts and flattened them with my hand. I prefer thighs over the breast meat in the main as I believe the flavour is so much better and is less likely to dry out, though with this method, that is unlikely to happen.
I then took some sausage-meat (by taking the skin of some good quality sausages) and added some finely chopped parsley and some pine nuts.
I laid out four or five slices of pancetta onto a square of foil. I laid the chicken breast out on the foil. I placed some of the sausage-meat mixture on the chicken thigh and then rolled the chicken, and then ensured that the pancetta covered the chicken. I then rolled the foil up into a parcel. I ensured (by squeezing) that all the foil parcels were the same size (for even cooking).
The chicken parcels were then poached for twenty minutes, then they were removed from the water.
At this stage (in theory) you should leave them in the fridge to rest and firm up for some time. I didn’t have the time so I left them for ten minutes.
You can pan fry them (ensure that they are dry), however I roasted mine in the oven for ten to fifteen minutes with a splash of olive oil.
I served the chicken on a bed of sauted mushrooms in a red wine sauce, with steamed vegetables, roasted potatoes and yorkshire puddings.
Delicious.
How much salt?
Guardian finds the salt content in some foods varies from country to country.
Salt content in some of the world’s most popular burger, snack and cereal brands almost doubles in some countries, according to new research out today.
A survey of more than 260 popular food products available around the world from food giants such as KFC, McDonald’s, Kellogg’s, Nestle, Burger King and Subway found that no single product surveyed had the same salt content around the world while some displayed huge variations from one country to another.
It can be quite amazing, well more like scary, how much salt can be found in some ready meals and fast food. Often as much (if not more) than the recommended daily amount of salt, and then some people add more salt! The fact that there is more salt added in different countries means you can’t rely on having the same eating experience as you travel around.
For me personally I try and avoid salt for health reasons, but now much prefer the natural flavours of food, herbs and spices and I don’t need the taste of salt. I certainly don’t consider salt to be a natural flavour enhancer.
Newquay Steam Beer
Talking of steam beers yesterday I was reminded of a wonderful beer, Newquay Steam Beer.
Wondering if it was still available I did a Google search and alas found that it was no more.
Well ‘Newquay Steam Beer’ was a victim of its own success. It outsold the major beer seller in the southwest by miles. The competitor had to produce something better or lose out.
Their money men suggested that they should buy the rights to the name, the recipes and the artwork and sell it as their own. They were missing the secret ingredient and the flair to drive the brand forward and so after quite a short period of time ‘Steam Beer’ sank without a trace.
That’s a pity, if my memory serves me correctly it was a very nice beer.
Anchor Steam Beer
This is my favourite American beer of all time, Anchor Steam Beer from San Francisco’s Anchor Brewing. Thoug I get mine from Tesco or Sainsbury!
If you thought American beer was just like Budweiser then you need to try Anchor Steam Beer.
San Francisco’s famous Anchor Steam®, the classic of American brewing tradition since 1896, is virtually handmade, with an exceptional respect for the ancient art of brewing. The deep amber color, thick creamy head, and rich flavor all testify to our traditional brewing methods. Anchor Steam is unique, for our brewing process has evolved over many decades and is like no other in the world.
So why is it called Anchor Steam? Good question.
Anchor Steam derives its unusual name from the 19th century when “steam” seems to have been a nickname for beer brewed on the West Coast of America under primitive conditions and without ice. The brewing methods of those days are a mystery and, although there are many theories, no one can say with certainty why the word “steam” came to be associated with beer. For many decades Anchor alone has used this quaint name for its unique beer. In modern times, “Steam” has become a trademark of Anchor Brewing.
It has to be one of my favourite beers of all time as well. A rich flavour and a wonderful taste.
Pancakes
Made some nice pancakes for breakfast.
I make a batter of plain flour, eggs and milk with a spoonful of caster sugar. This I then pour (you can now see the consistency you should aim for) onto a hot pan.
Once cooked service with a dizzle of maple syrup.
Nice.