The Independent
By Martin Hickman and Geneviève Roberts
Cromer crabs are the latest local delicacy to be threatened with extinction.All across the UK, our traditional dishes are dying out.
* Cromer crabs, East Anglia
* Bakewell tart, Derbyshire
* Kentish apples, South of England
* Gloucestershire Old Spot pigs, Gloucestershire
* Grimsby cod, Humberside
* Blackcurrants, Herefordshire and Worcestershire
* Scottish wild salmon, Scotland
* Stilton, The Midlands
* Eels, Somerset
* Norfolk black turkeys, East Anglia
Read more...
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
Scotch beef ambassador appointed
The Herald
By DAN BUGLASS
Ross Finnie, the rural development minister, yesterday announced the appointment of the first Scotch beef ambassador in Europe.
Cees Helder, of the internationally renowned Parkheuvel in Rotterdam, has been charged with raising the profile of Scotch beef in the Netherlands and throughout the EU, following the lifting of the 10-year ban on exports of British beef earlier this month.
Read more...
By DAN BUGLASS
Ross Finnie, the rural development minister, yesterday announced the appointment of the first Scotch beef ambassador in Europe.
Cees Helder, of the internationally renowned Parkheuvel in Rotterdam, has been charged with raising the profile of Scotch beef in the Netherlands and throughout the EU, following the lifting of the 10-year ban on exports of British beef earlier this month.
Read more...
The obstinate grandmother who lured Jamie Oliver to Cornwall
The Times
By Simon de Bruxelles
IT WAS not the golden sand, crashing surf or the lure of the West Country that persuaded Jamie Oliver to set up his latest restaurant on a Cornish beach. It was a 66-year-old grandmother who refused to take no for an answer.
Among the hundreds of guests at the launch party for Oliver’s restaurant Fifteen was Betty Hale. For two years Mrs Hale pestered the chef, saying that Cornwall had all the ingredients to make it the ideal location for his first branch outside London. Fifteen was set up by Oliver as a charity to put under-privileged young people in the kitchen to learn a trade and earn self-respect.
Read more...
By Simon de Bruxelles
IT WAS not the golden sand, crashing surf or the lure of the West Country that persuaded Jamie Oliver to set up his latest restaurant on a Cornish beach. It was a 66-year-old grandmother who refused to take no for an answer.
Among the hundreds of guests at the launch party for Oliver’s restaurant Fifteen was Betty Hale. For two years Mrs Hale pestered the chef, saying that Cornwall had all the ingredients to make it the ideal location for his first branch outside London. Fifteen was set up by Oliver as a charity to put under-privileged young people in the kitchen to learn a trade and earn self-respect.
Read more...
Monday, May 29, 2006
How do you make the perfect barbecue?
The Guardian, G2 p. 3
By Laura Barton
It is a little known fact that, much as beacons were once used to warn of imminent invasion, the bank holiday barbecue was originally introduced to warn drivers of tailbacks on the road to B&Q. Since then, it has become a cultural phenomenon, with every have-a-go-hero trying his or her hand at taming the blazing coals.
Read more...
By Laura Barton
It is a little known fact that, much as beacons were once used to warn of imminent invasion, the bank holiday barbecue was originally introduced to warn drivers of tailbacks on the road to B&Q. Since then, it has become a cultural phenomenon, with every have-a-go-hero trying his or her hand at taming the blazing coals.
Read more...
Sunday, May 28, 2006
My Round: Richard Ehrlich gets a chemistry lesson on the art of fine wine
The Independent
Two adjectives spring to mind for describing someone who keeps a book called Wine Science on his bedside table. One is dedicated. The other is sad. While others are reading a novel or watching late-night TV, this world-class nerd is reading about brettanomyces, sulphur dioxide, and micro-oxygenation. Is it sad, or dedicated, or perhaps a little bit of both? I have an urgent need to know, because the person in question is me.
Read more...
Two adjectives spring to mind for describing someone who keeps a book called Wine Science on his bedside table. One is dedicated. The other is sad. While others are reading a novel or watching late-night TV, this world-class nerd is reading about brettanomyces, sulphur dioxide, and micro-oxygenation. Is it sad, or dedicated, or perhaps a little bit of both? I have an urgent need to know, because the person in question is me.
Read more...
The Independent
Two adjectives spring to mind for describing someone who keeps a book called Wine Science on his bedside table. One is dedicated. The other is sad. While others are reading a novel or watching late-night TV, this world-class nerd is reading about brettanomyces, sulphur dioxide, and micro-oxygenation. Is it sad, or dedicated, or perhaps a little bit of both? I have an urgent need to know, because the person in question is me.
Read more...
Two adjectives spring to mind for describing someone who keeps a book called Wine Science on his bedside table. One is dedicated. The other is sad. While others are reading a novel or watching late-night TV, this world-class nerd is reading about brettanomyces, sulphur dioxide, and micro-oxygenation. Is it sad, or dedicated, or perhaps a little bit of both? I have an urgent need to know, because the person in question is me.
Read more...
A taste of Germany
The Independent
Germans may know how to kick a ball, but what do they know about eating and drinking? On the eve of the World Cup, Olly Smith finds there's more to the Teutonic table than bratwurst, lager and Liebfraumilch.
Read more...
Germans may know how to kick a ball, but what do they know about eating and drinking? On the eve of the World Cup, Olly Smith finds there's more to the Teutonic table than bratwurst, lager and Liebfraumilch.
Read more...
Rotted shark, anyone?
The Guardian
Touring Europe, Feargus O'Sullivan has tasted some memorably repellent dishes. Here are his all-time 'favourites'.
Lithuania, Iceland, Holland, Czech Republic and Britain are listed.
Read more...
Touring Europe, Feargus O'Sullivan has tasted some memorably repellent dishes. Here are his all-time 'favourites'.
Lithuania, Iceland, Holland, Czech Republic and Britain are listed.
Read more...
Burger bars replace NHS coffee shops
The Observer
By Jo Revill, health editor
Hospital cafes staffed by volunteers who offer cheap drinks and snacks - and a sympathetic ear - could soon be consigned to history. Dozens of NHS trusts, faced with mounting deficits, are bringing in burger bars and cafes run by high-street chains to earn more from higher rents.
Read more...
By Jo Revill, health editor
Hospital cafes staffed by volunteers who offer cheap drinks and snacks - and a sympathetic ear - could soon be consigned to history. Dozens of NHS trusts, faced with mounting deficits, are bringing in burger bars and cafes run by high-street chains to earn more from higher rents.
Read more...
Climbing the Mango Trees: A Memoir of a Childhood in India by Madhur Jaffrey
The Guardian, Books
Climbing the Mango Trees: A Memoir of a Childhood in India by Madhur Jaffrey (Ebury, £7.99)
Review by Jo Littler
Whereas Anthony Bourdain tries to thrust his big cooking spoon into the baddest places, Madhur Jaffrey uses her culinary equipment to tantalise the senses. Climbing the Mango Trees is the latest offering in the increasingly popular genre of gastrobiography. It evocatively details her childhood in British Delhi: the picnics at the foothills of the Himalayas, learning to swim using a watermelon as a float, the milk drink left outside overnight to catch the morning dew. The book is written with the measured cadences of someone brought up as "a privileged product of British colonial India" and topped with a generous serving of 32 recipes. Jaffrey often discusses food by describing her family. Her mother's parents live modestly near "the lane of fried breads", whereas, in her father's "la-de-da" family, the servants make pakoris. This book becomes richer and deeper as it progresses, as Jaffrey relates these experiences to broader social contexts: of being forced to make imperial food at school (like blancmange, that "British food for invalids"), and the changing contents of lunchboxes during partition.
Read more...
Climbing the Mango Trees: A Memoir of a Childhood in India by Madhur Jaffrey (Ebury, £7.99)
Review by Jo Littler
Whereas Anthony Bourdain tries to thrust his big cooking spoon into the baddest places, Madhur Jaffrey uses her culinary equipment to tantalise the senses. Climbing the Mango Trees is the latest offering in the increasingly popular genre of gastrobiography. It evocatively details her childhood in British Delhi: the picnics at the foothills of the Himalayas, learning to swim using a watermelon as a float, the milk drink left outside overnight to catch the morning dew. The book is written with the measured cadences of someone brought up as "a privileged product of British colonial India" and topped with a generous serving of 32 recipes. Jaffrey often discusses food by describing her family. Her mother's parents live modestly near "the lane of fried breads", whereas, in her father's "la-de-da" family, the servants make pakoris. This book becomes richer and deeper as it progresses, as Jaffrey relates these experiences to broader social contexts: of being forced to make imperial food at school (like blancmange, that "British food for invalids"), and the changing contents of lunchboxes during partition.
Read more...
Restaurant Review: Blind tasting
The Observer Magazine
By Jay Rayner
Dans Le Noir, 31-33 Clerkenwell Green, London EC1 (020 7253 1100)
Eating in a totally dark dining room, with a Braille wine list, was an intriguing experience. But, says Jay Rayner, the bizarre food combinations should never see the light of day.
Read more...
By Jay Rayner
Dans Le Noir, 31-33 Clerkenwell Green, London EC1 (020 7253 1100)
Eating in a totally dark dining room, with a Braille wine list, was an intriguing experience. But, says Jay Rayner, the bizarre food combinations should never see the light of day.
Read more...
She's an angel in the kitchen
Sophie Lam was hoping for a miracle when she signed up for a cookery course at John Burton Race's Dartmouth restaurant...
Read more...
Read more...
Saturday, May 27, 2006
Wine: A lesson in le marketing
The Independent
By Anthony Rose
Looking through the shop window of this spring's supermarket and high-street press tastings, one of the more striking features is the extent to which France is taking on board the competition of the New World and its customer-friendly face. The dull lists of meaningless appellations and négociant names are giving way to a host of brand names à la New World. Some arrive with a French accent, like Chamarré, Première, La Terre or Blason de Bourgogne. Others like Stone Road wouldn't look out of place on an Australian or Californian shelf. And, following in the footsteps of Fat Bastard Chardonnay, there's a new tongue-in-cheek breed like Le Freak, Chat en Oeuf, and the self-deprecating Arrogant Frog, telling us that the French can lighten up if they have to.
Read more...
By Anthony Rose
Looking through the shop window of this spring's supermarket and high-street press tastings, one of the more striking features is the extent to which France is taking on board the competition of the New World and its customer-friendly face. The dull lists of meaningless appellations and négociant names are giving way to a host of brand names à la New World. Some arrive with a French accent, like Chamarré, Première, La Terre or Blason de Bourgogne. Others like Stone Road wouldn't look out of place on an Australian or Californian shelf. And, following in the footsteps of Fat Bastard Chardonnay, there's a new tongue-in-cheek breed like Le Freak, Chat en Oeuf, and the self-deprecating Arrogant Frog, telling us that the French can lighten up if they have to.
Read more...
Climbing the Mango Trees: A Memoir of a Childhood in India by Madhur Jaffrey
The Guardian, Books
Climbing the Mango Trees: A Memoir of a Childhood in India by Madhur Jaffrey (Ebury, £7.99)
Review by Jo Littler
Whereas Anthony Bourdain tries to thrust his big cooking spoon into the baddest places, Madhur Jaffrey uses her culinary equipment to tantalise the senses. Climbing the Mango Trees is the latest offering in the increasingly popular genre of gastrobiography. It evocatively details her childhood in British Delhi: the picnics at the foothills of the Himalayas, learning to swim using a watermelon as a float, the milk drink left outside overnight to catch the morning dew. The book is written with the measured cadences of someone brought up as "a privileged product of British colonial India" and topped with a generous serving of 32 recipes. Jaffrey often discusses food by describing her family. Her mother's parents live modestly near "the lane of fried breads", whereas, in her father's "la-de-da" family, the servants make pakoris. This book becomes richer and deeper as it progresses, as Jaffrey relates these experiences to broader social contexts: of being forced to make imperial food at school (like blancmange, that "British food for invalids"), and the changing contents of lunchboxes during partition.
Read more...
Climbing the Mango Trees: A Memoir of a Childhood in India by Madhur Jaffrey (Ebury, £7.99)
Review by Jo Littler
Whereas Anthony Bourdain tries to thrust his big cooking spoon into the baddest places, Madhur Jaffrey uses her culinary equipment to tantalise the senses. Climbing the Mango Trees is the latest offering in the increasingly popular genre of gastrobiography. It evocatively details her childhood in British Delhi: the picnics at the foothills of the Himalayas, learning to swim using a watermelon as a float, the milk drink left outside overnight to catch the morning dew. The book is written with the measured cadences of someone brought up as "a privileged product of British colonial India" and topped with a generous serving of 32 recipes. Jaffrey often discusses food by describing her family. Her mother's parents live modestly near "the lane of fried breads", whereas, in her father's "la-de-da" family, the servants make pakoris. This book becomes richer and deeper as it progresses, as Jaffrey relates these experiences to broader social contexts: of being forced to make imperial food at school (like blancmange, that "British food for invalids"), and the changing contents of lunchboxes during partition.
Read more...
The plantsman: Cotton lavender
The Guardian
By Andy Sturgeon
A few years ago, it seemed that almost every gardening article was about Mediterranean plants. This was a reaction to the global warming debate, and the great British weather promptly responded with a series of iffy summers that suggested we had nothing to worry about.
Now, however, with widespread hosepipe bans, the prospect of a drought cannot be ignored, so it makes sense to think about plants that are happy in hot, dry soils.
Read more...
By Andy Sturgeon
A few years ago, it seemed that almost every gardening article was about Mediterranean plants. This was a reaction to the global warming debate, and the great British weather promptly responded with a series of iffy summers that suggested we had nothing to worry about.
Now, however, with widespread hosepipe bans, the prospect of a drought cannot be ignored, so it makes sense to think about plants that are happy in hot, dry soils.
Read more...
Bun full of goodness?
The Times, Body&Soul
By Nick Wyke
"Gourmet" burgers are all the rage with the metropolitan middle-class, but how do they stack up in terms of health against their fast-food rivals?
Read more...
By Nick Wyke
"Gourmet" burgers are all the rage with the metropolitan middle-class, but how do they stack up in terms of health against their fast-food rivals?
Read more...
Friday, May 26, 2006
Rotted shark, anyone?
The Guardian
Touring Europe, Feargus O'Sullivan has tasted some memorably repellent dishes. Here are his all-time 'favourites'.
Lithuania, Iceland, Holland, Czech Republic and Britain are listed.
Read more...
Touring Europe, Feargus O'Sullivan has tasted some memorably repellent dishes. Here are his all-time 'favourites'.
Lithuania, Iceland, Holland, Czech Republic and Britain are listed.
Read more...
House for sale - only strict vegetarians need apply
The Guardian
By Randeep Ramesh in New Delhi
Meat eaters are being excluded from housing estates in Mumbai, long considered India's most liberal city, because of their diets. Middle-class Indians from neighbouring Gujarat and Rajasthan, strongly vegetarian states, have been attracted to Mumbai's booming economy and set up housing associations which proscribe those who succumb to the temptations of steaks, chops, sausages and kebabs.
Estate agents report that even when higher offers are made by carnivorous clients they are rejected in favour of those who do not eat meat.
Read more...
By Randeep Ramesh in New Delhi
Meat eaters are being excluded from housing estates in Mumbai, long considered India's most liberal city, because of their diets. Middle-class Indians from neighbouring Gujarat and Rajasthan, strongly vegetarian states, have been attracted to Mumbai's booming economy and set up housing associations which proscribe those who succumb to the temptations of steaks, chops, sausages and kebabs.
Estate agents report that even when higher offers are made by carnivorous clients they are rejected in favour of those who do not eat meat.
Read more...
It's official - the British diet is getting healthier
The Guardian
By James Randerson, science correspondent
It might be every child's favourite treat, but ice cream is officially on the slide. Yet wholemeal bread is definitely back in vogue - poised to become more popular than sliced white loaves - according to an annual survey that provides a snapshot of the nation's weekly shopping basket.
Healthy options such as fresh fruit and vegetables, wholemeal bread, yoghurt, and semi-skimmed milk are on the rise.
Consumption of alcohol, white bread and ice cream - down more than 8% - are decreasing. The report exposes wide variations between different parts of the country and different income groups.
Read more...
By James Randerson, science correspondent
It might be every child's favourite treat, but ice cream is officially on the slide. Yet wholemeal bread is definitely back in vogue - poised to become more popular than sliced white loaves - according to an annual survey that provides a snapshot of the nation's weekly shopping basket.
Healthy options such as fresh fruit and vegetables, wholemeal bread, yoghurt, and semi-skimmed milk are on the rise.
Consumption of alcohol, white bread and ice cream - down more than 8% - are decreasing. The report exposes wide variations between different parts of the country and different income groups.
Read more...
In praise of ... Europe's wine
The Guardian, Leader article
In a world awash with wine, Brouilly has to compete with Barossa for consumers' attention and French is no longer automatically seen as best.
Thirty years ago this week a blind tasting that became known, rather grandly, as the judgment of Paris, saw French experts choose Californian wine over the best of Bordeaux, and when the experiment was repeated this week the result was the same. This has only further boosted the confidence of America's wine industry, which already shapes the world's tastes through the powerful wine critic Robert Parker and which recently received a cinematic endorsement in the film Sideways.
Read more...
In a world awash with wine, Brouilly has to compete with Barossa for consumers' attention and French is no longer automatically seen as best.
Thirty years ago this week a blind tasting that became known, rather grandly, as the judgment of Paris, saw French experts choose Californian wine over the best of Bordeaux, and when the experiment was repeated this week the result was the same. This has only further boosted the confidence of America's wine industry, which already shapes the world's tastes through the powerful wine critic Robert Parker and which recently received a cinematic endorsement in the film Sideways.
Read more...
Soundbites: Bookshop food
The Guardian, G2
By Alex Kapranos
I'm hunting for a book about a Galloway character with nasty eating habits. In the 16th century, Sawney Bean and his incestuous clan feasted on the flesh of travellers they abducted on the west coast road to Glasgow.
Read more...
By Alex Kapranos
I'm hunting for a book about a Galloway character with nasty eating habits. In the 16th century, Sawney Bean and his incestuous clan feasted on the flesh of travellers they abducted on the west coast road to Glasgow.
Read more...
Thursday, May 25, 2006
Is five a day enough?
The Guardian
By Luke Waterson
While we Brits struggle to meet our fruit and vegetable quota, in Japan they aim for an astonishing 17 portions daily. But who is right? And what counts anyway?
Read more...
By Luke Waterson
While we Brits struggle to meet our fruit and vegetable quota, in Japan they aim for an astonishing 17 portions daily. But who is right? And what counts anyway?
Read more...
Monday, May 22, 2006
Bachelor Boy - now available in a bottle
The Guardian, G2, p.3
By Simon Woods
'Christmas time, mistletoe and wine ..." Chances are that the man responsible for that fine ditty enjoys the festive season not just with any wine, but with one from his very own vineyard. This year's will be the seventh vintage for Sir Cliff Richard in the Algarve; what started out as a hobby has turned into a serious business.
Read more...
By Simon Woods
'Christmas time, mistletoe and wine ..." Chances are that the man responsible for that fine ditty enjoys the festive season not just with any wine, but with one from his very own vineyard. This year's will be the seventh vintage for Sir Cliff Richard in the Algarve; what started out as a hobby has turned into a serious business.
Read more...
What happened to lunch?
The Guardian, G2 p. 3
By Matthew Fort
If you ever suspected that the phrase "let's do lunch" was one of those insincere social niceties, you now have incontrovertible evidence that anyone who says this to you means nothing of the sort. According to a recent poll, lunch is an antique concept: these days, we are either calling the bank, dashing to the shops, or working straight through. And it's not just that there's no such thing as a free lunch any more - there's scarcely even the kind you pay for: we may be buying ever more gourmet sandwiches, but, says the survey, we're spending just three and a half minutes actually eating them. A recipe for indigestion, surely?
Read more...
By Matthew Fort
If you ever suspected that the phrase "let's do lunch" was one of those insincere social niceties, you now have incontrovertible evidence that anyone who says this to you means nothing of the sort. According to a recent poll, lunch is an antique concept: these days, we are either calling the bank, dashing to the shops, or working straight through. And it's not just that there's no such thing as a free lunch any more - there's scarcely even the kind you pay for: we may be buying ever more gourmet sandwiches, but, says the survey, we're spending just three and a half minutes actually eating them. A recipe for indigestion, surely?
Read more...
Street markets 'more powerful than supermarkets'
The Independent
By Maxine Frith, Social Affairs Correspondent
Local street markets generate twice as many jobs as big supermarkets and sell goods at half the price of the supposedly cut-price retail giants, research shows.
Planning decisions that favour the building of huge outlets over established smaller markets could result in fewer jobs and less choice for local communities, a report by the think-tank the New Economics Foundation (NEF) warned.
The report adds to the growing backlash against retail giants such as Tesco and Asda, amid concerns that independent traders are being forced out of business by unethical practices.
Read more...
By Maxine Frith, Social Affairs Correspondent
Local street markets generate twice as many jobs as big supermarkets and sell goods at half the price of the supposedly cut-price retail giants, research shows.
Planning decisions that favour the building of huge outlets over established smaller markets could result in fewer jobs and less choice for local communities, a report by the think-tank the New Economics Foundation (NEF) warned.
The report adds to the growing backlash against retail giants such as Tesco and Asda, amid concerns that independent traders are being forced out of business by unethical practices.
Read more...
Sunday, May 21, 2006
Big Mac bites back as salad drive wilts
The Sunday Times
John Arlidge and Lois Rogers
Health fears over chain’s burger relaunch
THE salad days are over at McDonald’s. The fast-food chain’s British outlets are to undergo a “back to burgers” relaunch after years of trying to promote sales of pasta, fresh fruit and salads, under pressure to encourage healthy eating.
McDonald’s is introducing a giant burger — 40% bigger than a Big Mac — to be launched in time for purchase by television viewers during next month’s World Cup. The “Bigger Big Mac” will be followed by more new products over the summer, which the company says will give “a twist on existing burgers”.
Read more...
John Arlidge and Lois Rogers
Health fears over chain’s burger relaunch
THE salad days are over at McDonald’s. The fast-food chain’s British outlets are to undergo a “back to burgers” relaunch after years of trying to promote sales of pasta, fresh fruit and salads, under pressure to encourage healthy eating.
McDonald’s is introducing a giant burger — 40% bigger than a Big Mac — to be launched in time for purchase by television viewers during next month’s World Cup. The “Bigger Big Mac” will be followed by more new products over the summer, which the company says will give “a twist on existing burgers”.
Read more...
Food Of The Week: Cumbria
The Independent on Sunday
Everybody knows the Lake District is heart-stoppingly beautiful. Few realise that it's a culinary hotspot. Michelin-starred restaurants? Tick. The finest meat and game? Tick. Artisan cheese-makers? Tick. Whatever you're after, you can do no better than head for Cumbria.
Read more...
Everybody knows the Lake District is heart-stoppingly beautiful. Few realise that it's a culinary hotspot. Michelin-starred restaurants? Tick. The finest meat and game? Tick. Artisan cheese-makers? Tick. Whatever you're after, you can do no better than head for Cumbria.
Read more...
Who's creaming off EU subsidies?
The Observer
By Heather Stewart
Exports of cheap European dairy products are crushing the livelihoods of developing world farmers.
British-based exporters, including Nestle and Dairy Crest, have claimed £126m of taxpayers' money over the past two years for sending surplus butter and milk powder to poor countries such as Nigeria and Bangladesh, according to a new report obtained exclusively by The Observer.
Read more...
By Heather Stewart
Exports of cheap European dairy products are crushing the livelihoods of developing world farmers.
British-based exporters, including Nestle and Dairy Crest, have claimed £126m of taxpayers' money over the past two years for sending surplus butter and milk powder to poor countries such as Nigeria and Bangladesh, according to a new report obtained exclusively by The Observer.
Read more...
Saturday, May 20, 2006
Jersey's cash cow
Financial Times, Weekend
By Philippa Davenport
PD marvels at the special richness of Jersey milk, like liquid silk to drink, and cream that churns to deep golden butter.
Read more...
By Philippa Davenport
PD marvels at the special richness of Jersey milk, like liquid silk to drink, and cream that churns to deep golden butter.
Read more...
Fast Food Nation
The Times, Film
By Wendy Ide at the Cannes Film Festival
EARLY buzz about Richard Linklater’s Fast Food Nation as a Cannes competition front-runner quickly turned stale after the muted response to the first press screening.
The first part of Linklater’s double-pronged assault on the festival (his rotoscope animation, A Scanner Darkly, will be shown next week in the festival sidebar, Un Certain Regard), the film is a fictionalised interpretation of Eric Schlosser’s crusading book on the fast-food industry and its dubious practices.
Read more...
By Wendy Ide at the Cannes Film Festival
EARLY buzz about Richard Linklater’s Fast Food Nation as a Cannes competition front-runner quickly turned stale after the muted response to the first press screening.
The first part of Linklater’s double-pronged assault on the festival (his rotoscope animation, A Scanner Darkly, will be shown next week in the festival sidebar, Un Certain Regard), the film is a fictionalised interpretation of Eric Schlosser’s crusading book on the fast-food industry and its dubious practices.
Read more...
Friday, May 19, 2006
The rise and rise of convenience food
The Guardian
By Tim Dowling
The news that Heinz is developing ready-made beans on toast has sent Britain reeling. But is it with horror - or delight? What is it about ready meals, dinner in a can and tea granules that keeps us coming back for more?
Read more...
By Tim Dowling
The news that Heinz is developing ready-made beans on toast has sent Britain reeling. But is it with horror - or delight? What is it about ready meals, dinner in a can and tea granules that keeps us coming back for more?
Read more...
Out of this world
The Guardian
By Andrew Shanahan
The world's best chef is cooking for astronauts. But what is it like dining in space?
It's not certain whether Yuri Gagarin actually said, "This is one small nibble for man, a giant bite for mankind," shortly before becoming the first human to eat in space, but for the purposes of a convenient, introductory soundbite we will assume he did. Just as the Vostoc 1 spacecraft that made Gagarin the first human to fly in space would seem Neolithic in comparison to today's shuttles, space food has both literally and metaphorically come a long way in the past 45 years.
Read more...
By Andrew Shanahan
The world's best chef is cooking for astronauts. But what is it like dining in space?
It's not certain whether Yuri Gagarin actually said, "This is one small nibble for man, a giant bite for mankind," shortly before becoming the first human to eat in space, but for the purposes of a convenient, introductory soundbite we will assume he did. Just as the Vostoc 1 spacecraft that made Gagarin the first human to fly in space would seem Neolithic in comparison to today's shuttles, space food has both literally and metaphorically come a long way in the past 45 years.
Read more...
Thursday, May 18, 2006
It's the real sting
The Independent
Nobody loves nettles - or do they? These abundant plants can provide us with food, clothing and medicines. Helen Brown reports on a bid to restore their prickly reputations
Read
more...
Nobody loves nettles - or do they? These abundant plants can provide us with food, clothing and medicines. Helen Brown reports on a bid to restore their prickly reputations
Read
more...
Ready-made beans on toast expected soon
The Guardian
By Martin Wainwright
The struggle to produce the world's best beans on toast has entered a new phase with the first ready-made sandwich version, which is designed to be cooked in a toaster for about 60 seconds.
Trials of the frozen product will be held this year in New Zealand before it is launched next year in Britain, where 1.5m cans of baked beans are bought every day.
The invention features a wodge of beans sealed in their frozen sauce between two slices of bread. It has been designed by HJ Heinz in the face of increasing competition to its 130-year domination of the market.
Read more...
By Martin Wainwright
The struggle to produce the world's best beans on toast has entered a new phase with the first ready-made sandwich version, which is designed to be cooked in a toaster for about 60 seconds.
Trials of the frozen product will be held this year in New Zealand before it is launched next year in Britain, where 1.5m cans of baked beans are bought every day.
The invention features a wodge of beans sealed in their frozen sauce between two slices of bread. It has been designed by HJ Heinz in the face of increasing competition to its 130-year domination of the market.
Read more...
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
Craving for food lights up the brain
The Guardian
By Sarah Hall, health correspondent
· Scans show why some people can't resist
· High activity seen in those more sensitive to reward
Scientists at the Medical Research Council have unearthed the perfect excuse for overeating: it's in the brain. Researchers at the council's cognition and brain sciences unit have come up with the first neurobiological proof as to why some people seem unable to resist food.
The research, published today in the Journal of Neuroscience, not only provides evidence that some people are particularly susceptible to images of food but helps to explain the power of food advertising.
Read more...
By Sarah Hall, health correspondent
· Scans show why some people can't resist
· High activity seen in those more sensitive to reward
Scientists at the Medical Research Council have unearthed the perfect excuse for overeating: it's in the brain. Researchers at the council's cognition and brain sciences unit have come up with the first neurobiological proof as to why some people seem unable to resist food.
The research, published today in the Journal of Neuroscience, not only provides evidence that some people are particularly susceptible to images of food but helps to explain the power of food advertising.
Read more...
The Jamie Oliver effect: school dinner firms feel the cost of parental backlash
The Guardian
By Simon Bowers
· Contract catering business shaken by TV campaign
· Many families opting for healthier packed lunches
The catering company that brought the infamous Turkey Twizzler into Britain's school kitchens yesterday admitted that Jamie Oliver's campaign against sub-standard school dinners had taken a healthy bite out of its earnings, wiping £10m off sales in six months.
The celebrity chef's Channel 4 television series School Dinners has shaken the contact catering industry to the core, leaving steadily retreating revenues and a number of multimillion pound contracts that have failed to attract bidders - despite the promise of more money from the government.
Read more...
By Simon Bowers
· Contract catering business shaken by TV campaign
· Many families opting for healthier packed lunches
The catering company that brought the infamous Turkey Twizzler into Britain's school kitchens yesterday admitted that Jamie Oliver's campaign against sub-standard school dinners had taken a healthy bite out of its earnings, wiping £10m off sales in six months.
The celebrity chef's Channel 4 television series School Dinners has shaken the contact catering industry to the core, leaving steadily retreating revenues and a number of multimillion pound contracts that have failed to attract bidders - despite the promise of more money from the government.
Read more...
Monday, May 15, 2006
Japan faces chopsticks crisis
The Guardian, International p. 18
By Justin McCurry in Tokyo
Millions of Japanese diners could soon be deprived of their favourite wooden chopsticks following China's decision to impose a 5% tax on the utensils because of concerns over deforestation.
The move is already beginning to affect restaurants and caterers in Japan, which gets through 25bn pairs of disposable wooden chopsticks a year - or 200 pairs a person - 97% of which come from China.
Chinese chopstick exporters responded to the tax increase by raising prices by around 30%, with another 20% increase to follow. The price of chopsticks has already risen from one yen a pair to more than one and a half yen, with producers also blaming rising transportation and raw material costs.
Read more...
By Justin McCurry in Tokyo
Millions of Japanese diners could soon be deprived of their favourite wooden chopsticks following China's decision to impose a 5% tax on the utensils because of concerns over deforestation.
The move is already beginning to affect restaurants and caterers in Japan, which gets through 25bn pairs of disposable wooden chopsticks a year - or 200 pairs a person - 97% of which come from China.
Chinese chopstick exporters responded to the tax increase by raising prices by around 30%, with another 20% increase to follow. The price of chopsticks has already risen from one yen a pair to more than one and a half yen, with producers also blaming rising transportation and raw material costs.
Read more...
The sweet smell of Stilton, turpentine etc
The Guardian, G2
By Laura Barton
While tumorous disease and rotting teeth have yet to be rendered in commercially available fragrance form, this month the bottled scent of pungent cheese becomes available for the first time. Eau de Stilton is a new perfume which has been commissioned, not altogether surprisingly, by the Stilton Cheese Makers Association, and is described on the association's website as a "symphony of natural base notes including yarrow, angelica seed, clary sage and valerian". Stilton's aroma is more commonly associated with damp feet and teenage boys' bedrooms, but a company spokesman stood firm: "Blue Stilton cheese has a very distinctive mellow aroma," he noted, in daintily euphemistic terms. "And our perfumier was able to capture the key essence of that scent and recreate it in an unusual but highly wearable perfume."
Read more...
By Laura Barton
While tumorous disease and rotting teeth have yet to be rendered in commercially available fragrance form, this month the bottled scent of pungent cheese becomes available for the first time. Eau de Stilton is a new perfume which has been commissioned, not altogether surprisingly, by the Stilton Cheese Makers Association, and is described on the association's website as a "symphony of natural base notes including yarrow, angelica seed, clary sage and valerian". Stilton's aroma is more commonly associated with damp feet and teenage boys' bedrooms, but a company spokesman stood firm: "Blue Stilton cheese has a very distinctive mellow aroma," he noted, in daintily euphemistic terms. "And our perfumier was able to capture the key essence of that scent and recreate it in an unusual but highly wearable perfume."
Read more...
Cork forests at risk from switch to screw-top wine
The Independent, News p. 7
By Steve Connor, Science Editor
Up to three quarters of the unique cork oak forests of the Mediterranean could be lost within 10 years because of the increasing popularity of the screw-top wine bottle.
The move away from traditional stoppers made of cork threatens the survival of one of Europe's most important wildlife habitats, according to a study by the conservation group WWF.
If the trend for plastic stoppers and screw tops continues, then just 5 per cent of wine bottles sold in Britain in 2015 could be using corks, the report says.
Read more...
By Steve Connor, Science Editor
Up to three quarters of the unique cork oak forests of the Mediterranean could be lost within 10 years because of the increasing popularity of the screw-top wine bottle.
The move away from traditional stoppers made of cork threatens the survival of one of Europe's most important wildlife habitats, according to a study by the conservation group WWF.
If the trend for plastic stoppers and screw tops continues, then just 5 per cent of wine bottles sold in Britain in 2015 could be using corks, the report says.
Read more...
High spoilage rate prompts manufacturers to bottle out on corks
The Independent, News p. 7
By Anthony Rose, Wine Correspondent
Talking of trees, few issues in the world of wine take up more newsprint than that of corks and screwcaps. Cork is a natural, traditional product that has served the wine industry well over the years, not least corkscrew manufacturers.
But corks have given the wine industry, not to mention consumers, a massive headache because of the growing incidence of cork taint. The TCA taint, or trichloroanisole 2,4,6 to be technical, is a mould that occurs during the cork growing and manufacturing process. Studies show that it affects on average one in 20 bottles of wine, a rate of spoilage that would be unacceptable in any other consumer product.
Read more...
By Anthony Rose, Wine Correspondent
Talking of trees, few issues in the world of wine take up more newsprint than that of corks and screwcaps. Cork is a natural, traditional product that has served the wine industry well over the years, not least corkscrew manufacturers.
But corks have given the wine industry, not to mention consumers, a massive headache because of the growing incidence of cork taint. The TCA taint, or trichloroanisole 2,4,6 to be technical, is a mould that occurs during the cork growing and manufacturing process. Studies show that it affects on average one in 20 bottles of wine, a rate of spoilage that would be unacceptable in any other consumer product.
Read more...
Sunday, May 14, 2006
Four great single malts to savour
The Observer
By Ian Wisniewski
Savouring a glass of malt whisky is an experience in itself, but why stop there when an entire lifestyle is on offer? Numerous books, appreciation societies and whisky fairs around the world promote a deeper understanding, while visiting distilleries across Scotland is an ultimate activity holiday.
Ardbeg 10-year-old (£27.49, Tesco, Waitrose, Sainsbury's, Oddbins)
Bunnahabhain 12-year-old (around £25, Waitrose, Oddbins, Royal Mile Whiskies in London and Edinburgh)
Balvenie Founder's Reserve 10-year-old (£24.99, Oddbins, Sainsbury's)
Old Pulteney 21-year-old (£69.99, Oddbins)
Read more...
By Ian Wisniewski
Savouring a glass of malt whisky is an experience in itself, but why stop there when an entire lifestyle is on offer? Numerous books, appreciation societies and whisky fairs around the world promote a deeper understanding, while visiting distilleries across Scotland is an ultimate activity holiday.
Ardbeg 10-year-old (£27.49, Tesco, Waitrose, Sainsbury's, Oddbins)
Bunnahabhain 12-year-old (around £25, Waitrose, Oddbins, Royal Mile Whiskies in London and Edinburgh)
Balvenie Founder's Reserve 10-year-old (£24.99, Oddbins, Sainsbury's)
Old Pulteney 21-year-old (£69.99, Oddbins)
Read more...
My Round: a rosy future for 2005's vintage
The Independent
By Richard Ehrlich
Gloomy news reaches me that the Americans will soon overtake the French as the world's greatest consumers of wine. According to a report from the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV), the USA will pass France within three years if present trends continue.
Wine consumption on the other side of the Atlantic grew by three per cent last year, while in France it fell by two per cent - following a fall of 50 per cent over the last 40 years. The only other great success story for wine is the UK, where consumption went up by a remarkable five per cent last year - which is even higher than in the USA.
Not that it will be much consolation to the French, but things are looking no better for their great competitor: Australia. Producers there have watched their home market slip by just over four per cent in 2005. And while exports are still healthy - obviously more important when the home-grown demand is shrinking - there are also signs that they too are weakening both in volume and in value. Industry analysts attribute the weakness to rising energy costs, which are putting the big chill on all discretionary spending.
Read more...
By Richard Ehrlich
Gloomy news reaches me that the Americans will soon overtake the French as the world's greatest consumers of wine. According to a report from the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV), the USA will pass France within three years if present trends continue.
Wine consumption on the other side of the Atlantic grew by three per cent last year, while in France it fell by two per cent - following a fall of 50 per cent over the last 40 years. The only other great success story for wine is the UK, where consumption went up by a remarkable five per cent last year - which is even higher than in the USA.
Not that it will be much consolation to the French, but things are looking no better for their great competitor: Australia. Producers there have watched their home market slip by just over four per cent in 2005. And while exports are still healthy - obviously more important when the home-grown demand is shrinking - there are also signs that they too are weakening both in volume and in value. Industry analysts attribute the weakness to rising energy costs, which are putting the big chill on all discretionary spending.
Read more...
Saturday, May 13, 2006
At your table: hangover remedy
The Times, Body & Soul, p. 10
by Jane Clarke
I am a huge fan of milk thistle (Silybum marianum), which is used by medicinal herbalists mainly in treating the liver, although some readers will know of it as part of a detox regimen.
In the past few months a number of scientists have rubbished the whole concept of detoxing, arguing that having an early night and drinking lots of tap water would achieve the same results. Whether or not you believe in the existence of toxins in the body, I know that if my patients follow a strict diet and take milk thistle alongside it, they start to feel fantastic within days.
Read more...
by Jane Clarke
I am a huge fan of milk thistle (Silybum marianum), which is used by medicinal herbalists mainly in treating the liver, although some readers will know of it as part of a detox regimen.
In the past few months a number of scientists have rubbished the whole concept of detoxing, arguing that having an early night and drinking lots of tap water would achieve the same results. Whether or not you believe in the existence of toxins in the body, I know that if my patients follow a strict diet and take milk thistle alongside it, they start to feel fantastic within days.
Read more...
It's crunchtime for crisps
The Times, Body & Soul, p. 9
With lower salt and fat levels, our favourite snack may become healthy, says Annabelle Thorpe
Last night it was half a bag of cheese and onion, shared guiltily with a girlfriend over a glass of pub chardonnay. A couple of days before it was a handful of Hula Hoops, generously donated by my four-year-old niece. And last weekend, a smorgasbord of Kettle Chips, nachos and Pringles, scoffed during an evening in the pub: high in fat, crammed with salt, doused with additives, and utterly irresistible.
Read more...
With lower salt and fat levels, our favourite snack may become healthy, says Annabelle Thorpe
Last night it was half a bag of cheese and onion, shared guiltily with a girlfriend over a glass of pub chardonnay. A couple of days before it was a handful of Hula Hoops, generously donated by my four-year-old niece. And last weekend, a smorgasbord of Kettle Chips, nachos and Pringles, scoffed during an evening in the pub: high in fat, crammed with salt, doused with additives, and utterly irresistible.
Read more...
When shortcake took the biscuit
The Times, Britain
By Michael Horsnell
They were described as a shortcake biscuit fully “enrobed in milk chocolate” and mouthwateringly extra long. But magistrates decided that the Cadbury Giant Fingers were ... well, too short. The tin was 167mm long but the biscuits were only 116mm long and the confectionery contravened the Trade Description Act. Burton’s Foods, the maker, was fined £5,000 at Cambridge after a supermarket customer complained.
Read more...
By Michael Horsnell
They were described as a shortcake biscuit fully “enrobed in milk chocolate” and mouthwateringly extra long. But magistrates decided that the Cadbury Giant Fingers were ... well, too short. The tin was 167mm long but the biscuits were only 116mm long and the confectionery contravened the Trade Description Act. Burton’s Foods, the maker, was fined £5,000 at Cambridge after a supermarket customer complained.
Read more...
French wine boss has the bottle to copy New World
The Times, News, p8
From Adam Sage in Paris
PASCAL RENAUDAT is the founder of the most sacrilegious concept imaginable to any Gallic purist — a French wine company that unashamedly imitates the New World.
Opéra Vins et Spiritueux (OVS) aims to win back drinkers in France’s biggest export markets, and notably in Britain, where it introduced its wines this week. If M Renaudat is right, his Chamarré range will be one of the most popular in British supermarkets within three years, rivalling the likes of Jacob’s Creek and Hardys. If not, critics will line up to attack him for flouting some of the most cherished beliefs of French viticulture.
More outrageous still, he developed and named his wines after a long series of consumer tests, thus ignoring the golden rule that “good taste” is an intrinsic, unchanging — and French — concept.
Read more...
From Adam Sage in Paris
PASCAL RENAUDAT is the founder of the most sacrilegious concept imaginable to any Gallic purist — a French wine company that unashamedly imitates the New World.
Opéra Vins et Spiritueux (OVS) aims to win back drinkers in France’s biggest export markets, and notably in Britain, where it introduced its wines this week. If M Renaudat is right, his Chamarré range will be one of the most popular in British supermarkets within three years, rivalling the likes of Jacob’s Creek and Hardys. If not, critics will line up to attack him for flouting some of the most cherished beliefs of French viticulture.
More outrageous still, he developed and named his wines after a long series of consumer tests, thus ignoring the golden rule that “good taste” is an intrinsic, unchanging — and French — concept.
Read more...
Gourmet tastes are feeding the growth of the gastro garden
The Independent
By Martin Hickman, Consumer Affairs Correspondent
Gourmets unhappy with fruit and vegetables from supermarkets, and environmentalists worried about air miles, pesticides and other modern evils are increasingly growing their own food.
Although the number of amateur gardeners is not known, horticultural organisations are reporting a rise in the number of people asking how they can grow edible plants in domestic gardens and allotments.
Advocates of what has become known as the Grow Your Own (GYO) movement, say home-grown fare is tastier, healthier and cheaper. It is also more environmentally acceptable than commercial crops sprayed with chemicals and taken by lorry to shops.
Read more...
By Martin Hickman, Consumer Affairs Correspondent
Gourmets unhappy with fruit and vegetables from supermarkets, and environmentalists worried about air miles, pesticides and other modern evils are increasingly growing their own food.
Although the number of amateur gardeners is not known, horticultural organisations are reporting a rise in the number of people asking how they can grow edible plants in domestic gardens and allotments.
Advocates of what has become known as the Grow Your Own (GYO) movement, say home-grown fare is tastier, healthier and cheaper. It is also more environmentally acceptable than commercial crops sprayed with chemicals and taken by lorry to shops.
Read more...
Wal-Mart plans huge move into organic food
The Guardian, International, p 18
By Oliver Burkeman in New York
Organic Rice Krispies, organic Frosted Mini Wheats and even organic Pepsi may define the future of American eating habits after Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, revealed plans for a huge expansion into pesticide-free foods.
The all-powerful supermarket chain argued that its shift would democratise organic food in the US, bringing it within reach of shoppers who could not afford to pay a 20% or 30% premium. But critics say the effect will be to force down organic standards, squeeze farmers' incomes, and undermine health benefits.
Read more...
By Oliver Burkeman in New York
Organic Rice Krispies, organic Frosted Mini Wheats and even organic Pepsi may define the future of American eating habits after Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, revealed plans for a huge expansion into pesticide-free foods.
The all-powerful supermarket chain argued that its shift would democratise organic food in the US, bringing it within reach of shoppers who could not afford to pay a 20% or 30% premium. But critics say the effect will be to force down organic standards, squeeze farmers' incomes, and undermine health benefits.
Read more...
Thursday, May 11, 2006
Japanese firm to target children with sales of whale meat
The Guardian
By Justin McCurry in Tokyo
A pro-whaling body affiliated to the Japanese government has set up a company that aims to sell 1,000 tonnes of whale meat, most for school meals, over the next year, local media reported yesterday.
The meat will be sold cheaply to makers of school lunches, and there are also plans to boost sales to "family friendly" restaurants and hospitals.
Although the International Whaling Commission banned commercial whaling in 1986, Japan continues to kill whales for what it describes as scientific research. Environmental groups and other IWC members, including Britain, have condemned the hunts as commercial whaling in disguise.
Read more...
By Justin McCurry in Tokyo
A pro-whaling body affiliated to the Japanese government has set up a company that aims to sell 1,000 tonnes of whale meat, most for school meals, over the next year, local media reported yesterday.
The meat will be sold cheaply to makers of school lunches, and there are also plans to boost sales to "family friendly" restaurants and hospitals.
Although the International Whaling Commission banned commercial whaling in 1986, Japan continues to kill whales for what it describes as scientific research. Environmental groups and other IWC members, including Britain, have condemned the hunts as commercial whaling in disguise.
Read more...
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
'Robin Hood' gang rob gourmet stores in bid to feed Hamburg's poor
The Independent
By Tony Paterson in Berlin
They dress up in pink catsuits, have names like "Spider Mum" and feel a social obligation to plunder the most expensive restaurants and gourmet delicatessens in town as part of a campaign to help the poor.
Last week the well-heeled citizens of Hamburg's Altona district got a taste of their antics when 30 of them marched into the city's luxury "Fresh Paradise Goedeken" supermarket and walked out five minutes later with €15,000 (£10,000) worth of stolen goods
Read more...
By Tony Paterson in Berlin
They dress up in pink catsuits, have names like "Spider Mum" and feel a social obligation to plunder the most expensive restaurants and gourmet delicatessens in town as part of a campaign to help the poor.
Last week the well-heeled citizens of Hamburg's Altona district got a taste of their antics when 30 of them marched into the city's luxury "Fresh Paradise Goedeken" supermarket and walked out five minutes later with €15,000 (£10,000) worth of stolen goods
Read more...
Sunday, May 07, 2006
California dream is reality for wine firm
The Sunday Times, Business
Is Joe Gallo a hero or a villain? It depends who you ask, says Dominic Rushe in Sonoma County, California
RED-TAILED hawks patrol the skies above the Gallo family’s Frei Ranch in northern California. From the oak trees around the vineyards Spanish moss hangs in silvery threadlike masses, a sign of air purity. It’s hot and April’s frosts are over. The vines that cover the hills are now growing at up to an inch a day. By September they will be ready to harvest.
Similar scenes can still be found across the Atlantic where vines have been cultivated since Noah ran the Ark aground. But at the centre of this ranch, hidden behind a slow-growing wall of redwood trees, is a stainless-steel plant that reminds visitors how far viticulture has travelled in those intervening years.
Read more...
Is Joe Gallo a hero or a villain? It depends who you ask, says Dominic Rushe in Sonoma County, California
RED-TAILED hawks patrol the skies above the Gallo family’s Frei Ranch in northern California. From the oak trees around the vineyards Spanish moss hangs in silvery threadlike masses, a sign of air purity. It’s hot and April’s frosts are over. The vines that cover the hills are now growing at up to an inch a day. By September they will be ready to harvest.
Similar scenes can still be found across the Atlantic where vines have been cultivated since Noah ran the Ark aground. But at the centre of this ranch, hidden behind a slow-growing wall of redwood trees, is a stainless-steel plant that reminds visitors how far viticulture has travelled in those intervening years.
Read more...
Saturday, May 06, 2006
The Traveller's Guide To: The flavours of Provence
The Independent, Traveller
Rhiannon Batten is spoiled by Michelin-starred chefs and the rich pickings of the terroir.
Read more...
Rhiannon Batten is spoiled by Michelin-starred chefs and the rich pickings of the terroir.
Read more...
Saturday interview: Art of cooking
The Guardian
Interview by Stuart Jeffries
Irony, humour and spectacle are all on the menu at El Bulli. Its proprietor, Ferran Adrià, even compares himself to Picasso. But then, he is the best chef in the world.
Read more...
Interview by Stuart Jeffries
Irony, humour and spectacle are all on the menu at El Bulli. Its proprietor, Ferran Adrià, even compares himself to Picasso. But then, he is the best chef in the world.
Read more...
Thin pickings
The Guardian, Bites
By Richard Johnson
Can't be bothered to weigh your food portions or count calories? Take a look at the Diet Plate - it's portion control made easy. The plate has been calibrated so that the carbohydrate section will hold no more than 4oz, and the protein section will hold no more than 3oz. If you exceed your portion size, the food will slide over the boundary tape. And you'll be left looking like a big fat fool. Diet Plate, £19.99, from thedietplate.com.
Also:
Set tongues wagging...
This guy's got bottle
Where's the beef?
Read more...
By Richard Johnson
Can't be bothered to weigh your food portions or count calories? Take a look at the Diet Plate - it's portion control made easy. The plate has been calibrated so that the carbohydrate section will hold no more than 4oz, and the protein section will hold no more than 3oz. If you exceed your portion size, the food will slide over the boundary tape. And you'll be left looking like a big fat fool. Diet Plate, £19.99, from thedietplate.com.
Also:
Set tongues wagging...
This guy's got bottle
Where's the beef?
Read more...
Parents must educate their children
The Times
By Jane MacQuitty
Today’s teenagers are considerably more grown-up and sophisticated than we ever were, with one upsetting exception: their palates. This is the generation wowed and wooed by the livid packaging and lurid colours of
sickly-sweet, jelly-baby, fruit-pastille and liquorice-styled shots, shooters and alcopops.
Read more...
By Jane MacQuitty
Today’s teenagers are considerably more grown-up and sophisticated than we ever were, with one upsetting exception: their palates. This is the generation wowed and wooed by the livid packaging and lurid colours of
sickly-sweet, jelly-baby, fruit-pastille and liquorice-styled shots, shooters and alcopops.
Read more...
Moscow's restaurants pay the price for Georgian wine ban
The Independent
By Andrew Osborn in Moscow
Moscow's most famous Georgian restaurant, Genatsvale, has it all: a mountain stream running through its main dining area, waiters dressed in traditional Caucasian garb, and as much skewered meat and cheese-filled bread as you can eat. However, there is one essential ingredient that is missing: Georgia's exotic wines.
Georgia's most famous export product - intoxicating red and white wines with richly evocative names such as Kvanchkara, Kinzmauruli (Stalin's favourite tipple), Saperavi and Mukuzani - have been outlawed in Russia on health grounds.
Read more...
By Andrew Osborn in Moscow
Moscow's most famous Georgian restaurant, Genatsvale, has it all: a mountain stream running through its main dining area, waiters dressed in traditional Caucasian garb, and as much skewered meat and cheese-filled bread as you can eat. However, there is one essential ingredient that is missing: Georgia's exotic wines.
Georgia's most famous export product - intoxicating red and white wines with richly evocative names such as Kvanchkara, Kinzmauruli (Stalin's favourite tipple), Saperavi and Mukuzani - have been outlawed in Russia on health grounds.
Read more...
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