The Observer Food Magazine
What does chiefly animate Japanese soups and broths is an amino acid called glutamate. In the best ramen shops it's made naturally from boiling dried kombu seaweed; it can also come from dried shrimp or bonito flakes, or from fermented soy. More cheaply and easily, you get it from a tin, where it is stabilised with ordinary salt and is thus monosodium glutamate.
This last fact is of little interest to the Japanese - like most Asians, they have no fear of MSG. And there lies one of the world's great food scare conundrums. If MSG is bad for you - as Jeffrey Steingarten, the great American Vogue food writer once put it - why doesn't everyone in China have a headache?
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Sunday, July 10, 2005
Thursday, July 07, 2005
Feast fit even for a fastidious president
The Telegraph
By Auslan Cramb
The Queen welcomed the world leaders to Scotland last night with a banquet fit even for the refined palate of a French president.
Read more...
By Auslan Cramb
The Queen welcomed the world leaders to Scotland last night with a banquet fit even for the refined palate of a French president.
Read more...
Wednesday, July 06, 2005
'Chirac? He didn't seem interested in food at all'
The Telegraph
By Jan Moir
Rick Stein has more reason than most to be aggrieved over Jacques Chirac's claim that the British are terrible cooks.
Read more...
By Jan Moir
Rick Stein has more reason than most to be aggrieved over Jacques Chirac's claim that the British are terrible cooks.
Read more...
A feast of Scottish delicacies awaits Chirac
The Independent
By Colin Brown, Deputy Political Editor
"Jacques Chirac may be forced to eat humble pie when he joins the G8 Summit leaders at a glittering dinner tonight hosted by the Queen at Gleneagles.
The French President ignited a simmering row after being overheard lambasting British food and pouring scorn on Scotland's "unappetising" national dish, but M. Chirac will be reassured to learn that Andrew Fairlie, head chef of the Michelin-starred restaurant at Gleneagles, learnt his trade in south-west France with Michel Guerard."
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By Colin Brown, Deputy Political Editor
"Jacques Chirac may be forced to eat humble pie when he joins the G8 Summit leaders at a glittering dinner tonight hosted by the Queen at Gleneagles.
The French President ignited a simmering row after being overheard lambasting British food and pouring scorn on Scotland's "unappetising" national dish, but M. Chirac will be reassured to learn that Andrew Fairlie, head chef of the Michelin-starred restaurant at Gleneagles, learnt his trade in south-west France with Michel Guerard."
Read more...
Tuesday, July 05, 2005
Chirac: 'The only thing the British have ever given European farming is mad cow'
The Telegraph
By Toby Helm and Henry Samuel
Anglo-French tensions heightened last night after Jacques Chirac delivered a series of insults to Britain as London and Paris fought to secure the 2012 Olympic Games and faced fresh disagreement at the G8 summit.
The president, chatting to the German and Russian leaders in a Russian cafe, said: "The only thing [the British] have ever given European farming is mad cow." Then, like generations of French people before him, he also poked fun at British cuisine.
"You can't trust people who cook as badly as that," he said. "After Finland, it's the country with the worst food."
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By Toby Helm and Henry Samuel
Anglo-French tensions heightened last night after Jacques Chirac delivered a series of insults to Britain as London and Paris fought to secure the 2012 Olympic Games and faced fresh disagreement at the G8 summit.
The president, chatting to the German and Russian leaders in a Russian cafe, said: "The only thing [the British] have ever given European farming is mad cow." Then, like generations of French people before him, he also poked fun at British cuisine.
"You can't trust people who cook as badly as that," he said. "After Finland, it's the country with the worst food."
Read more...
Saturday, June 18, 2005
Fat Ducks, farts, foaming green tea and the man from Die Zeit
The Guardian
By Luke Harding in Berlin
It has been hailed as the world's best restaurant. Its dishes of snail porridge and sardine on toast sorbet have been acknowledged as pushing back the boundaries of modern cooking.
But the Fat Duck was clearly not to the taste of Germany's most famous restaurant critic.
In an excoriating review, Wolfram Siebeck railed against the service and the food. He described one dish as a "fart of nothingness".
Siebeck flew to Britain to eat at the Fat Duck after reading about the restaurant and its chef, Heston Blumenthal, in the Guardian.
After being ushered inside and warned not to bang his head on the low ceilings, Siebeck complained that he had to wait for 40 minutes before anyone brought him anything to eat. He also could not understand the waiters.
"If the Fat Duck is the best restaurant in the world, it has the worst service ... In places of this quality, the guest should not have to wait more than half an hour for bread and wine and would prefer not to be spoken to in an incomprehensible dialect."
Read more...
By Luke Harding in Berlin
It has been hailed as the world's best restaurant. Its dishes of snail porridge and sardine on toast sorbet have been acknowledged as pushing back the boundaries of modern cooking.
But the Fat Duck was clearly not to the taste of Germany's most famous restaurant critic.
In an excoriating review, Wolfram Siebeck railed against the service and the food. He described one dish as a "fart of nothingness".
Siebeck flew to Britain to eat at the Fat Duck after reading about the restaurant and its chef, Heston Blumenthal, in the Guardian.
After being ushered inside and warned not to bang his head on the low ceilings, Siebeck complained that he had to wait for 40 minutes before anyone brought him anything to eat. He also could not understand the waiters.
"If the Fat Duck is the best restaurant in the world, it has the worst service ... In places of this quality, the guest should not have to wait more than half an hour for bread and wine and would prefer not to be spoken to in an incomprehensible dialect."
Read more...
Monday, April 11, 2005
Just why do we demonise McDonald's with such relish?
The Times, Opinion
By Richard Morrison
Brace yourself for a shock. You are about to read the most controversial sentence of the year. Indeed, I doubt whether I will get as far as typing the full-stop before I am hurled to the ground and gagged by a snatch-squad of eco-warriors, vegans and Guardian columnists. But here goes. The awful truth is, I feel sorry for McDonald’s.
Ouch! Get off my face right now, Polly Toynbee, and let me explain.
Read more…
By Richard Morrison
Brace yourself for a shock. You are about to read the most controversial sentence of the year. Indeed, I doubt whether I will get as far as typing the full-stop before I am hurled to the ground and gagged by a snatch-squad of eco-warriors, vegans and Guardian columnists. But here goes. The awful truth is, I feel sorry for McDonald’s.
Ouch! Get off my face right now, Polly Toynbee, and let me explain.
Read more…
Thursday, March 31, 2005
Like Oliver, children want more
The Guardian
Comment by Rodney Bickerstaffe
Even at 50p, we'll still be spending less on school meals than in 1980.
Read more…
Comment by Rodney Bickerstaffe
Even at 50p, we'll still be spending less on school meals than in 1980.
Read more…
Wednesday, March 30, 2005
School meals around the world
The Guardian
As the government announces an extra £220m for school meals in England, we look at how other countries feed their pupils.
Read more…
As the government announces an extra £220m for school meals in England, we look at how other countries feed their pupils.
Read more…
Saturday, March 19, 2005
Learn to cook in northern Europe
The Independent, 19 March 2005
Take a walk on the wild side and prepare reindeer, elk and bear in Helsinki - or develop a flair in Clare for Irish soda bread. Jenni Muir discovers cooking courses to suit every taste.
Read more...
Take a walk on the wild side and prepare reindeer, elk and bear in Helsinki - or develop a flair in Clare for Irish soda bread. Jenni Muir discovers cooking courses to suit every taste.
Read more...
Saturday, March 12, 2005
The true flavour of the islands
The Telegraph
By Andrew Purvis
Real Caribbean cuisine, long neglected in favour of blander tastes, is trying to make a comeback.
Read more...
By Andrew Purvis
Real Caribbean cuisine, long neglected in favour of blander tastes, is trying to make a comeback.
Read more...
Saturday, March 05, 2005
Platonic ideal of a cheese sandwich realised in Britain
The Telegraph
By Richard Alleyne
When the legendary American food writer Ruth Reichl brought her team of restaurant reviewers to Britain, they were bowled over by the fare on offer.
They were so impressed that they pronounced London to be the best place on Earth to eat and dedicated a whole issue of the million selling food bible, Gourmet magazine, to the city.
Bill Oglethorpe with his world-famous sandwich
But while top restaurants like Gordon Ramsay and the Fat Duck at Bray, both of which have three Michelin stars, inspired her admiration, it was a £3 toasted cheese and onion sandwich from a market stall that most blew her away.
Read more…
By Richard Alleyne
When the legendary American food writer Ruth Reichl brought her team of restaurant reviewers to Britain, they were bowled over by the fare on offer.
They were so impressed that they pronounced London to be the best place on Earth to eat and dedicated a whole issue of the million selling food bible, Gourmet magazine, to the city.
Bill Oglethorpe with his world-famous sandwich
But while top restaurants like Gordon Ramsay and the Fat Duck at Bray, both of which have three Michelin stars, inspired her admiration, it was a £3 toasted cheese and onion sandwich from a market stall that most blew her away.
Read more…
Thursday, February 24, 2005
Foodies aim for a slice of the pie
The Guardian
With the launch this week of a new award site, Graham Holliday argues that food blogs are not a flash in the pan.
Read more…
With the launch this week of a new award site, Graham Holliday argues that food blogs are not a flash in the pan.
Read more…
Tuesday, February 15, 2005
Human rights court finds in favour of McLibel Two
The Times
By Chris Johnston, Times Online
The British Government has been ordered to pay nearly £57,000 in compensation to the 'McLibel' campaigners involved in a 15-year legal wrangle against the fast food giant McDonald's.
The European Court of Human Rights ruled that the pair should have been given legal aid by the British Government for their David-and-Goliath struggle, when McDonald's decided to sue them for libel.
Read more…
By Chris Johnston, Times Online
The British Government has been ordered to pay nearly £57,000 in compensation to the 'McLibel' campaigners involved in a 15-year legal wrangle against the fast food giant McDonald's.
The European Court of Human Rights ruled that the pair should have been given legal aid by the British Government for their David-and-Goliath struggle, when McDonald's decided to sue them for libel.
Read more…
Saturday, January 22, 2005
Think fruit, buy fruit – then throw it in the bin
The Telegraph
By David Derbyshire, Consumer Affairs Editor
Millions of shoppers are buying their weekly quota of fresh fruit, piling it high in the fruit bowl and then watching it go off, according to research.
A poll of 500 families has found that more than half of all households throw away unused fruit and vegetables every week.
Read more…
By David Derbyshire, Consumer Affairs Editor
Millions of shoppers are buying their weekly quota of fresh fruit, piling it high in the fruit bowl and then watching it go off, according to research.
A poll of 500 families has found that more than half of all households throw away unused fruit and vegetables every week.
Read more…
Monday, January 10, 2005
Olive oil acid 'cuts cancer risk'
BBC News
Scientists in Chicago say they have uncovered why a Mediterranean diet rich in olive oil seems to cut the risk of developing breast cancer.
The key is an ingredient of olive oil called oleic acid, they say.
Read more…
Scientists in Chicago say they have uncovered why a Mediterranean diet rich in olive oil seems to cut the risk of developing breast cancer.
The key is an ingredient of olive oil called oleic acid, they say.
Read more…
Tuesday, December 21, 2004
Sea food brings yacht challenge
BBC News
Scots businesswoman Jane Cook has put her career on hold to spend 10 months at sea as a 'food coordinator', taking part in the world's toughest yacht race.
Ocean racing food is a nightmare. Try these parameters for size:
No refrigeration so no fresh food (milk, butter, eggs, cheese, meat)
No fruit - it goes off quickly
We're at sea for 35-42 days on most of the legs.
Each person needs around 3,000 calories per day for the warm legs
About 6,000 are needed for the cold legs (just staying warm in the Southern Ocean requires a huge amount of energy).
Read more…
Scots businesswoman Jane Cook has put her career on hold to spend 10 months at sea as a 'food coordinator', taking part in the world's toughest yacht race.
Ocean racing food is a nightmare. Try these parameters for size:
No refrigeration so no fresh food (milk, butter, eggs, cheese, meat)
No fruit - it goes off quickly
We're at sea for 35-42 days on most of the legs.
Each person needs around 3,000 calories per day for the warm legs
About 6,000 are needed for the cold legs (just staying warm in the Southern Ocean requires a huge amount of energy).
Read more…
Monday, December 06, 2004
Health advice to eat more fish 'is threatening stocks'
The Telegraph
By Charles Clover, Environment Editor
Government advice that people should eat two portions of fish a week should be scrapped because rising consumption could destroy depleted fishing grounds, says a report out tomorrow.
It is one of 60 recommendations for "radical change" in Government policy to emerge from an 18-month investigation of over-fishing by the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution.
Read more…
By Charles Clover, Environment Editor
Government advice that people should eat two portions of fish a week should be scrapped because rising consumption could destroy depleted fishing grounds, says a report out tomorrow.
It is one of 60 recommendations for "radical change" in Government policy to emerge from an 18-month investigation of over-fishing by the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution.
Read more…
Friday, November 26, 2004
Experts name the smelliest cheese
The Telegraph
By David Derbyshire, Consumer Affairs Editor
Even the most devoted admirers admit that it's not a cheese you would choose to enjoy in a confined space.
For while its distinctive odour certainly has some gentle undertones - some fans talk warmly of hops, others of garlic - the overpowering first impression when presented with a plate of Vieux Boulogne is of unwashed feet and unwashed tom cat.
Le Grand Fromage: Vieux Boulogne is the smelliest cheese
Yesterday, the delicacy - made in Pas de Calais and available only in the more open-minded shops - was scientifically ranked France's smelliest cheese during a trial at Cranfield University, Bedfordshire
Read more…
By David Derbyshire, Consumer Affairs Editor
Even the most devoted admirers admit that it's not a cheese you would choose to enjoy in a confined space.
For while its distinctive odour certainly has some gentle undertones - some fans talk warmly of hops, others of garlic - the overpowering first impression when presented with a plate of Vieux Boulogne is of unwashed feet and unwashed tom cat.
Le Grand Fromage: Vieux Boulogne is the smelliest cheese
Yesterday, the delicacy - made in Pas de Calais and available only in the more open-minded shops - was scientifically ranked France's smelliest cheese during a trial at Cranfield University, Bedfordshire
Read more…
Monday, November 15, 2004
Lard lovers face national crisis
BBC News
Christmas dinners throughout the UK are under threat this year from a shortage of lard as Eastern Europeans stockpile cheap cuts of pork.
Increased demand from recently-joined members of the European Union has led to a shortfall in available pork to turn into lard, retailers say.
New members, which include Hungary and Poland, are buying within the EU to avoid a levy on non-EU imports.
Lard can be used to make mince pies, Christmas pudding and roast potatoes.
Read more…
Christmas dinners throughout the UK are under threat this year from a shortage of lard as Eastern Europeans stockpile cheap cuts of pork.
Increased demand from recently-joined members of the European Union has led to a shortfall in available pork to turn into lard, retailers say.
New members, which include Hungary and Poland, are buying within the EU to avoid a levy on non-EU imports.
Lard can be used to make mince pies, Christmas pudding and roast potatoes.
Read more…
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