food, reviews and of course coffee
I was (as I suspect others were) with Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s incredible ten bird roast he did for Christmas for this River Cottage series.
This year I am considering having a four bird roast for Christmas.
Now the key question for me is do I do it myself, or because of time constraints do I buy one in. I am considering getting one from Marks and Spencers but wondering if I can get a better one elsewhere.
Ten years ago no one in the UK knew what panini was. Today the place is awash with them.
Yes we had toasted sandwiches, anyone for a Breville? However the popularity of the toasted Italian panino has grown considerably over the last few years.
In the main the thrust of this growth has come from the coffee chains of Starbucks and Costa, though now it appears that everyone is selling panini.
And there lies the problem…
It’s all you seem to be able to buy in some places, as every outlet is selling them. If you want something different, tough!
The BBC asks what is the point of Woolworths?
A year away from its centenary, Woolworths is reportedly on sale for the price of a modest bag of pick ‘n’ mix. But it’s still much loved and millions of shoppers go through its doors every week. To buy what?
Photo source.
Really enjoyed my beer this evening, an Adnams East Green carbon neutral beer.
Sitting on East Green in the coastal town of Southwold Suffolk, stands the UK’s newest, and we believe, most energy efficient brewery.
Years of brewing expertise, combined with state-of-the-art equipment, a lightweight bottle and ingredients locally sourced from the East of England means we can create this special light golden beer.
Enjoy subtle citrus and grassy hop aromas for a dry and refreshing beer with a well balanced bitterness.
Fascinating video from inside a frozen pizza factory.
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall talks about winter comfort food in the Guardian.
When temperatures drop, it’s only natural to dish up a trusty hot pot or jam roly poly. But thanks to crisp winter veg, comfort food needn’t be all stodge.
Some nice recipes there.
Last night I had a very enjoyable bottle of St Peter’s Organic Ale. I really enjoyed the beer.
Water is extracted from our own 300’ deep borehole and combined with Soil Association accredited light malted barley from Norfolk. Organic hops provide the distinctive palate. The yeast used is St. Peter’s own single strand variety. The result is a delicate, clean, crisp, lightly carbonated, traditional English Ale with a full ‘citrus hop’ aftertaste. This lovely beer won the Soil Association’s top prize in 2002 and a silver medal in 2006.
It also comes in a very unique bottle as well.
I was recently lucky enough to go to dinner at the Alba Ristorante in London with some friends., not just once, but enjoyed it enough the first time to go for a second meal. Unlike a lot of Italian restaurants I have been too, the menu here was not full of pasta and pizza, on the contrary it was very different and as a result much more interesting and refreshing.
On my second visit for my main I had the Bistecca D’Agnello con Borlotti e Cipolle Rosse or in English,
Now don’t get me wrong it was very nice, however I did ask for it cooked medium and what I got was more rare than medium. The beans were nice though.
Sorry due to a server failure we have been offline since last night, but we’re back…
I was recently lucky enough to go to dinner at the Alba Ristorante in London with some friends., not just once, but enjoyed it enough the first time to go for a second meal. Unlike a lot of Italian restaurants I have been too, the menu here was not full of pasta and pizza, on the contrary it was very different and as a result much more interesting and refreshing.
On my second visit for my starter I had the Misto di Verdure alla Griglia Condite al Balsamico or in English,
This was very nice, a simple dish which worked very well. There were courgettes, pepper, tomato and aubergine.
Out of the two starters I had, I think I preferred the duck.