The Guardian
By Patrick Barkham
*International cuisine spreading in smaller cities
*Quarter of Glasgow's restaurants are Italian
Culinary snobs take note: it is not London but Glasgow that is the true home of Italian dining, while the English capital comes top of the kebab league, according to a new survey.
The Frequency of Overseas Dishes (Food) study, conducted by MSN Local Search, found that Glasgow has more Italian restaurants per square mile than anywhere else in the country. More than a quarter (26%) of the city's restaurants have an Italian theme.
Read more…
Tuesday, February 28, 2006
The world's most dangerous drinks
The Guardian
By Patrick Barkham
As Degas didn't say, absinthe is for wimps. So too is Jägermeister, ouzo, and other nasty spirits with top notes of a hen night in Lesvos and base notes of vomit. Whisky made from a 17th-century recipe and distilled four times to reach up to 92% alcohol is proper, grown-up firewater. Jim McEwan, master distiller at the Bruichladdich distillery in western Scotland, was hard at it yesterday producing the first batch of what will be the world's strongest whisky when it is released in a decade or so.
It was known as "the precarious whisky" 300 years ago because one tablespoonful would make you live for ever and two could make you go blind. "If any man should exceed this, it would presently stop his breath, and endanger his life," as writer Martin Martin explained in 1695.
Read more…
By Patrick Barkham
As Degas didn't say, absinthe is for wimps. So too is Jägermeister, ouzo, and other nasty spirits with top notes of a hen night in Lesvos and base notes of vomit. Whisky made from a 17th-century recipe and distilled four times to reach up to 92% alcohol is proper, grown-up firewater. Jim McEwan, master distiller at the Bruichladdich distillery in western Scotland, was hard at it yesterday producing the first batch of what will be the world's strongest whisky when it is released in a decade or so.
It was known as "the precarious whisky" 300 years ago because one tablespoonful would make you live for ever and two could make you go blind. "If any man should exceed this, it would presently stop his breath, and endanger his life," as writer Martin Martin explained in 1695.
Read more…
Monday, February 27, 2006
Vietnam: the new fast food nation
The Independent, World, p. 24
By Jeremy Laurance
As Vietnam enjoys unprecedented economic growth, its people have discovered a taste for high-calorie, high-fat, Westernised food - and are beginning to suffer the consequences.
Read more…
By Jeremy Laurance
As Vietnam enjoys unprecedented economic growth, its people have discovered a taste for high-calorie, high-fat, Westernised food - and are beginning to suffer the consequences.
Read more…
The unknown food critic
The Guardian
By Helen Pidd
Depending on who you ask, the Metro's London restaurant critic Marina O'Loughlin is on the tall side, extremely short, with bleached blonde, rather dark, cropped, long hair.
She is single and childless, with two daughters and a husband, who may or may not be Palestinian. She is in her mid-40s, young, Scottish and Italian.
Only one thing is certain: with a readership of well over a million, O'Loughlin is an influential food writer and the fact that she can walk incognito through the door of any establishment is driving the capital's restaurateurs crazy.
Read more…
By Helen Pidd
Depending on who you ask, the Metro's London restaurant critic Marina O'Loughlin is on the tall side, extremely short, with bleached blonde, rather dark, cropped, long hair.
She is single and childless, with two daughters and a husband, who may or may not be Palestinian. She is in her mid-40s, young, Scottish and Italian.
Only one thing is certain: with a readership of well over a million, O'Loughlin is an influential food writer and the fact that she can walk incognito through the door of any establishment is driving the capital's restaurateurs crazy.
Read more…
Distillery to recreate 92% malt whisky
The Guardian
By Sam Jones
Even the most seasoned whisky drinker may want to make sure their stomach is well-lined and add a drop more water than usual to the tumbler.
A distillery on Islay in the Western Isles is to produce a single malt with an alcoholic content of at least 92%, making it more than twice as strong as most whiskies and stronger than absinthe. The company, Bruichladdich, will use an ancient recipe to create the whisky, which they believe will be akin to a drink described 300 years ago by the 17th-century travel writer Martin Martin.
Read more…
By Sam Jones
Even the most seasoned whisky drinker may want to make sure their stomach is well-lined and add a drop more water than usual to the tumbler.
A distillery on Islay in the Western Isles is to produce a single malt with an alcoholic content of at least 92%, making it more than twice as strong as most whiskies and stronger than absinthe. The company, Bruichladdich, will use an ancient recipe to create the whisky, which they believe will be akin to a drink described 300 years ago by the 17th-century travel writer Martin Martin.
Read more…
Sunday, February 26, 2006
Food: We need it. We love it. So why do 11 million of us have trouble with it?
The Independent
By Jonathan Owen and Andrew Johnson
Eating to feel better is now being recognised as a severe clinical problem in Britain. Which is why the Priory is treating chocoholics.
Original article
By Jonathan Owen and Andrew Johnson
Eating to feel better is now being recognised as a severe clinical problem in Britain. Which is why the Priory is treating chocoholics.
Original article
A recipe for success: 'Two fridges and a lot of passion'
The Independent
Italian food retailer, Umberto's, was launched in Thame by Umberto Della Valle in 1997.
Being passionate about what you do in business invariably leads to success; Umberto Della Valle, 40, is a good example. Coming to England from his native Italy, Umberto found employment with award-winning baker, Dan Schickentanz in 1995. It wasn't long before Umberto became the manager of the shop, a post that he held for the next 18 months. But when his employer expanded, Umberto made the brave decision to take over the shop lease and start his own business.
The original article
Italian food retailer, Umberto's, was launched in Thame by Umberto Della Valle in 1997.
Being passionate about what you do in business invariably leads to success; Umberto Della Valle, 40, is a good example. Coming to England from his native Italy, Umberto found employment with award-winning baker, Dan Schickentanz in 1995. It wasn't long before Umberto became the manager of the shop, a post that he held for the next 18 months. But when his employer expanded, Umberto made the brave decision to take over the shop lease and start his own business.
The original article
Proof positive for the world's strongest malt
The Guardian
By Lorna Martin
It is often described as the water of life, but this particular dram could leave you gasping for breath. Tomorrow, the Islay-based Bruichladdich distillery, on the west coast of Scotland, will revive the ancient tradition of quadruple distilled single malt. The process will produce the world's strongest whisky at 92 per cent.
Centuries ago, people drank it as a cure for colic, smallpox and other common diseases. But according to the world's oldest whisky tasting note, written more than 300 years ago by the traveller Martin Martin, anything more than two spoonfuls could prove fatal. In 1696, he wrote: '... two spoonfuls of this last liquor is a sufficient dose; if any man should exceed this, it would presently stop his breath, and endanger his life.'
The whisky is expected to become a collector's classic with only 12 barrels being produced.
Original article
By Lorna Martin
It is often described as the water of life, but this particular dram could leave you gasping for breath. Tomorrow, the Islay-based Bruichladdich distillery, on the west coast of Scotland, will revive the ancient tradition of quadruple distilled single malt. The process will produce the world's strongest whisky at 92 per cent.
Centuries ago, people drank it as a cure for colic, smallpox and other common diseases. But according to the world's oldest whisky tasting note, written more than 300 years ago by the traveller Martin Martin, anything more than two spoonfuls could prove fatal. In 1696, he wrote: '... two spoonfuls of this last liquor is a sufficient dose; if any man should exceed this, it would presently stop his breath, and endanger his life.'
The whisky is expected to become a collector's classic with only 12 barrels being produced.
Original article
Take two cooks, blend carefully and enjoy
The Observer, Review
By Paul Levy
Julie & Julia, Julie Powell's account of her bid to make all the dishes in America's favourite cookbook, is rich fare, says Paul Levy, though its author might not have approved of her over-salty language
Read more…
By Paul Levy
Julie & Julia, Julie Powell's account of her bid to make all the dishes in America's favourite cookbook, is rich fare, says Paul Levy, though its author might not have approved of her over-salty languageRead more…
Food: We need it. We love it. So why do 11 million of us have trouble with it?
The Independent
By Jonathan Owen and Andrew Johnson
Eating to feel better is now being recognised as a severe clinical problem in Britain. Which is why the Priory is treating chocoholics.
Britain is heading towards a comfort-eating health crisis because millions of people are becoming addicted to sugary and fat-rich foods, new research has revealed.
At least 11 million of us have an unhealthy relationship with food, according to medical experts who claim that in some cases eating to feel better is now a severe clinical problem distinct from eating disorders such as anorexia or bulimia.
Read more…
By Jonathan Owen and Andrew Johnson
Eating to feel better is now being recognised as a severe clinical problem in Britain. Which is why the Priory is treating chocoholics.
Britain is heading towards a comfort-eating health crisis because millions of people are becoming addicted to sugary and fat-rich foods, new research has revealed.
At least 11 million of us have an unhealthy relationship with food, according to medical experts who claim that in some cases eating to feel better is now a severe clinical problem distinct from eating disorders such as anorexia or bulimia.
Read more…
So is this the very best of British food?
The Observer
Using produce and recipes from all over the country, top chefs will take on the challenge of preparing a perfect four-course menu to be served at a lunch celebrating the Queen's 80th birthday. Amelia Hill reports
Read more…
Comment by restraurant critic Jay Rayner:
Whoever wins, there will still be a flavour of France
Using produce and recipes from all over the country, top chefs will take on the challenge of preparing a perfect four-course menu to be served at a lunch celebrating the Queen's 80th birthday. Amelia Hill reports
Read more…
Comment by restraurant critic Jay Rayner:
Whoever wins, there will still be a flavour of France
Saturday, February 25, 2006
Eat it now: Purple sprouting broccoli ...
The Guardian
By Nikki Duffy
Purple sprouting broccoli is an utterly delicious, seasonal British crop. Harvested in areas where frost can be warded off (such as the Isle of Grain, in Kent), its traditional season is February and March, though growers have stretched this, so these days it begins before Christmas. Any greengrocer, farm shop or supermarket worth its salt will have it in stock now.
Read more...
By Nikki Duffy
Purple sprouting broccoli is an utterly delicious, seasonal British crop. Harvested in areas where frost can be warded off (such as the Isle of Grain, in Kent), its traditional season is February and March, though growers have stretched this, so these days it begins before Christmas. Any greengrocer, farm shop or supermarket worth its salt will have it in stock now.
Read more...
Friday, February 24, 2006
French chefs feel the heat as Welsh and Germans beat them in international contest
The Guardian
By Steven Morris
The result will not go down well in the restaurants of Paris, and the brasseries of Biarritz will be rocked by the news. After three decades of declining to compete in international culinary competitions a French team stepped back into the arena yesterday - and finished a dispiriting last behind Germany and Wales, countries not always associated with haute cuisine.
Read more…
By Steven Morris
The result will not go down well in the restaurants of Paris, and the brasseries of Biarritz will be rocked by the news. After three decades of declining to compete in international culinary competitions a French team stepped back into the arena yesterday - and finished a dispiriting last behind Germany and Wales, countries not always associated with haute cuisine.
Read more…
It's the goner kebab
The Mirror
By Emily Nash
DONER kebabs are the most dangerous fast food - packed with six times more fat than a Big Mac and fries, a study claimed yesterday.
They contain 5.8g of killer trans fats - that's an adult's entire daily allowance (4 to 6g) in one meal.
Read more…
By Emily Nash
DONER kebabs are the most dangerous fast food - packed with six times more fat than a Big Mac and fries, a study claimed yesterday.
They contain 5.8g of killer trans fats - that's an adult's entire daily allowance (4 to 6g) in one meal.
Read more…
Thursday, February 23, 2006
Food fight erupts after top Paris restaurant loses a Michelin star
The Independent
By John Lichfield in Paris
An unseemly food fight has broken out after France's most prestigious restaurant guide demoted one of the country's oldest, best-known and most exclusive eating places.
The Michelin Guide Rouge for 2006, the annual bible of French gourmets, reduced the 424-year-old Tour d'Argent restaurant in Paris from two stars to one.
Read more…
By John Lichfield in Paris
An unseemly food fight has broken out after France's most prestigious restaurant guide demoted one of the country's oldest, best-known and most exclusive eating places.
The Michelin Guide Rouge for 2006, the annual bible of French gourmets, reduced the 424-year-old Tour d'Argent restaurant in Paris from two stars to one.
Read more…
Why can't I be proud about British food?
The Independent
By Iqbal Wahhab
I was born in Bangladesh and sell a British food experience. So what? Get over it.
Last year I opened a restaurant called Roast. It serves classic British dishes like potted shrimps, steak and kidney pudding and rhubarb crumble with custard, and our cooks prepare them using the best of British seasonal produce sourced from Borough Market, where we are based. As New Yorkers say, what's not to like? Yet in that very British way, we were mercilessly torn apart by the critics. Not in the fair comment, "Not so good, must do better" kind of way, but in a vicious and violent way.
OK, so I was born in Bangladesh and now I am selling a British food and drink experience. So what? Get over it. It's not relevant - or so I thought. Perhaps it takes someone initially from another culture to step back and say that British food can be great.
Read more…
By Iqbal Wahhab
I was born in Bangladesh and sell a British food experience. So what? Get over it.
Last year I opened a restaurant called Roast. It serves classic British dishes like potted shrimps, steak and kidney pudding and rhubarb crumble with custard, and our cooks prepare them using the best of British seasonal produce sourced from Borough Market, where we are based. As New Yorkers say, what's not to like? Yet in that very British way, we were mercilessly torn apart by the critics. Not in the fair comment, "Not so good, must do better" kind of way, but in a vicious and violent way.
OK, so I was born in Bangladesh and now I am selling a British food and drink experience. So what? Get over it. It's not relevant - or so I thought. Perhaps it takes someone initially from another culture to step back and say that British food can be great.
Read more…
Venue sparkles for chef who shunned stars
The Guardian
By Angela Charlton in Paris
The bible of fine dining is awarding two of its treasured stars to Alain Senderens, a chef who grew so tired of the rigours of the Michelin rating system that he closed his top Paris restaurant to be free of them. He opened a simpler, cheaper eatery only to find it listed in the 2006 edition.
"I left this shallot race. I wanted to make another style of restaurant," Senderens said after learning of the honour. "I didn't want the stars anymore, but I can't do anything. Michelin says they give stars to whomever they want."
Read more…
By Angela Charlton in Paris
The bible of fine dining is awarding two of its treasured stars to Alain Senderens, a chef who grew so tired of the rigours of the Michelin rating system that he closed his top Paris restaurant to be free of them. He opened a simpler, cheaper eatery only to find it listed in the 2006 edition.
"I left this shallot race. I wanted to make another style of restaurant," Senderens said after learning of the honour. "I didn't want the stars anymore, but I can't do anything. Michelin says they give stars to whomever they want."
Read more…
Food running out as ferry strike maroons Greek islanders
The Guardian, International
By Helena Smith in Athens
Thousands of tourists and local residents stranded on Greek islands by striking ferrymen were last night facing dwindling food, fuel and medical supplies, as marooned islanders warned their situation was growing increasingly desperate.
With supply routes to the mainland severed by a seven-day stoppage, isolated residents on the popular resort islands of Crete, Cephalonia and Chios, as well as further flung outposts, reported shortages of bread and other vital products.
Read more…
By Helena Smith in Athens
Thousands of tourists and local residents stranded on Greek islands by striking ferrymen were last night facing dwindling food, fuel and medical supplies, as marooned islanders warned their situation was growing increasingly desperate.
With supply routes to the mainland severed by a seven-day stoppage, isolated residents on the popular resort islands of Crete, Cephalonia and Chios, as well as further flung outposts, reported shortages of bread and other vital products.
Read more…
Monday, February 20, 2006
Olympic team's caviar 'broke export ban'
The Guardian, International
By Nick Paton Walsh in Moscow
The Russian delegation at the Turin Winter Olympics has been accused of breaking international environmental conventions by shipping a large amount of rare black caviar into Italy for a lavish feast at the games.
Read more…
By Nick Paton Walsh in Moscow
The Russian delegation at the Turin Winter Olympics has been accused of breaking international environmental conventions by shipping a large amount of rare black caviar into Italy for a lavish feast at the games.
Read more…
Cod sold in hundreds of chippies linked to Russian black market
The Guardian, Special report: Marine threat
By David Leigh and Rob Evans
* Birds Eye supplier accused of trading depleted stocks
* Up to 30% of fish could be illegally caught
The Birds Eye brand and hundreds of fish and chip shops in Britain are selling cod from Russian suppliers accused of operating a black market in one of the last large ocean reserves of this potentially endangered species.
Read more…
By David Leigh and Rob Evans
* Birds Eye supplier accused of trading depleted stocks
* Up to 30% of fish could be illegally caught
The Birds Eye brand and hundreds of fish and chip shops in Britain are selling cod from Russian suppliers accused of operating a black market in one of the last large ocean reserves of this potentially endangered species.
Read more…
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